Should the NFL make changes to their current playoff format?
With the Minnesota Vikings surviving a late push from the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Week 18’s matchup between the Lions and Vikings just got a lot more interesting . If the Detroit Lions win or tie, they will win the division and earn the No. 1 seed plus a bye week. If they lose, they get in as a Wild Card team with the No. 5 seed. It’s a harsh drop for a team that would have 14 wins and the second best record in the NFC.
Today’s Question of the Day is…
Does the NFL have a playoff format problem?
I am completely fine with the current playoff format. It’s unfortunate that a three-loss team with, at worst, the second-best record in the conference would receive a Wild Card spot and would almost certainly be forced to play on the road in each playoff game. However, that’s what happens if you can’t close the season out on a high note. The simple solution is to win your division.
Each division winner earns at least one home playoff game, even if one of those division winners had a mediocre record with a weak division that year. The alternative would be to seed the teams based on record, but that would diminish the importance of some teams winning their division and not earning a home playoff game. There are other alternatives, too. Perhaps a “best of both worlds” situation, where you re-seed based on regular season record in the Divisional round as opposed to the current seeding?
Let us know what you think. Drop your thoughts on the current playoff format in the comments below, and if you’d like to see any changes to the current format, let’s hear those ideas.