Commissioner, it's time to change the playoff system | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Commissioner, it's time to change the playoff system

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BAMAPHIN 22

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When the regular season concludes, there is a chance that two 8-8 teams will advance to the playoffs, and a chance that two 10-6 teams will not. It is possible that two 8-8 teams will make the playoffs while an 11-5 team does not. The mere fact that this is possible as the final weekend arrives tells you the NFL playoff system is broken. It must be replaced by a seeded tournament.


It's bad enough that Indianapolis, already 11-4 with a possible 12-4 finish, will open on the road at either 8-8 San Diego or 9-7 Denver. It's bad enough that Arizona, which has lost four of its past five games, could finish 8-8 and host a playoff game against a team that finished 11-5. It's bad enough that those same Cardinals, who were just blown off the field 47-7 by New England, are already in the postseason while the Patriots could finish 11-5 and not make it. Just consider: Baltimore, Chicago, Jersey/B, Miami, New England and Tampa all enter the final weekend in danger of finishing 10-6 yet being eliminated. All of them won't, of course. But a few will.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page...223&campaign=rsssrch&source=gregg_easterbrook
 
I'm actually entertained with the possibility of the Pats missing the playoffs at 11-5 and the Chargers getting in at 8-8.

That would be hilarious.
 
I tend to agree with the sentiment but I will cry zero tears for the white collar criminals of the NFL that reside in Foxboro. None, they deserve only scorn and abuse.

The NFL should change the playoff system though with regard to record meaning more than whether you're a WC or division winner. #1 seed should get the team with the worst record, period.
 
Yeah lets just use the top 6 teams in each conference for the playoffs. Eliminate all the divisions and make all 16 teams in each conference play each other once every season. Then we can argue about how one team had a more advantageous home game schedule and another team had a tougher road schedule. We can sit around and argue how unfair the NFL scheduling procedure has become. Sounds like a great idea to me. Put me down as a "yes" vote on that one.
 
im for 7 teams in each conference, the best record gets the only bye and then plays the team with the lowest record of the winner of the other 3 games! and just carry on to the SB!
 
I don't recall much outcry when we missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record
 
They should change the system so that you cant cheat and get in...
 
shula_guy said:
Yeah lets just use the top 6 teams in each conference for the playoffs. Eliminate all the divisions and make all 16 teams in each conference play each other once every season. Then we can argue about how one team had a more advantageous home game schedule and another team had a tougher road schedule. We can sit around and argue how unfair the NFL scheduling procedure has become. Sounds like a great idea to me. Put me down as a "yes" vote on that one.
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Divisonal matchups are a huge part of the NFL. I cant see the NFL getting rid of the divisions.

The simplest and most pratical solution is let the six teams with the best records in their conference go into the playoffs. I hate seeing teams going 8-8 or 9-7, while teams with better records miss out.
 
emeraldfin said:
Divisonal matchups are a huge part of the NFL. I cant see the NFL getting rid of the divisions.

The simplest and most pratical solution is let the six teams with the best records in their conference go into the playoffs. I hate seeing teams going 8-8 or 9-7, while teams with better records miss out.
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:sidelol::sidelol: You have just made my point for me. You hate 8-8 teams going and 11-5 teams missing the playoffs. Well that 11-5 team should of won its division.

Let use your way as an example Say a particular team is in the same division with
the Lions,
KC,
and the rams.
Thats 6 wins for your team because they are all divisional games. Now for the other 10 games they play the,
Bills,
Texans,
Chargers,
49's,
packers,
jags,
browns,
raiders,
sea hawks,
and the Bengals.
Your team has a 10 win season playing this schedule.

Now at the same time that your team went 10-6 another team in your conference misses the playoffs with a record of 9-7. They played the following schedule:
Titans x2
Giants X2
Panthers x2
Colts
Steelers
Falcons
ravens
Dolphins
Patriots
Bears
cowboys
Vikings
Jets

Are you going to tell me that the team with the 10 win record is better then the team with the 9 win record when they did not play any teams that had winning records?

See if you want to say that the 6 best teams get in regardless of their conference. Then the only fair way to do that is to have every team in the conference play each other once per season and the 6 best teams go to the playoffs. there is no purpose to having divisions if winning them means nothing.

OK so you think its unfair that a team like the Patriots might be on the outside looking in this post season while a team like the Chargers sneak their way in. I can understand your frustration in that. You can certainly make an argument that the 6 most talented teams did not all get opportunities to compete for the Super bowl.

My argument to that is simply that the Chargers did what they had to do within their division and the Patriots did not. Further more the Chargers did lose some very controversial games this season and one could reasonably argue that their record is not indicative of how good they really are. You wont see me making that argument but I'll bet you a Chargers fan would make it.
 
