New alignment?

[4merper4mer]

Would anyone like it if the NFC and AFC went to a East/West only division lineup?

 

This would mean two 8 team divisions with the winners making the playoffs and each conference having 4 wild card teams.

 

It would prevent Dallas/GB/Chi/Phi from making the playoffs while the Cardinals are at home at potentially 11-5 watching an 8-7-1 team HOST a playoff game.

 

I do think it would make scheduling difficult.

[GOBILLS78]

I was happy when the Patriots when 11-5 and missed the playoffs, so I'm not going to complain if it happens to the Cardinals.

[Tsaikotic]

2010 Seattle Seahawks went to playoffs with a 7-9 record while teams that had won 10 or 11 games watched from home..actually 7 of the 10 playoff appearances that Seattle has had in its past came from a 9-7 or less record...guess that division isn't very good..or at least it wasn't until last couple years...2008 Cardinals went to SB off a 9-7 record also...2011 NYG won SB off of a 9-7 record

 

point is many teams in many years have made playoffs from a 7-9 to 9-7 records while better teams have sat a watched all thanks to the way the NFL runs it's playoff program...so this year wouldnt be the first and most likely won't be the last...the NFL needs to adopt more of the NHL philosophy when it comes to playoffs..let teams win divisions with 7-9 but make playoff teams come from conference wins instead of division wins..

Edited December 24, 2013 by Tsaikotic

[May Day 10]

I do like the "symmetry" of the current alignment and scheduling.

 

However, it kind of feels stale and I believe they are due for a realignment.

 

Plus, Miami really doesnt do it for me.

[The Big Cat]

I do like the "symmetry" of the current alignment and scheduling.

 

However, it kind of feels stale and I believe they are due for a realignment.

 

Plus, Miami really doesnt do it for me.

 

One could also argue that since Miami is so far from its divisional rivals, there's less chance of nearby rival fans going.

 

 

[papazoid]

GET RID OF DIVISIONS : i hate playing mia, nyj & ne twice

 

 

keep 2 conferences, play everyone in your conference ONCE. (i know, thats only 15 games, i'm still thinking)

 

how about expand the season to 31 weeks and play everybody ONCE !!

[May Day 10]

GET RID OF DIVISIONS : i hate playing mia, nyj & ne twice

 

 

keep 2 conferences, play everyone in your conference ONCE. (i know, thats only 15 games, i'm still thinking)

 

how about expand the season to 31 weeks and play everybody ONCE !!

 

Ideally, I would like to see expansion (as it may be the lone way Buffalo is spared relocation).

I would actually like to see something like 4 conferences of 10 or something like that and treat it kind of like NCAA. Play everyone 1x in your Conference and alternate home & away. Then 7 or 9 random games against teams inter-conference (say 3 from each of the others). Top 4 playoffs in each Conference, and the 4 remaining teams are re-seeded for the Semi-Finals.

 

I dont know, just throwing stuff out there.

[ny33]

GET RID OF DIVISIONS : i hate playing mia, nyj & ne twice

 

 

keep 2 conferences, play everyone in your conference ONCE. (i know, thats only 15 games, i'm still thinking)

 

how about expand the season to 31 weeks and play everybody ONCE !!

 

Yes, clearly, NFL players can handle a 31-game season. Yours is an insane post.

[agardin]

I think the Bills should be in a division with Cleveland, Pitt and Detroit. Local fans could easily drive to road games.

 

I think mass re alignment is a good idea. There are a bunch of natural rivalries the NFL could take advantage of.

 

[Big C]

I think the Bills should be in a division with Cleveland, Pitt and Detroit. Local fans could easily drive to road games.

 

I think mass re alignment is a good idea. There are a bunch of natural rivalries the NFL could take advantage of.

 

This seems like a good division. And we know New England has been more of a rival with Baltimore than us or the Phins.

[xsoldier54]

Wouldn't mind this idea, but you could still keep the divisions in each conference, just rearrange geographically.

