I think the condition of the teams in the AFCE have been disected enough. We know who has what holes and we know what the hopes are for each team's success. It is fair to say that the four teams are all going to be extremely competitive if all goes well for each in the offseason and the draft. Herein lies the problem....
Since the inception of the 4 team divisions there is now one less wild card berth which all Dolphins fans should be painfully aware of. We failed to make the playoffs when we were at our peak, because instead, a fourth (weak) division winner was given our wildcard spot. I would make a case for revision of the playoffs to eliminate at least one Bye and include at least one more team in the playoffs from each conference. The bye is such a big advantage and it isn't always earned. If you are Pitt, and you live in a crappy division, it is no problem putting together the best record in the conference each year. Meanwhile, teams in good divisions with legitimate competition have to slug it out with each other just to crawl into the playoffs, weakened, and now must endure getting to the SB the hard way, no bye, no home games. SF and Dallas used this edge all through their best days while worthy GB, Det, and Minn teams beat the crap out of one another while SF and Dallas' stars watched from the sidelines.
Well Pitt is still in a crappy division and should be able to keep home field.
The Colts are also in a crappy division and should get a bye.
San Diego seems to be the class of the west, right now, but Denver and KC may make that division interesting along with all the rivalries.
As always, the wildcards are going to be scarce. Baltimore should have a shot as they share Pitt's easy schedule. Jax can get in the same way by beating up Hou and Tenn. So the better teams in the AFCE and AFCW may be SOL! It's unlikely that the second or third place AFCE teams nor the second or third place AFCW teams will have a good enough record to get a WC berth having bludgeoned each other all season and split with tough opponents. The tie-breakers hurt too because teams must win division games. It is very possible that Baltimore and Jacksonville will go to the playoffs, ala tiebreakers, while better teams in Miami, NE, NY, Buf, KC, and Denver will be denied because the playoff system is flawed. It has happened every year since the restructuring. Mostly to us.
:shakeno: :shakeno: :shakeno:
