Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[Rothman]

Refs stole not one but two TDs from Pats tonight.

[DaBigE]

Refs stole not one but two TDs from Pats tonight.

Breaking out the world's smallest violin. 

[SSOWorld]

Refs stole not one but two TDs from Pats tonight.

If they hadn't wasted challenges, they could have gotten them back.

[ET21]

Refs stole not one but two TDs from Pats tonight.

If they hadn't wasted challenges, they could have gotten them back.

This, made the 4th quarter very entertaining to watch

[roadman]

Refs stole not one but two TDs from Pats tonight.

If they hadn't wasted challenges, they could have gotten them back.

If we didn't have the myriad of stupid rules the NFL has enacted, combined with the obviously incompetent officiating, the Pats wouldn't have needed to challenge those calls.  Oh wait, those calls were AGAINST the Patriots, so they must have been valid.

[thspfc]

Let's start a petition to have Dolphins/Bengals flexed to Sunday Night in week 16.

[Alps]

So yeah, the Cowboys can win the division title four games under .500 and go into the playoffs on a six-game losing streak.

Well, two games under 0.500.

The difference between 8-8 and 6-10 is the winning of 2 more games.

No, you count up from wins to .500, you don't look at it that way.

[Beltway]

So yeah, the Cowboys can win the division title four games under .500 and go into the playoffs on a six-game losing streak.

Well, two games under 0.500.  The difference between 8-8 and 6-10 is the winning of 2 more games.

No, you count up from wins to .500, you don't look at it that way.

Dallas is 6-7 now.  If they win two more games that will give them 8 wins and 0.500.

[hotdogPi]

While half games are really only discussed in baseball, the concept still applies here. For example, 8-7 is half a game higher than 7-7.

[NWI_Irish96]

Refs stole not one but two TDs from Pats tonight.

If they hadn't wasted challenges, they could have gotten them back.

If we didn't have the myriad of stupid rules the NFL has enacted, combined with the obviously incompetent officiating, the Pats wouldn't have needed to challenge those calls.  Oh wait, those calls were AGAINST the Patriots, so they must have been valid.

Maybe the Patriots should start illegally filming the officials rather than opposing teams.

[Alps]

So yeah, the Cowboys can win the division title four games under .500 and go into the playoffs on a six-game losing streak.

Well, two games under 0.500.  The difference between 8-8 and 6-10 is the winning of 2 more games.

No, you count up from wins to .500, you don't look at it that way.

Dallas is 6-7 now.  If they win two more games that will give them 8 wins and 0.500.

They are a game under. 500. They need to win 1 game to reach. 500. That is always how the terminology is applied.

[NWI_Irish96]

While half games are really only discussed in baseball, the concept still applies here. For example, 8-7 is half a game higher than 7-7.

I see what all the confusion is about.  A team with an 8-7 record is both one game above .500 and a half game ahead of a team with a 7-7 record.  The difference is whether your are comparing a team to the standard of a .500 winning percentage or an actual team that happens to have a .500 record.

[MNHighwayMan]

So it looks like the Patriots have been caught in Spygate 2.0. Against the Bengals, of all teams.

[thspfc]

So it looks like the Patriots have been caught in Spygate 2.0. Against the Bengals, of all teams.

It hardly matters what they do at this point. The only real punishment for everything shady they've done would be to vacate their Super Bowls, and the NFL isn't going to do that.

[Beltway]

So it looks like the Patriots have been caught in Spygate 2.0. Against the Bengals, of all teams.

It hardly matters what they do at this point. The only real punishment for everything shady they've done would be to vacate their Super Bowls, and the NFL isn't going to do that.

The first 3 they won certainly were obtained thru major cheating, and they wouldn't have been there in the first place except thru major cheating.

[oscar]

They are a game under. 500. They need to win 1 game to reach. 500. That is always how the terminology is applied.

More exactly, they need to win their next game to reach .500. Then win one or both of their two remaining games to stay at or above .500 for this season.

But if they lose their next game, they can win both their remaining games to end up at .500 for the season.

[Beltway]

They are a game under. 500. They need to win 1 game to reach. 500. That is always how the terminology is applied.

More exactly, they need to win their next game to reach .500. Then win one or both of their two remaining games to stay at or above .500 for this season.
But if they lose their next game, they can win both their remaining games to end up at .500 for the season.

What about when one team is 7-7-0 and the other team is 6-7-1?

How does it work then?

