Remove Divisions in NFL

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, bobobonators said:

That would still leave open the very likely possibility that a team with a better record misses the playoffs. As long as the division winner automatically makes the playoffs, that possibility will always remain. 
 

In 2022 - the 8-9 Bucs made the playoffs and hosted a playoff game. The 9-8 Lions didn’t make the playoffs. 
 

In 2020 - the 7-9 Football Team made the playoffs and hosted a home game. The 8-8 Cardinals missed the playoffs. 
 

In 2019 - the 11-5 Seahawks missed the playoffs yet the 10-6 Vikings made it and the 9-7 Eagles hosted a playoff game!  This is a perfect example of why divisions need to go. 
 

In 2015 - the 10-6 Jets missed the playoffs. The 9-7 Texans hosted a playoff game. 
 

In 2014 - the 7-8-1 Panthers hosted a playoff game, the 8-8 Niners and 10-6 Eagles missed the playoffs lol. Another perfect example. 
 

I can continue. It doesn’t happen every single season, but it happens a lot. And it will continue happening as long as we keep this division format. 

 

That's just the way it is. Every division will benefit from it at some point in time, it's cyclical.

[Malazan]

14 hours ago, Don Otreply said:

What will people have to complain about if this happens? People like to have sh-t to complain about…, 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

I'd suspect it would be travel.. I think you'd be playing teams across the country more often.

[DrBob806]

1 hour ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

No thanks. A lot of great football is played between division rivals, and those rivalries are a part of what makes sports worth viewing. 

Yes sir. 

 

Just my opinion, the AFC South is the only division that has no "it" factor. Two carpetbagger franchises (Indy, Tennessee),  Jax is a stepchild of London, & the Texans (like the Browns) are stuck playing the team that left their city. 

 

Maybe put the Ratbirds, Colts, Titans, & Rams in the same division. The NFC Carpetbaggers.

[Don Otreply]

3 minutes ago, Malazan said:

 

I'd suspect it would be travel.. I think you'd be playing teams across the country more often.

People will always  find something to complain about and pretend it’s important…, 

[pennstate10]

15 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

No.

 

 

Maybe

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I've advocated for getting rid of divisons for years. But not so much because of the possibility of a division winner with a losing record making the playoffs. More so I want to play all the other teams more frequently. 

Keep the conferences. 

Play every team every two years. Now with 17 games a year there would be some repetitive games each year. You could keep those as traditional rivals - say like old division rivals or make new ones. You could keep Buffalo vs AFC East opponet every year or you could instead make new ones like in state rivalries Dallas and Houston

Stop punishing first place teams having to play other division winners. Stop rewarding bottom feeders with easy schedules the following year. 

[BarleyNY]

I don’t much care if there are divisions or not. At least not today because there are eight divisions with four teams each. So I would not do anything now. But I believe that the NFL will try to expand the number of teams at some point. If they go with four more then I could see them going to 4 divisions with nine teams each. 

[K D]

13 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

I hate this logic. The Chiefs lost against the Raiders and Broncos. Eagles lost to the Jets and Cardinals. Do they not deserve to be in the playoffs? 

You can lose 1-2 of those but not have 4-5 games where you don't show up. Bills lost some gimmes this year and only 1 more win over a bottom feeder and you are in the playoffs. They deserve whatever they get today 

[Matt_In_NH]

11 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

The most profitable rivalries for the league are the big games between great teams, like Bills vs Chiefs or Pats vs Colts back in the day, or 49ers vs Cowboys before that. No one cares or watches the likes of Pats vs Jets or Panthers vs Falcons...

 

Scheduling big games between great teams is not hard now, but with only conferences it would be even easier and more often, as well as ensuring the teams are ceded correctly per their record.

 

The Big profitable games are by teams that are both good and probably in the same conference, that does not make it a rivalry though.   Some grow into that like the ones you mentioned.  There is an element to time that make some rivalries big games for their teams fans even when both suck.  That was somewhat the case during the drought, fans still got up and were more interested (and spent more money) when the Bills played the fish.  My overall point is rivalry does drive revenue but the biggest games are not necesarily the best rivalries.

[TBBills Fan]

I think the NFL should keep the divisions in tact. 

 

However, like I golf they should use the point spread to calculate wins and losses so the Bills are finally motivated to beat teams by "enough" points

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

1 hour ago, KDIGGZ said:

You can lose 1-2 of those but not have 4-5 games where you don't show up. Bills lost some gimmes this year and only 1 more win over a bottom feeder and you are in the playoffs. They deserve whatever they get today 

Yet and here we are competing for the #2 seed. You’re telling me someone like the Steelers deserve a spot, but not us? 

[Kaenon]

Remember when Indy was in our division?

Division setup could change.

Hockey did their big one not long ago.

[CheshireCT]

7 hours ago, bobobonators said:

But that’s the thing, under the current system every team does not have to go through the same system to get to the Super Bowl. As an example, we could look at the division that draws the NFC South vs a team in a division that draws the AFC East. Imagine you are the Chargers and next year you drew all AFC East teams vs being the Texans who draw all NFC South teams. Who would you rather play an additional 4 games? It’s not the same system - it’s not even close. And that’s not even addressing the remaining fact that some teams play in crappy divisions vs teams that play in stacked divisions. 
 

Playing under the same system, as you say, would eliminate the current divisional format and have 2 conferences where everyone plays each other 1x. No schedule bias, no luck of drawing a crappy division to play that season, and certainly no more 8-7-1 teams hosting a playoff game while a 10-6 team stays home. 

This is not a novel idea. Because I didn’t post it years ago doesn’t remove merit from the idea now. 

 

Oh, I see, you're saying everyone just plays the regular season in their own conference. Essentially like two different leagues during the season. Yeah that's more equally competitive in terms of who makes the playoffs for sure. I still think though if you're Super Bowl worthy, you should be able to make the playoffs regardless of strength of schedule....and if you don't...well then you're not Super Bowl worthy hahaha.

 

I would still keep the divisions for the fun of it. I've always loved having the special division games during the season that have extra importance, and also the rivalries between the clubs. Some of that I'm sure is nostalgia, but ultimately sports is just there to entertain us anyhow. haha