New Playoff Structure

[JinxedBill]

[Doc Brown]

30 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

For all the pissing and moaning about watering down the 'product,' the road team would have been 4-0 in the wildcard round if the Bills had held up their end of the bargain.   

 

The NFL isn't some have-have not league like the NBA or MLB.    Teams with 9-7 or 8-8 records can be very competititive.   And the two extra games should be good ones, based on recent history...

They can be but you're rewarding mediocrity in the regular season.  The 8-8 Steelers would've gotten in with Mason Rudolph as the quarterback if this playoff system was in place.  The year before the 8-7-1 Vikings would've made it in the NFC.  I don't want to see them in the playoffs. 

[Logic]

1 hour ago, SCBills said:

Seems like a bit of an overreaction to adding 2 more playoff teams, no?

 

 

 

Its not just the two playoff games. It’s also the 17 (and eventually 18) game season. It’s the fact that the NFL is so blinded by greed that they don’t seem to care that the majority of fans don’t even WANT these changes. It’s the constant lip service to “player safety” while showing that they don’t actually give a damn about the players.

 

Its about the NFL constantly making changes to a product that is ALREADY wildly popular and doesn’t need them — diluting the product and endangering the players — just to make an extra buck.

[SirAndrew]

3 minutes ago, Logic said:

 

Its not just the two playoff games. It’s also the 17 (and eventually 18) game season. It’s the fact that the NFL is so blinded by greed that they don’t seem to care that the majority of fans don’t even WANT these changes. It’s the constant lip service to “player safety” while showing that they don’t actually give a damn about the players.

 

Its about the NFL constantly making changes to a product that is ALREADY wildly popular and doesn’t need them — diluting the product and endangering the players — just to make an extra buck.

Right, and does a 17 game season mean that every team plays a game abroad? I’m not sure how else they arrange an odd number of games, which is something most other sports don’t have. Adding an additional game, and more travel would do nothing to benefit the product.  

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

Does this still have to go through voting or is it definitely happening?

[Buffalo Boy]

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

I hate it. I knew big changes were coming but I like the current structure just fine. Getting into the playoffs should mean something more than being in the top half of the league. One extra regular season game is one extra chance for injuries. Not a fan of this at all.

Agree wholeheartedly!!!

This is just about money and ad revenue.

If they go to 17 games they need to put a second bye in the regular season.

On the bright side this means a shorter off season, so “ I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.”

[CSBill]

Good call, adds more a competitive element to the last weeks, and more teams to get the play-off experience.

 

I hope the expand the game-day rosters, drop one preseason, and add one more regular season .... drop one pre-season game and add an additonal bye week in the regular season.

[folz]

Just out of curiosity, I looked at how many teams with an 8-8 record or worse would have made the playoffs over the last 10 years if there had already been a 7th playoff spot in each conference:

 

2019 Pitt at 8-8

2018 Vikes at 8-8

2015 Falcons at 8-8

2014 Panthers at 7-8-1

2013 GB at 8-7-1

          and either Jets, Phins, Pitt or Balt (depending on tie breaker) at 8-8

2012 Pitt at 8-8

2011 Denver at 8-8

          and either Ari, Chi, Dal, or Phi (depending on tie breaker) at 8-8

 

So, 9 teams with records of 8-8 or worse would have made the playoffs over the last ten-year span if there had been a 7th playoff team in each conference.

 

(Granted, 3 of those teams made it anyways, without the extra spot---due to a bad division, so 6 more teams over a ten-year span would have made it breaking even.)

 

The other thing to note is that most years, 9-7 will get you into the playoffs now.

[batmanfreek]

The NFL really wants to get the Cowboys and Steelers and other NFL darlings in the playoffs every year.  

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

At the end of the day, the feeling of the fans is irrelevant.  For owners, players, tv execs, and agents; it is all about increasing the revenue.  We fans are a resilient breed.  The wounds scab over and heal.  We will continue our pilgrimage to the stadium, pay to park, drink ten dollar beers, complain about the officiating, whine about losing, and get ready to do it again the following week.  Some will like the changes and some will hate them but very few will give up following their team because of them.  That is the reality that the owners are banking on.........just sayin'

[Don Otreply]

Gee, now everyone gets a star ⭐️, so now if you suck you still get in the playoffs, won’t that be special... the XFL is looks better every day, and that league lack any good QBs. 

