League source: "Expanding playoffs to 14 teams WILL happen"

[Deus Irae]

I used to feel the same way.

Then the 11-5 Patriots were left out of the playoffs.

While mediocre teams will get in too, I think it's worthwhile trade off. They'll either get dispatched quickly or will go on a run, peaking at just the right time in the season. That can always make things interesting too.

Thinking ahead to the Post-Brady era, the Patriots might not be a lock every year to win the AFC East either. So this might not be a bad thing

The 11-5 Patriots didn't deserve to make the playoffs. No team that the 11-5 Ravens lost to won fewer than 12 games. The Patriots lost to an 8 win and a 9 win team.

 

[PatsChamp88]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

 

[JoeSixPat]

The 11-5 Patriots didn't deserve to make the playoffs. No team that the 11-5 Ravens lost to won fewer than 12 games. The Patriots lost to an 8 win and a 9 win team.

Of course they didn't deserve to make the playoffs. They finished 13th in the rankings of 12 teams under the way the system currently works

That system keeps a team with a .688 record, achieved in a division with an average winning percentage of .594 OUT of the playoffs

That same system allowed a team with a 8-8 record like the Chargers (achieved in a division with an average winning record of .359) IN to the playoffs.

So if you like a playoff system that allows a team WITHOUT a winning record IN the playoffs and keeps a team WITH a winning record OUT of the playoffs, then advocate for the status quo

Under the proposed system mediocre teams will STILL get into the playoffs. That won't change.

But what will change is that teams with winning records will make it IN to the playoffs.

I'm not sure why that's such a bad thing.

 

[Deus Irae]

Of course they didn't deserve to make the playoffs. They finished 13th in the rankings of 12 teams under the way the system currently works

That system keeps a team with a .688 record, achieved in a division with an average winning percentage of .594 OUT of the playoffs

That same system allowed a team with a 8-8 record like the Chargers (achieved in a division with an average winning record of .359) IN to the playoffs.

So if you like a playoff system that allows a team WITHOUT a winning record IN the playoffs and keeps a team WITH a winning record OUT of the playoffs, then advocate for the status quo

Under the proposed system mediocre teams will STILL get into the playoffs. That won't change.

But what will change is that teams with winning records will make it IN to the playoffs.

I'm not sure why that's such a bad thing.

Because it needlessly undercuts the regular season even more than has already happened in a cynical attempt to increase the money in the pockets of the owners, without actually conferring any real benefits on anyone else.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Because it needlessly undercuts the regular season even more than has already happened in a cynical attempt to increase the money in the pockets of the owners, without actually conferring any real benefits on anyone else.

I'm sure similar things were said when the NFL expanded and they moved from a 8 team playoff to 10

And I'm sure they said similar things when the league expanded and they moved from 10 playoff teams to 12

Since then the NFL has added the Texans, Jaguars, Panthers and Ravens/Browns but kept to the 12 team format

So you've convinced me - this will "ruin" the NFL just the same way going from 8 to 10 to 12 playoff teams did.

Meanwhile we'll retain a playoff system that allows mediocre or bad teams in - all we'll have done by keeping the status quo is ensuring teams like the 11-5 Patriots are on the outside looking in while a team fortunate to be 8-8 is in the playoffs

Well argued. Bravo.

(just remind me again why going from 10 to the current 12 ruined the NFL?)

 

[Tunescribe]

I'm sure similar things were said when the NFL expanded and they moved from a 8 team playoff to 10

And I'm sure they said similar things when the league expanded and they moved from 10 playoff teams to 12

Since then the NFL has added the Texans, Jaguars, Panthers and Ravens/Browns

So you've convinced me - this will "ruin" the NFL just the same way going from 8 to 10 to 12 playoff teams did. Nicely argued.

But it is a bad proposal primarily as Deus said, it devalues the regular season. Also part of the deal is eliminating one of the two playoff byes in each conference. Making the playoffs should be a benefit of a winning record in the regular season, not a default of going 8-8, which is likely to happen.

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm sure similar things were said when the NFL expanded and they moved from a 8 team playoff to 10

And I'm sure they said similar things when the league expanded and they moved from 10 playoff teams to 12

Since then the NFL has added the Texans, Jaguars, Panthers and Ravens/Browns but kept to the 12 team format

So you've convinced me - this will "ruin" the NFL just the same way going from 8 to 10 to 12 playoff teams did.

Meanwhile we'll retain a playoff system that allows mediocre or bad teams in - all we'll have done by keeping the status quo is ensuring teams like the 11-5 Patriots are on the outside looking in while a team fortunate to be 8-8 is in the playoffs

Well argued. Bravo.

(just remind me again why going from 10 to the current 12 ruined the NFL?)

No, you explain to me how "Well, even though it lessened the the regular season last time and has led to lesser teams getting hot and winning SBs that they probably didn't deserve to win, it didn't ruin the game before" automatically translates to "Good idea, let's double down!".

