By Drwg Blaidd
The NFL really needs to change the way that the playoffs are seeded. We have had 2 consecutive seasons where a team that was .500 or worse got to host a team that was at least 4 wins better than them in the opening round of the playoffs.
I think that the NFL needs to go to an NBA style playoff system – you give the division winners with the 2 best records the 1 & 2 seeds (and the bye) and then you rank the remaining teams based on records. It pisses me off that my team, who was tied with the second best record in the conference, has to play on the road the entire playoffs (unless the unlikely scenario of Steelers – Bengals occurs for the AFC championship game – which is moot), just because they happened to be in the same division as a team they tied with, who also held the tie breaker over them. The Steelers probably would have ended up 14-2 if they played in the West and the point would be moot. If you want to keep the division structure, fine. It happens too often that a team won’t make the playoffs as a wild card while a team with a worse record wins their division and gets in.
The list just over the last 5 seasons:
2011 – The Broncos (8-8) make it while the Titans (9-7) do not.
2010 – The 7-9 Sea Chicks make it over the 10-6 Giants and the 10-6 Bucs.
2008 – The 8-8 Chargers make it over the 11-5 Patriots and the 9-7 Jets.
That 2008 Pats team is the only 11 win team that did not make the playoffs that I could find in the 2 wild card era.
My other problem with the playoff seeding is that in the NFL, since it is a single game, home field means a ton more (it is something like a 65-35 advantage in the playoffs) than the other sports where the multi-game series reduces it to something like 55-45 advantage.
The one thing that I am holding out hope for is the Broncos really aren’t that good and they really haven’t been great at home this year. That being said, the Steelers have a banged up O-line, banged up QB, lost their starting RB, have some injuries on defense and are without their starting safety, who can’t play because the altitude might literally kill him.
While we are at it, could someone please let the MLS know that their playoff system really doesn’t work either…
Note: this was written BEFORE the weekend playoff games were played.
FlatbreadGarden 
While you are at it how about letting the MLS know that opening the season on the first day of the big dance isn’t very smart. You can also talk to the MLB that opening day on the day of the NCAA finals isn’t the best either.
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NFL is fine in my opinion. At the beginning of the year they all have the chance to win their division, if you can’t win your division you shouldn’t have a home game. It is the prize for winning the division. Plenty of Wildcard teams have made (and won) the Superbowl.
I bet if you asked Ted Williams, he’d have been happy for a wildcard. He would have the chance to play in the World Series even though they did not win the division.
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Tebow finally beat a winning team, granted a team with lots and lots of injures.
I believe I can throw a prettier ball then Tim Tebow can and I am a girl.
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