Should The NFL Get Rid of Automatic Playoff Berths For Division Winners?

[BillsImpossible]

If the Bills finish 9-7 or better and don't make the playoffs, but the Colts or Texans do make the playoffs with 8-8 records or worse, that would be a horrible way to end this season.

Who wants to watch an 8-8 or worse team in the playoffs over a 9-7 or better team?

Shouldn't wins count more than losses, regardless of the division a team is in?

What's it going to take? A 6-10 "Division Winner," to change the rule?

I think there will come a day when the NFL will change this rule and hope to the football gods that the 2015 Bills aren't the reason why.

[YardRat]

Win your own division and it's a moot point. I would say no. What's next, taking away home field advantage because a very strong team in an otherwise really weak division pads their overall record by beating up on the wannabes for 6 games each season?

[BillsImpossible]

Win your own division and it's a moot point. I would say no. What's next, taking away home field advantage because a very strong team in an otherwise really weak division pads their overall record by beating up on the wannabes for 6 games each season?

The teams with the most wins should get home field advantage, not the teams that won their weak ass divisions.

[Skooby]

It's a valid argument but you have to reward teams for inter-divisional accomplishments, which ironically is also a tie-breaker.

[YardRat]

The teams with the most wins should get home field advantage, not the teams that won their weak ass divisions.

They are usually the same.

[Joe Fo Sho]

If the Bills finish 9-7 or better and don't make the playoffs, but the Colts or Texans do make the playoffs with 8-8 records or worse, that would be a horrible way to end this season.

Who wants to watch an 8-8 or worse team in the playoffs over a 9-7 or better team?

Shouldn't wins count more than losses, regardless of the division a team is in?

What's it going to take? A 6-10 "Division Winner," to change the rule?

I think there will come a day when the NFL will change this rule and hope to the football gods that the 2015 Bills aren't the reason why.

Why should you let a team into the playoffs that did not win their division and who also did not have a better record than two other teams that also did not win their division?

At least with a division winner you can say pretty clearly that one team is better than the other 3 who have played each other more than once and had a similar schedule.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I think division winners do deserve an automatic spot but not guaranteed home field in the wild card round.

[tomz]

I think division winners do deserve an automatic spot but not guaranteed home field in the wild card round.

That seems sensible. By the way, remember when the Seahawks went 7-9, won their division and then proceeded to tear up the playoffs? And how 'bout those 9-7 Giants who won the Super Bowl?

[Skooby]

That seems sensible. By the way, remember when the Seahawks went 7-9, won their division and then proceeded to tear up the playoffs? And how 'bout those 9-7 Giants who won the Super Bowl?

I think the Giants were on the road all 3 playoff games before the Superbowl & had won like 7 straight before making the playoffs, one of the games being a win against the Bills (Bills should of won).

[BertSquirtgum]

If the Bills finish 9-7 or better and don't make the playoffs, but the Colts or Texans do make the playoffs with 8-8 records or worse, that would be a horrible way to end this season.

Who wants to watch an 8-8 or worse team in the playoffs over a 9-7 or better team?

Shouldn't wins count more than losses, regardless of the division a team is in?

What's it going to take? A 6-10 "Division Winner," to change the rule?

I think there will come a day when the NFL will change this rule and hope to the football gods that the 2015 Bills aren't the reason why.

Absolutely not. You win your division. You make the playoffs.

[Meathead]

no but they need to get rid of playoff byes. add two teams and have everybody play each week. top seeds will still have it pretty easy against playoff bottom dwellers

[gebobs]

Yeah...the byes are an enormous advantage. Four division winners and four wildcards from each conference.

[Joe Fo Sho]

no but they need to get rid of playoff byes. add two teams and have everybody play each week. top seeds will still have it pretty easy against playoff bottom dwellers

Yeah...the byes are an enormous advantage. Four division winners and four wildcards from each conference.

You guys want half of the NFL to make the playoffs?

[gebobs]

You guys want half of the NFL to make the playoffs?

Yeah, I guess that's a bit much. Then again, it might be the only way we could get to see our team any time soon. :-)

[OpIv37]

You guys want half of the NFL to make the playoffs?

That's what the NHL and NBA do.

[ticatfan]

The teams with the most wins should get home field advantage, not the teams that won their weak ass divisions.

Weak one yr and strong the next, that would get to confusing.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Yeah, I guess that's a bit much. Then again, it might be the only way we could get to see our team any time soon. :-)

Ha, that's probably the case but I'm still against having that many teams in the playoffs.

That's what the NHL and NBA do.

Yeah, and that's one of the things I don't like about those sports. It actually would make more sense for the NFL to have more teams in the playoffs because the season is so short, but that's what makes the NFL regular season so exciting. I don't like watching the regular season of the NBA, NHL, or MLB because the games don't matter as much. The MLB actually does it right I think, they have the longest season (in terms of games played) and have the least amount of playoff teams.

[Ingtar33]

That's what the NHL and NBA do.

in the NHL no one complains about it because the 5-8 seeds win the cup about as often as the 1-4 seeds, because goaltending matters so much in the playoffs.

In the nba, it's just a cash grab, because the 5-8 seeds have ZERO chance to win the NBA championship, the nba champions always come from the top 4 seeds, frankly it's rare it's not from a 1st or 2nd seed

The NFL is a bit closer to hockey then it is the NBA, as low seeds do make and win the superbowl. so expanding the playoffs probably will just bring more potential superbowl champions into the playoffs.

[Meathead]

sure why not. its a stupid game, more teams in the playoffs mean more teams have a chance and more cities get to be involved. good teams still have a big advantage just not an unfair one. in the time when the nfl has made good qbs god they should be forced to get tested the same number of playoff games as every other team

[Joe Fo Sho]

sure why not. its a stupid game, more teams in the playoffs mean more teams have a chance and more cities get to be involved. good teams still have a big advantage just not an unfair one. in the time when the nfl has made good qbs god they should be forced to get tested the same number of playoff games as every other team

That would allow teams that go 8-8 to get into the playoffs, and in 2012 a 7-9 wildcard team would have made the playoffs (either the Dolphins or the Chargers, I don't know who would've won the tiebreaker). I don't think these teams deserve to get into the playoffs.