Recent talk of expanding playoffs

Normally not a topic I'd wade into because I really don't feel strongly about it either way but I've seen a couple of articles on the topic in the past couple of days and given the interesting predicament that the AZ Cardinals may find themselves in this season (potentially missing the playoffs with 10 wins, which happens - ask the 2012 Bears), I thought it might be an interesting topic of discussion around here...

That said, here are the articles.

FieldGulls (based on AFL playoff structure - 16 teams)
http://www.fieldgulls.com/seahawks-note ... -solutions

ESPN (based on 14 team format if you follow the link included in the article)
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... d-playoffs

Personally (if I had to choose between the two), I like the idea of eliminating a single pre-season game while adding an additional bye week for each team (including a mandated 4 days off during one of the byes). Seems like a change that the NFLPA may actually support.

The 14 team format doesn't seem too bad it does make getting that number 1 seed that more important. But I just don't wanna see it change from the format they have now because with each team you add to the playoffs to me it just kinda takes the excitement away from making it to the playoffs especially if they made it 16 teams.

HoRneR":s7yurqtj said:

The 14 team format doesn't seem too bad it does make getting that number 1 seed that more important. But I just don't wanna see it change from the format they have now because with each team you add to the playoffs to me it just kinda takes the excitement away from making it to the playoffs especially if they made it 16 teams.

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I tend to agree. Though I think support may ebb and flow due to how terrible some of the teams who actually make it might be. The only positive that I see to expanding the playoffs would be seeing non-division winners with better records than some of the weaker divisions at that time having the opportunity to advance based on the merit of their performance w/out taking away the incentive (home field advantage) of winning your division.

so the regular season is mostly worthless now?

Axx":1s2v5h9s said:

so the regular season is mostly worthless now?

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Well, that's not exactly a subject that can be viewed objectively as far as I can tell. I'm not defending a change but your rhetorical question does compel me to ask why you draw that conclusion. You didn't exactly provide any information...

I absolutely do not want an expanded playoff format. What we have now is perfect for a 32-team league. It's already hard enough to find a worthy team in some of the divisions we have. *Cough, NFC Least*

Wasn't this an issue during negotiations? Is it not allowed until next cba?

This is a bad idea. The NFL playoffs are already too much of a crapshoot with 12 teams. At least in the NBA and NHL, their permissive playoff brackets are balanced out by 7 game series that help reduce the odds of fluke outcomes. In the NFL, one bad play and your season can be over, which is why surprisingly few #1 seeds win championships, at least when compared to other sports.

Going to 14 or 16 teams will only lower the significance of seeding which means both a watered down playoffs and a less relevant regular season. The only positives are that it will make the NFL a little more money, and they didn't really need help there, and it would also eliminate the unfairness of 10 or 11 win teams missing the playoffs, which only happens once in a blue moon anyway.

It is absolutely perfect the way it is right now at 37% of the teams making it to the playoffs. Anything over 40% in any sport just feels like a reward for mediocrity. Don't even get me started on best-of-x crap; one and done is awesome as it's always on the weekend and not drawn out over two weeks.

RolandDeschain":17cyfsk8 said:

I absolutely do not want an expanded playoff format. What we have now is perfect for a 32-team league. It's already hard enough to find a worthy team in some of the divisions we have. *Cough, NFC Least*

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Agreed. I remember the league howling a few years back that a 7-9 Seattle beat the previous years Super Bowl champs.

With division seeding though, that's going to happen from time to time. Would it have been any different if we were 8-8 or 9-7 and still hosting an 11-5 SB defending team? The 8-8 '85 Browns hosted the 12-4 Dolphins (#2 pass offense in the league) and almost won; I don't remember anyone giving a rip about W/L and seeding back then. If you're such a good team, go beat some scrub in their own house. No excuses.

Dumb.

I like the AFL model with 18 games and 3 preseason games with 2 byes in the regular season. If you're top 4 you're never one and done so what happened to New Orleans in 2010 likely would have allowed them a good shot at the NFC championship despite our wonderful upset. Even though under that setup we would have been the 5 seed as we deserved. If they could get away with 2 preseason games even better.

The NFL needs to stop trying to fix what's not broken. Goodell sucks so bad.

I suppose you would prefer 14 games with 3 divisions and 1 wildcard? Things change and evolve even MLB is starting to understand that.

KCHawkGirl":276tn1bl said:

I suppose you would prefer 14 games with 3 divisions and 1 wildcard? Things change and evolve even MLB is starting to understand that.

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For the longest time, MLB had 26 teams playing a total of 2100+ games per season with only 4 teams making the playoffs. Their system was utterly stupid; any change was better than what was in place.

The Outfield":bi912m0d said:

The NFL needs to stop trying to fix what's not broken. Goodell sucks so bad.

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It is about making more money not fixing anything. They wanted to go 18 games that got shut down. They want TNF but it sucks as a product.

This is the best they have right now

Goodell wants to have his legacy remembered like Tags and Rozell, as of now he has managed to discredit the work that those two have done.

Pretty soon players will be wearing liatards and Tutu's.

You're speaking about Tagliabue in a positive light, Chris?

SMH.

stupid idea...let teams into the playoffs year after year with losing records...yes I know the Seahawks did it once but that was different as everyone sucked in the west that year. against it!!