Major FLAW in realignment

[Kicker22705]

I didn't realize of this flaw until i played an entire season in Madden 2003. With 4 division winners, there are only 2 wildcard teams. This often leaves out very good team out of the playoffs b/c of the limited spots. This is what happened.

(* division winners) (+ wild card)
Patriots*............12-4
Titans*..............12-4
Browns*............11-5
Bills+....................11-5
Steelers+............11-6
Dolphins.............10-6
Colts..................10-6
Raiders*.............9-7

Although both the Dolphins and the Colts had better records than the Raiders, they both missed the playoffs.

IMO this is bull****, i can easily see this screwing the bills playing in the tough AFCE.

[northernbillfan]

I've mentioned it before, and it's definitley harder to get the wild card spots. This sort of thing happens in baseball all the time.

IMO, they should go to a top 8 format like the NHL and NBA.

[SoCalBillsFan]

It places extra importance on the division games, and I think that will make division rivalries fiercer. It may also HELP the Bills playing in a tougher division- good teams can beat up on each other, and the one that wins will still make the playoffs even if it does finish 9-7. Works both ways. It's not necesserily worse, just different.

[lordofgun]

I don't like it either. They should add one more team to the playoffs, then only have one bye-team.

[clumping platelets]

11-5? That's my kinda of thinking

[Ebenezer]

We'll have to see if it balances itself out over the next couple of years...there will be at least one division this year that is either 8-8 or 9-7...imo.

[Patrick76777]

Originally posted by lordofgun
I don't like it either. They should add one more team to the playoffs, then only have one bye-team.

THat's what i've been saying log. I think 8 would be too many.

[casdhf]

NE 12-4 ?

[Ebenezer]

Re: Major FLAW in realignment

Originally posted by Kicker22705
(* division winners) (+ wild card)
Patriots*............12-4
Titans*..............12-4
Browns*............11-5
Bills+....................11-5
Steelers+............11-6
Dolphins.............10-6
Colts..................10-6
Raiders*.............9-7

Major flaw in your Madden...Neither the Patsies nor the Titans are going 12-4...the browns nor the bills are going to be 11-5...how did the steelers play 17 games...replay the season...you got ripped off.

[FlownTheCoop]

With the new format, it's very likely an 8-8 team or even an 7-9 team might win their division and make the playoffs.

Hockey had this format a few years back, and with just four teams in each division, you might see some real dregs coming out of bad divisions, while a deserving wild card team would go home.

[Kicker22705]

Re: Re: Major FLAW in realignment

Originally posted by Ebenezer



Major flaw in your Madden...Neither the Patsies nor the Titans are going 12-4...the browns nor the bills are going to be 11-5...how did the steelers play 17 games...replay the season...you got ripped off.

haha, i meant the steelers went 11-5. I played the franchise mode and went 11-5. even crazier/nicer was bledsoe threw for 46 tds and Josh Reed had 1598 rec yards and 11 tds. not to mension the Patriots repeated winning the superbowl again by beating the Rams again WTF. anyways thats besides the point i was just trying to explain how good teams gets screwed out of playoffs.

[FlownTheCoop]

Case in point - take the 2001 Standings to the 2002 Alignment, and you'd get this -

AFC East
New England 11-5#
Miami 11-5*
NY Jets 10-6
Buffalo 3-13

AFC North
Pittsburgh 13-3#
Baltimore 10-6*
Cleveland 7-9
Cincinnati 6-10

AFC South
Tennessee 7-9#
Jacksonville 6-10
Indianapolis 6-10
Houston 0-0

AFC West
Oakland 10-6#
Denver 8-8
Kansas City 6-10
San Diego 5-11

NFC East
Philadelphia 11-5#
Washington 8-8
NY Giants 7-9
Dallas 5-11

NFC North
Chicago 13-3#
Green Bay 12-4*
Minnesota 5-11
Detroit 2-14

NFC South
Tampa Bay 9-7#
New Orleans 7-9
Atlanta 7-9
Carolina 1-15

NFC West
St. Louis 14-2#
San Francisco 12-4*
Seattle 9-7
Arizona 7-9

Tennessee would have won the AFC South with a 7-9 mark, while the Jets wouldn't have made the post-season. The NFC would have been the same, but the Bucs would be a division winner instead of a Wild Card, and would get to host one of the 12-4 Wild Card teams...

[SoCalBillsFan]

FTC, the problem with that is you are using old division schedules with the new divisions. THe titans and colts, IMO, would have had better schedules so that one of them would have done better. One of those teams would have been at least 9-7 in a weaker division, especially if you consider the texans factor.

[lordofgun]

It makes the point nonetheless. It would be very easy to get sa scrub team in the playoffs while a much better team sits home. This would all be solved by adding another team from each conference to the playoffs.

[SoCalBillsFan]

I guess so log, but I am not totally opposed to this way. I like the heated divisonal games that this will bring.

Of course, if the bills are one of those teams that gets screwed...then I will be screaming about how bad the system is :)