NFL Wants To Re-Seed Playoffs

[Giantmetfan07]

 January 2nd, 2014

The San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints probably won't find this news to useful, but the NFL has discussed the possibility of reseeding the playoffs based on overall record. A change that could possibly occur as soon as next year.
 
No decisions have been made, but the league has "looked at multiple ways" to change the playoff system, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said on Thursday, via the Associated Press.
 
"Every scenario has been discussed, ranging from reseeding to one extra game, expanding from 12 to 14 teams," McCarthy said. "Think of a scenario, it's been discussed and remains in play."
 
If the league had reseeded teams this season based on record, the 49ers and Saints would most likely be hosting games this weekend. Instead, 12-4 San Francisco is headed to 8-7-1 Green Bay and 11-5 New Orleans is headed to 10-6 Philadelphia.
 
According to McCarthy, part of the reason that the NFL hasn't already moved forward with reseeding the playoffs is because some teams have "raised the concern that reseeding would minimize the value of winning a division; winning a division now means a guaranteed home playoff game."
 
In every year since 2007, there's been at least one wild-card team that's had to go on the road to face a division winner with a worse record. Although reseeding has been discussed, there's been no formal vote on the matter, according to McCarthy.
 
It's possible the NFL could decide to expand and reseed the playoffs in the same season. The topic of playoff expansion came up in September with reports that the league would likely start including 14 teams in the postseason as soon as 2014. If 14 teams would've made the postseason this year, both Arizona and Pittsburgh would have made the playoffs.

 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

About time.

 

[bosoxlover12]

This is stupid. Like the article says, it gives no value to winning the division anymore.


If you can't win on the road, you aren't the best team in football, and therefore shouldn't win the Super Bowl. The best teams find a way to win

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Sure it does. Winning your division automatically gives you a spot in the postseason, but it should not automatically award you a home playoff game. I mean, for what reason should the 12-4 49ers have to travel to the 8-7-1 Packers? Because San Fran has Seattle in their division and they played a little better? So they get penalized for being in a better division and because another team in their division was slightly better?

The NFC West was 42-22 overall this season, while the NFC North was 28-34-2. But it goes so much further then that. If Philly beats the Saints this Saturday, the 12-4 49ers would have to go on the road to the #1 seed of Seattle, rather than the 10-6 Eagles. That's ridiculous.

 

[bosoxlover12]

Every sport does this. If you don't win the division, you get seeded lower. Simple as that


In the MLB, the Red Sox play in the toughest division. We've come 2nd to the Yankees many times. There was a chart I saw showing total wins since like 2002 or something, and Boston had the 2nd most wins. But because the Yankees were #1, we would be a Wild Card team.


Just deal with it. You are just mad because the Saints are god awful on the road, and are pretty damn good at home. If you can't win on the road, you shouldn't be considered the best team. Because you aren't.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Every league doesn't do that lol

And it has nothing to do with the Saints, I've been saying this for years and years. I'd bet you can find me saying this exact same thing last year as well.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Shit I was saying the seeding in the NFL was broken before we even knew the Saints would have to go on the road.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I like the NFL playoffs the way they are.

 

[Pugz]

i dont mind them but i really can see what nola is saying,and agree.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I don't think you deserve a home playoff game if you win your division.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

It's fine the way it is, I can see all points for why it should be changed/left the same. I agree, if you are the best team and want it more than anyone else, it shouldn't matter if you are playing at home or on the road. The Ravens won the division last year and played in New England and played in Denver, and won.it all. It didn't stop them one bit from achieving their goal. I understand how important home field advantage is but I think you should be rewarded for winning your division, even if it sucks. Lets be honest, if the Packers had their QB all year, they would not be 8-7-1. I know it sucks when a team like the 12-4 49ers have to travel to 8-7-1 Green Bay but if they are the better team, they will find a way to win. It's always been this way, just leave things alone. But the NFL will do whatever they can to make some more money. 

 

[Big Bid'Ness]

I like the NFL playoffs the way they are.

 
This message has been approved by BigBidNess and friends.

 

[Hurricane Season]

Just do away with divisions entirely.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I think they're necessary at least for scheduling purposes.

 

[RipCity32]

I think they are fine how they are...

 

[Giantmetfan07]

I like the way it's set up. It does suck that a really good team like the 49ers has to play on the road, but that's the way it's always been. Nobody said life was fair. Hell, the Cardinals played in a tough division and had more wins than the Packers, doesn't mean they should get a playoff spot though. 

 

[BwareDWare94]

I proposed this concept on TGP yesterday, but I think the best possible change of playoff seeding would be creating a scenario when a 7th seed could qualify in a conference. 
 
Let's say that 7th seed benchmark is 11-5, which I think the Cardinals would have been had they not known they were eliminated by the start of the 4th quarter last week. Let's say 'Zona beat SF last Sunday, and sat at 11-5. In this scenario, a 7th seed would qualify and only the 1 seed would get the WC bye week. In this scenario, the seeds are scrapped for the WC round and the 2 seed plays the team with the worst record, so the WC NFC round would look like this: 
2. Carolina vs 4. Green Bay
3. Philadelphia versus 6 NO
5. SF vs 7. AZ
 
After this round, the seed format would go back into play, and no 11-5 team would get left out of the playoffs. This would be a very rare scenario that would have only benefited 2 teams in NFL history (the Cassel Pats), and would eliminate the potential of an 11-5 missing out in favor of a lesser division winning team. 
 
Also, this scenario would not just be dropped on the playoff teams. It would be obvious that this scenario was in play for several weeks leading up to week 17, and teams would be prepping for that.
 
I think this is the way to go, but I don't trust the NFL brain trust to come up with such a great idea. 

 

[bosoxlover12]

Wouldn't it be 2/7, 3/6, 4/5?

 

[BwareDWare94]

Wouldn't it be 2/7, 3/6, 4/5?

 
My proposal is that when a 7 seed gets in at 11-5, they're likely to be better than one of the division winners, so in that case I don't think the 2 seed should have to play that 11-5 7 seed when they would have gotten a bye, normally.
 
In this instance, the WC matchups are decided by record and not seed. This way, the 2 seed plays the worst remaining team, and in this case Green Bay would be traveling to Carolina. 
 
After the WC round, it goes back to seed decided matchups in the divisional round. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Don't think it's fair to say "you make it if you're (x-y record)" because then you could have a 10-6 team that misses that played a much tougher schedule than the 11-5 team hypothetically. You have to have a set number of teams. I wouldn't be opposed to adding a 7th team other than the fact that it's just a weird number of teams to have in the playoffs haha. Would eventually just become 16.