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Unkle Monkee's NFL Playoff Change Proposal
Right now I'm wondering how an 11-5 Patriots team stays home and an 8-8 Chargers team makes
it. Worse, the 12-4 Colts have to travel to the 8-8 San Diego. The NFL has a rule that a wildcard
team can never host a division champ in the playoffs.
I think it's time for the NFL to tweak, not overhaul, the way the playoff teams are determined. The
worst thing the NFL could do is add more teams. It's bad enough some unworthy teams
(Cardinals, Chargers) while two teams with better records sit at home.
So what should the NFL do? I think keep the divisions for scheduling purposes and if necessary for
tiebreakers too. No need to blow up the conferences and start shuffling teams around. Keep the
current format where the two best division winners in each conference get a first round bye and
hosts their first game. After that seed the teams 3-6 based on overall record. If the other two
division winners don't qualify then tough. Win the games and you get in. In the first round, best
record hosts regardless of division champ or not.
Based on my playoff format, here's what I come up with:
AFC - 1st round bye divisional champs - Titans (1), Steelers(2) (same as current)
Wildcards - (3) Colts, (4) Dolphins, (5) Ravens, (6) Pats
The two top seeds stay the same. No change in playoff format there. But then the remainder are
seeded by record, not divisional champs. Colts get the three seed by virtue of 12-4 record is
better than any of the remaining division champs. Dolphins get the four seed since they won their
division. Since there was no head to head game between the Patriots and Ravens, Ravens get the
five seed based on better conference record.
NFC - 1st round bye divisional champs - Giants (1), Panthers (2)
Wildcards - (3) Falcons, (4) Vikings, (5) Eagles, (6) Cardinals
Again the top two get the byes. The Falcons have the next best record at 11-5, followed by the
10-6 Vikings and 9-6-1 Eagles. Since a tie counts as half a win, half a loss, the Eagles get in
before the 9-7 teams.
Now it gets difficult. Four remaining 9-7 team: Cowboys, Cardinals, Bears and Buccaneers. I could
go two different ways with this. There is no head to head since the teams didn't all play each
other. I could then just look at conference record which would advance the Bucs at 8-4 and
everybody else is 7-5. Or I could go with the Cardinals since they are a division winner and the
others are runner ups. I don't want a division title to be totally meaningless so I think the tiebreak
will be division champ.
In my new system, in the AFC the Chargers are the only division champ that stays home. It allows
a team with a better record to advance over an 8-8 division winner. In the NFL, no division stays
home and only the seedings change. My system rewards record over a division champ and also
rewards the teams with the most wins. It also doesn't render divisions completely pointless. Only
a division winner can get a first round bye.
For the official NFL playoff seeding rules and tiebreakers follow the link.
Here is my proposed changes:
1. The two bye round teams will be the two division winners with the best overall record in each
conference.
a. First tiebreaker is head to head.
b. Second tiebreaker is best conference record.
c. Third tiebreaker is common opponents....and so on down the current NFL tiebreakers.
2. The four wildcard slots for each conference will be the remaining teams with the best overall
record regardless of divisional champions.
Two team tiebreaker:
1. Head to head
2. Best division record if in same division.
3. Best conference record.
4. Best record against common opponents....and down the current tiebreakers.
Three or more teams tiebreaker:
1. If any division champions remain, they get the remaining spots first and tie breaks start over to
decide who is the higher seed.
2. Head to head if all play each other.
3. Best conference record.
4. Common opponents....and so on down the current tiebreaks.
it. Worse, the 12-4 Colts have to travel to the 8-8 San Diego. The NFL has a rule that a wildcard
team can never host a division champ in the playoffs.
I think it's time for the NFL to tweak, not overhaul, the way the playoff teams are determined. The
worst thing the NFL could do is add more teams. It's bad enough some unworthy teams
(Cardinals, Chargers) while two teams with better records sit at home.
So what should the NFL do? I think keep the divisions for scheduling purposes and if necessary for
tiebreakers too. No need to blow up the conferences and start shuffling teams around. Keep the
current format where the two best division winners in each conference get a first round bye and
hosts their first game. After that seed the teams 3-6 based on overall record. If the other two
division winners don't qualify then tough. Win the games and you get in. In the first round, best
record hosts regardless of division champ or not.
Based on my playoff format, here's what I come up with:
AFC - 1st round bye divisional champs - Titans (1), Steelers(2) (same as current)
Wildcards - (3) Colts, (4) Dolphins, (5) Ravens, (6) Pats
The two top seeds stay the same. No change in playoff format there. But then the remainder are
seeded by record, not divisional champs. Colts get the three seed by virtue of 12-4 record is
better than any of the remaining division champs. Dolphins get the four seed since they won their
division. Since there was no head to head game between the Patriots and Ravens, Ravens get the
five seed based on better conference record.
NFC - 1st round bye divisional champs - Giants (1), Panthers (2)
Wildcards - (3) Falcons, (4) Vikings, (5) Eagles, (6) Cardinals
Again the top two get the byes. The Falcons have the next best record at 11-5, followed by the
10-6 Vikings and 9-6-1 Eagles. Since a tie counts as half a win, half a loss, the Eagles get in
before the 9-7 teams.
Now it gets difficult. Four remaining 9-7 team: Cowboys, Cardinals, Bears and Buccaneers. I could
go two different ways with this. There is no head to head since the teams didn't all play each
other. I could then just look at conference record which would advance the Bucs at 8-4 and
everybody else is 7-5. Or I could go with the Cardinals since they are a division winner and the
others are runner ups. I don't want a division title to be totally meaningless so I think the tiebreak
will be division champ.
In my new system, in the AFC the Chargers are the only division champ that stays home. It allows
a team with a better record to advance over an 8-8 division winner. In the NFL, no division stays
home and only the seedings change. My system rewards record over a division champ and also
rewards the teams with the most wins. It also doesn't render divisions completely pointless. Only
a division winner can get a first round bye.
For the official NFL playoff seeding rules and tiebreakers follow the link.
Here is my proposed changes:
1. The two bye round teams will be the two division winners with the best overall record in each
conference.
a. First tiebreaker is head to head.
b. Second tiebreaker is best conference record.
c. Third tiebreaker is common opponents....and so on down the current NFL tiebreakers.
2. The four wildcard slots for each conference will be the remaining teams with the best overall
record regardless of divisional champions.
Two team tiebreaker:
1. Head to head
2. Best division record if in same division.
3. Best conference record.
4. Best record against common opponents....and down the current tiebreakers.
Three or more teams tiebreaker:
1. If any division champions remain, they get the remaining spots first and tie breaks start over to
decide who is the higher seed.
2. Head to head if all play each other.
3. Best conference record.
4. Common opponents....and so on down the current tiebreaks.