Time for the NFL to go to NBA-style playoff seeding?

[Wallyhorse]

With the loser of Vikings-Lions (as of when this was written) being the 5 seed in the NFC playoffs, is it time for the NFL to go to NBA-style playoff seeding where winning your division only gets you a playoff berth (or in the case of the NBA, a play-in berth) even if that is the bottom seed?  That is what I would do.

If that were in effect, loser of Vikings-Lions would be the 3 seed in the NFC (Winner obviously is the 1 seed), Eagles 2*, Commanders 4, Packers 5, Rams 6, Bucs 7.

AFC: Chiefs 1, Bills 2, Ravens 3, Chargers 4, Texans 5, Steelers 6, Broncos 7.

*-Eagles would get the tie-breaker over the NFC North loser since they won their division and did not play either the Lions or Vikings, however, if a wild card team ties for record with a division champion and has a win over said champion, then the wild card gets the higher seed (say in this scenario the Eagles lost to the Vikings but won their division with a 14-3 record while the Vikings as a Wild Card also finished 14-3, in this case, the Vikings would be the 2 seed and the Eagles because of a regular season win over the Eagles in this example).

[xzmattzx]

I'm torn with this, but it would be quite interesting if there was an NFC division winner with a losing record this year, and a 14-win wild card team was on the road against a team with 9 or 10 losses,

[birdman#12]

Winning a lousy division shouldn't carry the weight that it does.  

If they stay with 7 team playoff per conference, the team with the best record should get a bye, then the rest of the seeds by records and tiebreakers. If your division is the worst in the conference and no teams qualify for the playoffs, well too bad.

I don't even like a byes in the playoffs.   Winning the conference should get you home field thru out the playoffs......and this is pro football.  Getting to the playoffs is still a tough thing. It's a long season and teams have to deal with a lot of issues thruout the year.  Teams at the top of the  conference usually have a chance to rest starters anyway.....giving a team a bye is just an unnecessary perk.

8 team playoff field.  Conference winner and 7 top qualifiers.  4 games to win a championship.  

[Godfather]

Dumb idea

[VaBeach_Eagle]

I understand why people would be in favor of changing things, but I'm not. If you're a divisional champion, that should mean something. If you don't want to be a 14-3 Wildcard team on the road, win your division. 

If you're 14-3 and you go on the road to a 9-8 team (or even worse), then you should win that game. You're the 'better' team, so win wherever the game is.

[birdman#12]

On 1/11/2025 at 10:46 PM, VaBeach_Eagle said:

I understand why people would be in favor of changing things, but I'm not. If you're a divisional champion, that should mean something. If you don't want to be a 14-3 Wildcard team on the road, win your division. 

If you're 14-3 and you go on the road to a 9-8 team (or even worse), then you should win that game. You're the 'better' team, so win wherever the game is.

if your in a lousy division, you can make the playoffs......with a lousy record and that should be good enough.  Rewarding them with a home game is idiotic.

Using your logic, if you're a division winner you should be able to beat a wild card team.  If you're a division winner, get a better record to earn a home game........It's ridiculous to seed teams based on record under different circumstances.  Winner of conference gets bye, the next 6 BEST RECORDS get in the playoffs.  

[VaBeach_Eagle]

26 minutes ago, birdman#12 said:

Using your logic

Not my logic, it's how the NFL has done it for decades and I see no need to change it. 

Divisional Championship > Divisional Runner-up

Changing the formula could go in many directions though. Why not have the playoffs as a single pool of 14 teams, disregard the conferences and seed by record alone? Then, theoretically, the Super Bowl will be the two best NFL teams, regardless of conference? Eagles-Cowboys, Chiefs-Steelers, Browns-Jets? 

I don't want that, that would never happen. But if we're going by what's 'fair', that would be 'fair'. Best of the best play the best of the best and the Champ is decided when the dust settles/.