Why The new NFL playoff format is the worst

Changing the format won't make it more likely that the #1 seed won't win the SB. The #1 seed did not get that spot by luck, it was earned by being better. You reward excellence, you don't punish it. You can say it's 'boring' because you know what the outcome might be, but as you mentioned, lower seeds do win on occasion so upsets happen. If the lower seeds won more frequently than they do now, it would not be an upset anymore and I would say that the system is broken and in need of repair when 1 unlucky game can completely ruin an entire season of building.
If you ask me, winning the division should net even more advantages than it does now, like double elimination / bracket reset, but that's just me. I agree, football is a physical sport, so less games is better for the player.
I'd prefer to see more games, and changes to the rules of football/equipment so we as fans don't need to be put into this dilemma of choice.

Beginning of the season: "The new playoff bracket is trash"
End of the season and your team is the 7th seed: "The new playoff bracket ain't so bad"

I like the new format, and my team (Buffalo) was the 2 seed the first year it was implemented and missed out on what would have been a bye previously. The reason I like it is, teams shouldn't get to enjoy a bye unless they achieve something special. This way, the only team that gets the bye is the #1 seed, so there's plenty of incentive to try to win that seed at the end of the regular season. It makes more sense for a bye only to be given to one team.

I’m just happy that all my giants have to do is win 8-9 wins just to make the 7th spot
Or win the division knowing how trash the NFC east rn

In a sport with more parity, the 7 team format works brilliantly as it puts a lot of emphasis on winning the Conference and allows for more playoff scenarios at the end of the season. Though in the current NFL where realistically only about 5-6 teams have a chance to win the Super Bowl it really doesn’t work, but the idea is there

I sort of like it, because I like the idea of making it harder to get a bye. (Btw- I'm saying this as a Packers fan currently between weeks 16 and 17, despite that we would have a nearly guaranteed bye right now if it weren't for the new playoff change.)

I kind of like more teams in the playoffs. Reason being that there are so many teams that lose crucial players to injury at the beginning of the season, lose a bunch of games, but then get those guys back on the field and start stomping everyone. They deserve a shot in the playoffs. If you’re not the better team in the playoffs, you’re gonna lose anyway, so there’s no unfair advantage.

I 100% agree. The 6 team playoff format was perfect. It rewarded the better teams incrementally based on their performance in the season but that reward was not such an advantage that the lower seeds could not overcome it. Not to mention the battles for the 1 vs 2, the 2 vs 3, and the 6th vs out were often amazing! Now if you're not the 1... who cares about seeding really? And is a most likely average 7th seed really ever going to upset the 2, then turn around the following week and upset the rested 1 seed? So the 1 seeds essentially automatically make the conference championships. Basically you are penciling the 1 seeds into the Superbowl. Which I guess is fine but if you liked the old school NFL playoff drama... not so much.
If you like more games... sure... but if you like the drama and care about the integrity of the Championship... this is a huge downgrade.
The Eagles and Steelers are both about to get smoked tomorrow... but... we'll all be watching. So I guess we're the suckers.
This was nothing but a moneygrab by the NFL.
More is not always better. Better is better. The old system was perfect.

In addition to what is said in the video, a 7 team playoff format reduces the value of winning your division even more. (Since 75% of division winners will play on Wildcard Weekend instead of 50%)
Also, it’s got an unfinished feel to it, like the year there were 6 teams in the AFC Central, and 4 in the MFC West... will there soon be 8 playoff spots?

The current playoff format is fairer than the previous one because now technically all four teams in a division have the chance to get to the playoffs. Just imagine a scenario in which all four teams in a division win against every opponent outside their division and inside their division they win every home game and lose every away game. All four teams would eventually have a record of 13-3. With the old format one team would not make it to the playoffs despite having such a good record. With the new format every team could make it.

Yeah, I had this same concern. I was thinking that Wild Card Weekend would have some fun games, but after that, the playoffs would be reduced to a formality the number 1 seeds go through before playing each other in the Super Bowl. I'd almost prefer a 16-team format with nobody getting a bye over this 14-team format.
That being said, we just saw the Wild Card Bucs win the Super Bowl. So maybe we're all overreacting a bit. Time will tell.

