THIS is how it should be. there should be four divisions with 8 teams each. the bills division- call it the AFC EAST- would be:
buffalo
n.e.
pgh
jets
miami
cleveland
cinci
balt.
1. you would play each team in the division ONCE a year (alternate home field each season), EXCEPT that each year you would play a home-and-home with ONE other team in your division...it would rotate. So maybe this year we'd have 2 games vs. pgh, then maybe next year it'd be the jets, etc. This would account for eight of your games.
2. You would play 4 games a year vs. the other AFC division. these would rotate each year as would the site. so everything is predictable.
3. You would also play 2games per year vs. NFC east foes and 2 games vs. NFC west foes. that adds up to 16.
ONLY THE WINNER in each division is guaranteed a playoff berth. THEY get the byes the first week of the playoffs. the other 4 teams in each conference would be wild cards. they duke it out for the chance to play the division winners (who will ALL be very good teams who earned the week off and the home field ). this would almost certainly END the sham that is 9-7 playoff teams who won their crappy 4-team division.
THIs system is better because:
- it gtives us more natural rivalries.
-keeps crappy teams out of the playoffs and eliminates crappy division winners.
- and it REALLY mean something if you won your division. can you imagine the dogfight each year in the division listed above?
frankly my idea is so good that not only can i not believe the nfl doesn't do it, but i can't even believe i thought of it.