[Chandler#81]

Given the OPs history, I presume the thread is tongue-in-cheek, meant to get a rise. But I love the responses. I can't believe I've lived this long to admit this, but I'm sick of Miami and NYJ as well. I go all the way back to the expansion Dolphins and all the helll we had to live with playing them, then our glory years domination of them. I don't hate 'em like I used to because both franchises have been bad for so long now.

 

Biggest reason I'd be for re-alignment is for the diminished impact of 'only' 6 Divisonal games. When their were 5 team divisions, that's when you drafted and sculpted your team to succeed against those foes. It doesn't have the same impact so, yeah, shuffle the deck!

[RyanC883]

Would love to see realingment on a more regional basis. Keep NJY in our division, add DET, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. All, except the NYJ, are a 3-4 hour ride from Buffalo. Bills fans at away games!!!

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

I think one of two options

 

A- expand to 34 teams. Divide the teams into 2 geographic confrences either north vs south or east vs west. 17 teams per conference. You play everyone in your conference once and the team in the other division that finished same in that division the previous season. That would be a total of 17 regular season games. Reduce pre season to 2or 3 games against the other conference.

 

2- keep same format but do a drastic revision to current divisions. Take advantage of natural geographic rivals.

 

Ex... put buffalo in division with Cleveland and Pittsburg... why the duck is Dallas in the n fc east and st Louis in the west? Makes so sense. Totally blow all divisions up and logically make new ones. Get creative.

 

Indianapolis Chicago Cincinnati and Detroit. That could be a cool division.

 

St Louis. Kc. Dallas and Houston. As another

 

Tennessee Carolina Atlanta and Jacksonville the SEC division

 

Etc...

 

[reddogblitz]

It's fine. Leave it alone IMHO

[BobbyC81]

I think the Bills should be in a division with Cleveland, Pitt and Detroit. Local fans could easily drive to road games.

 

I think mass re alignment is a good idea. There are a bunch of natural rivalries the NFL could take advantage of.

 

Miami should move to the AFC South division, Indy to the North and Cleveland to the East.

[macaroni]

If I were king of the world (I'm not) ...

 

I would add two expansion teams, one in AFC and one in NFC.I would then eliminate cross conference games. The schedule would always be each team plays every team in their conference once, with the top however many teams making the playoffs, and the Super Bowl reverting to NFC vs AFC conference champs.

[Leelee Phoenix]

My simple alignment plan:

 

2 conferences, 16 teams each, every team plays each other for 15 weeks then leave the other for traditional rivalries. Change the conference teams every year. Have a lottery draft, whatever.

 

Top 6 teams from each conference makes the playoffs.

 

I hate divisions, and playing the same teams twice per year. They're completely unnecessary for the NFL today. I want to see the local team play all the talent in the league.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Would anyone like it if the NFC and AFC went to a East/West only division lineup?

 

This would mean two 8 team divisions with the winners making the playoffs and each conference having 4 wild card teams.

 

It would prevent Dallas/GB/Chi/Phi from making the playoffs while the Cardinals are at home at potentially 11-5 watching an 8-7-1 team HOST a playoff game.

 

I do think it would make scheduling difficult.

Interesting idea. Would mean 12 to 14 divisional games per year?

[silvermike]

GET RID OF DIVISIONS : i hate playing mia, nyj & ne twice

 

 

keep 2 conferences, play everyone in your conference ONCE. (i know, thats only 15 games, i'm still thinking)

 

how about expand the season to 31 weeks and play everybody ONCE !!

 

One better: let's expand the season to 62 weeks so you can play everybody twice - once at home, and once on the road. Now, I know what you're thinking: there are only 52 weeks in a year! Psshh. What else are doubleheaders for!

Edited December 24, 2013 by silvermike

[papazoid]

One better: let's expand the season to 62 weeks so you can play everybody twice - once at home, and once on the road. Now, I know what you're thinking: there are only 52 weeks in a year! Psshh. What else are doubleheaders for!

 

 

i like where your going.....

