Home Field Advantage - By Seeding or By Record

[ZLoth]

As of the writing, we have the following playoff records for Wild Card Weekend....

• NFC: #5 LA Rams (12-5) @ #4 Carolina Panthers (8-9)
• NFC: #6 49ers (12-5) @ #3 Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
• AFC: #5 Texans (12-5) @ #4 Steelers/Ravens with fewer wins

There have been some argument in recent years that the better record should have home field advantage. Thoughts?

[hotdogPi]

Top seven teams (or better, just four) should get in, regardless of division.

[oscar]

As of the writing, we have the following playoff records for Wild Card Weekend....

• NFC: #5 LA Rams (12-5) @ #4 Carolina Panthers (8-9)
• NFC: #6 49ers (12-5) @ #3 Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
• AFC: #5 Texans (12-5) @ #4 Steelers/Ravens with fewer wins

There have been some argument in recent years that the better record should have home field advantage. Thoughts?

This season, the Rams lost to the "weaker record" Panthers. ISTM that undercuts the argument that record should take priority.

The playoff process will in any case wash out the weaker teams (I don't disagree that includes this season's Panthers), without trying to make the process perfect.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

And yet it happens quite a bit where the "stronger" team loses in these situations. If you're better, then go on the road and beat someone you should. I think ultimately the momentum will drive a change, but maybe in the next 5 years.

[NWI_Irish96]

Division winners deserve home games. Want to play at home? Win your division.

[thspfc]

Division winners deserve home games.

I don't understand how you can possibly watch this Carolina team and make that blanket statement.

[jgb191]

Division winners deserve home games. Want to play at home? Win your division.

I have an ingenious solution that's both fair and emphasizes winning your division:  After the last week of the season, the top record of each division hosts the second best team in that same division in a 'Division Championship Game', so this year my idea would have looked something like this:

AFC East:  Buffalo at New England
AFC North:  Baltimore at Pittsburgh (Steelers won last night)
AFC South:  Houston at Jacksonville
AFC West:  LA Chargers at Denver (Broncos won yesterday)

NFC East:  Dallas at Philadelphia
NFC North:  Green Bay at Chicago
NFC South:  Tampa at Carolina (Tampa won yesterday)
NFC West:  LA Rams at Seattle

The eight winners from those games would have been officially crowned Division Champions and advanced to the next round seeded according to regular season record and again until the Conference Champions advanced to the Super Bowl.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Division winners deserve home games.

I don't understand how you can possibly watch this Carolina team and make that blanket statement.

Then the Rams should beat them no matter where they play them. Except they didn't the first time.

[gonealookin]

Division winners deserve home games. Want to play at home? Win your division.

I have an ingenious solution that's both fair and emphasizes winning your division:  After the last week of the season, the top record of each division hosts the second best team in that same division in a 'Division Championship Game', so this year my idea would have looked something like this:
...
NFC East:  Dallas at Philadelphia
NFC North:  Green Bay at Chicago
NFC South:  Tampa at Carolina (Tampa won yesterday)
NFC West:  LA Rams at Seattle

You have included three teams that finished under .500 this season (Dallas, Tampa Bay, Carolina), while omitting three that finished over .500 (San Francisco, Minnesota, Detroit).  In particular, the 49ers finished tied for second in the conference with 12 wins.

So, no, thank you.

[Max Rockatansky]

I don't per se like teams with losing records on the playoffs.  That said, Panthers won the division they were assigned to fair and square.  It isn't like they are going to be a real threat in the playoffs.  Sometimes a division is just bad and there isn't really a better solution to playoff seeding.

[jgb191]

Division winners deserve home games. Want to play at home? Win your division.

I have an ingenious solution that's both fair and emphasizes winning your division:  After the last week of the season, the top record of each division hosts the second best team in that same division in a 'Division Championship Game', so this year my idea would have looked something like this:
...
NFC East:  Dallas at Philadelphia
NFC North:  Green Bay at Chicago
NFC South:  Tampa at Carolina (Tampa won yesterday)
NFC West:  LA Rams at Seattle

You have included three teams that finished under .500 this season (Dallas, Tampa Bay, Carolina), while omitting three that finished over .500 (San Francisco, Minnesota, Detroit).  In particular, the 49ers finished tied for second in the conference with 12 wins.

So, no, thank you.

I don't like it either, I'm just offering up a possible solution to satisfy those fans that still insist that winning your division should mean a lot, while still in line with the better record hosts the playoff game.  If I had it my way, all the division winners still clinch a playoff spot but the better record still hosts the game.  I still say shake up some of the divisions grouping:  Miami should be AFC south, and Indianapolis should be in the AFC north, etc.

[oscar]

I don't per se like teams with losing records on the playoffs.  That said, Panthers won the division they were assigned to fair and square.  It isn't like they are going to be a real threat in the playoffs.  Sometimes a division is just bad and there isn't really a better solution to playoff seeding.