Pre-watch: I DISAGREE!
Post-watch: I still disagree. The integrity of the competition doesn't change at all. With the extra game being implemented by the 2021 season, we can have more exciting weeks 16-18, especially if every seed is open. Even if a top seed is locked up, the foregone 2-4 seeds can use that last week as a rest week since their one home field game is certain.

NFL: This wont hurt the game at all.
NFCEast: Hold my beer.

Any format is fair to all teams, since it’s been decided way before the season started. Everyone is 0-0 lol no team can say something isn’t fair.

They should have just left the playoff format alone! It was fine the way it was!

Well, the 7th seed games were awful this year…
putting shaky teams against solid teams will probably cause people to tune out. In regular season people will watch bad games for fantasy football, but in post season I don’t know if all the gambling willing make it interesting enough for everyone.

I love how he said the #1 seed would have a huge advantage, just both #1 seeds to lose in their first playoff game.

The fact that only one team in a conference is rewarded a week of rest makes the regular season matter more for the top teams. The NFL hates that teams rest their starters. It's also why they have opted to make the last game of the season divisional match ups.

And the NFL and Goodell continue to cheapen the product. Getting so tired of their bullshit meddling with the game.

I've been watching the NFL since 1958. It's been difficult keeping up with all the changes over these 64 years.

The Chiefs weren’t the first seed last year Baltimore was...

As a Titans fan I LOVE the new Playoff Format. As a fan of a team who usually just barely makes it each year as that #2 WC having 3 WC spots is an amazing idea if you ask me

It makes so much sense because only the conference winner gets the bye. So much simpler that way, as opposed to the odd format of the top 2 division winners getting the bye.

It's obviously a money grab, but not sure if it messes with the integrity of the playoffs. A 7 seed knocking off a 2 is going to be lame, for sure.

Conference winner gets a bye. Division winners get home game. Its perfect.

I like the symmetry that's always been in the playoffs. 2,4,6,8 or 12 it always made sense. I also don't like that the number two seed lost the bye to have a seventh seed get in. Although my Packers may reap the benefits of the new system as having the only bye in the NFC his year I still think in the new format is bad for competitiveness in the playoffs.

I don’t think it will mess up the integrity of the game. If the 7th seed beats the 2nd I have no problem with that as long as I see a good game

With the extra week, the extra wild card spots make it so much better.

I think they should give teams a week off before the playoffs then have 4 wildcard teams. All teams get a bye and no teams get extra byes.

Im a year late to the party, but my take is this ….. I like this format better because it prevents a 7-9 team, that wins their division, not only from making the playoffs, but hosting a playoff game as well?? How is that fair?
For instance, the 2010 NFL season we saw a 7-9 seahawks make the playoffs AND host the 11-5 Saints? while NYG and the Bucs missed the playoffs with 10-6 records. How is all that possible?
Im sorry. But you wanna talk about compromising the integrity of the game?? Eventhough it didn’t happen often, the old format left the door wide open for a team with a losing record to make the playoffs and host a game.
IMO, a team with a losing record should NEVER make the playoffs over a team with a winning record, yet alone HOST a playoff game, simply because someone HAD to win their division. Just doesn’t seem fair. This format eliminates that issue.

I like it, it forces the top 2 teams to go at it until the bitter end of the regular season to see who gets that bye and top seed. The top 2 teams can’t just give up once they get ahead of the pack. Why should 2nd place in the regular season get a bye for being second place. It’s going to force big name players like Mahomes and Rodgers to play their A game the whole season every year no matter what which is what fans want.
Plus a lot of years the last few weeks get turned into the battle for the second seed, which is just lame.
Not to mention it allows another team into the playoffs which gets fans excited and in turn it makes both teams and the NFL more money.

They should have kept the normal format or have the top 2 teams from each division advance to have a 16 team playoff

I almost feel like that the 1 seed is almost at a disadvantage because they are the only team who hasn’t played in 2 weeks and would have to get a rhythm going again while everyone else just played a game and has confidence. So far the only 1 #1 seed made it to the super bowl and lost. 1 lost in the championship round and 2 lost their first playoff game. This makes it so the lower seeds have a better chance at winning playoff games because there are more of them now and the 2 seed has to play an extra game which means more chance of losing. And also how the nfl is today where there are entire mediocre divisions which automatically gives one of those bad teams a home playoff game and possibly the second best team in the conference would be a 5 seed playing away but against one of the worst playoff teams, which gives the 5 seed some advantage still or a huge disadvantage because they had the 1 seed in their division only 1 win ahead of them or tied.

So I didn't have cable or local channels last year so missed out on much of the details of the season and the playoffs so I'm late to this. I love this video, I don't know if I agree with everything you said but it has me thinking now. Having the benefit of just seeing the 18th week of the regular season 21-22 and getting prepped for the first round tomorrow, I'm excited but also concerned that this was a step in the wrong direction. Anyway, I'll be thinking about this over the upcoming weekend and you just got a new subscriber!

I feel like it really reduces the importance of that division title. For instance, a division like the NFC West or NFC South which should be super competitive won't have to worry as much. A whole ass division could just scoot right into the playoffs.

Goodell: Moves the extra point out 23 yards. Eliminates bye for #2 seed while adding another playoff team. Adding another regular season game when players can’t stay on field. Jesus this man is a fucking disease to the game.

I'm so glad that we got a video about this

The 1980s format was ideal. There was a specific reward for every seed. 1, you get homefield advantage and you open the playoffs against the only non-division winner. 2, you get to host the weaker division winner. 3, you go on the road but you get a first round bye. 4, you play in the first round, but at least you get to host the game. 5, you play at the other wild card's home but you get a chance to prove yourself.
If you can't finish in the top 5 of your own conference, you don't deserve to play for a championship... and I say that knowing my Packers wouldn't have won their last Super Bowl under that format.

Excellent and very informative video.
Please keep making more of them for us.
THANKS so MUCH!

I think it won't be long before there are 18 regular season games and 16 teams in the playoffs.
The obvious reason? Money.
Not only are there more regular season games, and more playoff games, more teams are alive longer creating more interest amongst fan bases

All we got these playoffs was two almost unwatchable blowouts. Neither Pittsburgh nor Philadelphia were playoff caliber teams and it showed.

I like the 14 team playoffs cuz there’s almost always a weak division and the 4th seeded division champ has a weaker record compared to the wild card teams and in 3 occasions now the 4th seeded division champ had a losing record and that could potentially prevent a team with a better record out of the playoffs since they didn’t win the division.

I actually think the new (from 2020 on) playoff system is great. First of all, it increases the value of the no.1 seed (theoretically, unless you are the GB Packers). And it also adds a 7th team, which can be a bad team, like Washington last season, but it can also get a very good team in that lost their QB for a few games.

I know i’m a little late to the party and this may already have been pitched…
I wonder whether instead of having seven teams per conference, the NFL expands to eight instead?
The AFL (Australian Football League) uses a top 8 playoff model where the 1st seed plays 4th seed and, 2nd seed plays 3rd. At the same time 5th seed plays 8th seed, 6th seed plays 7th seed.
This model offers top seeded teams an incentive… the winners from the high seed (of ‘top-half’ teams) games get a week off, the losers get a 2nd chance and play the winning teams from the bottom half of the play-off structure…
From then on its a winner stays on scenario.
This model would produce 5 weeks of finals football, starting with 8 games during what is traditionally the wild-card weekend, and culminating in the Super Bowl.

A big flaw with the NFL's playoff structure is that a team can give themselves a "virtual bye" if they just so happen to be locked into a seeding/seeding range they're comfortable with. Now that there are three division-winning seeds that don't have a bye instead of just two, teams are more likely going to be lazy in the final week and rest all their players.