[Nitro]

I say leave it alone. Make a change in that no team with a losing record can make the play offs. Seed the play offs by record. Ensuring a 11 or 12 win wild card team can host a game against a division champ with a lesser record. Arizona is playing well but will get screwed by the current system. It happens ever so often.

 

Realignment into geographic regions was debated last time and some teams (Dallas) wanted to maintain status quo because long established rivalries. Miami made more sense in the AFC South and Indy in the AFC East but that was thwarted at that time too.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Nitro

[BigBuff423]

I would like something along these lines to keep it more about geography, to an extent:

 

Buffalo, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Green Bay

 

New England, Baltimore, Jets, and Redskins

 

Pitt, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Giants

 

Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, and Minnesota

 

Denver, Cincinnati, Arizona, and St. Louis

 

Miami, Jacksonville, Carolina, and New Orleans

 

San Diego, San Fran, Seattle, and Oakland

 

Tennessee, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and

[oman128]

The divisions all need to be realigned think of the money that teams could save, and the new rivalries created.

 

the Jets and the Giants play each other twice a year in the Battle of NYC. Oakland and San Francisco in the Battle of the Bay, Washington and Baltimore in the bureaucrat bowl.

 

Some of the divisions just don't make any sense at all I mean why do the Dallas Cowboys play 3 North East teams in New York , Philly and Washington?

 

Why do the Dolphins play with the Jets, Bills and Pats?

 

I totally favor realignment every 10 years to keep things fresh and interesting.

[nucci]

I think one of two options

 

A- expand to 34 teams. Divide the teams into 2 geographic confrences either north vs south or east vs west. 17 teams per conference. You play everyone in your conference once and the team in the other division that finished same in that division the previous season. That would be a total of 17 regular season games. Reduce pre season to 2or 3 games against the other conference.

 

2- keep same format but do a drastic revision to current divisions. Take advantage of natural geographic rivals.

 

Ex... put buffalo in division with Cleveland and Pittsburg... why the duck is Dallas in the n fc east and st Louis in the west? Makes so sense. Totally blow all divisions up and logically make new ones. Get creative.

 

Indianapolis Chicago Cincinnati and Detroit. That could be a cool division.

 

St Louis. Kc. Dallas and Houston. As another

 

Tennessee Carolina Atlanta and Jacksonville the SEC division

 

Etc...

Teams move.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

 

Teams move.

change the divisions to make sense!!!

[BUNCH OF MULARKEY]

I strongly agree with the op.

Although I'm usually a traditionalist the current setup is simply unfair.

Not only do teams with better records get screwed from time to time, there's situations like buffalo where teams can get almost locked out for a decade because there's a career hall of fame quarterback in your division.

Posters that want to see the conferences changed is a bit too radical for me. I think it's right that the jets and giants, Houston Dallas etc. represent each conference.

Afc east and afc west works for me. Bills play everyone in the afc east every year, home field alternates yearly. Do whatever they do to decide the rest of the games, records, etc.

[mattsox]

Would anyone like it if the NFC and AFC went to a East/West only division lineup?

 

This would mean two 8 team divisions with the winners making the playoffs and each conference having 4 wild card teams.

 

It would prevent Dallas/GB/Chi/Phi from making the playoffs while the Cardinals are at home at potentially 11-5 watching an 8-7-1 team HOST a playoff game.

 

I do think it would make scheduling difficult.

 

No Way!!! If you wanna be in the playoffs, you gotta win games. Simple as that. Keep it as is. This should be the best teams competing for the Lombardi Trophy!

[May Day 10]

Rivalries are all situational these days anyways. New England indy/balt. San Francisco vs seattle, Pitts balt.

 

No roster limits. 100 games. Separate men from boys

[Mark Vader]

change the divisions to make sense!!!