Also, as Panthers fans know all too well, sneaking into the playoffs with a losing record can mean slipping a few spots in the draft order, since all playoff teams fall below the non-playoff teams with the best records. The Panthers have already fallen at least to 19, while the Buccaneers (same 8-9 record) remain at 15. It will get worse for the Panthers even if they advance just one level in the playoffs.

[jeffandnicole]

This debate has existed since there's been wild card teams making the playoffs. 

I think people sometimes overlook how opponents are decided - teams play other teams based on a rotating schedule of divisions or standings.  It basically comes down to this:

• Each team will play six division games.
• Each team will play four games against a division within its conference
• Each team will play four games against a division from the opposite conference.
• Two intraconference opponents and one interconference opponent are determined by where teams placed in their divisions the year before. Next season, ‍the scheduling rotation for the 17th game lines up the AFC East with the NFC West, the AFC North with the NFC East, the AFC South with the NFC North and the AFC West with the NFC South.

Because of this, you'll have some teams playing much harder schedules than other teams.  And, of course, some teams playing much easier schedules. If every team from one Division gets to play two weaker Divisions, it's highly likely they will have more wins and have multiple teams making the playoffs.

And that's why a 3rd place team with a great record shouldn't get a home game over another Division's 1st place team: Sometimes it's luck of the schedule's characteristics who those teams played.  Allowing the top 7 teams regardless of Division making the playoffs means the Divisions are essentially worthless, or a hindrance if they are scheduled to play other tough Divisions.

[webny99]

I don't per se like teams with losing records on the playoffs.  That said, Panthers won the division they were assigned to fair and square.  It isn't like they are going to be a real threat in the playoffs.  Sometimes a division is just bad and there isn't really a better solution to playoff seeding.

Also, as Panthers fans know all too well, sneaking into the playoffs with a losing record can mean slipping a few spots in the draft order, since all playoff teams fall below the non-playoff teams with the best records. The Panthers have already fallen at least to 19, while the Buccaneers (same 8-9 record) remain at 15. It will get worse for the Panthers even if they advance just one level in the playoffs.

Although being concerned with draft position when you have a home playoff game with a chance to make the final 8 is kind of a perfect case-in-point for eliminating divisions and seeding by record... I doubt Lions or Vikings fans would be sweating about difference between the 15th pick and the 19th pick if they were in the playoffs right now...

[NWI_Irish96]

• Each team will play six division games.
• Each team will play four games against a division within its conference
• Each team will play four games against a division from the opposite conference.
• Two intraconference opponents and one interconference opponent are determined by where teams placed in their divisions the year before. Next season, ‍the scheduling rotation for the 17th game lines up the AFC East with the NFC West, the AFC North with the NFC East, the AFC South with the NFC North and the AFC West with the NFC South.

I do think since outside of division games you're playing 6 games within the conference and 5 games outside the conference, it's time to eliminate the conferences altogether. Just seed the division winners 1-8 and the wild cards 9-14. If we did that this year we'd have:

Byes: 1 SEA, 2 DEN

3 NE vs 14 GB
4 JAX vs 13 LAC
5 CHI vs 12 BUF
6 PHI vs 11 SF
7 PIT vs 10 HOU
8 CAR vs 9 LAR

[thspfc]

Division winners deserve home games.

I don't understand how you can possibly watch this Carolina team and make that blanket statement.

Then the Rams should beat them no matter where they play them. Except they didn't the first time.

Let's bet on it.

[Henry]

Fair is fair; the division winner needs to host a home game, even if it's 8-9, like the Panthers.

[mgk920]

I also very much like the idea 'by record'.  In Addition, for ANY team to make the playoffs, they should have won more games than they lost (8-8 won't do it).  If a division winner then can't go, then another wild card goes.  Post season should only be for certified WINNING teams.

Mike

[jgb191]

I've noticed that the older generation fans (B-boomers and Gen X'ers) tend to favor upholding the more traditional reward Division Champions, while the younger generation fans Gen Y and Gen Z tend more to favor shaking up tradition and favoring rewarding better records.  This is just from my personal encounters and conversations with football fans I meet.

[thspfc]

Even as someone who doesn't mind going by record, there's a reason why this only becoming an issue now. The NFC South is a total joke and has been for 4 years. Maybe next year one of those teams will figure it out and we won't be having this discussion.

[ZLoth]

• NFC: #5 LA Rams (12-5) @ #4 Carolina Panthers (8-9)
• NFC: #6 49ers (12-5) @ #3 Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
• AFC: #5 Texans (12-5) @ #4 Steelers (10-7)

After this past weekend, the LA Rams, 49ers, and the Texans, as visiting teams, all beat the higher-seeded but worse record teams. Does that change your opinion?

[akt85]

Personally, I was okay with 12 playoff teams and the top two seeds in the AFC and NFC getting a bye. I also don't think there needs to be a 17th regular season game. The expanded playoffs and regular season is all about money.

[SEWIGuy]

Personally, I was okay with 12 playoff teams and the top two seeds in the AFC and NFC getting a bye. I also don't think there needs to be a 17th regular season game. The expanded playoffs and regular season is all about money.

Of course its all about money. Who disputes that?