Whatever...this is my suggested playoff alteration.

[dollars 2 donuts]

 

 

8 teams make the playoffs in each conference.

First (Play-In) Round: 8 plays at 5, 7 plays at 6.

Wild Card Round: 8/5 winner plays at 4th Division Champion (4th), 7/6 winner plays at 3rd Division Champion (3rd).

Division Round: 4th plays 1, 3rd plays 2

Conference Championship: you get it.

 

Division winners actually get some benefit (a week off) along with winning the division and home for 1 week.  The 2 seed goes back to a bye, coming closer to the 1 seed with 2 weeks off.  The 1 seed gets what it always got, plus the extra week off...stuff it, 1, if you complain about this.  You get all the spoils, but it brings the 2 seed closer to you. It adds a lot more to not only the normal competition for the 1 seed, but now more reason to go for the 2.

 

I think its a little much that only the 1 gets a breather.  They already have home field advantage all the way through.

 

The Play-In Round you get a 4 game NFL weekend, with possibly (wait for it, although some will hate it) a game on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

...OK, OK, just Saturday and Sunday, but all games starting at 4:00 and 8:00 PM.

 

Go Bills!

 

Edited 20 hours ago by dollars 2 donuts

[US Egg]

Whatever…..

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

Not bad except I'm not sure the one and 2 seed getting 2 weeks off is a real benefit as not playing for 2 weeks a team could become stale.  I'd stick to the Saturday/Sunday schedule as playing over 4 days, too much of an advantage to the teams getting 10 days off vrs  the team playing the game on Sunday. Understand too, not that those two would face each other in following round, but still too much of a difference.

 

Also now to the point of half the teams make the playoffs, as bad as NBA/NHL

[Aussie Joe]

That’s Donuts for ya  … always thinking 👍

[dollars 2 donuts]

9 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

That’s Donuts for ya  … always thinking 👍

 

 

😄

 

Please, AJ, some around here may not detect your sarcasm.

 

You know I haven't though a single thing for years!

 

(I just really want an excuse for a 2nd seed bye)

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Virgil]

I honestly wish we went back to 6 team playoffs in each conference.  I don't like any league that let's 50% of the teams into the playoffs.  This may have been an off year, but most of the teams secured their playoff spot with 3-4 weeks left in the season.  I think it waters down the regular season importance.

 

If we did go to 8 playoff teams, I would recommend a bye week for everyone, then just 8v1, 7v2, etc. 

 

I would also change it so that winning your division only guarantees your a playoff spot, not a seeding.  So if you win your division at 9-8, you might just be the 8 seed. 

 

Overall, with us most likely going to an 18 game schedule.  Go back to 6 playoff teams.  Two preseason games (one home, one away).  Two bye weeks for everyone (1st bye week between weeks 6-10, 2nd bye week between weeks 11-15 weeks.  1 and 2 seed get the 3rd bye.  I'd also say to just get rid of the divisions.  Play everyone in your conference once, and rotate conference games (3 per year, only 2 less than we have now)

[BuffaloBillyG]

38 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

8 teams make the playoffs in each conference.

First (Play-In) Round: 8 plays at 5, 7 plays at 6.

Wild Card Round: 8/5 winner plays at 4th Division Champion (4th), 7/6 winner plays at 3rd Division Champion (3rd).

Division Round: 4th plays 1, 3rd plays 2

Conference Championship: you get it.

 

Division winners actually get some benefit (a week off) along with winning the division and home for 1 week.  The 2 seed goes back to a bye, coming closer to the 1 seed with 2 weeks off.  The 1 seed gets what it always got, plus the extra week off...stuff it, 1, if you complain about this.  You get all the spoils, but it brings the 2 seed closer to you. It adds a lot more to not only the normal competition for the 1 seed, but now more reason to go for the 2.

 

I think its a little much that only the 1 gets a breather.  They already have home field advantage all the way through.

 

The Play-In Round you get a 4 game NFL weekend, with possibly (wait for it, although some will hate it) a game on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

...OK, OK, just Saturday and Sunday, but all games starting at 4:00 and 8:00 PM.

 

Go Bills!

 

There's 16 teams per conference. Just let everyone qualify, seed them and play it out. 

 

/S

 

NFL would love it due to the extra revenue. Players Union would likely strike

 

 

[BillsShredder83]

52 minutes ago, Virgil said:

I honestly wish we went back to 6 team playoffs in each conference.  I don't like any league that let's 50% of the teams into the playoffs.  This may have been an off year, but most of the teams secured their playoff spot with 3-4 weeks left in the season.  I think it waters down the regular season importance.

 

If we did go to 8 playoff teams, I would recommend a bye week for everyone, then just 8v1, 7v2, etc. 

 

I would also change it so that winning your division only guarantees your a playoff spot, not a seeding.  So if you win your division at 9-8, you might just be the 8 seed. 

 

Overall, with us most likely going to an 18 game schedule.  Go back to 6 playoff teams.  Two preseason games (one home, one away).  Two bye weeks for everyone (1st bye week between weeks 6-10, 2nd bye week between weeks 11-15 weeks.  1 and 2 seed get the 3rd bye.  I'd also say to just get rid of the divisions.  Play everyone in your conference once, and rotate conference games (3 per year, only 2 less than we have now)

To the contrary I loveeeeeeeee the 8 teams getting in, but only for NBA/NHL where their is a series.  The series format is sooooo far superior for so many reasons (IMO), but it obv just cant work for football.

 

The division winner getting a top 1-4 seed needs some work, it sucks having the Vikings get #5 seed, with a team like TB seeded at #3 AND THERE ARE 3 TEAMS WITH BETTER RECORDS BEHIND THEM. 

