Playoff Picture

[Boo Khaki]

18 minutes ago, johnnydun said:

Thank you for the detailed explanation. I was going on the Scottish football goal difference scenario haha.

It takes a while to get your head around how NFL W/L record works, Division standings, tie breakers etc. I've been a fan nearly 40 years and there are still things that baffle me.

Points differential is a potential tie-breaker, but IIRC it's way down the list, even after SoS and SoV, and I think it's points differential in H2H divisional games or something in order to separate two teams that are tied in every other way and decide divisional standings. I can't recall it ever being used. What really complicates things is when you have three or more teams in the same Conference but different Divisions all tied on record, because then the Tie-breaker order changes, and you have to start looking at things like common opponents, common Conference opponents and so on, and even H2H tends to go out the window because that is only a factor if there is have actually been H2H match-ups between all the teams and one team has swept them all.

It gets ludicrously complicated sometimes, which Is why I've long been in favour of a straightforward 1-8 playoff bracket for the 8 teams with the best records. I don't mind the fact that winning a Division title guarantees a Home playoff game, but 7-9 teams shouldn't be seeded #4 ahead of WC teams with 12 or 13 wins. Seed the teams on W/L record but give the Division winners the game at home. Until last year they had gone through two rounds of expansion, and more pertinently a realignment which increased the total number of divisions, without simultaneously increasing the number of playoff spots available, so they created a situation whereby it became more likely to have shitty sub .500 teams hosting playoff games while 9 + 10 win teams were left out altogether. I still don't think the 7 team format is enough, and I don't think home field throughout is enough of a payback for having to sit out a week. I don't believe the week off is actually an advantage. Seen too many #1 seeds shit the bed and go one-and-done because they lose momentum.