Expanding the NFL Playoffs to 10 teams per conference and other things:

[Wallyhorse]

As we approach the end of a 2021 season that extends into 2022, the NFL had more teams than ever still alive for a playoff berth going into the 17^th Week of the regular season and even heading into the 18^th week not all was determined. While that has been a by-product of mediocrity in some cases, it also does in some cases prevent teams from tanking for high draft picks the way some fan bases want.  With that in mind, I would now be looking to expand the playoffs to add an additional round that would mean more revenue for the networks while assuring more games are meaningful, especially where byes are at stake.

My proposal would expand the playoffs from the current seven teams per conference to 10, with the first weekend becoming a true wild card round since as I would structure it, most of the teams playing in the first round would be wild cards though a weak division winner would usually find its way into this new first round.  The way this would be structured:

The team with the best record in each conference would now get a double bye, getting two weeks off before it plays its first playoff game in the Divisional round of the playoffs.  This would discourage teams who have locked up the #1 seed from resting players at the end of the regular season knowing they would have three weeks to heal up ahead of a Divisional playoff game against the lowest remaining seed that would have had to play in at least one and possibly two playoff games before facing them.

The second through fourth seeds would all receive a first-round bye, however, this would NOT be restricted to division champions as this seeding would be solely by record as is done in the NBA.  In this case, if a wild card as a better record than a division champion OR if tied record-wise beat such division champion head-to-head in the regular season, the wild card is seeded ahead of the division champion for seeds 2-4 (first round byes).  Other than where a wild card beat a division champion head-to-head, the division champion would get seeding preference if it has the same record as a wild card.  Division champions would still be guaranteed a home playoff game, but that could come in the new first round as in this format, a division champion could not be seeded lower than seventh (basically, in this format, if it just happened the four best records in a conference all happened to be in the same division, the wild cards would be seeded 2-4 and the other division winners would be seeded 5-7). 

The new first round would see the 5^th seed hosting the 10^th seed, the 6^th seed hosting the 9^th seed and 7^th seed hosting the 8^th seed.  In the second round, the 2^nd seed would host the lowest remaining seed, the 3^rd seed would host the next lowest and the 4^th seed would host the highest remaining seed. That process would be repeated in the Division round where the top seed hosts the lowest remaining seed and so forth. Using this format for the 2021-’22 season, going into Week 18, how it would work:

AFC:
1.      (Double Bye, home field throughout AFC Playoffs) Titans (11-5, beat Chiefs head-to-head)
2.      (Bye, home field through divisional round): Chiefs (11-5)
3.      (Bye, home field in second round): Bengals (10-6, own conference tiebreaker on Bills)
4.      (Bye, home field in second round): Bills (10-6, own division tiebreaker on Patriots)
5.      (Home field in first round): Patriots (10-6)
6.      (Home field in first round): Colts (9-7, own tiebreaker on Chargers and Raiders)
7.      (Home field in first round): Chargers (9-7, own division tiebreaker on Raiders)
8.      Raiders (9-7)
9.      Steelers (8-7-1)
10.   Dolphins (8-8, own head-to-head win over Ravens, who would be out)

NFC:
1.      (Double Bye, home field throughout NFC Playoffs) Packers (13-3)
2.      (Bye, home field through divisional round): Rams (12-4, own head-to-head over Bucs)
3.      (Bye, home field in second round): Buccaneers (12-4)
4.      (Bye, home field in second round): Cardinals (11-5, own head-to-head over Cowboys)
5.      (Home field in first round): Cowboys (11-5)
6.      (Home field in first round): 49ers (9-7, own head-to-head win over Eagles)
7.      (Home field in first round): Eagles (9-7)
8.      Saints (8-8)
9.      Vikings (7-9, own head-to-head tiebreaker over Falcons)
10.    Falcons (7-9)

The only teams eliminated going into Week 18 in this format would have been the Jets, Texans, Jaguars, Panthers, Giants and Lions.

This would be one of a couple of changes I would make.  The other would be to make the conference championship a two-game, total aggregate score event where the first leg is at the lower seed where if such game ends in a tie, there is no overtime because it is actually the first half of a two-leg championship.  If after the second leg the total aggregate score is tied, the teams come right back for a 20-minute, non-sudden death mini-game (two 10-minute halves) followed if still tied after the mini-game by sudden death overtime. This is how it is done in soccer and I’m sure is something CBS and FOX would love as it would get them an extra week of playoff games (beyond the weekend they would get with the new first round of playoffs) with the conference championship being contested over two Sundays.

