Playoff seeding NFL vs NBA

marko358 · Dec 29, 2015

Any chance the NFL would ever go down the NBA route and switch playoff seeding to best records in each conference? Would anyone even want that? I know I would. Seems more fair and would eliminate 7-9 and 8-8 division winners if there are more deserving teams who should get in.

DavidSeven · Dec 29, 2015

There are pluses and minuses to both approaches, I think.

Divisions in the NBA are basically meaningless. In the NFL, inter-division drama is one of the best things about the league. Those division wins won't mean as much if they don't guarantee a playoff spot. I don't see the NFL messing with its formula in that regard.

AZ_fan · Dec 29, 2015

4 divisions... 1-4 seeds. 2 wild cards for 5-6 seeds.

It's not broke... Winning the division is rewarded as it should be. Want a home playoff game? Win your division and you'll get at least one home playoff game.

I'm fine with it and don't see it being changed. Winning 11 games and finishing 2nd in your division doesn't make a team more deserving over a 10 game division winner.

Winning the division has to be worth something and division winners should absolutely be seeded higher over wild card teams.

Ambrose83 · Dec 29, 2015

they need to keep it as is, but with a twist.... win the div still gets you in, but it should be by record who gets the home games.... for ex, if we play the skins... we should have the home game with the better record (10-6 hopefully) vs 9-7.

Marvin49 · Dec 29, 2015

AZ_fan":1i4f32ju said:
4 divisions... 1-4 seeds. 2 wild cards for 5-6 seeds.

It's not broke... Winning the division is rewarded as it should be. Want a home playoff game? Win your division and you'll get at least one home playoff game.

I'm fine with it and don't see it being changed. Winning 11 games and finishing 2nd in your division doesn't make a team more deserving over a 10 game division winner.

Winning the division has to be worth something and division winners should absolutely be seeded higher over wild card teams.

I think division winners should get a playoff spot regardless of record, but I think they should be seeded by record.

It's kinda BS when a 10 or 11 win team has to go play an 8-8 or 7-9 team in their house.

marko358 · Dec 29, 2015

Marvin49":yc263ueq said:
AZ_fan":yc263ueq said:

4 divisions... 1-4 seeds. 2 wild cards for 5-6 seeds.

It's not broke... Winning the division is rewarded as it should be. Want a home playoff game? Win your division and you'll get at least one home playoff game.

I'm fine with it and don't see it being changed. Winning 11 games and finishing 2nd in your division doesn't make a team more deserving over a 10 game division winner.

Winning the division has to be worth something and division winners should absolutely be seeded higher over wild card teams.

Click to expand...

I think division winners should get a playoff spot regardless of record, but I think they should be seeded by record.

It's kinda BS when a 10 or 11 win team has to go play an 8-8 or 7-9 team in their house.

Yeah, I'd be down with seeding by record. Skins should be a 6 seed this year.

Ramfan128 · Dec 29, 2015

If they added a 7th playoff team, it would ensure that no team is left out most of the time...

Texans would be in over the Steelers this year with a (likely) worse record.

Redskins would be in over the Falcons with a possibly worse record.

But there aren't often two teams that would have been in over a lowly division winner.

I'm not advocating for a 7th playoff team, but I know it's been discussed.

AZ_fan · Dec 29, 2015

Ambrose83":1kauw5hv said:
they need to keep it as is, but with a twist.... win the div still gets you in, but it should be by record who gets the home games.... for ex, if we play the skins... we should have the home game with the better record (10-6 hopefully) vs 9-7.

Marvin49":1kauw5hv said:
I think division winners should get a playoff spot regardless of record, but I think they should be seeded by record.

It's kinda BS when a 10 or 11 win team has to go play an 8-8 or 7-9 team in their house.

Sorry guys I just can't agree. Seattle won their division at 7-9 and the 11-5 WC Saints had to come here in 2010. I didn't have a problem with it and neither did the Seattle fans.

They won their division... over the 7-9 Rams due to a better divisional record while the 10-6 Giants and Bucs missed the playoffs.

It's fine the way it is otherwise there isn't much point to having divisions IMHO.

ringless · Dec 29, 2015

It kind of sucked when we missed the playoffs 2 years ago with a 10-6 record. But I wouldn't want to change the format.

marko358 · Dec 29, 2015

ringless":12yme6e7 said:
It kind of sucked when we missed the playoffs 2 years ago with a 10-6 record. But I wouldn't want to change the format.

Also would have benefited you last year if the below .500 Panthers had to go to Arizona instead of the other way around in the wild card game.

Popeyejones · Dec 29, 2015

AZ_fan":3spew0zp said:
Sorry guys I just can't agree. Seattle won their division at 7-9 and the 11-5 WC Saints had to come here in 2010. I didn't have a problem with it and neither did the Seattle fans.

They won their division... over the 7-9 Rams due to a better divisional record while the 10-6 Giants and Bucs missed the playoffs.

It's fine the way it is otherwise there isn't much point to having divisions IMHO.

Yep. Every year the fanbase of the teams that get a WC spot (and would have gotten a home game w/ their record if they had won their division) complain about this while everyone else just rolls their eyes and is totally disinterested. Then the next year that same fanbase when they're not in the situation is just as uninterested in it as everyone else is.

Of all the things I'd change about the NFL, this doesn't even come close to ranking on the list.

Rat · Dec 29, 2015

marko358":2iufyz3q said:
ringless":2iufyz3q said:

It kind of sucked when we missed the playoffs 2 years ago with a 10-6 record. But I wouldn't want to change the format.

Click to expand...

Also would have benefited you last year if the below .500 Panthers had to go to Arizona instead of the other way around in the wild card game.

I doubt it would have mattered. They would have still had to start Ryan Lindley if it had been a home game.

