Thoughts on Additional NFL Wildcard Teams

[RatedRBowler]

So with all of the talk around the NFL adding an additional Wildcard team from each conference, I was curious to think what your guys' opinion might be. It seemed fairly divided on the Reddit topic I was reading. Some people argue it'd be more exciting to have additional playoff games whereas others feel it would diminish the prestige of getting into the tournament in the first place. It's worth noting that other sports such as the NBA and NHL already have more than 6 seeds (don't quote me on NHL) but the obvious difference is they're played in a best of 7 series fashion. Also if they just add a #7 seed the Wildcard round would look like this:

#1 seed - BYE

#7 @ #2
#6 @ #3
#5 @ #4

I'm sure it will happen because of the extra cash/revenue it would bring in for the NFL. But anyways, are you for or against this?

[Everlong]

I can see the merits of both sides here, but my biggest problem with it isn't the dilution of the meaning of the regular season (I think 14 teams is still reasonable, but 16 would be too much). It's more so that I don't like the idea of the 2 seed not getting a bye. I get that it makes the 1 seed even more important, but the 1 seed already gets homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, making it the top prize under the current system.

So I dunno. I guess I'm not up in arms over this potential change, but I personally wouldn't vote for it if I had any power.

[UTK]

No. No. No. No.




















( no.)

[RatedRBowler]

I can see the merits of both sides here, but my biggest problem with it isn't the dilution of the meaning of the regular season (I think 14 teams is still reasonable, but 16 would be too much). It's more so that I don't like the idea of the 2 seed not getting a bye. I get that it makes the 1 seed even more important, but the 1 seed already gets homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, making it the top prize under the current system.

So I dunno. I guess I'm not up in arms over this potential change, but I personally wouldn't vote for it if I had any power.

Yeah,that pretty much sums up my thoughts. I'm in the middle. On one hand I would love another wildcard game (they were all pretty great this weekend, 2 more would be even better) but I like things how they are so I'd vote things to just say how they are.

[The Legend]

Here's the problem, both conferences are never good enough in the same season to warrant this idea. Sure it would have been nice if Arizona would have been rewarded for their season, but did anyone really want to see Miami be a playoff team this year? San Diego getting in as the second wild card was already bad enough to me.

[motionmann]

I don't see why we should be rewarding mediocrity... Luckily Goodell has said there isn't any real momentum for an expanded playoffs. So sounds like we won't be seeing it for a while. Thankfully.

[ShaneOfan]

On one hand, I love me some football and always like having an excuse to watch a game, on the other having almost half the teams make the playoffs now would be a bit much. If you want to change the playoffs up make it so the six top teams in each conference make the playoffs. Had the Cards won week 17 they would have been 11-5 and still missed the playoffs. Even at that they went 10-6 and missed out while GB got in with only 8 wins which is not even a winning record. (well it technically was since they were 8-7 thanks to a tie.) Just take the top 6 teams and seed them like that. It would have given us.

AFC
1-Broncos
2-Patriots
3-Bengals
4-Chiefs
5-Colts
6-Chargers

NFC
1-Seahawks
2-Panthers
3-Niners
4-Saints
5-Eagles
6-Cardinals

Which for the fun of it...

AFC WC
-Chargers at the Bengals, which is the only game we had anyway.
-Colts AT Chiefs, which very well could have changed the outcome. They might not have pissed away a lead at home.

NFC WC
-Cards at Niners would have been a great match up and given the Niners one last game at Candlestick.
-Eagles AT the Saints, while the Saints won anyway they would have been favored for sure in this one since they play great at home.

The two teams with byes would not have changed but it would still be more fair in my opinion teams should be rewarded for their record overall.

[The Legend]

^^^ I really don't like that idea, winning your division is something that should be rewarded. Also, using the NFL's multi-team tiebreaker rules the AFC would have actually been seeded:

1. Denver
2. New England
3. Indianapolis
4. Cincinnati
5. Kansas City
6. San Diego

So actually both wild card games would have changed matchups.

The biggest reason I'm not in favor of eliminating importance of division is your schedule is decided by which division you are in. Green Bay had to play the AFC North which had three teams at .500 or better. Arizona got to play the AFC South which had two of the three worst franchises in the NFL this year. Green Bay had a realistic chance to improve on its 2-2 out of conference record by facing Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee, not to mention when you'd play the Colts. Arizona I don't think would have gone 4-0 against the AFC North. If they both moved one game all of the sudden Arizona is 9-7 and Green Bay is 9-6-1 and the Packers make the playoffs.