Bro great video. I'm surprised you don't get more views!

First season with the new playoff system and so far it's been interesting to say the least. I understand that we just witnessed the greatest divisional round weekend quite possibly ever but also remember how boring the wild card round was. I think this format at the end will accomplish a roller coaster effect given each playoff weekend. The wildcards will most likely have a low ceiling of game play and moving forward towards divisional/conference championship we may see a high ceiling of play. As always I believe the superbowl will be a coin flip regardless what teams end up playing since anything can happen when you only get one Sunday to give it your all!

i dont have a problem with playoff expansions as a concept because in American sports there are no relegation races for the teams at the bottom of the standings which results in a lot of meaningless games, BUT with every expansion there have to be corresponding rewards given to teams who are at the top of the standings as well to make it fair.
Korean baseball has a cool idea that i believe isnt implemented anywhere else: half the teams make the playoffs but the best teams get multiple byes like a step ladder. The 4-5 seeds play each other, winner plays the 3 seed, winner plays 2 seed etc . It doesnt have to be so extreme but something like that where every seed really matters would be fantastic

Love the videos bro good stuff

I'm sorry, but this can't be the worst when the 1972 undefeated Dolphins had to go ON THE ROAD in the conference championship game.

The thing is, with more playoff spots, the more teams have a shot and something to play for at the end of the season. I wanna say with like 2 weeks left this year, 12 of the 16 AFC teams still had a shot at making the playoffs. With as much parity as there is in the league now, you want every fanbase thinking their team still has a chance for as long as possible. That's just good business.

If a #7 seed knocks out a #2 seed, that's called showing up. What you're saying is that you want a #2 seed to be in the Divisional 'because they deserve it' even if the #7 seed beats them.

There have been scenarios in the previous format where there were some teams that could've been powerful 7th seeded teams.

There are many reasons why this is a good format, 1: the top team should get a bye week for having the best record in their conference, 2: to have a 7th team in the playoffs was put in place because, there were teams with a better record then a team that won their division and didn`t make the playoffs just for that reason only. What it comes down to is, we get to see 2 more football games, that`s the only difference. What`s next, your not going to like the 17th game played, ask the Steelers about the 17th game right now, they will tell you that they love it. That`s how you back door into a playoff game.

What they could do is have 8 teams from each conference in the playoffs. Seed it like they always have. Divisional winners are determined relative to divisional rivals. Winning the division nets you at least 1 of the top 4 seeds and relative to other divisional winners. The last 4 seed spots are determined in the same manner relative to each other. Then have a bye week for everybody prior to the playoffs beginning. You made it to the playoffs. That should net a week rest. The higher seeds get homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. No. 1 seed guarantees it, and winning the division gets you at least a first round homefield advantage. First round begins this way. No. 1 seed plays the 5th seed. No. 2, the 6th. No. 3, the 7th. No. 4, the 8th. More competitive games. One more bye week before the SB. They could take the season back to 16 games and eliminate the 17th game.

I'm tryin to do research on how the bracket system works.
I'm tracking this
Two divisions, AFC, NFC,
Split in four sub divisions.
North, east, south, west...
Sooo what. AFC plays with the AFC and the NFC plays with the NFC. They play their own sub division, and move down the bracket.
So like, saints and bucs for example. Both teams(NFC and south) they play. What does that mean for the bucs?

bro i was so confused why there were only one team in each conference that got a 1st round buy

Also, having to play in the wildcard round isn't always a bad thing. It allows teams to keep their weekly routine. Look what happened to the Ravens last season. 14-2, locked everything up, basically had a double bye since week 17 didn't mean anything, then got run over by the 9-7 Titans in the divisional. If teams aren't careful they can get rusty during bye weeks. The Titans ended up in the conference championship.

FYI, in 1970, the 49ers were not eliminated in the first round; the Vikings were. San Francisco played Dallas in the NFC Championship. It was the first time Dallas and San Francisco would play in the post season.