12 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

Right, and does a 17 game season mean that every team plays a game abroad? I’m not sure how else they arrange an odd number of games, which is something most other sports don’t have. Adding an additional game, and more travel would do nothing to benefit the product.  

Sadly the product is money, not football.. 

[Turk71]

3 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Mine as well go eight playoff teams and go full ###### (NHL, NBA) to further devalue the regular season.  You're going to see more resting of starters at end of year for playoff teams as that 2nd seed bye is now out of play.  Just love the NFL fixing something that wasn't broken for a cash grab.

  As long as there is a chance of improving their playoff seeding, teams will not be resting. I don't have a strong opinion on these changes either way but I don't think more teams resting is a major concern.

  I think the active roster should be expanded by a few players in response to the extra football games. 

  

[Turk71]

24 minutes ago, folz said:

Just out of curiosity, I looked at how many teams with an 8-8 record or worse would have made the playoffs over the last 10 years if there had already been a 7th playoff spot in each conference:

 

2019 Pitt at 8-8

2018 Vikes at 8-8

2015 Falcons at 8-8

2014 Panthers at 7-8-1

2013 GB at 8-7-1

          and either Jets, Phins, Pitt or Balt (depending on tie breaker) at 8-8

2012 Pitt at 8-8

2011 Denver at 8-8

          and either Ari, Chi, Dal, or Phi (depending on tie breaker) at 8-8

 

So, 9 teams with records of 8-8 or worse would have made the playoffs over the last ten-year span if there had been a 7th playoff team in each conference.

 

(Granted, 3 of those teams made it anyways, without the extra spot---due to a bad division, so 6 more teams over a ten-year span would have made it breaking even.)

 

The other thing to note is that most years, 9-7 will get you into the playoffs now.

So what you are saying is that out of 20 xtra playoff spots over the last 10 years only 6 would have had a record of 8-8 and none had a losing record? 14 of the 20 would have had winning records?

 That doesn't seem so bad to me.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Love it!!!  Once less pre-season game fans don;t have to waste money on.  More money for the players. 

Now just get rid of the divisions and play every team every two years.  No more playing the same team twice in the regular season.  Top 7 in each conference make the playoffs.  

5 minutes ago, Turk71 said:

So what you are saying is that out of 20 xtra playoff spots over the last 10 years only 6 would have had a record of 8-8 and none had a losing record? 14 of the 20 would have had winning records?

 That doesn't seem so bad to me.

Exactly.  The worse scenario is giving a weak division winner a home playoff game against a WC team with a better record.  Get rid of the divisions and then just rank 1-7.

Edited February 20, 2020 by Ethan in Portland

[Buffalo_Stampede]

It's going to be good for the game. More teams will be fighting for playoffs which means more people watching. 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

2 hours ago, Bills fan since 87 said:

So does this mean 3 playoff games both Saturday and Sunday? It must right?

 

I don't like the idea very much, a lot of 8-8s and 7-9s will be getting in now.

 

As far as 7 games go I hope they don't start labor day weekend, i.always camp then! 

Nobody likes it - until the bills get in at 8-8 and win a game. Then it will be a stroke of genius ?

[Boatdrinks]

Some will moan and complain, as always. Bottom line; more games, more teams in the playoffs / playoff games and people will watch. If you don’t like it, then stick to your convictions and stop watching the NFL. ( But you know you won’t ). 

[HappyDays]

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-appears-headed-to-17-game-season-playoff-expansion-as-cba-talks-continue-to-advance/

 

The players will also go along with the 17-game schedule if the owners agree to fulfill some other requests such as fewer training camp and regular season practices.

 

Less practice time, more games. They think this is going to make the product better?

[Aussie Joe]

I personally don’t care about the extra playoff teams , but why don’t people want 17  regular season games and two byes?

 

Get rid of two garbage preseason games and have two extra weeks of the regular season.. I’m not seeing the problem..

 

You could give every team a bye before their Thursday game and remove that unfair burden that those teams have to carry..

 

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by Aussie Joe

[Chandler#81]

4 hours ago, Success said:

Figures.  AFTER the Pats finish their run.

 

No bye would have hurt that team a few times.

 

Yes, but with this new playoff format and the addition of 1more team per conference, it’s unlikely we’ll ever have to endure another 17 year drought. That’s a good thing, right??