NFL needs new anti tanking measures

[Ring 6]

Its getting completely out of control, where at least half the teams in the league will be actively trying to lose the next 2 weeks.
Look at the Jets, Chiefs, Giants, Dolphins, as the most egregious examples.

There needs to some incentive for sub .500 teams to try and win for the last quarter of the season.

My proposal(s)

1. Teams with 5 or fewer wins draft order is determined by best point differential getting top pick and second best 2nd pick etc.(Tier F)
2. Teams with between 6 and 8 wins, draft order is determined by best point differential getting top pick in that tier and second best 2nd pick etc.Tier D)
3. teams with 2 best point differential in tier F get an extra 3rd round draft pick
4. teams with 2 best point differential in tier D get an extra 4th round pick


The product is becoming unwatchable for the last 4 games because most games both teams have nothing to play for and are trying to lose
Check out the Xmas games to see what I am talking about

Sam. You made a bet. You wagered that the Patriots would not make the playoffs and if they did you would never post on this board again. Are you welching on the bet?
Are you not a man of your word?

 

[ErniesPinkStripes]

Bottom 5 teams - lottery.

Honestly if you really want to avoid talking- all non-playoff teams, lottery. Unweighted.

Why not all non-playoff teams lottery, but weighted?

Always position the teams that it's in their best interest to win. There's never a scenario available where it benefits you to lose, or tank.

Every win grants you X balls in the lottery and then run the balls and you get your order right?

 

[gobesmug]

Unfortunately the current setup is the best format. A lottery system is terrible. Look at the NBA the Mavs trade Luka to the Marquee team in the league and coincidentally get the #1 overall pick despite a 1% chance it happens.

Way too much potential for a league office that has already demonstrated bias decision making to control who gets the top picks.

 

[JayNM]

Last 2 team are relegated to the CFL

 

[Sect140]

Last 2 team are relegated to the CFL

There ya go, and top two teams from CFL get promoted.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

bottom 4 playoff bracket for draft order tbh. 1 round played during conference championship saturday 2nd round played during pro bowl week.

32 vs 29
30 vs 31

winners play for 1 and 2, losers play for 3 and 4

 

[Sect140]

I think you have to understand that tanking doesn't stem from the guys on the field, it comes from the front office. That's whose motivations you need to consider.

Just picking by record incentivizes the GMs of the worst of the worst teams to sell off pieces, let guys go and go with younger guys who might not be as good right now. When you have a lottery, the teams at the bottom have less incentive to do that, but now the teams in the middle of the lottery are incentivized to tank their way to better odds in it. And the teams who are pushing for a playoff spot just to be fodder for the better teams now has thoughts that this isn't their "window" to push for the playoffs so they end up selling. You see that all the time in other sports that have lotteries.

IMO, lottery systems just transfer the motivation to tank from teams that would suck anyway to teams in the middle of the pack. It creates a scenario where you either want to be contending or tanking, no in between. That's the biggest problem the NBA in particular has IMO. It's case of not being able to see the forest through the trees for me - you end up spending so much time worrying about a laughing stock team just making themselves more of one that you water down the middle of your league where the teams should actually more competitive even if they aren't "great".

I agree, players and coaches aren’t tanking, if they tank they end up getting fired or cut. I think if a front office decides to tank then they are most likely always going to suck (Jets).

 

[NormZauchin]

One type of anti-tanking strategy.

 

[Raccoonsuit]

The interesting thing about this "tanking" talk is that the teams people are talking about doing it have ZERO chance to end up in the top 5.

(2 wins) The Raiders continue to suffer the curse of Jon Gruden. However, they are in year 1 of rebuild. They have an interesting ownership group, an experienced HC, A some-what talented QB and some good pieces. Their O-line beyond their LT is their issue.

(3 wins) The Jetes are a complete ClusterF**K. But then, they came into the season without a real #1 QB. They were praying that Glenn could work a miracle with Justin Fields.

(2 wins) The Giants aren't much better than the Jetes. I think them losing Cowden was a bigger hit than they care to admit in terms of talent evaluation. But this was also someone of a start of a rebuild for them. So not winning a lot of games was to be expected.

(3 wins) Arizona is just a poorly run team from Ownership down. Much like the Jets. Their hopes have been tied to Kyler Murray, but they might have finally realized that he's not the answer.

(3 wins) The Browns - Another team with ownership issues. They attempted to hitch their wagon to DeShaun Watson and that was a nightmare as he can't stay healthy. They'll be pressing RESET again and trying to start a rebuild around either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders.

(3 wins) The Titans are another team with Ownership issues. They've hitched their wagon to Cam Ward, but he's not had a lot of offensive talent around him. They bought into the over-hype of LT Dan Moore, but have learned that Moore cannot be trusted to protect your QB. Moore is on pace to allow more pressures this year than in 2024, but fewer than 2023. Considering that those numbers are 41 and 56 respectively, it's not a good thing.

(4 wins) The Commanders seemed to have a bright future at the start of the season. However, injuries really plagued them. Particularly to their Franchise QB, Jayden Daniels.

(5 wins) The Saints are in a rebuild and searching for an identity.