Both 1 seeds last this year in the divisional round lol so much for being able to predict the Superbowl 😬

The #1 seeds get a bye out of the wild card round. Then after the wild card round, we play the divisional round, and then the lowest seed plays the #1 seed. Then the next highest seed team plays the lowest seed for the other divisional game.

I agree that the new system isn't perfect, but I do think it has merits over the 6-team playoff format. Right now the reward for winning your division is to get a home playoff game (which in theory is good, but Washington making the playoffs in 2020 with a 7-9 record AND hosting a playoff game for winning an extremely weak division can defeat that purpose - but the "fix" for that is another discussion). And Tampa Bay's run to the Super Bowl title as a 5 seed in 2020 defeats the idea of the #1 seed having such a huge advantage. The #1 definitely has an advantage with a bye week and home field throughout the playoffs, but they still have to play the playoff game. You could argue that getting the bye can take away momentum for the #1 from a successful regular season, and they wind up playing a team that caught fire at the end of the season. Plus if you look back, about half of the time at least one of the #1 seeds in either conference doesn't make it to the Super Bowl.

I agree, it gives too big an advantage to the #1 seed and too small an advantage to the #2 seed.
The #1 seed is the only team to receive a bye AND they're the only team guaranteed to host every playoff game if they advance.
This year the NFC's 1 and 2 seeds, the Packers and Buccaneers, both finished 13-4. The AFC's 1 and 2 seeds, the Chiefs and Titans, both finished 12-5. The #1 seed didn't even distinguish itself by winning more games! They are separated by some tiebreaker that the average fan probably couldn't even tell you without looking it up.

I like the fact that the best team in each conference gets the bye, while the 2nd best team doesn't. If you are the number 1 seed you earned that right to get that bye. Why should the 2nd best team in the conference get it too. That's not really fair to the 1st best team in that conference.

2020 AFC: Dolphins miss playoffs at 10-6
2020 NFC: Two teams get in at or below .500

I believe the reason they are doing this, as well as expanding to 17 games is to prepare us for going to either 36 or 40 teams. I dont think that many teams is really good for the sport. For instance there are already a huge gap between QB from the top teams and bottom teams and that gap will just widen. If they wanted to add a conference to each division it would make a lot of money though. You could also expand teams into Mexico, Canada or even Europe, which would suck, but money. In this hypothetical world you have 5 conferences and 3 wild cards and nobody gets a bye. The season would also be 17 games. Maybe the NFL doesn't have plans this big, but I wouldn't be surprised. I just worry that it gets too big and you have teams starting Mike Glennon or Geno Smith every week.

Loving the new vids💪🏼💪🏼💯💯

The new playoff format is for the teams that are leading their division to keep on playing hard. The old format let the #1 relax its players . Say a team is 12-2 with the next team being 10-4 The leading team knows it will have a bye week no matter what .So the 1st seed team knows its in the playoffs and has a bye so they can let players rest and make adjustments over the last two weeks .
With this new playoff format that #1 team will want to keep the top seed and will play every game.hard to ensure they get the bye week.
Also the extra wild card team and extended season gives hope to some teams who would be out by week 14 . The extra wild card is suppose to stop all the craziness of an 11-5 team not making the playoffs because they had one less win in their division. The extra game is suppose to keep teams in the hunt for a playoff game..This game should eliminate a lot of tied records and it will keep teams vying for a playoff berth and not making plans for next season.
I think the 1# bye might back fire on the NFL.who's to say that the 3# seed team will just stop being competitive and rest their players instead of making them work so hard and possibly injure themselves for a shot at the 2# seed .its not worth it and you can also apply this scenario to the 2#seed team..
If they wanted to do something with the playoffs. They should allow four wild card teams and still give the bye week to the Number one and Number two seed.

And yet, I'm the first year of this playoff format, a 5th seed won it all!

I think 7 of 16 teams in each conference isn't so bad, I mean it's a whole lot better than the NBA where they added the Play In Tournament, going from 8 of 15 to 10 of 15 teams in the playoffs!

