I think most of us would agree that there is something wrong with a 7-8-1 team hosting a playoff game whilst a 10-6 team is sitting at home, but what can be done about it?

Increasing the number of play off teams is a non-starter for me. Eight teams would mean half the league playing in January, which devalues the regular season.

I'd change to making it the six teams with the six best records that make it in each conference. That could mean a division winner missing out, but if their record isn't good enough then tough. They still have their division title to show for their efforts.

I would also change the seeding system to be based on the records of the six teams, so that a wild card team at 12-4 could host a division winner at 9-7, or even get a bye if the second best division winner is 11-5.

I'd keep it the same with the one exception being you need to be 8-8 or better to qualify. The Panthers would be replaced by the next best record, but that new team would be 6th seed and the current 5th and 6th would move up to 4th and 5th.

I like this one.

I'm okay with things as they are. We didn't do enough to get in, it's that simple. While this isn't necessarily the case this season, scheduling and division quality can greatly impact records. Division winners deserve to make the playoffs.

I feel pretty sure that that at some point, they will increase the number of team to 8. More playoff games equals more revenue.

No changes. It sucks being on the short end of the stick this year but I like things the way they are. Winning your division actually means something in the NFL.

How it was during the 90's was the best format, 3 divisions and the first wild card gets a home game - 9-7 often wouldn't get you in. With 4 4-team divisions, this is simply unavoidable, we're going to have to deal with mediocre to bad teams in crappy divisions hosting a game every now and then.

The only way something like this would work would be to get rid of divisions and just make each conference one massive 16 team division. Divisions become pointless if the act of winning one, no matter how bad your record, doesn't earn you anything.

The old format with three divisions per conference was really the best, and provided the ideal playoff format back when only 5 teams from each conference qualified (that way winning a division guaranteeed a first round bye). As it stands, I'm fine with just leaving things the way they are.

Edit: Houseopain beat me to the punch

The worst thing they could do is get rid of the divisions --- putting an end to those division rivalries 2 times each season, which is one of the best things about the NFL --- and make it just one massive conference.

If any change is going to be made, the only one I am for is the old format with 3 divisions in each conference and only 5 teams making the playoffs in each conference.

If they aren't going to make that change, and we all know there isn't a remote possibility of that happening, then leave it the way it is right now. Please, don't touch it NFL people, because if you do, I guarantee you that you will only fuck it up.

Interesting idea.


I'll turn the point about scheduling round and ask why the winner of a weak division deserves to go when it struggled against its own weak division.


Can't see that being viable because it would be a nightmare to schedule. Play one game against each of the other NFC teams and just one against the AFC each year? The current system means we play every team home and away every six (NFC) or eight (AFC) years. It works reasonably well.


Agreed.