AFCN v. NFCW or NFCN and the bye 7

[Dan Smith--BYU]

It's entirely possible that the winner of the AFCN gets into playoffs at 8-9 and that San Francisco or Detroit or whatever misses the playoffs at 12-5 or 11-6.

Tampa or Carolina will get in with less than a stellar record as well.

Thought experiment: should the 7 wild card seed be at large, the two next best team from EITHER conference?

[Dan Smith--BYU]

NFC is brutal

Bears went from 1 seed to 7 with a loss to GB

[Steeler_Fanatic]

My personal opinion is that division winners should only get in with a winning record. If a division can't field a single team with a winning record, it shouldn't be represented in the playoffs.

[Texas Black & Gold]

My personal opinion is that division winners should only get in with a winning record. If a division can't field a single team with a winning record, it shouldn't be represented in the playoffs.

Top 7 teams. No automatic playoffs for division winners.

Maybe even reshuffle across the whole NFL. Top 14 get to the dance bracket.

[Steeler_Fanatic]

My personal opinion is that division winners should only get in with a winning record. If a division can't field a single team with a winning record, it shouldn't be represented in the playoffs.

Top 7 teams. No automatic playoffs for division winners.

Maybe even reshuffle across the whole NFL. Top 14 get to the dance bracket.

Honestly I could go for that. I'd maybe be a bit squeamish about it because I think winning your division should matter, but then again it should only matter if your division being historically bad isn't the reason why.

But yeah overall the top 14 teams isn't a bad way to go.

[955876]

My personal opinion is that division winners should only get in with a winning record. If a division can't field a single team with a winning record, it shouldn't be represented in the playoffs.

I agree.

Fanboys here won’t like that though. They live and die over those participation trophy playoff appearances.

[.Kodiak]

I'd go back to the old format of the top-6. I think the top two seeds deserve a bye, and while a few 6-seeds may have won a SB, they weren't your typical #6 seeds and far better than the 7 seeds today.

I hate seeing teams with losing records in a 1-and-done playoff. The season and division should count for something.

The one thing I do agree with is the better record gets the home game, regardless if you were a wild card. Though that's problematic, as well, with so few common games.

Heck, if you want to get crazy, let's go 8 teams per division. 2 games against each team in your division, and 3 against the other division in your conference. I don't care about AFC/NFC matchups

[955876]

I'd go back to the old format of the top-6. I think the top two seeds deserve a bye, and while a few 6-seeds may have won a SB, they weren't your typical #6 seeds and far better than the 7 seeds today.

Agreed. Was better with two teams getting a bye.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

I'd go back to 12 total with both 6s being at large and from either conference.

This way you get the quality 6s (like Steelers and Pack that won it all) without the garbage.