 

[JoeSixPat]

Making the playoffs should be a benefit of a winning record in the regular season, not a default of going 8-8, which is likely to happen.

Again - that's the current system.

It allows a team that ONLY made it to 8-8 thanks to playing in a .359 winning percentage division into the playoffs, and keeps a team that went 11-5 in a .594 winning percentage division OUT

Will 8-8 teams still get into the playoffs if they expand the playoffs as they did in 1990?

Yes. You have that now.

I understand why everyone thinks its bad to let 8-8 teams into the playoffs like the current system does.

I'm just not clear on why everyone thinks its bad to let 11-5 teams into the playoffs under this proposal.

 

[supafly]

Again - that's the current system.

It allows a team that ONLY made it to 8-8 thanks to playing in a .359 winning percentage division into the playoffs, and keeps a team that went 11-5 in a .594 winning percentage division OUT

Will 8-8 teams still get into the playoffs if they expand the playoffs as they did in 1990?

Yes. You have that now.

I understand why everyone thinks its bad to let 8-8 teams into the playoffs like the current system does.

I'm just not clear on why everyone thinks its bad to let 11-5 teams into the playoffs under this proposal.

The concern isn't as much about letting another team into the tournament as it is devaluing the reward that comes from gaining the #1/#2 seeds from having a 12-4 or 13-3 season.

Wait until someone goes 14-2, loses the tiebreaker for the 1st seed, and then has to play on wildcard weekend. It's ridiculous. It certainly does devalue the regular season incentive to do as well as possible in order to gain HFA to raise your odds of going to the SB.

Had they somehow proposed a system (don't ask me how) to continue to allow the 1 and 2 seeds the benefit/reward of the first round bye, I'd be ALL for it.

As you said though, it may end up benefiting us in the coming years when Brady hangs the cleats up. Then again, it may also have a hand in preventing us from hoisting another Lombardi while he's here just as well.

 

[Froob]

Again - that's the current system.

It allows a team that ONLY made it to 8-8 thanks to playing in a .359 winning percentage division into the playoffs, and keeps a team that went 11-5 in a .594 winning percentage division OUT

Will 8-8 teams still get into the playoffs if they expand the playoffs as they did in 1990?

Yes. You have that now.

I understand why everyone thinks its bad to let 8-8 teams into the playoffs like the current system does.

I'm just not clear on why everyone thinks its bad to let 11-5 teams into the playoffs under this proposal.

Why not go for a 32 team playoffs? That way nobody is left out and nobodies' feelings are hurt.

 

[Observer]

I would rather have them go to a 17 game season and get rid of wild cards.

 

[willdeespats]

Don't understand how the 5 teams play the 3 WC games

In this example, five teams qualified for the playoffs and they are the top five seeds for the first round. Of the remaining 11 teams, the top six teams will play for the three remaining wild card spots. The five teams that qualified would have a bye week while the wild card games are being played. This past season in the AFC, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and KC would have all qualified along with Denver and NE and enjoyed a bye during WC Weekend. San Diego would have been the top seed for the WC games.

If the number of teams that qualified was only 4, then there would be 4 WC games and conversely, if 6 qualified then there would be only 2 WC games. Home fields go to the top seeds in both the WC games and throughout the playoffs.

It is entirely possible in this scheme that a division winner with a poor record would not have a home field. On the other hand, this same team would get a bye the week before the playoffs. Also, I see that this scheme would tend to reduce the number of meaningless games at the end of the season by providing more incentives for winning.

 

[willdeespats]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

I say it is broke when a 11/5 team does not make the playoffs and a 9/7 team does.

 

[pats4life12]

Goodell is at it again any thing to earn an extra penny. I think they are fine the way they are now.

 

[SB39]

Goodell is at it again any thing to earn an extra penny. I think they are fine the way they are now.

Yup, this is all Goodell's fault. Never mind the fact that the NFLPA likes the idea and it will take 24 owners to ratify it. It is still 100% Goodell's fault and may he burn in hell for doing his job and doing it so well.

 

[pats4life12]

Yup, this is all Goodell's fault. Never mind the fact that the NFLPA likes the idea and it will take 24 owners to ratify it. It is still 100% Goodell's fault and may he burn in hell for doing his job and doing it so well.

That's a little to much don't think I ever said it is 100% Goodell fault. What good has he really done something here and there but what really stands out is when the player lockout happened and the referee lockout.

 

[Kontradiction]

I can't wait to see a two seed lose their first round bye that they worked all season for so an 8-8 team can get into the playoffs. Solid idea, Rog! I mean really, keep up the good work!

 

[Deus Irae]

I say it is broke when a 11/5 team does not make the playoffs and a 9/7 team does.

It's not broke. Win your division, you get in. That's a feature, not a bug.