Also as part of this, to further discourage tanking, teams failing to make the playoffs would now be put into a new NFL draft lottery that given the NFL’s popularity could air in prime time during the week of the Super Bowl by the network that has that game. As I would do it, the four worst teams would have an equal chance of netting the first pick in the draft (probably around 15% each) while the remaining teams with better records would have a chance to move up and get a top-four pick.   That would assure we don’t have situations like in 2020 when Jets fans wanted them to lose on purpose and finish 0-16 just so they could get Trevor Lawrence with the first pick for example.

[NCTANK]

pass

[UK_EaglesFan89]

No thanks. I think 7 teams is too many and that's despite our team getting in as likely the 7th seed. 

[EagleJoe8]

WTF? Not only are you diminishing the value of making the post season, but you’re adding more games in total leaving fewer healthier bodies for the Super Bowl, which in turn diminishes the value of the Super Bowl.  
 

Serious question Wally, what is your obsession with ruining the NFL?

[Bwestbrook36]

36 minutes ago, EagleJoe8 said:

WTF? Not only are you diminishing the value of making the post season, but you’re adding more games in total leaving fewer healthier bodies for the Super Bowl, which in turn diminishes the value of the Super Bowl.  
 

Serious question Wally, what is your obsession with ruining the NFL?

Imagine 20 teams out of 32 making the playoffs? That would be the dumbest sheet ever. What's the point of even having a regular season at that point? 

He loves trying to turn the NFL into the NBA.... Tries to make the NFL draft a lottery to prevent tanking lmao, NBA is the only league notorious for tanking yet let's make it like the NBA so they don't tank 😵‍💫

[Wallyhorse]

6 hours ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

Imagine 20 teams out of 32 making the playoffs? That would be the dumbest sheet ever. What's the point of even having a regular season at that point? 

He loves trying to turn the NFL into the NBA.... Tries to make the NFL draft a lottery to prevent tanking lmao, NBA is the only league notorious for tanking yet let's make it like the NBA so they don't tank 😵‍💫

There is a reason the NBA has clearly surpassed baseball and moved into second only behind the NFL.  LA in fact is actually the one city where the NBA trumps the NFL and has for years. 

[Wallyhorse]

6 hours ago, EagleJoe8 said:

Serious question Wally, what is your obsession with ruining the NFL?

In this format, the teams finishing 1-4 are playing the same number of games they are now.  This puts a greater emphasis on having one of the top four records because doing so gets you AT LEAST a first round bye and if you have the best record you would get a first AND a second round bye to the divisional round, meaning if you are the 1 seed, you could be playing a team that had to win two games just to get to the Divisional round before you ever set foot on the field in the playoffs.

As for doing an NFL Draft Lottery, I think that would be a ratings bonanza, and if I were at Disney, I'd be pushing for it because it could air perhaps the Wednesday or Thursday of Super Bowl week as an hour-long show on ABC at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT (live everywhere) and do big numbers.  

[EagleJoe8]

12 minutes ago, Wallyhorse said:

In this format, the teams finishing 1-4 are playing the same number of games they are now.  This puts a greater emphasis on having one of the top four records because doing so gets you AT LEAST a first round bye and if you have the best record you would get a first AND a second round bye to the divisional round, meaning if you are the 1 seed, you could be playing a team that had to win two games just to get to the Divisional round before you ever set foot on the field in the playoffs.

As for doing an NFL Draft Lottery, I think that would be a ratings bonanza, and if I were at Disney, I'd be pushing for it because it could air perhaps the Wednesday or Thursday of Super Bowl week as an hour-long show on ABC at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT (live everywhere) and do big numbers.  

None of that helps make the NFL better. It’s too many teams in the dance, which makes getting there not all that special. Also, while a week off can be good for rest, it also allows for rust to set in. That it way too much time off and it only serves to diminish the product. 

[Boogyman]

No.

[wrestlevessel]

Your idea sucks sir.

[xzmattzx]

20 out of 32 teams in the playoffs?  That's a higher percentage than the NHL.

