The Playoff Picture

[QuantumMechanic]

What is the tie breaker scenario with teams with exact wins and same conference wins? Cincy and NE both play at Denver, what if they both finish with the same records? Might it come to a coin toss for home field advantage?

Unlikely. The Strength of Victory tiebreaker would likely settle things.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Assuming the game is in Foxboro. Bengals need to start dropping games.

Tonite is a good start. Texans just took out Bengals in Cincy.

 

[Patsfan22]

Tonite is a good start. Texans just took out Bengals in Cincy.

I think they're going to lose next week against Arizona too which will give us a lot of breathing room for HFA.

 

[meatface]

Tonite is a good start. Texans just took out Bengals in Cincy.

I'm hoping they can fluke into 8-8 and beat the colts for the south

 

[DaBronxPats14]

I think they're going to lose next week against Arizona too which will give us a lot of breathing room for HFA.

Yup! Having to travel out West, short week and Cardinals can Bring It.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

I'm hoping they can fluke into 8-8 and beat the colts for the south

Not that far fetched.

 

[Foxyboro]

I agree with the posters that think the current playoff format is fine.

Want to guarantee a spot in the playoffs? Win your division

Want to host a playoff game? Win your division

Even if your a 11-12 win wild card team and travel to a 8-8 or 7-9 division winner, you should beat that team, regardless of site

 

[Patsfan22]

Yup! Having to travel out West, short week and Cardinals can Bring It.

Also Prime time SNF.

 

[1960Pats]

What is the tie breaker scenario with teams with exact wins and same conference wins? Cincy and NE both play at Denver, what if they both finish with the same records? Might it come to a coin toss for home field advantage?

Common games. The Pats and Cincy both play Pitt, Buff, Hou and Denver, with the Pats playing Buff twice and Cincy playing Pitt twice.

 

[1960Pats]

I agree with the posters that think the current playoff format is fine.

Want to guarantee a spot in the playoffs? Win your division

Want to host a playoff game? Win your division

Even if your a 11-12 win wild card team and travel to a 8-8 or 7-9 division winner, you should beat that team, regardless of site

That's not the issue for me. The issue for me is the team that stays home with a better record than a team that has a poorer record. The best example was last year when 7-8-1 Carolina played in the playoffs while 10-6 Philly stayed home, even though Philly slaughtered the Panthers 45-21 during the season.

The divisions consist of 4 teams, which means that the vaunted title was achieved by beating out only 3 of the 16 teams in your conference.

 

[1960Pats]

Tonite is a good start. Texans just took out Bengals in Cincy.

After watching that game the Bengals don't scare me as much.

 

[1960Pats]

Here is the up to date playoff picture after Houston's win over the Bungles. All of the teams have a maximum of 5 losses and the remaining games against the other potential playoff teams follow the team records.

AFC (11 teams)
E - NE (9-0) Buff, @Denv, Phil, @Hous, @NYJ, @Miami
N - Cincy (8-1) @Ariz, SL, Pitt, @Denv
W - Denver (7-2) NE, Oak, @Pitt
S - Indy (4-5) @Atla, TB, @Pitt, Hous, @Miami
Pitt (6-4) @Sea, Indy, @Cincy, Denv
NYJ (5-4) @Hous, Miami, @NYG, NE. @Buff
Buff (5-4) @NE, @KC, Hous, @Phil, @Wash, NYJ
Oak (4-5) KC(2), @Denv, GB
Miami (4-5) @NYJ, NYG, Indy, NE
KC (4-5) Buff, Oak(2)
Houston (4-5) NYJ, @Buff, NE. @Indy

