Opinion on Playoff Selection System?

[Hail to the Redskins]

Unbelievable...

As frustrating as our season has been, imagine being a New England Patriots fan. I know it is REALLY difficult to feel bad for them, BUT...

to go 11-5 and NOT make the playoff while the 7-8 Chargers can make it tonight is ludacris in my mind.

Why should a team be rewarded for their "NFL Geography" placement? (meaning... being in a CRAPPY division) - Also See: Arizona Cardinals

What do you think? Should it be changed?

[Ruhskins]

New England Patriots have been winning a lot over the past couple of seasons. Screw them (funny how people easily forget Belicheat running up the score on us), besides up until this year, they had to play crappy ass teams in their conference.

I doubt the NFL will change this until this happens to the Cowboys.

[Hail to the Redskins]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

New England Patriots have been winning a lot over the past couple of seasons. Screw them (funny how people easily forget Belicheat running up the score on us), besides up until this year, they had to play crappy ass teams in their conference.

I doubt the NFL will change this until this happens to the Cowboys.

Forget that we are talking about the Patriots... take that out of the equation...

this coud have happened to any team in the NFL is the point....

for a team to go 11-5 and not be able to play for it all and a 7-9/8-8 can... that's just stupid isn't it?

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by Hail to the Redskins

Forget that we are talking about the Patriots... take that out of the equation...

this coud have happened to any team in the NFL is the point....

for a team to go 11-5 and not be able to play for it all and a 7-9/8-8 can... that's just stupid isn't it?

I think what they should fix is the rankings once teams make it into the playoffs. For instance, no one can predict how good or bad a particular division or conference is going to be each year. Last year the NFC sucked, and a lot of teams were alive right up until the last week, I think this year it was the AFC that sucked a bit. Teams should be reward for winning their conference, however, I do think rankings after playoff teams are determined should be re-ordered by record, so wildcard teams with better records than division winners would have a home game.

[Hail to the Redskins]

Well... the AFC didn't particularly suck.. just one division.. the AFC West...

The Jets finish 9-7 and the Pats 11-5... which is actually BETTER than those numbers because their dividion (AFC East) was so tough... and don't make playoffs.

The chargers could go 8-8 and make it WITH A HOME GAME.... lol

[tryfuhl]

I dunno, I can see both ways... might as well not play your division guys twice if the winners don't get credit

oh and the cheerleader from the chargers that they keep showing is hot as hell

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by Hail to the Redskins

Well... the AFC didn't particularly suck.. just one division.. the AFC West...

The Jets finish 9-7 and the Pats 11-5... which is actually BETTER than those numbers because their dividion (AFC East) was so tough... and don't make playoffs.

The chargers could go 8-8 and make it WITH A HOME GAME.... lol

Both the NFC West and the AFC West were horrible, and New England got to play half their games against those lightweights. Throw in an average division schedule, and New England played perhaps the easiest schedule EVER for an incumbent conference champion. I'd be willing to bet that the combined winning percentage of their opponents was bottom 3 in the NFL this season. I have no problem with their staying home.

[Hail to the Redskins]

Originally Posted by tryfuhl

I dunno, I can see both ways... might as well not play your division guys twice if the winners don't get credit

oh and the cheerleader from the chargers that they keep showing is hot as hell

good points... all of them... lol

but, I still say that a team should not win 3 or 4 more games than another team and NOT make the playoffs.

Also... Imagine if it were the Skins at 11-5 and OUT... everyone would agree... lol

But anyway... good point about 2 games in division.

Oh, and to the other point made about the Pat's easy schedule... imagine being the Chargers with 2 games against the Chiefs, Raiders, and defenseless Broncos... That 7-8 is definitely not as impressive as New England's.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Hail to the Redskins

Well... the AFC didn't particularly suck.. just one division.. the AFC West...

The Jets finish 9-7 and the Pats 11-5... which is actually BETTER than those numbers because their dividion (AFC East) was so tough... and don't make playoffs.

The chargers could go 8-8 and make it WITH A HOME GAME.... lol

Yeah that's a total joke. They would get a home game against a 12 win Indy team, despite being a quarter of a season's worth of wins worse.

All division winners should make the playoffs, but seeding should go by record. The fact that Arizona and the AFC West winner get to host playoff games is an out and out joke IMO.

[PennSkinsFan]

I would be more upset if it wasn't the Patriots . Since it is them that are stuck out of the playoffs, I am cool, I like it.

[Dirtbag59]

I think that Division title should be nullified if the division winner can't get above .500. If I remember right the Giants were the last team to do that but yeah I definitely see your point. Still at least the NFL has a playoff instead of a National Opinion Bowl.

[Chief X_Phackter]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

I think what they should fix is the rankings once teams make it into the playoffs. For instance, no one can predict how good or bad a particular division or conference is going to be each year. Last year the NFC sucked, and a lot of teams were alive right up until the last week, I think this year it was the AFC that sucked a bit. Teams should be reward for winning their conference, however, I do think rankings after playoff teams are determined should be re-ordered by record, so wildcard teams with better records than division winners would have a home game.

I disagree. Something should be said about winning your division, and it should be rewarded. Thing is, it could happen in a real crappy division, or a very competitive division such as the NFC East. Leave it as is.

[MTK]

It sucks to not make it at 11-5 while another team makes it at 8-8, but I have no problems with the current system. I like the emphasis on winning your division.

[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by Chief X_Phackter

I disagree. Something should be said about winning your division, and it should be rewarded. Thing is, it could happen in a real crappy division, or a very competitive division such as the NFC East. Leave it as is.

Yeah this is something I feel strongly about. I mean if you want to make it just the teams finishing with the 12 best records then you are effectively getting rid of divisions. Plus what would it be the top 6 from each conference or just the top 12 overall. If you get rid of divisions you might as well do away with conferences too?

Winning your division should account for getting a automatic playoff berth, it allows for diversity too. Imagine if it was 10 NFC teams and 2 AFC teams ending up in the playoffs. The Superbowl is a matchup of the 2 best represenitves from each conference, just like the playoffs are matchups of the 4 best reps from each division AND the 2 best non division winners just to make it fair.