 

Why not put all 32 teams in the playoffs, and just use the regular season for seeding purposes?  Then all 32 teams play a meaningful game in week 18. Jaguars vs. Lions in the first playoff game, with the winner playing the Giants, and so on.

 

Unfortunately, since the NFL is increasingly about the money, at the expense of the product that the typical NFL fan sees, your suggestions are not too far off-base.  Expect to see 8 teams in each conference in the playoffs soon.

 

If the networks wanted more money, they would make each game 90 minutes long, with 6 15-minute periods.  They would also expand to 40 teams.  They would also play a 20-game regular season schedule.  They would also have 12 teams in each conference in the playoffs.  They would also play games on Tuesday nights every week.  Et cetera.

[Wallyhorse]

16 minutes ago, xzmattzx said:

20 out of 32 teams in the playoffs?  That's a higher percentage than the NHL.

 

Why not put all 32 teams in the playoffs, and just use the regular season for seeding purposes?  Then all 32 teams play a meaningful game in week 18. Jaguars vs. Lions in the first playoff game, with the winner playing the Giants, and so on.

 

Unfortunately, since the NFL is increasingly about the money, at the expense of the product that the typical NFL fan sees, your suggestions are not too far off-base.  Expect to see 8 teams in each conference in the playoffs soon.

 

If the networks wanted more money, they would make each game 90 minutes long, with 6 15-minute periods.  They would also expand to 40 teams.  They would also play a 20-game regular season schedule.  They would also have 12 teams in each conference in the playoffs.  They would also play games on Tuesday nights every week.  Et cetera.

Actually, the NBA now does 20 teams, though eight of them have a play-in round they have to go through.

I do think the NFL would see having an additional weekend of playoffs as valuable, and this way, the NFL can still guarantee all division champs a home while also doing some form of NBA-style playoff seeding so wild cards in tough divisions can be seeded ahead of weaker division champs. 

[dawkins4prez]

On 1/8/2022 at 4:17 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

No thanks. I think 7 teams is too many and that's despite our team getting in as likely the 7th seed. 

And so was 17 reg season games.  This is too big of an advantage for the #1 seed.  A 2nd bye when you are playing 20-21 NFL games is crucial and you shouldn't have to come out of a bad division to get it.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

1 hour ago, dawkins4prez said:

And so was 17 reg season games.  This is too big of an advantage for the #1 seed.  A 2nd bye when you are playing 20-21 NFL games is crucial and you shouldn't have to come out of a bad division to get it.

Yeah I agree with you there. I mean I am a fan of extra games as I love the NFL. But yeah that is too big of an advantage.

[birdman#12]

I think 8 teams per conference is about as high as you can go.......no first round bye.  You play the regular season for a playoff spot and home field advantage.  A first round bye is too much of an advantage....considering New England benefitted for 20 years playing in a lousy division that gave them a big advantage of earning a 1st round bye.

8 teams.

4 Wild Card games

2 Divisional games

1 Championship game in each conference.

Super Bowl

Some teams have to battle thru a slew of injuries, are in really competitive divisions or have 1-2 games played in lousy weather.  There's a reason why the super bowl is played in a dome or in a warm weather climate.  To keep the conditions as good as possible.  Giving a team a 1st round bye for playing a lousy division or having relatively few injuries is rewarding a team for being lucky.

 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

6 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

I think 8 teams per conference is about as high as you can go.......no first round bye

I mean yeah you could do that but I think that is unfair. I mean you play all year with the hope and the target of being the #1 seed and part of that is the bye week. I thought it was wrong that they took that away from the #2 seed really. 

[VaBeach_Eagle]

They need to reduce it, not expand it. Make getting to the playoffs hard, not easy. 

[birdman#12]

2 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I mean yeah you could do that but I think that is unfair. I mean you play all year with the hope and the target of being the #1 seed and part of that is the bye week. I thought it was wrong that they took that away from the #2 seed really. 

No, you play all year to make the playoffs.  Getting into the playoffs is hard.......why should a team benefit from a cupcake division or being lucky by having few injuries?  

It's an unfair advantage that the NFL created byes and then they reseed after each round.....so that team gets all home games, a bye and plays the lowest seeded team.

NFL season is long and hard.....no team should get advantage after advantage for best record.  Play to get in and play for home field advantage......anything else is tilting the field.

