Idea for 16-team NFL Playoff Format

[The Czech Republic 0]

Since the owners keep talking about wanting to expand from 12 to 16 teams in the near future, here's an idea I had.

 

Round 1. Take the division leaders and second-place teams from all eight divisions. Each second-place team plays at its division leader's home field for the first game. Winners of these games are crowned their division's champion.

 

Round 2. The eight teams that advance are re-seeded within their conferences based on their record in the last 17 games. The four winners of these games advance to the conference championships. No title is awarded for winning the second round.

 

Round 3. The two NFC divisional champions that advanced play each other, and likewise, the two AFC champions. The winners of these games are crowned NFC champion or AFC champion.

 

Round 4. Super Bowl, AFC champ versus NFC champ as always. Home field advantage alternates every year as always.

 

 

Thoughts, ideas, comments, complaints, suggestions?

[Agent_Bond34 0]

I'm all for taking the top 8 in each conference. I'm not too big on the re-seeding, though.

[CanadianChris 0]

I don't like the "division championship game" idea. It rewards teams that happen to play in weak divisions by giving them an easier game than a better team in a better division might get.

 

I like the top 2 from each division idea, though.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Keep the NFL postseason the way it is -- 16 teams is overkill...

[Bored 0]

Don't expand the playoffs at all. A team that played hard all year to get a 14-2 record deserves to get a week off. Twelve teams is plenty and the NFL regular season will become almost pointless like the NBA and NHL if they expand to 16.

[2GOLD 0]

Don't expand the playoffs at all. A team that played hard all year to get a 14-2 record deserves to get a week off. Twelve teams is plenty and the NFL regular season will become almost pointless like the NBA and NHL if they expand to 16.

 

Agreed

 

Six teams per side is more than enough.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I like the format just how it is. But every year, the owners make noise about expanding to 14 and 16 to get more postseason games on TV which equal more ad money. Seeing as it's gone from 8 to 10 to 12 over the years, it's inevitable that the current format only has five years left at the most.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

If you expand to 16 teams you'll be letting 7-9 teams in almost every season. I want no part of losing teams consistently getting a shot in the playoffs.

 

Think how crappy it would be when an 8-8 or 7-9 team luck out and win the Super Bowl.

[Agent_Bond34 0]

Think how crappy it would be when an 8-8 or 7-9 team luck out and win the Super Bowl.

Hasn't something like this happened before?

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Think how crappy it would be when an 8-8 or 7-9 team luck out and win the Super Bowl.

Hasn't something like this happened before?

No, I only think a few 9-7 teams have ever made it to the Super Bowl. Let me get my record book and look.

[Bored 0]

No 9-7 team has ever made it to the Super Bowl. Only 8-8 team I think to ever make the playoffs was the '91 Jets which was the 2nd year of the 12-team playoff format. In '82 the Browns made it with a 4-5 record but that was the strike year when the expanded to 16 teams since they only played nine regular season games.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Super Bowl XIV saw the 9-7 L.A. team lose to Pittsburgh.

 

That's it as far as teams in a 16 game season.

[Bored 0]

Damnit just about to add that edit but yup forgot about the '79 Rams. They won the NFC West that year and that was just the 2nd year of the 16 game schedule.

 

Edit: Add on to a previous post the '85 Browns made the playoffs with an 8-8 record, winning the AFC Central.

Edited December 29, 2003 by Bored

[Mole 0]

If you expand to 16 teams you'll be letting 7-9 teams in almost every season. I want no part of losing teams consistently getting a shot in the playoffs.

 

Think how crappy it would be when an 8-8 or 7-9 team luck out and win the Super Bowl.

I don't like the idea, but that would mean my Niners would get into the playoffs, which I would like.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

If you expand to 16 teams you'll be letting 7-9 teams in almost every season.  I want no part of losing teams consistently getting a shot in the playoffs.

 

Think how crappy it would be when an 8-8 or 7-9 team luck out and win the Super Bowl.

I don't like the idea, but that would mean my Niners would get into the playoffs, which I would like.

Actually they'd still miss out as the 10-6 Packers or 9-7 Vikings would be in and the final spot would go to the 8-8 Saints.

[yankovic fan 0]

I ran a season on Madden 2003 to see what would happen with a losing team getting into the postseason.

 

I took control of the NFC South, and had all four teams lose every non division game.

 

On the Division games, I made them go 1-1 on each division game.

 

I wound up with the 3-13 Panthers going to the postseason.

 

Then for fun I led them to the Superbowl.

[NoCalMike 0]

Usually the 1 & 2 seeds are ahead of the pack, but the wildcard teams are a hair better then some of the teams that didn't make it in. I would like to see playoff expansion as well.