Report: NFL to add 7th team to playoffs in 2014

[Nublar7]

https://twitter.com/finsjesse/status/420196977423314945

On @dpshow just now, Dan said that NFL is planning on adding an extra Wild Card team in both AFC and NFC next season.

Dolphins would still have missed the playoffs under this scenario this year, but it will at least help our odds in future years if this report is true.

Tough for the NFL to back up this new format when the 7th AFC team this year would have been 8-8, but I actually think this is a smart move. A move I have actually been hoping for, for some time now. While there is no news beyond this report(rumor?) of a 7th team, my guess is that they will eliminate a bye week for the top two teams and just give the top team a bye. So something like this:

Wildcard Weekend:

2 Vs 7
3 Vs 6
4 Vs 5

The lowest wildcard winner would play the #1 seed and the next two wildcard winners would play each other in the divisional round. That would make the most sense.

 

[nyjunc]

it's so stupid, there is not a good reason to add another playoff team.

 

[NCFINFAN13]

If nothing changes this off season w/coaching, Gm etc., we won't be sniffing the playoffs next year. Sad that the NFL is adding a team and we'll be sitting at home watching ... again.

 

[Spiff]

it's so stupid, there is not a good reason to add another playoff team.

I agree.

 

[JFoxx]

Wow, I really hope not. Over the years, this number keeps increasing and the regular season starts to become somewhat meaningless if you start getting .500 teams making the playoffs. 6 at times is almost pusing it now. With the league wanting to add more games to the season and now wanting to add another game to the playoffs . . . . . obviously it's all about the $$$.

 

[NCFINFAN13]

it's so stupid, there is not a good reason to add another playoff team.

Revenue

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

I actually think it should be expanded to 8 teams per conference. This is a MUCH better solution to create more revenue than the 18 game season, and as we see with teams like Miami and Baltimore and San Diego and Arizona, parity has created a situation in which the 8th best team in each conference is dangerous.

 

[dlockz]

Beyond stupid to add another playoff team but for the NFl it does make certain teams more profitable and that's all that counts.
14 out of 32 teams making playoffs make the playoffs about like Bowl season.

The only dumber idea was baseballs one game wildcard playoff

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Beyond stupid to add another playoff team but for the NFl it does make certain teams more profitable and that's all that counts.
14 out of 32 teams making playoffs make the playoffs about like Bowl season.

The only dumber idea was baseballs one game wildcard playoff

As a fan of a team that hasn't made the playoffs but once in like 12 years, are you seriously going to complain about the NFL expanding the playoffs? Are you kidding me?

 

[Hayden Fox]

I was hoping they would add two more to each conference. All this means is the Fins go 4-12 and chase Jameis Winston.

 

[nyjunc]

Revenue

I know why they do it but for the good of the game it will hurt. 3 of 4 games this weekend were on the verge of being blacked out so let's add more!

 

[trojanma]

It's a balance.
I think home field advantage generally means something in the NFL.
You just don't want to expand too much and have the NFL become like hockey or the NBA where the regular season don't matter.

 

[nyjunc]

I actually think it should be expanded to 8 teams per conference. This is a MUCH better solution to create more revenue than the 18 game season, and as we see with teams like Miami and Baltimore and San Diego and Arizona, parity has created a situation in which the 8th best team in each conference is dangerous.

SD was 6th best, how would Miami and Baltimore have been dangerous when both tanked late in the year?

 

[Nublar7]

I actually think it should be expanded to 8 teams per conference. This is a MUCH better solution to create more revenue than the 18 game season, and as we see with teams like Miami and Baltimore and San Diego and Arizona, parity has created a situation in which the 8th best team in each conference is dangerous.

I disagree on 8 teams, half of each conference making the playoffs is not the way to go. 7 teams could be considered "pushing it", but there have been plenty of times when deserving teams missed out on the playoffs. Two teams that immediately come to mind are this year's Cardinals and the 2008 Patriots.

Plus, the only changes a 7 team playoff would do is add one extra game per day on Wildcard weekend and eliminate one bye week. If you go to 8 teams, you almost have to have two seperate wildcard weekends.

 

[dlockz]

As a fan of a team that hasn't made the playoffs but once in like 12 years, are you seriously going to complain about the NFL expanding the playoffs? Are you kidding me?

If we need to add more playoff spots to make playoffs isn't that just making the playoffs almost meaningless.
Do we really need to reward more 8-8 teams. .500 should not be a bar of success.

Its like watching the captain crunch bowl with a 6-6 Iowa team versus a 6-6 BYU team.
Friggin awesome.