jahbonas Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 Prior to the realignment the NFL always had 5 team divisions except for the AFC Central which had 4. Occasionally there would arise a possibility that an 8-8 team could make the playoffs...and it always occurred in the smaller 4 team division. Now we have all 4-team divisions so we can expect ahead more 10-win teams losing out playoff spots to some lesser division winner. The NFL should consider this and return to the old 3 Divisions format of East West & Central with 5,5 & 6 team divisions. This would bring back that at least half the schedule is division games (making the division crown more meaningful).... No longer would you see lesser teams winning divisions Still would have 2 byes...with 1 div winners + 3 wildcards for playoffs If the Colts had stayed in the AFC East and Miami had gone to the AFC South...we would have 2 10-win teams out of the playoffs this year.... It is not a disaster this year...a 10win team may miss out just because the conference of the afc is far stronger than the NFC... Which brings up a better topic....AFC teams should play their division opponents twice...and then fill the rest of their schedule with other AFC teams. Its ridiculous that we will lose out to Denver when never having a shot at them while I played games against the Rams and 49ers.... I NEVER care that I may never see the Giants or Eagles or Saints come to Ralph Wilson stadium (I always come to see the Bills)...but I always care when annually I lose out on tie breakers to teams I never faced.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 Which brings up a better topic....AFC teams should play their division opponents twice...and then fill the rest of their schedule with other AFC teams. Its ridiculous that we will lose out to Denver when never having a shot at them while I played games against the Rams and 49ers.... 180467[/snapback] That is a good point. May be we should play as follows: 1. 6 games against AFC East opponents 2. 2 games against NFC 3. 4 games against one AFC division 4. 2 games each against the 2 other AFC divisions based on your previous record. This way you get to play 14 games in the AFC and then one home and one away game against NFC opponents...This way the NFL gets the good cross-rivarly matches but keeps the games meaningful in case of tiebreakers and allows more intra-conference matchups meaningful... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 Prior to the realignment the NFL always had 5 team divisions except for the AFC Central which had 4. Occasionally there would arise a possibility that an 8-8 team could make the playoffs...and it always occurred in the smaller 4 team division. Now we have all 4-team divisions so we can expect ahead more 10-win teams losing out playoff spots to some lesser division winner.The NFL should consider this and return to the old 3 Divisions format of East West & Central with 5,5 & 6 team divisions. This would bring back that at least half the schedule is division games (making the division crown more meaningful).... No longer would you see lesser teams winning divisions Still would have 2 byes...with 1 div winners + 3 wildcards for playoffs If the Colts had stayed in the AFC East and Miami had gone to the AFC South...we would have 2 10-win teams out of the playoffs this year.... It is not a disaster this year...a 10win team may miss out just because the conference of the afc is far stronger than the NFC... Which brings up a better topic....AFC teams should play their division opponents twice...and then fill the rest of their schedule with other AFC teams. Its ridiculous that we will lose out to Denver when never having a shot at them while I played games against the Rams and 49ers.... I NEVER care that I may never see the Giants or Eagles or Saints come to Ralph Wilson stadium (I always come to see the Bills)...but I always care when annually I lose out on tie breakers to teams I never faced.... 180467[/snapback] Hmmm. You seem to advocate a return to AFL vs. NFL. 4 teams in AFC East. Bills play each 2x =6 games against 3 teams. 10 teams left in the AFC. 16 total games, all against AFC teams = no more inter-conference play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fake-Fat Sunny Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 I thnk the current alignment may suck from out standpoint where we want to see the best teams in post-season play and see them rewarded with the playoffs. However, I doubt it will change because it is just what the NFL wants in order to make big bucks for them. They want as many teams as possible to have a shot at post-season play as late as they possibly can to maximize sales. Thus rather than lamenting that a 10-6 team well may not make the playoffs in the AFC this year, their focus (correct if ones goal is to make money) they are overjoyed with an 8-8 team making the playoffs in the NFC and thus even a 6-8 squad having a fighting chance two weeks before the season ends. This strikes me as rediculous because I have a tendency toward traditionalism. However, I will be among the second to admit that I spat at the idea of a wildcard making the MLB playoffs but wildly acknowledge this was a great move for enhancing competition and improving the game. This case is not the same as the NFL because thr MLB was so heavily weighted toward the pennant winners that good teams got denied an in, but the dynamic is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gantrules Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 If there wasn't a wild card Buffalo wouldn't have a shot. No? If it wasn't for the interdivision games I highly doubt we would have swept any other division than the NFC West. No? This is the first time in the last 10 years that I can honestly say someone else is going to deserve to go than the teams that are going. It happens folks. And I didn't hear anyone bitching about cheesy our division was from 1990-1993. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted December 27, 2004 Share Posted December 27, 2004 If there wasn't a wild card Buffalo wouldn't have a shot. No? If it wasn't for the interdivision games I highly doubt we would have swept any other division than the NFC West. No? This is the first time in the last 10 years that I can honestly say someone else is going to deserve to go than the teams that are going. It happens folks. And I didn't hear anyone bitching about cheesy our division was from 1990-1993. 180639[/snapback] Yep. Somebody complained about 8-8 teams making the NFC playoffs and how the AFC was getting jobbed. A few years back, the NFC OWNED the AFC. That's the way it goes...up a few years, down a few... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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