The Green Bay Packers could have benefitted substantially from a proposed rules change submitted by the Detroit Lions this week. The proposed change would have drastically changed the way the playoff seeding takes place. It would make the playoff seeding more merit based, but will it actually be approved in a vote by the powers that be in the NFL? Here are the proposed playoff rules changes and how they help the Packers and the NFL.
Proposed Playoff Rules Change Helps the Packers and the NFL: The Current System
The NFL has always sought to reward teams for winning their division. Since the merger between the NFL and the AFL in 1970, division winners automatically earn playoff berths, even if they have a worse record than non-division winners.
As a result of this rule, we have seen some very mediocre teams have qualified for the playoffs. Many teams have won division titles with 8-8 records, some with even worse marks than that. The most egregious example was the 2010 Seattle Seahawks, who somehow won the NFC West that year with a 7-9 record.
Amazingly enough, under the current format, the 7-9 Seahawks were the NFC’s fourth seed that year and opened the playoffs at home against the New Orleans Saints who had an 11-5 record, four games better than Seattle.
Last season, this happened again. The NFC North was the strongest division in football. The Lions finished 15-2, the Vikings at 14-3 and the Packers at 11-6. Once the playoffs started, however, the Vikings and Packers were the fifth and seventh seeds respectively. The Tampa Bay Bucs were the third seed, and the Los Angeles Rams were the fourth seed even though they had 10-7 records.
The New Proposal
Under the Lions new proposal, teams that win their division would still be guaranteed a playoff spot, even if they have a worse record than other, non-division winners. However, all playoff teams would be seeded by their record, regardless of whether they win their division or not.
So, the new seedings would have been as follows: The Lions would remain the top seed at 15-2. The Vikings and Eagles both had 14-3 records. Whoever won the tiebreaker would have earned the second seed while the other team would be seeded third. The Washington Commanders would have been the fourth seed with a 12-5 mark. The Packers would have moved up to the fifth seed at 11-6 with the Bucs and Rams filling in final two seeds at 10-7.
Under the new proposal, instead of opening the playoffs against the second-seeded Eagles, Green Bay would have played at Washington in round 1 in our nation’s capital.
This proposed change still rewards teams for winning their division by ensuring they make the playoffs. However, it also rewards better teams for their record throughout the season by giving them a higher seed and potentially a home game.
Proposed Playoff Rules Change Helps the Packers and the NFL: Looking Ahead
The potential rules change will benefit the NFC North next season if teams play to expectations. The Lions, Vikings, and Packers are all expected to be in the playoff hunt again next season and the Bears are potentially improving.
Perhaps the Lions made this proposal because they fear they may still have a very strong record but could lose the NFC North crown next season to either Green Bay or Minnesota.
Regardless of how the standings work out in any given year, the new proposal is a fair one and improves the playoff format. The NFL wants parity and rewards struggling teams to accomplish that aim. That means they get a better draft choice. They also get first crack at claiming players off waivers. But they also want to reward teams that do well in the regular season with the highest playoff seeds. They should also face the weakest playoff opponents. Division winners would still be guaranteed a playoff berth which is also fair.
Hopefully, the Packers will vote for the proposed change, and it will pass. We’ll know later in the offseason.
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