Quote:Why? So we can get essentially NFL-Welfare to make the playoffs?? Screw that. Its why making the playoffs in the NBA is hardly an accomplishment. 

 

10 win teams usually make the playoffs in the NFL. Its rare they don't. 

 

I guess what you want to see is more 8-8 teams and even more 7-9 teams make the playoffs, because thats whats going to happen. 

 

Yay! - mediocrity!!!

 

Your statement about the teams that would make the playoffs in the expanded playoff format piqued my interest so I went back over the past 10 seasons and below is a spreadsheet that I put together.  Of note is that no 7-9 team would have been the added wildcard over that period, though six 8-8 teams would have made it out of the additional 20 teams added over the ten year period.  Also, the average record of all of these teams is just a hair over 9-7.  I wasn't spending the time to figure out which team got in due to a tie as it was irrelevant to the discussion.  I'm not posting this to validate anyone's argument, just for context.  As I said before, I'm not going to have any problem watching the extra games on wildcard weekend.  But an eventual 16 team playoff, which would be detrimental to the game, seems like the next likely step.

 

Year       Team              W            L             

2013       Steelers           8             8             

2013       Cardinals       10             6             

2012       Steelers           8             8             

2012       Bears             10             6             

2011       Titans              9              7             

2011       4-way Tie         8              8             

2010       Chargers         9              7             

2010       2-way Tie        10             6             

2009       2-way Tie         9              7             

2009       Falcons            9              7             

2008       Patriots           11              5             

2008       3-way Tie         9              7             

2007       Browns            10             6             

2007       3-way Tie         8              8             

2006       Broncos            9              7             

2006       3-way Tie          8              8             

2005       Chiefs              10             6             

2005       2-way Tie          9              7             

2004       3-way Tie          9              7             

2004       Saints               8              8             

                                      9.05        6.95        = Avg Record

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