I think the system works fine the way it is now.Lets not turn this into the BCS like college football.You win your division you should be in the playoffs, sometimes divisions have down years, oh well that's just life.I think there is outcry now because the leagues lovechild Billy B and his team are out.Like has already been mentioned in this thread there have been teams in the past that have won 10 games (including the Dolphins) and missed the playoffs.Yes a few fans and players whined a little but eventually everyone got over it.
 
shula_guy said:
:sidelol::sidelol: You have just made my point for me. You hate 8-8 teams going and 11-5 teams missing the playoffs. Well that 11-5 team should of won its division.

Let use your way as an example Say a particular team is in the same division with
the Lions,
KC,
and the rams.
Thats 6 wins for your team because they are all divisional games. Now for the other 10 games they play the,
Bills,
Texans,
Chargers,
49's,
packers,
jags,
browns,
raiders,
sea hawks,
and the Bengals.
Your team has a 10 win season playing this schedule.

Now at the same time that your team went 10-6 another team in your conference misses the playoffs with a record of 9-7. They played the following schedule:
Titans x2
Giants X2
Panthers x2
Colts
Steelers
Falcons
ravens
Dolphins
Patriots
Bears
cowboys
Vikings
Jets

Are you going to tell me that the team with the 10 win record is better then the team with the 9 win record when they did not play any teams that had winning records?

See if you want to say that the 6 best teams get in regardless of their conference. Then the only fair way to do that is to have every team in the conference play each other once per season and the 6 best teams go to the playoffs. there is no purpose to having divisions if winning them means nothing.

OK so you think its unfair that a team like the Patriots might be on the outside looking in this post season while a team like the Chargers sneak their way in. I can understand your frustration in that. You can certainly make an argument that the 6 most talented teams did not all get opportunities to compete for the Super bowl.

My argument to that is simply that the Chargers did what they had to do within their division and the Patriots did not. Further more the Chargers did lose some very controversial games this season and one could reasonably argue that their record is not indicative of how good they really are. You wont see me making that argument but I'll bet you a Chargers fan would make it.
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Chargers still lost those games. It does'nt matter how much you lose a game by, its still a loss. Its better to win a game badly than lose a game playing great. Good teams find ways to win games,the Chargers are what they are, at best a 8-8 team.

I NEVER said that divisions should be kept, you misread my point. I said the NFL would not take out divisions because they mean too much to the NFL. Why do you think they are still around? Is it right a 8-8 team will go through instead of an 11-5 team? No. Is it right Brett Favre goes to the Pro-Bowl? But thats just the way things are

Also your way of scheduling is not foul proff. What if the AFC is stronger than the NFC? A team with a lower record in the NFC might get in instead of a team with a better record in the AFC. How do you determine who plays at home and who plays away. You could end up having one team play alot of poor teams away and another play good teams away? So how is that fair?
 
Let's see we should change the playoff system when the 11-5 Pats don't make it, yet we shouldn't change it when the 2003 10-6 Dolphins miss the playoffs to 10-6 Ravens, who the Dolphins beat earlier that season. Nope, no we're not being biased for the Patriots at all.
 
emeraldfin said:
Chargers still lost those games. It does'nt matter how much you lose a game by, its still a loss. Its better to win a game badly than lose a game playing great. Good teams find ways to win games,the Chargers are what they are, at best a 8-8 team.

I NEVER said that divisions should be kept, you misread my point. I said the NFL would not take out divisions because they mean too much to the NFL. Why do you think they are still around? Is it right a 8-8 team will go through instead of an 11-5 team? No. Is it right Brett Favre goes to the Pro-Bowl? But thats just the way things are

Also your way of scheduling is not foul proff. What if the AFC is stronger than the NFC? A team with a lower record in the NFC might get in instead of a team with a better record in the AFC. How do you determine who plays at home and who plays away. You could end up having one team play alot of poor teams away and another play good teams away? So how is that fair?
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I would refer you back to my original post in this thread. In it I essentially say the same thing about changing it would not make it fair in some peoples eyes and they would argue about who had the easier travel schedule, etc.....

As for me, my own personal opinion is that I like the way the playoff system is done. I like being in a division. I like playing division rivals twice a year. What I don't like about our division is the distance between us and our division rivals. In general though they keep most of the division teams within traveling distance for the fans. I think that is good too. Fans want to be within range of going to away games to see their team play on the road and to lend them support by cheering for them in hostile environments.

You yourself seem to be implying that no format the NFL implements is going to be completely fair nor is it going to satisfy all the fans. What I guess I want to ask you is, If you are unhappy with the current system, how would you improve it? What would you like to see changed to make it more palatable for your tastes?
 
I like the way it is. New England should have beaten the Jets at home instead of losing in OT. Hell if that would happen, same thing could be said about us losing to the Jest at home . . . or the Houston game . . . the playoffs aren't gimme's.

Funny thing is . . . I think both San Diego and Arizona win next week . . . ending this argument about the "weak" divisions. In fact, I could see both in their respective championship games . . . these things tend to work themselves out.
 
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