[ilpt4u]

They are a game under. 500. They need to win 1 game to reach. 500. That is always how the terminology is applied.

More exactly, they need to win their next game to reach .500. Then win one or both of their two remaining games to stay at or above .500 for this season.
But if they lose their next game, they can win both their remaining games to end up at .500 for the season.

What about when one team is 7-7-0 and the other team is 6-7-1?

How does it work then?

7-7-0 is already .500. Winning next game is 1 game over .500. Losing next game is 1 game under .500. Tying next game is maintaining .500

6-7-1 is 1/2 a game below .500, as the NFL views Ties as functional equivalents to 1/2 a Win in the standings (and 1/2 a Loss). Winning next game attains .500. Losing next game drops to 1.5 games below .500. Tying next game, I think, would be 1 game below .500, as it is functionally equivalent to being 7-8

[thspfc]

With the Eagles' win last night, the chances of there being a losing division champion took a big hit. PHI and DAL play each other, so there's 7 wins (theoretically  ) , and then they both have the Redskins left (and the Eagles have the Giants). It looks like 8-8 is the worst it will be.

[Beltway]

With the Eagles' win last night, the chances of there being a losing division champion took a big hit. PHI and DAL play each other, so there's 7 wins (theoretically  ) , and then they both have the Redskins left (and the Eagles have the Giants). It looks like 8-8 is the worst it will be.

I see that Dallas and Philadelphia are each 6-7 now.

The 2010-2011 Seattle Seahawks made the NFL playoffs with a losing record of 7 wins and 9 losses.  They were the first NFL team to make the playoffs with a losing record in a non-strike season.

Playoff finish
Won Wild Card Playoffs (Saints) 41—36
Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Bears) 24—35

[ilpt4u]

The 2014 Carolina Panthers were the second, winning the NFC South @ 7-8-1

Those Panthers defeated the Cardinals on Wild Card Weekend, then lost to the Seahawks on Divisional Weekend

Eagles or Cowboys could be the 3rd

NFL should change the Postseason Qualification standards...Losing Regular Season record should disqualify a Division Winner, and a 3rd Wild Card team qualified in their stead

A losing record Division Champ can still hang their Division Championship Banner, but its silly to put a losing team in the SuperBowl Tournament. I think it happening a 3rd time in the span of a decade would be enough to discuss the change in Postseason Qualification

[Beltway]

The 2014 Carolina Panthers were the second, winning the NFC South @ 7-8-1
Those Panthers defeated the Cardinals on Wild Card Weekend, then lost to the Seahawks on Divisional Weekend
Eagles or Cowboys could be the 3rd
NFL should change the Postseason Qualification standards...Losing Regular Season record should disqualify a Division Winner, and a 3rd Wild Card team qualified in their stead
A losing record Division Champ can still hang their Division Championship Banner, but its silly to put a losing team in the SuperBowl Tournament. I think it happening a 3rd time in the span of a decade would be enough to discuss the change in Postseason Qualification

I think you have a good idea there, but I would have to give that team a lot of credit with their weak regular season record, if they could win the next 3 games and be the Super Bowl champ.

[ilpt4u]

I think you have a good idea there, but I would have to give that team a lot of credit with their weak regular season record, if they could win the next 3 games and be the Super Bowl champ.

I think that would be awful for not just the NFL, but Football overall

Would make a mockery of what it means to be SuperBowl/World Champion

[Beltway]

I think you have a good idea there, but I would have to give that team a lot of credit with their weak regular season record, if they could win the next 3 games and be the Super Bowl champ.

I think that would be awful for not just the NFL, but Football overall
Would make a mockery of what it means to be SuperBowl/World Champion

With such a weak regular season record, that would be highly improbable.

What about an 8-8 record?  A non-winning record.  Should they be excluded?  There have been a few of them.

[formulanone]

I think you have a good idea there, but I would have to give that team a lot of credit with their weak regular season record, if they could win the next 3 games and be the Super Bowl champ.

I think that would be awful for not just the NFL, but Football overall
Would make a mockery of what it means to be SuperBowl/World Champion

With such a weak regular season record, that would be highly improbable.

What about an 8-8 record?  A non-winning record.  Should they be excluded?  There have been a few of them.

Cardinals were 8-8 with a strong second half and a late push to get to Super Bowl XLIII a decade ago.

Giants had a 9-7 record heading into the playoffs and still managed to win Super Bowl XLVI.

But I pity a 11-win team getting the axe in a strong conference, but that's also been just as rare.