Ready for a sub-.500 playoff team?

Zero2Cool
Elite Member Topic Starter

13 years ago

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonsnfl2010/100924

I'm only quoting the part that sparked my interest. I believe Rourke will like this setup, because, I don't. Not in spite of me, but differing opinions on scenarios.

Here's my question: Why create the potential of a 10-win team missing the playoffs just because we were obligated to include a sub-.500 team? The easiest solution: Any division champ that doesn't win eight games loses its guaranteed playoff spot. If you go 7-8-1, 7-7-2, 7-6-3, 6-6-4, whatever ... you're out. I want eight victories. Minimum. Then again, you shouldn't sneak into the playoffs with eight wins just because you lucked out with a crappy division. The NFC West has lost 58 percent of its games since 2002. Fifty-eight percent! Why should the division champ be grandfathered in every year like some drunk legacy kid at a country club?

A more radical (and fairer) solution: We shake things up starting in 2011 and create four eight-team divisions ...

AFC East: New England, New York, New York, Buffalo, Philly, Baltimore, Washington, Carolina.

AFC West: Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Denver, Arizona, Kansas City, St. Louis.

NFC Central: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Chicago, Minnesota.

NFC South: Miami, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Tennessee, Atlanta, Jacksonville.

Geographically? Makes total sense. Finally. (Is there anything dumber than Baltimore being in the AFC Central but Miami being in the AFC East?) Competitively, since the owners are stupidly/stubbornly/indefensibly/greedily/soullessly/selfishly pushing for an 18-game regular season and will inevitably prevail (sadly, there's no real way to stop them even as their sport inches closer and closer to that final scene of "Rollerball"), we change the schedule's requirements so teams play home-and-homes with three of their division rivals every season (never the same three teams); they play the other four division rivals once; they play four teams from the other division in their conference; then they play four teams from the other conference. That's 18 games ... and tons of collateral damage. But, hey, who cares about the health, happiness and well-being of retired football players?

For my revamped playoffs, the four division champs would earn byes for Round 1. Everything else would play out like it does now: 12 playoff teams, four rounds, winner takes all. And we'd never have to worry about a sub-.500 team getting 10-plus points at home in a first-round playoff game ever again.

Eight teams, per division? I think that eliminates a lot of rival games. I like having two chances to pounce the Vikings and Bears. If you were to play everyone in your division, that leaves two out of division games to be played.

Would that make playoffs more exciting because teams would be less prepared?

Wanna join the discussion?! Login to your PACKERSHOME forum account or Register a new forum account

Porforis
Veteran Member

13 years ago

The idea of increasing the number of games, or drastically restructuring divisions drives me up the wall everytime the subject gets started. It has everything to do with sucking extra money out of fans, and there's so many reasons why getting rid of preseason games and adding regular season games is a BAD IDEA.

More directly on-subject, I like the idea on paper but when's the last time a 7-9 team won their division? It might be something worth putting in the books just in case, but there's plenty of more pressing matters at hand that the league should be focusing on. There may not BE a next year.

Formo
Veteran Member

13 years ago

"Porforis" wrote:

This.

Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!

Nonstopdrivel
Preferred Member

13 years ago

Eliminating preseason games and increasing regular season games will have one effect, and one only: increase the number of sucky games at the beginning of the season. Right now the first couple of weeks tend to be really sloppy. If we go to two preseason games and 18 regular season games, we'll probably see at least four weeks of bad football. So fans will still be paying full price for a sub-par product.

Zero2Cool
Elite Member Topic Starter

13 years ago

Two preseason games .. so first game starters play three quarters, then only a couple series in the second?

GOPACKGO1225
Registered

13 years ago

I never understood why the Cowboys are in the NFC East.

mi_keys
Senior Member

13 years ago

That sounds like a terrible idea. He's cocking up far more than he could ever hope to fix.

I went back and looked at every year since 1970 to see how many times teams had .500 or below .500 records and won their division. Only one team has won their division with a .500 record in the last four decades (San Diego in 2008). Only 11 teams have made the playoffs with a .500 record or worse and all but San Diego have been wild cards. So what problem does he plan on fixing?

