Top Seed and Bye Week Challenge.. (1 Viewer)

[YeahSaintsWin]

With the expansion of the NFL Playoffs, the owners got an additional team in the post-season (thanks Jerry Jones) and teams loss one Bye Week for each conference. Now, only one team gets a Bye Week and the #1 Seed in each conference gets to play one fewer playoff game than teams playing the first week of the post season. Why does that matter?

The Saints could benefit from being seeded in the top spot. The week of rest plus, unless the NFL needs to add weeks to the end of the season, it would be the first week off since early in the campaign.

Second, playing one fewer game is a major advantage. After eight games, my attention turns to the playoffs. Ten wins gets you in the playoffs most years. And an 8-game win streak puts New Orleans in the NFC Penthouse.

Never mind home-field advantage will be minimized with few fans in the stadium. The Bye Week is the goal for every division leader in the NFL. Bottom line, the Saints have work to do.

GO Saints!!

 

[black_floyd]

I'm confused by how an 8 game winning streak (Saints would be 9-2) puts the Saints in the penthouse if 10 wins is your estimated threshold for making the playoffs.

 

[GTSaint]

I think the OP means 8 game win streak from this point on, putting us at 14-2. In reality, we would need a tiny bit of help with this to get the number 1 seed. We don't want to be only tied with the Packers at the end of the season since they own the head to head tiebreaker. We either need to be on top by ourselves or we need the Seahawks to be in that tie also so the tiebreaker does not include the Saints/Pack head to head and goes to conference record.

If we win the next 8 games, I would imagine we would be on top by ourselves at 14-2. So the Saints should just do that.

But there is a lot of football to play.

 

[black_floyd]

I think the OP means 8 game win streak from this point on, putting us at 14-2. In reality, we would need a tiny bit of help with this to get the number 1 seed. We don't want to be only tied with the Packers at the end of the season since they own the head to head tiebreaker. We either need to be on top by ourselves or we need the Seahawks to be in that tie also so the tiebreaker does not include the Saints/Pack head to head and goes to conference record.

If we win the next 8 games, I would imagine we would be on top by ourselves at 14-2. So the Saints should just do that.

But there is a lot of football to play.

Yep. One more wrinkle for us is that if all three of those teams win out then we need to win the common opponents tiebreaker with SEA cuz we only have the tiebreaker on them as of now because we've played more NFC games (5-1 record for us vs. 4-1 for them). That tiebreaker gets knotted up at 7-1 all if both teams win their next three games and 11-1 all if they both win out.

 

[YeahSaintsWin]

I'm confused by how an 8 game winning streak (Saints would be 9-2) puts the Saints in the penthouse if 10 wins is your estimated threshold for making the playoffs.

Uhh, sorry to be confusing. That's 8-0 beginning this weekend. 2020 Record would be 14-2..

 

[SaintFanInATLHell2019]

Yep. One more wrinkle for us is that if all three of those teams win out then we need to win the common opponents tiebreaker with SEA cuz we only have the tiebreaker on them as of now because we've played more NFC games (5-1 record for us vs. 4-1 for them). That tiebreaker gets knotted up at 7-1 all if both teams win their next three games and 11-1 all if they both win out.

I saw a blurb that the 2020 Seahawks have broken the NFL record for air yards given up in the first 9 games of a season. Note that they are 6-2 having only played 8 games.

With a defense that porous, there's no worry about them going on a 8-0 run down the stretch.

The Saints only objective is to stay a game ahead of the Packers, who BTW cannot stop the run. With at least one game against a top running (Titans), the window to do that is there.

SFIAH

 

[YeahSaintsWin]

I think the OP means 8 game win streak from this point on, putting us at 14-2. In reality, we would need a tiny bit of help with this to get the number 1 seed. We don't want to be only tied with the Packers at the end of the season since they own the head to head tiebreaker. We either need to be on top by ourselves or we need the Seahawks to be in that tie also so the tiebreaker does not include the Saints/Pack head to head and goes to conference record.

If we win the next 8 games, I would imagine we would be on top by ourselves at 14-2. So the Saints should just do that.

But there is a lot of football to play.

You were right that I am hoping for a 14-2 season. And we won't need any help with that record unless we are tied with GB.

Saints would lose the tiebreaker to 14-2 Green Bay (head to head loss) but beat 14-2 Seattle (better NFC record). Right now, those two teams are the teams competition for the #1 Seed,,

GO Saints!!

 

[whoami]

Packers will probably drop 2 or more games. Colts/Titans/ Bears X 2/ Panthers. Heck, we might drop 2 also. This year's bye winner will be unknown till Week 15 or so!

 

[black_floyd]

Uhh, sorry to be confusing. That's 8-0 beginning this weekend. 2020 Record would be 14-2..

No worries dude

 

[TommyBarn]

I''ll give anyone 3 to 1 odds to take the over on 13.5 wins. The Saints played incredibly well against the Bucs (obviously), but its not realistic IMO to expect the team to win out. We are still 3-5 ATS aka have played worse than expectations the majority of games so far. Players have come back, we are trending up, but I would take 6-2 over the backhalf if I could guarantee that today.

 

[black_floyd]

I saw a blurb that the 2020 Seahawks have broken the NFL record for air yards given up in the first 9 games of a season. Note that they are 6-2 having only played 8 games.

With a defense that porous, there's no worry about them going on a 8-0 run down the stretch.

The Saints only objective is to stay a game ahead of the Packers, who BTW cannot stop the run. With at least one game against a top running (Titans), the window to do that is there.

SFIAH

I agree with most of that but Russell Wilson might be having one of those crazy '84 Marino seasons right now so I'm not betting against him bailing them out until they lose convincingly. The Cardinals game coulda easily gone their way. But again, your post made good points all around.

 

[the-commish]

The league was (IS) considering a 16-team playoff format (if some games have to be cancelled due to COVID), with 8 playoff teams in each conference. The problem with 8 teams is that you either have to have zero byes in a 3-week format... or 4 byes. 1 or 2 byes won't work.

 

[jasonsw]

You were right that I am hoping for a 14-2 season. And we won't need any help with that record unless we are tied with GB.

Saints would lose the tiebreaker to 14-2 Green Bay (head to head loss) but beat 14-2 Seattle (better NFC record). Right now, those two teams are the teams competition for the #1 Seed,,

GO Saints!!

I think i saw a post the other day that if N.O and G.B were both 14-2 then N.O gets bye due to better conference record. G.Bs 2 losses occurred in NFC, while Saints have only one NFC loss. Also in that scenario since all three teams didnt face each other only conference record used. But its highly unlikely all three teams finish 14-2.

Heres a video that explains conference seeding scenario

 

[Consigliere]

The league was (IS) considering a 16-team playoff format

Right - the league is waiting to see if the Saints will be the #1 seed.

 

[T.Sneden84]

speaking of...... I hope espn put their playoff machine up soon . That things helps me waste like 2 hours a day minimum