It’d be cool for nfl to do nba playoff method. Everyone plays in the first round. 1v8 2v7 3v6 4v5

Yes, adding 2 more teams in the playoffs does seem out of order, of course they're driven to get more money, but I don't agree with your opinion about not being fair that only 2 teams have byes. They have the best results in their respective conferences during championship, so they deserve to be rewarded. What's would be the point of playing more games in the championship if you already qualified for the playoffs with 4 or 5 games remaining? You could as well rest the best players in your team, don't even try to play as hard or simply don't show up at the games....

So much for predicting both #1 seeds into the super bowl

I hate the Monday night playoff game. If the home teams had all held serve in the wild card round then the winner of that Monday night game would be traveling on a short week to play the only team in the conference that had a bye. Last year they had 2 days of triple headers -- that was more "fair." I still don't like 7 playoff teams per conference (and I am an Eagles far, the 7th seed in 2021).
7 seed @ 2 seed is going to be a formality most seasons -- albeit a formality in which the 2 seed has to play at full speed and take injury risk, potentially making the 1 seed all the more likely to advance to the Super Bowl. The 1 seed earned the privilege of HFA and a bye week; they don't need the 2 seed to face bigger handicap than that. Forcing the 2 seed to play an 18th game prior to the divisional round is a handicap.

Yeah it gives the #1 seed more of an advantage and a higher possibility of going to the super bowl but i would argue that the #1 seed almost always have more of an advantage and a higher possibility of going to the super bowl. That's why they are the #1 seed. They're usually the best team.

Man what a great video. Keep it up!

The NBA, with its new EVERY TEAM TO THE PLAYOFFS format. That’s the worst. By far.

NFL should maybe do NBA style playoffs with no byes or do 2 byes for each conference

I would also like to see divisional realignment and go back to 6 divisions instead of 8. We could have 4 divisions of 5 and 2 divisions of 6. There would be staggered divisions, but they've had staggered divisions many times throughout the NFL's history and still did fine. 8 divisions is too many.

the way I heard it, it won't be long till 16 teams make the playoffs. With byes the teams that get them get 2 weeks off between end of season and their playoff game while other teams get 2. That may sound good, but it can be too much time.

Here right after both number 1s were knocked out in 2022.

i will always feel that 16 games with 32 teams was perfect.. u play ur division 6 times, play the other conference 4 times, play a division in ur conference 4 times, and then u play the 2 teams that wound up with the same placing are ur team the previous year.. perfect... now with 17th game, it even throws the record books out the window..
but with that said, im a Steelers fan that just benefitted from the 17th game.. so oh well.. lol..

With four divisions this is the best format. It makes home field advantage more advantageous being that team is the only one that gets a bye. It means that the second seeded team can be guaranteed two home games if they win the first, and that a fourth place team in the division can theoretically get in, just in case the divisions are lopsided.

In my opinion they should 1-6 seed but instead of division winners getting automatic 1-4 seeds they should just clinch a spot in the playoffs. Seeding should be purely based off record. A 9-7 eagles division winner should not get home field advantage over the 11-5 Seahawks who is in a far better division. The seeding should’ve been as follows: 1. SF 2. GB 3. NO 4. SEA 5. MIN 6. PHI

I'm okay with 7 playoff teams in each conference. My thing is I think once the 4 division champs and 3 wildcard teams are determined they should be seeded according to W-L record. I think wins should be the top priority. Winning your division guarantees a playoff spot. That's it. Too much is put on winning the division. I hate seeing 9-7 teams stay at home and a 12-4 has to travel. Last year's NFC would have been...
(1)SF (13-3)*, (2)GB (13-3)*
(6)PHI (9-7)* @ (3)NO (13-3)*
(5)MIN (10-6) @ (4)SEA (11-5)
*division winner

Tbh I hated the 4 divisions method bc the 1st wildcard now loses a home game and 9 times out of 10 there record is at least 2 or more games better than the lowest division winner. Where when u had 3 divisions that first wc got a home game to remedy that. Id like to see divisions leave and seed them like the NBA according to record, Or keep the divisions and do that

Just make whole season a "playoff". All 32 teams, triple elimination! Participation trophy for everyone !