In the mean time he is planning on breaking up rivalries in favor of geographic proximity. I'm sorry but if you need to be told why Baltimore is with the AFC North (old Browns, heated rivalry there) or the Dolphins are in the AFC East (again rivalries with the other East teams) or Cowboys are in the NFC East you're not following rivalries in football.

Also, if he's so worried about geographic proximity, going to four divisions makes everything more spread out. One of his divisions has Dallas and Miami in the same division. That's something like 1,300 miles apart, and not all that closer than Dallas and New York.

Terrible idea.

Born and bred a cheesehead

Zero2Cool
Elite Member Topic Starter

9 years ago

This would be fascinating.

Michaeld David Smith says: Using ESPN’s NFL Playoff Machine, I found a scenario that saw the Packers finishing at 12-4, losing the NFC North tiebreaker to the 12-4 Lions, and then losing the NFC wild card tiebreaker to the 12-4 Cowboys and 49ers.

Green Bay fans would be livid if that happened, although that scenario is a long shot. However, there are plausible scenarios that have an 11-5 team missing the playoffs while a 5-11 team wins the NFC South.

wpr
Preferred Member

9 years ago

Why would anyone be lived? If you don't win the division you are an at large/ wild card team. If there is a softer division and a team with a losing record gets in that's the breaks.

sschind
Senior Member

9 years ago

#10

Yeah, lets fix more shit that ain't broken.

Important Information:

The PACKERSHOME uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. More Details Close

Fan Shout

buckeyepackfan (19h) : Lions extend Penei Soul 4yrs - 112mil

buckeyepackfan (19h) : Lions extend St. Brown 4 years 120mil and

Mucky Tundra (19h) : Now look, trading up to 13 to take a TE might not seem like a good idea later but it will be later!

dfosterf (22h) : (Your trade up mock post)

dfosterf (23h) : Mucky- The only thing fun to watch would be me flipping the f out if Gute goes up to 13 and grabs Brock Bowers, lol

beast (24-Apr) : DT Byron Murphy II, Texas... whom some believe is the next Aaron Donald (or the closest thing to Donald)

Zero2Cool (24-Apr) : What? And who?

Mucky Tundra (24-Apr) : *sad Mucky noises*

Mucky Tundra (24-Apr) : @JoeJHoyt Murphy said he’s been told he won’t slide past pick No. 16.

wpr (23-Apr) : Just about time to watch Sonny Weaver stick it to the seahags. I never get tired of it.

Martha Careful (23-Apr) : *game plan

Martha Careful (23-Apr) : IMHO, not even close. He is not a guy you game play around.

Mucky Tundra (23-Apr) : is Aiyuk worth a 1st rounder?

Zero2Cool (23-Apr) : 49ers are seeking a 1st round pick in exchange for WR Brandon Aiyuk

Mucky Tundra (22-Apr) : Based on Gutes comments, now I don't feel as silly having 13 picks in my mock the other day

Zero2Cool (22-Apr) : Zach Wilson to Broncos.

Zero2Cool (22-Apr) : Gutekunst says he'd love to have 13 or 14 picks. He's trading back huh lol

beast (22-Apr) : Someday we'll have a draft betting scandal

beast (21-Apr) : Sometimes looking extremely amazing, sometimes looking extremely lost

beast (21-Apr) : I haven't looked into the QBs, but some have suggested Maye has some of the most extremely inconsistent tape they've seen

beast (21-Apr) : Well it also sounds like Patriots are listening to trade offers, not that seriously considering any, but listening means they aren't locked

Zero2Cool (21-Apr) : Maye needs to be AFC

Mucky Tundra (21-Apr) : Not liking the idea of the Vikings getting Maye

Zero2Cool (21-Apr) : Vikings HC joked that he may or may not have sent flowers to Bob Kraft. That's where rumor came from.

beast (21-Apr) : Can't tell if this is real or BS, but some rumors about a possible Patriots/Vikings trade for #3 overall

dfosterf (21-Apr) : One playbook to my knowledge. I was shooting for facetious.

