NFL: Should a losing team go to the play offs?

[Original_Name]

I honestly don't understand why there are divisions in the first place. It's not like those are the only teams you play against in your conference, so why throw in that arbitrary subdivision at all?

[cabrando]

Preface, I live in the St. Louis area and am a Rams fan

That being said, say for instance the Packers end up with a better record than the NFC West champ, you think they should be in the playoffs. Let's say hypothetically 2 AFC teams finished 12-4, but were left out of the playoffs because 3 other teams finished better. And the best record in the NFC was 11-5, do you throw the 2 AFC teams in the playoffs and leave out 2 NFC teams?

Divisions create rivalries that are good for the NFL, teams, and fans. My point of that ramble is basically where do you draw the line. Why not just take the top 10 teams no matter the conference? It's just the way it is and I'm ok with how it works. The NFC West is historically bad this year, so it's just not that big a deal.

Also, we all know regular season record goes out the window once you're in the playoffs, so to completely discount a team based on their regular season record is just not a smart thing to do, especially with how competitive the NFL is currently.

**Edit

On the winning your division should not guarantee you a home game subject, that's crazy talk. It's the same thing that ruins the BCS. Basically their division is crap, so they can't host a home game/play for the national championship, it's the same logic.

[EvilRyu2099]

I honestly don't understand why there are divisions in the first place. It's not like those are the only teams you play against in your conference, so why throw in that arbitrary subdivision at all?

Divisions in football are for locations throughout the U.S.. It also sorts out the teams in each conference.. I think the system is fine like this.. This is the first year in around 15 years in which this is looking iffy..

[EvilRyu2099]

On ESPN, I used their playoff simulator and ended up with the Seahawks going with a 7-9 record. And honestly, I don't think that's fair. A 10-6 team isn't going to make it to the playoffs because of this, and another 10-6 team or an 11-5 team is going to have to go to St. Louis or Seattle for their first round matchup. The NFL is going to have a big problem with this. The fans of one of the Packers/Bears/Giants/Eagles/Saints is going to be pissed that their team isn't able to go to the playoffs while one of the NFC West teams is, and the NFL is probably going to have to change the rules.

Let's face it.. The NFC is weak.. A 9-7 or 10-6 team in the NFC is more like 8-8 or 9-7 in the AFC.. This might one of the most even years in a long time, other than NE, I can't name a truly great team in the NFL right now..

[YoshiEgg25]

Let's face it.. The NFC is weak.. A 9-7 or 10-6 team in the NFC is more like 8-8 or 9-7 in the AFC.. This might one of the most even years in a long time, other than NE, I can't name a truly great team in the NFL right now..

Honestly, I wouldn't even call the Patriots great this year. Hopefully the Bears can put that idea to rest tomorrow.

[EvilRyu2099]

Honestly, I wouldn't even call the Patriots great this year. Hopefully the Bears can put that idea to rest tomorrow.

Actually I agree, they got smoked by the Browns a few weeks back.. But I don't think there is any denying that they are the best team in the NFL for the first 13 weeks though...

[AmishSamurai]

I don't keep up with NFL much, but in my opinion even if NFC West is having a bad year, the winner should still go to the playoffs. One bad season isn't reason to change the whole system. Yeah, it sucks that there may be 10-6 teams who don't make it, but you see two good teams/players knock each other out early in tournaments all the time.

[Mendoza]

I honestly don't understand why there are divisions in the first place. It's not like those are the only teams you play against in your conference, so why throw in that arbitrary subdivision at all?

Divisions in football are for locations throughout the U.S.. It also sorts out the teams in each conference.. I think the system is fine like this.. This is the first year in around 15 years in which this is looking iffy..

True, but not all divisions are based on location.

The Cowboys are in the NFC East only because Tex Shram knew that was a money making division and that was why he made sure they ended up there and not in the west where they should have been logically.

Just like the BCS, money plays a role.

[EvilRyu2099]

True, but not all divisions are based on location.

The Cowboys are in the NFC East only because Tex Shram knew that was a money making division and that was why he made sure they ended up there and not in the west where they should have been logically.

Just like the BCS, money plays a role.

It's not really about money, and I there are instances where location doesn't play a factor.. It's why a team from Indy is in the AFC south.. But regardless, the Cowboys are in the NFC east, because they are natural rivals to the Redskins and Eagles and have been for years...

[YoshiEgg25]

It's not really about money, and I there are instances where location doesn't play a factor.. It's why a team from Indy is in the AFC south.. But regardless, the Cowboys are in the NFC east, because they are natural rivals to the Redskins and Eagles and have been for years...

Fixed...

And I would hardly call them natural rivals...maybe artificial. It doesn't make much sense that the Cowboys are in the NFC East and the Rams are in the NFC West, but of course, having them be an eastern team gives ESPN more reason to cover them.