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If the postseason began today, 4-5 New Orleans would host a playoff game, while 6-3 Green Bay would miss the postseason and winning teams Baltimore, Buffalo, Miami, Pittsburgh, Santa Clara and San Diego would be shut out of postseason play.

When oh when will the NFL switch to a seeded-tournament playoff format?
Right now the entire AFC North is at least two games above .500 -- the first time since the 1970 merger an entire division has all teams at least two games above .500 this late in the season. Meanwhile the entire NFC South is below .500. Clustering of victories in one division and losses in another -- one reason is that these two divisions play each other this year, and so far the AFC North is 7-1-1 versus the NFC South -- exacerbates the NFL playoff format's distressing habit of rewarding a mediocre team while leaving a strong team on the couch for the postseason.

Because the NFL postseason format grants eight of its 12 invitations -- and all its opening-round home games -- to division winners, the NFC South is assured of a playoff prize while the AFC North is assured of at least one team, and likely more, not invited to the party. The fact that the AFC North is clobbering the NFC South on the field won't matter when playoff goody bags are distributed.

The 2014 season is shaping up like the 2008 season, which ended with all teams in the NFC East and NFC South at or above .500 and all teams in the AFC West at or below .500. When the NFL postseason formula was applied to 2008, the result was that 8-8 San Diego hosted a playoff game while 11-5 New England was not invited to the party. There are many games remaining to be played in 2014, but an outrageous 2008-style outcome may be in store.

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Saintindal

Plus the Saints would have the home game in the wildcard

aintasinner

I get what's being said, but it's not like the playoff rules were designed to favor the Saints. We just happen to possibly benefit this year because of the rules. And let's not forget the rule changes that have been made because other teams felt the Saints did have an advantage: the new overtime rules, Vikings complained, and the celebration rule that prohibits dunking the ball, Atlanta complained. Every year a team who didn't play better than a lot of other teams gets into the playoffs. If they truly are not deserving, they usually lose.

WhoDat!656

NOW that the Saints may benefit they are worried about a team with a losing record making the playoffs!!

People are wringing their hands like a bunch of bleeding heart liberals, but were strangely silent when the PEDhawks did it. Of course they were all quick to point out that the Saints were the 1st team to lose a game in the playoffs to a team with a losing record!

|Mitch|

Roger will most definitely change the rules so we won't be able to benefit again...

Jack Vegas

Hey, I don't remember any gnashing of teeth when the 7-9 Seahawks hosted the 10-6 Saints a few years ago. It was all hunky-dory then. Now suddenly it's the Saints that might get in that way and everybody has a problem with it. STFU, Easterbrook.

73Saint

Exactly. Reminds me of when we beat Green Bay in the NFCCG. Overtime rules change right after that, but how many times in the past had a team won in OT w a FG before the other team got a chance to put their O on the field? If the Saints set a precedent, they gotta change the rules by gosh!

dizzle88

Don't you mean Minnesota?

Budsdrinker

Nothing new. Teams with winning records have missed the playoffs before and will continue to do so. You don't like it, play better and win your division.

SmashMouth

If sucking less than your division rivals wins you a Division Championship, so be it. Wouldn't it be something if we got on a roll then?