Vote Or Die: Should The Playoffs Be Seeded By Record?

[CGI_Ram]

You know the drill; division winners get a home playoff game.

But should the playoffs be seeded by record?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ing-sort-of-seeding-based-on-records/related/

Yes, it’s unfair that a team like the 12-4 49ers must venture to Green Bay for Ice Bowl II when the Packers cobbled together a measly 8-7-1 record en route to the NFC North crown.

It’s as unfair as it is for the 11-5 Saints to have to travel to play the 10-6 Eagles on Saturday night. And it’s as unfair as it was when the 2010 Saints, also 11-5, had to travel to Seattle to play the 7-9 Seahawks. And it’s as unfair as when the 2011 Steelers, at 12-4, had to leave safety Ryan Clark home (due to a medical inability to play at altitude) for a playoffs game at Denver against the 8-8 Broncos.

Me; I like the value placed on winning the division. Besides, some divisions... Like the NFC West make it more difficult to rack up wins.

 

[Faceplant]

Me; I like the value placed on winning the division. Besides, some divisions... Like the NFC West make it more difficult to rack up wins.

This. By the same token, how annoyed must the Niners be to have to go to GB in January when they are clearly the better team. Ah well....fuck em'.

 

[Angry Ram]

Tell you what, I liked Mike Florio now I ignore any opinion article that has his name on it.

Unfair? When did fairness come into playoff seeding. Win the division you get a home playoff game. Seems like good enough incentive.

The only thing I would like to see changed is the lowest seed facing the top seed. To me if you finish 1st you should get the tougher matchups, rather than a potential 6 seed that could be an 8-8 team.

 

[RhodyRams]

Teams play six games in thier division.. Win the majority of those and you win your division. If they are going to put the emphasis on wins,then scrap the divisions and play every team in conference then take top 6

 

[jap]

Rather than seeding by mere wins, it may be better to seed according to strength of schedule. There have been times when some team comes together while enjoying a ridiculously light schedule (e.g., 2013 KC Chiefs) and ride their way to a high win total. Ranking playoff teams by strength of schedule might introduce more evenness in scheduled playoff games.

 

[Alan]

to paraphrase Billy Joel, I like it just the way it is.

 

[EastRam]

It ain't broke. System is just fine.

 

[Mister Sin]

I say no, if you want the home field, win you division. Too much goes into the record. One team at 9-7 may have had a schedule that included 10 winning teams, the 11-5 guys may have only played 4 winning teams. You want it, win the division, plain and simple.

 

[Ram Quixote]

Fair? I'll tell you what was unfair. 1973, the Rams had a better record than the Cowboys and won their division, and still had to play in Dallas. That was the year before the NFL adopted HFA for the playoffs. They used some arcane, antique method of deciding who played at home then.

That was probably the best of the 70's Rams teams, too.

 

[rfip the second]

Tell you what, I liked Mike Florio now I ignore any opinion article that has his name on it.

Unfair? When did fairness come into playoff seeding. Win the division you get a home playoff game. Seems like good enough incentive.

The only thing I would like to see changed is the lowest seed facing the top seed. To me if you finish 1st you should get the tougher matchups, rather than a potential 6 seed that could be an 8-8 team.

What would be the motivation for finishing first then?

 

[RFIP]

Vote or die? LOL damn this board is tough!!

 

[max]

I'm all in on division rivalries. That included the rule that you win your division or tough luck.

That only increases the intensity of the inter-divisional games.

The bigger problem is the media doesn't get that. They'd rather focus on garbage teams like Dallas and Wash, when there is superior ball being played by Arizona.

 

[PowayRamFan]

It would render a lot of the late-season drama obsolete, bad idea.

 

[Angry Ram]

What would be the motivation for finishing first then?

Homefield advantage, bye week.

 

[NorCalRamFan]

Fair? I'll tell you what was unfair. 1973, the Rams had a better record than the Cowboys and won their division, and still had to play in Dallas. That was the year before the NFL adopted HFA for the playoffs. They used some arcane, antique method of deciding who played at home then.

That was probably the best of the 70's Rams teams, too.

That was back when the NFL would alternate (I think) between division winners and the Rams would always get screwed despite having the best record.
I think it happened more than once and they had to go to Minnesota and lost in the snow despite having a much better record.

 

[A55VA6]

Yes. Pisses me off when a team has 10 or 11 wins but has to go on the road to face an 8 win team and shit like that.

 

[Alan]

RFIP feeling his mortality:
Vote or die? LOL damn this board is tough!!

I was thinking the same thing LOL! I took the safe course and voted. Not sure who I voted for but at least I'm still alive.:lol:

 

[moklerman]

While I agree that division rivalries hold some value, there's no excuse for a 10 win team in the toughest division in football to be sitting home and an 8 win team hosting a playoff game.

I don't have the sure fire answer that would please everyone but I think it should be something along the lines of the teams with the 6 best records in each conference should make it in. Now, the counterpoint to that is that it would dilute the division rivalries. Okay, I basically agree but what is the division rivalry really worth? Each team only has 6/16 games in division. Why should those carry so much more weight than the 10 other games played? IMO, playing 15 conference games and one non-conference game would be pretty interesting.

That would make NFC vs. AFC mean something more and teams wouldn't benefit from playing in weak divisions. The drawback would be deciding which games were played home/away but each team would face it so in theory it would even out.

 

[Young Ram]

I like it the way it is. Division winners should get a home playoff game regardless if the wildcard team has a better record. It is the reward you get for winning your division. There's no need for a wildcard team to whining about it. Either win your division or PROVE that you are the better team on the road.