(5 wins) The Bengals are another team with ownership issues. They have an extremely talented QB, great WRs, a great RB, but their O-line is bad.

(6wins) The Falcons are in a transition year. They committed to Michael Penix, but he got injured for the season. They have some talented pieces and solid O-line. They're looking to play spoilers in their last 2 games.

(6 wins) The Chiefs window seems to have closed. Even when healthy, Mahomes wasn't the same. They were missing 2 key WRs to start the year in Rice and Brown. Kelce turned 36 in October. They had some injuries to their new LT and they've got a tone of money committed to just 8 players..

(6wins) The Phins finally benched Tua. His contract is an albatross for them and they're likely going to be paying him to play for another team next season, one way or another. They have some good pieces in Waddle and Achane on offense. Their defense seems to be aging some and they don't have that young STUD defensive standout.


I'm curious WHICH of the teams above are "tanking" except maybe the JETES. Miami, at best, can get to the 7th pick if they lose out and get help with wins from the Falcons, Chiefs, Bengals and Saints by those 4 teams all winning out. Otherwise, Miami is looking to be the 10th-12th pick depending on coin flips or however they figure that out.

Jets, giants, browns and Arizona are all poorly run teams so I could see all of these teams quitting and tanking. Easily

 

[jmt57]

I realize this is going to sound tin-foil conspiracy theory-ish, but do we truly trust Goodell and his goons at 345 Park Avenue when it comes to a lottery, weighted or not?

 

[PlainOldEd]

the problem with a lottery is it would give the appearance of a fixed system, can you imagine if in next years draft the Chiefs happened to get the #1 pick? we would be apoplectic.

 

[PlainOldEd]

I agree, players and coaches aren’t tanking, if they tank they end up getting fired or cut. I think if a front office decides to tank then they are most likely always going to suck (Jets).

do you think "suck for Luck" was real?

 

[imahobgoblin]

Its an ownership issue, not a tanking issue. Poor owners have poor teams, and a lottery won't change that.

 

[stinkypete]

Are these teams truly tanking?

KC just lost got eliminated and lost Mahomes and Minshew. Were these intentionally sustained injuries as part of a tank?

The Jets and Giants can’t win 4 games at full strength. Is it a tank if they “settle” for 3?

Miami started the year like 2-7 or something, and waited until now to bench Tua after 6 years of trying to squeeze him into a round hole. Is that really a tank?

Lest we forget, we were actively rooting for the tank in both ‘23 and ‘24, and called for Mayo’s head on a silver platter when he failed.

The premise of this thread is absurd, and it reflects every negative stereotype the rest of the country holds about this fanbase.

Do better.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Why not?
I'd just be happy if the top 5 wasn't titans browns jets every year.

This is my issue as well. I'm fine with the worst team getting the first pick etc...., what I have a problem with is the same teams picking top 10 year after year. After 2 years picking top 10 you go to the back of the line if you finish there again.

 

[Huckleberry1]

do you think "suck for Luck" was real?

Suck for Luck was real. Pollian was a scouting him in September, he was attending games at Stanford, and when Denver released their starting QB ( Danny Kanell) to start Tebow Pollian passed on him despite having the worst QB situation in the league. I don't believe that players tank during games, their tape determines their future pay, but those running the team can deliberately put the team in the worst position to win.

 

[1960Pats]

You mean like the chiefs effort vs. Tennessee this past weekend?

To your point, the league will never admit that tanking is a thing... too much gambling money involved. The draft is such a crap shoot IMO anyway. Teams still find ways to screw it up.

There were too many fans who wanted to lose Mayo's last game to get the top pick. The Pats screwed that up by winning and ended up with Maye.

Looking at all of the QBs taken first in the draft there are only a handful who ended up being the best of their class.

Like you said, it's a crap shoot.

 

[1960Pats]

Suck for Luck was real. Pollian was a scouting him in September, he was attending games at Stanford, and when Denver released their starting QB ( Danny Kanell) to start Tebow Pollian passed on him despite having the worst QB situation in the league. I don't believe that players tank during games, their tape determines their future pay, but those running the team can deliberately put the team in the worst position to win.

Dan Orlovsky was a QB on that Indy tank team He and Curtis Painter. I have some empathy for Luck because of the situation he fell into.

I've never felt as bad for opposing players though as I did for Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning when I saw their faces as they found out they were being benched with a chance to have an undefeated season in 2009. They looked crushed.

Polian publicly used the Pats failure two years earlier as the excuse but he was actually trying to get the Jets into the playoffs instead of the Steelers, who also gave Indy fits. It worked until the SB when Manning threw a pick-six to give it to the Saints.

 

[1960Pats]

Unfortunately the current setup is the best format. A lottery system is terrible. Look at the NBA the Mavs trade Luka to the Marquee team in the league and coincidentally get the #1 overall pick despite a 1% chance it happens.

Way too much potential for a league office that has already demonstrated bias decision making to control who gets the top picks.

Luka was a gift to Lebron.

 

[1960Pats]

do you think "suck for Luck" was real?

I do. It was kind of obvious, though I do like they way they won a couple at the end after they clinched.