SmashMouth

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.

read more

Attached Thumbnails