NFC West is going to screw a good team out of a playoff spot (1 Viewer)

[Zardnok]

Look at the flop side of this situation, what about a brutal conference, like the NFC East of a couple years back where every team had a legitimate shot at winning the division or the NFC South of a few years back where everyone but the Bucs had a legitimate shot at winning the division, those teams beat each other up splitting a bunch of games and suddenly the division winner is 10-6 or 9-7 because every team in the division is quality and beating each other. That division winner is just as viable as someone from say the AFC West who had a cupcake KC and Oakland twice or the NFC West with the Rams and 49ers to abuse twice.

The play-off seeding is fine the way it is now.

 

[goboilers]

Its not the first time.

 

[Infoman]

The 8-8 Rams will get the #4 seed, and 10-6 Bucs or Giants will not make the playoffs.... watch and see. On top of that, there will be at least one 11 win team in the NFC that will be a wildcard.

 

[smchls23]

The 8-8 Rams will get the #4 seed, and 10-6 Bucs or Giants will not make the playoffs.... watch and see. On top of that, there will be at least one 11 win team in the NFC that will be a wildcard.

But that 8-8 Rams team obviously better than those 10 and 11 win teams.

Like do you all not realize how completely unfounded that is? Ok, for the sake of argument, let's say the Rams win, which means that the Rams were able to out-win the Cards and Seahawks and 49ers. ....So what? That doesn't make them better than the Saints or the Giants. That just makes them better than the Cards, Seahawks and 49ers...

 

[Bartyboy]

Look at the flop side of this situation, what about a brutal conference, like the NFC East of a couple years back where every team had a legitimate shot at winning the division or the NFC South of a few years back where everyone but the Bucs had a legitimate shot at winning the division, those teams beat each other up splitting a bunch of games and suddenly the division winner is 10-6 or 9-7 because every team in the division is quality and beating each other. That division winner is just as viable as someone from say the AFC West who had a cupcake KC and Oakland twice or the NFC West with the Rams and 49ers to abuse twice.

The play-off seeding is fine the way it is now.

I think this is one of the best arguments. Teams in a tough division will most likely have a worse record than teams in an easy division.
Here is a hypothetical for you.

Team A
What if a team wins its division the year before. ( it plays all the other divisional winners ) It is in the best division and it plays the second best division as its division games. Add to that what if it is playing the best division in the other conference.
This team could end up playing 16 really tough games.
could end up 9-7

Team B
Some other team plays in the weakest division it plays the second weakest division, was last the previous year in the division and it plays the weakest division in the other conference.
It could have 12 or 14 games against teams with a loosing record.
could end up 12-4

Are you telling me Team B is better than team A. I doubt it.
You have to keep the divisional winners in the playoffs.
As such they deserve a home game.If they are that bad then a better team comes in and beats them.
One and Done.

 

[Anteros77]

You have to give divisional winners a spot in the playoffs. It makes winning your division important, which in turn is what makes rivalry games so great. If you take away division winners going to the playoffs, you're going to lose a lot of the great NFL rivalries.

 

[Rugger]

You have to give divisional winners a spot in the playoffs. It makes winning your division important, which in turn is what makes rivalry games so great. If you take away division winners going to the playoffs, you're going to lose a lot of the great NFL rivalries.

You can give division winners an automatic playoff spot and slot the playoff seeds based on record. Basically you can do both and it makes sense...

However if you flip the script i.e. two weaker teams having an inflated records because they play an easier schedule it could "hurt" better teams and their seedings.

 

[Anteros77]

You can give division winners an automatic playoff spot and slot the playoff seeds based on record. Basically you can do both and it makes sense...

However if you flip the script i.e. two weaker teams having an inflated records because they play an easier schedule it could "hurt" better teams and their seedings.

I agree to an extent. However, if the better team is so much better, they should be able to go into a terrible NFCW team's house and destroy them anyway, so it really doesn't matter.

 

[Saintsfan2121]

I don't think this year's anomaly of several very good teams throughout a conference + one ridiculously bad division is going to merit a rule change.

I do however agree that perhaps a 7-9 team should not be hosting a playoff game over a 12-4 team.

Maybe give the top two division winners the BYEs then seed the remaining 3 through 6 teams by record.

 

[Flipx99]

Under your scenario with Seattle winning the West and the Saints as the top wild card team, the Saints will not play Seattle in the first round. The Saints would host the 2nd place wild card team in the first round. Seattle will host the 3rd place wild card team.

Dude!!!!!!! There are not three wildcard teams in a conference!!!!!!!!!!

1. The division champion with the best record!!!
2. The division champion with the second-best record!!
3. The division champion with the third-best record!!
4. The division champion with the fourth-best record!!
5. The Wild Card club with the best record!!
6. The Wild Card club with the second-best record!!


In the wildcard round:

The 3rd seed (Division winner) plays the 6th.

The 4th seed (Division winner) plays the 5th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nolafan33]

A losing team should NOT make the playoffs.

If they finish 9-7, heck even 8-8 sure that's fine put them in.

The Rams are 5-6 and could potentially leave a 7-4 Buc or Packer team out of the playoffs. All I'm saying that one qualification for the playoffs is a .500 record or above.

 

[willkro]

>> won't feel bad if it's the Bucs or Failclowns. <<< + Bears