How's this:

 

Atlantic: New England, NYG, NYJ, Philadelphia

 

North: Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh

 

Mid-Atlantic: Baltimore, Carolina, Tennessee, Washington

 

Southeast: Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa Bay

 

Midwest: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Saint Louis

 

Mid-South: Cincinnati, Dallas, Indianapolis, New Orleans

 

Mountain: Arizona, Denver, Houston, Kansas City

 

Pacific: Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle

[Buffalo Barbarian]

no

[vorpma]

I think the Bills should be in a division with Cleveland, Pitt and Detroit. Local fans could easily drive to road games.

 

I think mass re alignment is a good idea. There are a bunch of natural rivalries the NFL could take advantage of.

I like it, a Great Lakes Division - Buffali, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh; a new black and blue conference. Great post.

[Nitro]

If I was going to realign the NFL this my take:

 

AFC

EAST: New England, NY Jets, NY Giants, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

WEST: Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, Tennessee, Green Bay and Minnesota.

 

NFC

EAST: Atlanta, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Miami, New Orleans, Carolina, St Louis and Kansas City.

WEST: Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Arizona, Denver, Houston and Dallas.

 

This is about as closely geographic as you can get. Not that this will ever happen but it is fun to indulge in this game of "what if".

[Sumin]

I think geographic arguments carry some weight, but what happens when a team relocates? Additionally, divisional rivalries have been imbued into football for some time now, and to shake those up.. not a huge fan.

 

A more practical change would be to make playoffs be based on record. If a division sucks any given year, winning your division just gives you a sense of satisfaction. Perhaps if two teams have the same record and are vying for a final spots in the playoffs, divisional ranking would determine which team would make it in.

 

It really sucks for Arizona, though..

[KRT88]

Would anyone like it if the NFC and AFC went to a East/West only division lineup?

 

This would mean two 8 team divisions with the winners making the playoffs and each conference having 4 wild card teams.

 

It would prevent Dallas/GB/Chi/Phi from making the playoffs while the Cardinals are at home at potentially 11-5 watching an 8-7-1 team HOST a playoff game.

 

I do think it would make scheduling difficult.

 

How would scheduling work with that arrangement?

 

7x2 = 14 and then what, two none conference games?

 

You can't re-arrange the conferences without figuring out how scheduling works.

 

If I was going to realign the NFL this my take:

 

AFC

EAST: New England, NY Jets, NY Giants, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

WEST: Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, Tennessee, Green Bay and Minnesota.

 

NFC

EAST: Atlanta, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Miami, New Orleans, Carolina, St Louis and Kansas City.

WEST: Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Arizona, Denver, Houston and Dallas.

 

This is about as closely geographic as you can get. Not that this will ever happen but it is fun to indulge in this game of "what if".

 

I think the networks would get upset with this idea. TV networks would need to be involved. How exactly do we have Cleveland and Detroit in a west division.

Edited December 24, 2013 by KRT88

[PromoTheRobot]

We should swap with Baltimore and move to the AFC North.

[Mark Vader]

It's fine. Leave it alone IMHO

My feelings exactly.

[Nitro]

To answer KRT88: in this alignment the AFC is the geographic areas of the NE and the Great Lakes. NFC is the SE (including St Louis and KC) and west of Dallas. Split the US in 4 parts and there you go.

 

It will never happen and I am in the leave it lone camp.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Nitro

[SouthernMan]

31 game? No, actually it's a brilliant idea. In fact, I've been thinking about this...why not 40 weeks? September through June. No preseason. BUT...here's the rub...the rosters have 140 players, and each man can only play in 16 games, not including playoffs. Obviously, the talent would be somewhat watered down but the gamesmanship would be interesting. Do we dress our best QB for this New England game, or save him for a different matchup? 9 months of NFL football! Fk Yeah!

Edited December 25, 2013 by SouthernMan

[Max997]

I thought the league was perfect with 30 teams and 3 divisions of 5 teams in each conference. I did not like it when they expanded and added teams in Houston and Cleveland

 

4 divisions of 4 teams in each conference is too much and ends up penalizing the good divisions since there is one less wildcard spot now with the extra division

Edited December 25, 2013 by Max997