Should the NFL Expand the playoffs to 8 teams and eliminate byes?

[Big Turk]

I have been thinking about this recently.  

 

There is no other major league sport that gives the enormous advantage that the NFL does to it's #1 team in the conference. All of those teams have to play in the first round of the playoffs. NBA now even have play-in games to get into the playoffs...although I am not sure why simply having a better record doesn't qualify you. What's the point of all those games if you can be eliminated by a team with a worse record before the actual playoffs?? That doesn't make much sense, unless it's a money grab.

 

NHL has 8 teams, MLB has 6 teams. Nobody has any byes.  All of those sports play far more games than the NFL. Granted, the physical toll is different for NFL players, but still.

 

It used to be the top 2 teams that got a bye when there were 6 teams. Why when there could have been 3 normal playoff games, I am not sure of.  Now that they expanded to 7, obvious one team has to get a bye.  Expanding to 8 should eliminate the bye and the unfair advantage that it gives them.

 

[BillsFanSD]

I agree with this.  It was fine when the top two teams got byes, and it would be fine if nobody got a bye.  Giving just one team a bye (along with HFA throughout) is kind of lopsided.  

[What a Tuel]

Think it was because 1 seed for each division and the lesser of the 4 divisions had to play the wildcards.

 

But yeah, I think 8 is probably coming. There may be a couple bad teams in there but the bye is just unnecessary at this point. Home field advantage is incentive enough.

Edited December 7, 2022 by What a Tuel

[Greg S]

I also agree. This would be a good idea. Also, I would increase the regular season to 18 games so everybody has 9 home/away and reduce the preseason to 2 games.

[JerseyBills]

I do think it's a bit unfair that only 1 team per conference gets a huge bye . Considering most the time the top 2-3 teams have the same record or are a game apart and ya never know what can happen in WC weekend 

 

I personally like this idea or I'd go back to the 6 team, 2 team bye idea. Both are just more fair than the current playoff atmosphere. 

 

But ya , the 8 team , no bye recipe is as fair as it gets. Only issue is half the league makes the playoffs in that scenario.  The team that has the bye in current format has a huge advantage 

Edited December 7, 2022 by JerseyBills

[The Red King]

I remember when you had three division champs and two wild cards.  The division winners all got a bye  where the two wild cards had to play an extra game (against each other).  That seems fairer then what we got now.

[Scott7975]

I actually hate that they made it 7 and got rid of the #2 seed bye.  

[Freddie's Dead]

No.

[TheBrownBear]

Yes.  The single bye is absurd when you consider the uneven schedules and differences in strengths of divisions.  If you're gonna do a bye system, I think you need to have at least 2 byes as we did under the old 6 team system.  Not sure how to make that work unless you added another week of playoffs.  Just spitballing, but maybe non-division winners (5-8) play for the right to meet the 3 and 4 seeds in the first divisional round.  Every divisional winner gets at least a 1 week bye and the top 2 get two weeks off?

 

Edit: But yes, I'd prefer an 8 team playoff with no bye.

Edited December 7, 2022 by TheBrownBear

[Don Otreply]

No, they should in fact reduce the number of teams to what it was two years ago, and  go by a teams win loss record, so crappy teams and or divisions get excluded all together.  This rewarding crap organizations with post season slots really does needs to stop. If a team does not have a winning record they do not for any reason get a post season slot, is that to much to ask? 
 

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by Don Otreply

[The Jokeman]

2 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

I do think it's a bit unfair that only 1 team per conference gets a huge bye . Considering most the time the top 2-3 teams have the same record or are a game apart and ya never know what can happen in WC weekend 

 

I personally like this idea or I'd go back to the 6 team, 2 team bye idea. Both are just more fair than the current playoff atmosphere. 

 

But ya , the 8 team , no bye recipe is as fair as it gets. Only issue is half the league makes the playoffs in that scenario.  

Who wants fair? Being the best should be rewarded toss in makes most teams not put in scrubs at end of the season making fair/unfair for other teams below them in the standings.

[WhoTom]

10 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

It used to be the top 2 teams that got a bye when there were 6 teams. Why when there could have been 3 normal playoff games, I am not sure of. 

 

If they play 3 games in the first round, that leaves three winners going into the second round. Unless the number of teams is a power of two, there has to be a bye for someone.

Edited December 7, 2022 by WhoTom

[Mike in Horseheads]

No. It rewards the reg season best record

[HOUSE]

If you can find a way to make more money for owners they will send a private jet right  to your house 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

No, the Playoffs are watered down enough as it is. 

[Big Turk]

4 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

If they play 3 games in the first round, that leaves three winners going into the second round. Unless the number of teams is a power of two, there has to be a bye for someone.

 

Yeah you are right...MLB does give the top 2 teams byes, so it was similar to the NFL with only 6 teams.

[TheBrownBear]

2 minutes ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

No. It rewards the reg season best record

But should teams be rewarded for playing in a crappy division that gifts them 5 or 6 wins every year?  I'd be okay with it if there was a second bye, since it sort of protects against this situation.  

[Southern_Bills]

7 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

No, the Playoffs are watered down enough as it is. 

 

Completely agree, 50% of the league shouldn't make the playoffs. 

[Process]

No. Half the league in the playoffs? Did you watch the Bills/Pats and chiefs/Steelers games last year? There are already too many . 

[billsbackto81]

16 minutes ago, Greg S said:

I also agree. This would be a good idea. Also, I would increase the regular season to 18 games so everybody has 9 home/away and reduce the preseason to 2 games.

I agree but just go back to 16 if you want to keep it even. The extra game only benefits the owners pockets.