Sports Hernia · Dec 29, 2015

Marvin49":p6d2oaet said:
AZ_fan":p6d2oaet said:

4 divisions... 1-4 seeds. 2 wild cards for 5-6 seeds.

It's not broke... Winning the division is rewarded as it should be. Want a home playoff game? Win your division and you'll get at least one home playoff game.

I'm fine with it and don't see it being changed. Winning 11 games and finishing 2nd in your division doesn't make a team more deserving over a 10 game division winner.

Winning the division has to be worth something and division winners should absolutely be seeded higher over wild card teams.

Click to expand...

I think division winners should get a playoff spot regardless of record, but I think they should be seeded by record.

It's kinda BS when a 10 or 11 win team has to go play an 8-8 or 7-9 team in their house.

Yep, a 7-9 Seattle team in 2010 had no reason to be hosting a Saints team who had a better record (see original Beastquake game). For once I agree with Marvin...... 8)

Sports Hernia · Dec 29, 2015

AZ_fan":3lcupty0 said:
Ambrose83":3lcupty0 said:

they need to keep it as is, but with a twist.... win the div still gets you in, but it should be by record who gets the home games.... for ex, if we play the skins... we should have the home game with the better record (10-6 hopefully) vs 9-7.

Click to expand...

Marvin49":3lcupty0 said:

I think division winners should get a playoff spot regardless of record, but I think they should be seeded by record.

It's kinda BS when a 10 or 11 win team has to go play an 8-8 or 7-9 team in their house.

Click to expand...

Sorry guys I just can't agree. Seattle won their division at 7-9 and the 11-5 WC Saints had to come here in 2010. I didn't have a problem with it and neither did the Seattle fans.

They won their division... over the 7-9 Rams due to a better divisional record while the 10-6 Giants and Bucs missed the playoffs.

It's fine the way it is otherwise there isn't much point to having divisions IMHO.

I had a problem (in 2010) with a team with a worse record hosting a playoff game, even though my team benefited from that rule that year and that game was the launching pad of Seattle's success over the past 5 years.

I still do have a problem with it. If you win your crappy division, congrats, you are in the playoffs, that is your reward, but IMHO you should not be rewarded with a home playoff game if you are facing a team with a better record. Just my .05 worth.

rideaducati · Dec 29, 2015

It will happen the year after Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady lead wild card teams to losses after they travel to 7-9 division winning teams.

Sports Hernia · Dec 29, 2015

rideaducati":ob654dbk said:
It will happen the year after Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady lead wild card teams to losses after they travel to 7-9 division winning teams.

True.

IndyHawk · Dec 30, 2015

Marvin49":2vlqcoga said:
AZ_fan":2vlqcoga said:

4 divisions... 1-4 seeds. 2 wild cards for 5-6 seeds.

It's not broke... Winning the division is rewarded as it should be. Want a home playoff game? Win your division and you'll get at least one home playoff game.

I'm fine with it and don't see it being changed. Winning 11 games and finishing 2nd in your division doesn't make a team more deserving over a 10 game division winner.

Winning the division has to be worth something and division winners should absolutely be seeded higher over wild card teams.

Click to expand...

I think division winners should get a playoff spot regardless of record, but I think they should be seeded by record.

It's kinda BS when a 10 or 11 win team has to go play an 8-8 or 7-9 team in their house.

I agree there has to be a fix to avoid that.Top 2 teams on both sides get byes but the rest go by record.

AZ_fan · Dec 30, 2015

Popeyejones":2ucaykwc said:
Yep. Every year the fanbase of the teams that get a WC spot (and would have gotten a home game w/ their record if they had won their division) complain about this while everyone else just rolls their eyes and is totally disinterested. Then the next year that same fanbase when they're not in the situation is just as uninterested in it as everyone else is.

Of all the things I'd change about the NFL, this doesn't even come close to ranking on the list.

:13:

Rat":2ucaykwc said:
I doubt it would have mattered. They would have still had to start Ryan Lindley if it had been a home game.

Yep... doesn't matter who we play or where we play in that WC game... without Palmer it's an L.

hawk45 · Dec 30, 2015

Popeyejones":3nqh2hke said:
AZ_fan":3nqh2hke said:

Sorry guys I just can't agree. Seattle won their division at 7-9 and the 11-5 WC Saints had to come here in 2010. I didn't have a problem with it and neither did the Seattle fans.

They won their division... over the 7-9 Rams due to a better divisional record while the 10-6 Giants and Bucs missed the playoffs.

It's fine the way it is otherwise there isn't much point to having divisions IMHO.

Click to expand...

Yep. Every year the fanbase of the teams that get a WC spot (and would have gotten a home game w/ their record if they had won their division) complain about this while everyone else just rolls their eyes and is totally disinterested. Then the next year that same fanbase when they're not in the situation is just as uninterested in it as everyone else is.

Of all the things I'd change about the NFL, this doesn't even come close to ranking on the list.

So true.

I like the way the division races on football are magnified, and feel like it helps prop up the division rivalries so that fans can enjoy a divisional game even if their team is out of it.

It's not nearly the same dogfight to me if two teams in the same division aren't squabbling over the same scarce resource.

I don't care if it is more fair to just line up all the teams and sort by record, it becomes a less fun mush to me that way.

seahawkfreak · Dec 30, 2015

Ambrose83":1qgvrwjq said:
they need to keep it as is, but with a twist.... win the div still gets you in, but it should be by record who gets the home games.... for ex, if we play the skins... we should have the home game with the better record (10-6 hopefully) vs 9-7.

I think there is a good argument that if the 5th seed has a better record than the 4th, the former should get a home game.

Playoff seeding NFL vs NBA

New member

New member

New member

Active member

Well-known member

New member

Active member

New member

New member

New member

Active member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Active member

New member

Similar threads