[JerseyBills]

Eh. Not too bad, isn't it crazy the 1st year the 2 seed doesn't get a bye, we were the 2 seed lol

[SoCal Deek]

With a seventeen game regular season seems like we need LESS teams making the playoffs rather than more. My two cents. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

There's 16 teams per conference. Just let everyone qualify, seed them and play it out. 

 

/S

 

NFL would love it due to the extra revenue. Players Union would likely strike

 

 

Best two out of three each round as well.

[djp14150]

1 hour ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

8 teams make the playoffs in each conference.

First (Play-In) Round: 8 plays at 5, 7 plays at 6.

Wild Card Round: 8/5 winner plays at 4th Division Champion (4th), 7/6 winner plays at 3rd Division Champion (3rd).

Division Round: 4th plays 1, 3rd plays 2

Conference Championship: you get it.

 

Division winners actually get some benefit (a week off) along with winning the division and home for 1 week.  The 2 seed goes back to a bye, coming closer to the 1 seed with 2 weeks off.  The 1 seed gets what it always got, plus the extra week off...stuff it, 1, if you complain about this.  You get all the spoils, but it brings the 2 seed closer to you. It adds a lot more to not only the normal competition for the 1 seed, but now more reason to go for the 2.

 

I think its a little much that only the 1 gets a breather.  They already have home field advantage all the way through.

 

The Play-In Round you get a 4 game NFL weekend, with possibly (wait for it, although some will hate it) a game on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

...OK, OK, just Saturday and Sunday, but all games starting at 4:00 and 8:00 PM.

 

Go Bills!

 

With an 18 game schedule and 2 bye weeks, Super Bowl during March madness 

 

can do a 1-6 bye turn 7-10 and 8-9 do a play in round. Thrn itscwusrters,Dr is, finals, SzB

 

you could also do a 14 game schedule with 2 bye weeks then all 32 teams go into a playoff system. No lengthening of the schedule 

Week 17 17-32 parlay each other and winners advance 
Week18 play in 9-16 advance to here  9-26 play winners 

WC weekrnd— round of 16 (1-8 get byes to here)

Div weekrnd- quarters

Champweekrnd- semis

 Bye week 

SB

 

 

Edited 18 hours ago by djp14150

[dollars 2 donuts]

4 hours ago, djp14150 said:

With an 18 game schedule and 2 bye weeks, Super Bowl during March madness 

 

can do a 1-6 bye turn 7-10 and 8-9 do a play in round. Thrn itscwusrters,Dr is, finals, SzB

 

you could also do a 14 game schedule with 2 bye weeks then all 32 teams go into a playoff system. No lengthening of the schedule 

Week 17 17-32 parlay each other and winners advance 
Week18 play in 9-16 advance to here  9-26 play winners 

WC weekrnd— round of 16 (1-8 get byes to here)

Div weekrnd- quarters

Champweekrnd- semis

 Bye week 

SB

 

 

 

There you go.

 

This is how we change the world, DJ.

 

I’ll get naked and start the revolution.

 

Go Bills!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Freddie's Dead]

[Dr.Sack]

My playoff idea:

 

Top 8 teams get in regardless of division record and are slotted by win %, head to head, conference record, point differential. No bye weeks.

 

#1 vs #8

#2 vs #7

#3 vs #6

#4 vs #5

 

In 2024 for instance this would yield:

 

#1 KC vs #8 CIN

#2 BUF vs #7 DEN

#3 BAL vs #6 PIT

#4 LAC vs #5 HOU

 

 

 

[Chaos]

The current system is broken.  So is this proposal.  In the NFC this year, the 14-3 Vikings would have to play two more playoff games than the 14-3 eagles. 

[T.E.]

14 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

Eh. Not too bad, isn't it crazy the 1st year the 2 seed doesn't get a bye, we were the 2 seed lol

The 2 seed hasn't gotten a bye for 5 years, and we've been the 2 seed for 4 of those years. It's truly comical how luck shakes out for the Bills.

[DrDawkinstein]

I appreciate the ideas. But I'm just never a fan of adding more teams to the playoffs.

 

I know it's coming tho...

[Chandler#81]

Since it’s not my body being crushed every week, the 18th regular season game can’t happen soon enough. 2 top Conference teams get a bye. Our SB Bills of the early ‘90s played another full season of games in the playoffs. THAT’S how it should be, imo.

[Charles Romes]

15 hours ago, Virgil said:

I honestly wish we went back to 6 team playoffs in each conference.  I don't like any league that let's 50% of the teams into the playoffs.  This may have been an off year, but most of the teams secured their playoff spot with 3-4 weeks left in the season.  I think it waters down the regular season importance.

 

If we did go to 8 playoff teams, I would recommend a bye week for everyone, then just 8v1, 7v2, etc. 

 

I would also change it so that winning your division only guarantees your a playoff spot, not a seeding.  So if you win your division at 9-8, you might just be the 8 seed. 

 

Overall, with us most likely going to an 18 game schedule.  Go back to 6 playoff teams.  Two preseason games (one home, one away).  Two bye weeks for everyone (1st bye week between weeks 6-10, 2nd bye week between weeks 11-15 weeks.  1 and 2 seed get the 3rd bye.  I'd also say to just get rid of the divisions.  Play everyone in your conference once, and rotate conference games (3 per year, only 2 less than we have now)

I agree fewer teams making playoffs is better, for preserving the value of the regular season.  Kudos to Bettman for refusing the money grab in the NHL

 

I guarantee that the NHL will move to the cringe-worthy “play in” NBA money grab format the second Bettman is gone. 
 

The only problem with 6 NFL playoff teams is that the 3rd wild card is almost always a significantly better team than the fourth division winner.  They would have to go back to three divisions to make it all make sense, or award playoffs to only the top 3 division winners.