AFC rules: USAToday article

[G. Host]

USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2004-11-23-week-11-replay_x.htm)
Super Bowl XXXIX is scheduled for Feb. 6 at Jacksonville, but the really big game might be played Jan. 23, when the AFC Championship Game is staged.

AFC teams were 4-2 against the NFC on Sunday, including the rebuilding Buffalo Bills' thrashing of the St. Louis Rams, an NFC playoff contender. For the season, the AFC has a 27-17 edge and is on pace to surpass the best-ever 38 inter-conference victories from 1999.

The imbalance sets up the disturbing possibility that a team could finish 10-6 in the AFC and miss the playoffs while an 8-8 team "earns" a wild-card berth in the NFC. That type of scenario was one of the biggest fears of the NFL's competition committee when realignment took effect in 2002

[G. Host]

Another article (part of a chat):
Rochester, NY: Do you think the Buffalo Bills are finally on the road to recovery?

Jarrett Bell: The Bills' D has been pretty solid for a couple of years, and with Willis McGahee the offense is making strides. So, yeah, they seem to be heading in the right direction. I don't think many teams want to play AT Buffalo these days. They are so much better at home; too bad four of their last six are on the road (to recovery).

http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20041122002/tscript.htm

Wash DC/Balto: Notice ..when the Skins lose, Ravens win. Serious...AFC has got 3 juggernauts (Steelers, Colts and Pats)...who in the NFC is a match for these guys?

Jarrett Bell: The power is surely in the AFC. Example: Rebuilding Buffalo flat-out dogged St. Louis. Can Philly beat one of the top AFC teams on a good day? Maybe. But it sure didn't happen in Pittsburgh. So, I'm thinking the "real" Super Bowl this year will be the AFC title game.

[Jayhawk]

good stuff, thanks.

[Forward_Lateral]

I always wondered what would happen if they took the 8 division winners, and then took wild cards from the best records, no matter what conference. It kind of sucks when a 10 win team doesn't make it and an 8 or 9 win team does. I guess that's the way it is, I hope the NFL expands the play offs to 1 or maybe even 2 more wild cards per conference.

[The Predator]

(Patriots Colts Steelers) The Axis Powers Of The AFC.

[DaBills]

Eagles are the only real NFC team that can compete. Colts I can actually see having enough fire power to outduel the Pats. If I had to bet today, I'd say Pitt and Indy in the AFC championship game.

Rothlesbergererererer looks like the real deal. They got a solid running game and solid D. Colts have a sure-fire O but their secondary is very suspect.

[generalmills]

I always wondered what would happen if they took the 8 division winners, and then took wild cards from the best records, no matter what conference. It kind of sucks when a 10 win team doesn't make it and an 8 or 9 win team does. I guess that's the way it is, I hope the NFL expands the play offs to 1 or maybe even 2 more wild cards per conference.
Intesting thoughts about changing the playoff schedual...you make a really good point about how a 10 win team can miss while another in the other conference can still make it... It does not seem fair when you are an AFC team looking in but thats the way it goes... as for expanding the playoffs to 1 or 2 more wild cards...I do not want that to happen at all... the NFL has reached it popularity level based on the idea that "every week means something" and that a team can be eliminated with just one bad game...I guess I might just be a bit of a traditionalist but when baseball introduced the wildcard, I think it wrecked the race for the devisional titles. With the way the league is set up right now (with 4 devisions in each conference) I think it is fair to have only 2 wildcard teams.. otherwise there would be very mediocre teams in the first weekend of playoff games (blowouts in the playoffs are no fun for anyone/just a waste of time)