NFC (12 teams)
S - Car (9-0) Wash, Atla(2), @NYG, TB
W - Ariz (7-2) Cincy, @SL, Minn, @Phil, GB, Seat
N - Minny (7-2) GB(2), @Atla, Seat, @Ariz, Chic, NYG
E - NYG (5-5) @Wash, NYJ, @Mia, Caro, @Minn, Phil
GB (6-3) Minn(2), Chic, @Oak, @Ariz
Atlanta (6-3) Indy, Minn, @TB, Caro(2)
Philly (4-5) TB, @NE, Buff, Ariz, Wash, @NYG
Seattle (4-5) Pitt, @Minn, SL, @Ariz
SL (4-5) @Cincy, Ariz, TB, @Seat
Wash (4-5) @Caro, NYG, @Chic, Buff, @Phil
Chicago (4-5) Denv, @GB, Wash, @Minn, @TB
TB (4-5) @Phil, @Indy, Atla, @SL, Chic, @Caro

 

[Foxyboro]

That's not the issue for me. The issue for me is the team that stays home with a better record than a team that has a poorer record. The best example was last year when 7-8-1 Carolina played in the playoffs while 10-6 Philly stayed home, even though Philly slaughtered the Panthers 45-21 during the season.

The divisions consist of 4 teams, which means that the vaunted title was achieved by beating out only 3 of the 16 teams in your conference.

Well what is the NFL supposed to do? Not give Carolina a playoff spot just because the NFCS happened to be a weak division last year?

If you don't give Carolina a playoff spot for winning a division than what is the point of even having divisions?

 

[meatface]

Not that far fetched.

Yes but despite their performance tonight they are atrocious

 

[1960Pats]

Well what is the NFL supposed to do? Not give Carolina a playoff spot just because the NFCS happened to be a weak division last year?

If you don't give Carolina a playoff spot for winning a division than what is the point of even having divisions?

I would go with two 8 team divisions and take the top 6 records no matter what division they were in. I would also try to make the schedules as close to the same as possible, but that's a very tall order when they're trying to have all 32 teams play all others.

It's not a big deal until we get the very poor team in the playoffs while better teams stay home. Unfortunately, that seems to be happening more lately. In the first 5 or 6 years of the 4x4 setup it didn't happen at all and in the last 5 or 6 there have been 5 examples with 8 teams with better records losing out.

Btw, this year it's possible that it will happen in two divisions, the NFCE and the AFCS. As long as the Pats aren't one of the teams to lose out I'll get a kick out of it if it happens. It would be great if one of the victims was the Jests.

 

[XLIX]

After watching that game the Bengals don't scare me as much.

The Bungles are only scary in games played Sunday afternoon at 1:00.

 

[XLIX]

I would go with two 8 team divisions and take the top 6 records no matter what division they were in.

So are you eliminating the fact that you play your division opponents twice each, or are you suggesting that 14 of 16 games be against the exact same teams year after year??

I would also try to make the schedules as close to the same as possible, but that's a very tall order when they're trying to have all 32 teams play all others.

They've already done this. Right now, every team has 6 division games. Every team in a division has 8 identical opponents among the 10 remaining games.

You just can't get any fairer that that.

 

[1960Pats]

So are you eliminating the fact that you play your division opponents twice each, or are you suggesting that 14 of 16 games be against the exact same teams year after year??
They've already done this. Right now, every team has 6 division games. Every team in a division has 8 identical opponents among the 10 remaining games.

You just can't get any fairer that that.

Fair within the division yes, but not even close to fair overall.

What did Carolina earn last year by having a 7-8-1 record that was better than three other lousy teams? The 10-6 Philly team that beat them handily deserved it more.

I think it's time for me to call it quits for now, but thanks for the respectful response.

 

[NormZauchin]

Fair within the division yes, but not even close to fair overall.

What did Carolina earn last year by having a 7-8-1 record that was better than three other lousy teams? The 10-6 Philly team that beat them handily deserved it more.

I think it's time for me to call it quits for now, but thanks for the respectful response.

The NFL could eliminate some of the more egregiously ridiculous playoff scenarios by continuing with the current division structure but just instituting a rule that you have to win your division with a winning record. Otherwise, a second (or even third) place finisher in another division, with a winning record gets the slot. But it will never happen.

 

[Deus Irae]

People talking about 'fair' are talking about something nonexistent. There's no way to make it 'fair'.