beast (20-Apr) : I'm not sure they have different playbooks for different OL positions, and Dillard run blocking is supposedly worse than his pass blocking..

dfosterf (19-Apr) : The only problem with that is he isn't a guard either.

dfosterf (19-Apr) : Put him at right guard. That is where he will be coached. That is where he will compete. He is not even allowed to look at the LT playbook.

dfosterf (18-Apr) : Kidding aside, I hope the best for him.

dfosterf (18-Apr) : Went to a Titans board. One comment there. Not very long. I quote: "LOL" They don't sound overly upset about our aquisition.

beast (18-Apr) : OT Dillard has been absolutely horrible... like OG Newman levels

dfosterf (18-Apr) : Suit him up and have him stand in front of the big board as a draft day cautionary tale.

Zero2Cool (18-Apr) : Packers sign T Andre Dillard.

Mucky Tundra (18-Apr) : Adds most of the information this time of year comes from agents.

Mucky Tundra (18-Apr) : @RealAlexBarth Bill Belichick says accurate draft information doesn't leak from teams until about 12 hours before the draft. Adds most of th

Mucky Tundra (18-Apr) : I am very happy that for moment, Jordan Love seems like a normal human being

Zero2Cool (17-Apr) : Belichick * whatever

Zero2Cool (17-Apr) : "There's a lot of depth at Offensive Tackle and Wide Receiver." Bill Bellichick

Zero2Cool (17-Apr) : Thanks! I can't believe it's over haha

Martha Careful (16-Apr) : Congratulations

Zero2Cool (16-Apr) : Boom. Student Loan. $0.00. Only took about 20 years.

Zero2Cool (14-Apr) : Packers DT Kenny Clark: New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will 'allow us to be way more disruptive'

Zero2Cool (12-Apr) : Saints have agreed to terms on a contract with former Packers wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown.

beast (12-Apr) : No, but of it's for legislation, then half of the country will find it evil, not good, whatever it says....

Mucky Tundra (12-Apr) : Draft is still 2 weeks away. UGH

dhazer (11-Apr) : Does anyone know of a good AI generator to create letters of Support for legislation?

Zero2Cool (11-Apr) : Gordon "Red" Batty retires as equipment manager

Zero2Cool (10-Apr) : Sounds like that's pretty certain now.

Zero2Cool (10-Apr) : Packers "at" Eagles in Brazil. Week One

Please sign in to use Fan Shout

2023 Packers Schedule

Sunday, Sep 10 @ 3:25 PM

Bears

38 - 20

Sunday, Sep 17 @ 12:00 PM

Falcons

24 - 25

Sunday, Sep 24 @ 12:00 PM

SAINTS

18 - 17

Thursday, Sep 28 @ 7:15 PM

LIONS

20 - 34

Monday, Oct 9 @ 7:15 PM

Raiders

13 - 17

Sunday, Oct 22 @ 3:25 PM

Broncos

17 - 19

Sunday, Oct 29 @ 12:00 PM

VIKINGS

10 - 24

Sunday, Nov 5 @ 12:00 PM

RAMS

20 - 3

Sunday, Nov 12 @ 12:00 PM

Steelers

19 - 23

Sunday, Nov 19 @ 12:00 PM

CHARGERS

23 - 20

Thursday, Nov 23 @ 11:30 AM

Lions

29 - 22

Sunday, Dec 3 @ 7:20 PM

CHIEFS

27 - 19

Monday, Dec 11 @ 7:15 PM

Giants

22 - 24

Sunday, Dec 17 @ 12:00 PM

BUCCANEERS

20 - 34

Sunday, Dec 24 @ 12:00 PM

Panthers

33 - 30

Sunday, Dec 31 @ 7:20 PM

Vikings

33 - 10

Sunday, Jan 7 @ 3:25 PM

BEARS

17 - 9

Sunday, Jan 14 @ 3:30 PM

Cowboys

48 - 32

Saturday, Jan 20 @ 7:15 PM

49ers

21 - 24