 

[Wallyhorse]

8 hours ago, birdman#12 said:

No, you play all year to make the playoffs.  Getting into the playoffs is hard.......why should a team benefit from a cupcake division or being lucky by having few injuries?  

It's an unfair advantage that the NFL created byes and then they reseed after each round.....so that team gets all home games, a bye and plays the lowest seeded team.

NFL season is long and hard.....no team should get advantage after advantage for best record.  Play to get in and play for home field advantage......anything else is tilting the field.

The idea is a team should have advantages for better record.  How the NBA does it is best, winning your division ONLY guarantees you a playoff berth, nothing more now.

That's why I borrow from College Basketball conference tournaments to get to 10 teams where I structure it to have TWO six-game weekends that include a Monday night playoff game where:

#1 seed gets a DOUBLE (first and second round) bye to the Divisional Playoff (third round)

Seeds 2-4 get a SINGLE (first round) bye and home field for at least the second round are NOT dependent on winning your division (wild cards who have better records than division champions OR where tied have a head-to-head win over a division champion have seeding preference)

Seeds 5-7 get a first-round home game.  This is a low as a division champion would be seeded most years as it would be a very rare case for a division champion to be seeded lower than seventh and therefore not have a home game at all.

Seeds 8-10 have to win four games, most likely ALL on the road just to get to the Super Bowl.

It would be structured so the best teams have the best chance and if you have the best record you get two weeks off before playing your first playoff game. 

[JohnB]

6 teams is more than enough. If anything, I'd like the league to be more like this:

Get rid of the divisions. Just 2 conferences. You play each team in your conference once. That's 15 games. Game 16, or actually, the 1st game of the season is a Bowl game with a trophy exchange against a team from the opposite conference.

For example: Eagles vs Steelers in the PA Bowl. Dallas vs Houston in the Lone Star Bowl. LA Rams vs LA Chargers, etc. You get the idea. They don't have to call it "bowl." It's more of a bragging rights trophy between 2 teams from the same state, same city, or some other value. Cleveland or Cincy would have to switch conferences to make it work for Ohio. Jets vs Giants, obviously. Some are easy to figure out, others require a bit more creativity. 

Leave the playoff format the same. Top 6 teams make it to the playoffs. Top 2 get a Bye. HFA is seeded. 

[EagleJoe8]

On 1/17/2022 at 11:27 PM, JohnB said:

6 teams is more than enough. If anything, I'd like the league to be more like this:

Get rid of the divisions. Just 2 conferences. You play each team in your conference once. That's 15 games. Game 16, or actually, the 1st game of the season is a Bowl game with a trophy exchange against a team from the opposite conference.

For example: Eagles vs Steelers in the PA Bowl. Dallas vs Houston in the Lone Star Bowl. LA Rams vs LA Chargers, etc. You get the idea. They don't have to call it "bowl." It's more of a bragging rights trophy between 2 teams from the same state, same city, or some other value. Cleveland or Cincy would have to switch conferences to make it work for Ohio. Jets vs Giants, obviously. Some are easy to figure out, others require a bit more creativity. 

Leave the playoff format the same. Top 6 teams make it to the playoffs. Top 2 get a Bye. HFA is seeded. 

In theory, I don’t think this is a bad concept, the only thing I’d change is the out of conference game would be the same place finisher from the previous season. Many have suggested a yearly game like you did, and some matchups do seem obvious based on proximity, however, my biggest concern is some teams are generally bad for a long period of time like the Lions or Jags, while others are usually strong teams more often than not. Some teams end up getting a cream puff matchup most years while others get stuck with a much stronger contender. 

[mihailo]

On 1/8/2022 at 6:20 PM, Wallyhorse said:

There is a reason the NBA has clearly surpassed baseball and moved into second only behind the NFL.  LA in fact is actually the one city where the NBA trumps the NFL and has for years. 

Shouldn't they be copying the NFL then?

[Godfather]

That's fn disgusting how they want to be like the NBA

[Captain F]

Look how 8 worked out.  4 Blowouts in "SUPER" Wild card weekend. 

[Wallyhorse]

On 1/19/2022 at 11:21 AM, mihailo said:

Shouldn't they be copying the NFL then?

On a global scale, the NBA actually IS bigger than the NFL.