I think you make good points about keeping the playoff's interesting from fan perspective and everybody loves to see an upset.
But at the same time, I think the new format rewards teams that have played well and won games consistently over the course of the regular season. And I think from a competitive point of view, that's a fairer way to do it. It depends how you view the importance of the regular season, whether you see it as it's own thing or whether it's simply to determines who's in the playoff's and who's not.
I personally think the number 1 seed should have the biggest advantage as a reward for the regular season performance. If they're all even going into the playoff games (or the advantage is only small) what's the big deal about winning your divison or even being the division champs?

They plan to add another wild card team and up the the regular season to 20 games. Your right. It is TV money. Since they have 8 divisions, it would be better in my opinion if they just included the divisional winners giving each team off one week after the regular season, then play for the title. Why should wild card teams be allowed in a playoff group of teams that won a division? Where's the reward?

I think the new format will encourage teams to play week to week and be more competitive. I don’t think it hurts the integrity of the sport bc it’s a one and done sport. Whoever comes to play in that game will win. We’ve seen number one seeds be dethroned, therefore statistically by adding another team to both conferences, it adds another threat to that number one seed. Therefore actually giving value for being the best team in your conference.

Completely agree. And really loved the historical context. Thanks for taking the time to add that. There is one more thing, you may have mentioned it and I missed it but the possibility of a team with a losing record making the playoffs just increased because of this format plus the added game. And that's just nauseating to think about.

What's worst is a losing team with a 6-9 record and a whole division that has more losses than Wins for a team to make it into the playoffs. Some teams with winning records still wouldnt make the playoffs because they didn't win their division. They need to change this for the NFL.

Think about what the divisional round is. It makes sense that teams in the same division wouldn't play each other.
They need to rename all the rounds because only half the teams playing in the wildcard round are wildcards, the divisional round doesnt make any sense leaving the conference championship the only round that makes sense.

With every team you add to the playoffs you diminish the regular season further and further. The NBA and NHL regular seasons are almost meaningless at this point. Compare the English primer league, which has no playoffs. EVERY regular season game is huge. NFL is headed the way of the NBA/NHL. Too many teams in too many playoff games

I feel like this change only makes sense if the NFL has plans to expand at some point. but even then, where would those teams go? Maybe straight up absorb the CFL, take away some teams like either Edmonton or Calgary who are very close to each other, and also Hamilton and Ottawa which are in close proximity of Buffalo and Montreal respectively. This would also allow for the addition of 2 teams in the states or maybe a team in Mexico. I know people bring up London for an expansion team but travel makes it logistically improbable. I would propose putting a team in St. Louis again, and a team in either Salt Lake City or Monterrey, Mexico. Again I would normally propose Mexico City but again travel may be an issue as Mexico City is 500mi farther from the border than Monterrey it makes sense in a logistical sense.

I love how his voice kinda aligns with the beat in the background
Makes it kinda sound like some sort of pseudo rap

IMO I’m still a fan of the idea that no one from your division advances to the playoffs unless they’re positive, no .500 or below team should be in the playoffs.
Like this year with the NFC East we might very well have a team that gets into the playoffs at 6-10 lmao. The NFC East’s only saving grace this year is the fact that there’s already 3 wild card teams this year, and the only 3 teams who are over .500 outside of the divisional winners are already those 3 wild card teams lol.
I think the only way a divisional “winner” with a negative record should advance to the playoffs is if there’s literally no other team in the conference with a positive record who doesn’t already have a wild card spot, like this year.
(Wtf I just realized the NFC only has 5 teams who are guaranteed to go positive. Even if the Bears beat the Packers and the Cardinals beat the Rams, that’s still only 7 positive teams. Wtf happened this year lol.)

They need to do it like the NBA, 16 teams 1vs8 2vs7 3vs6 and 4vs5 it just makes sense

"The Super Bowl will just be the #1 seeds every year"
Fast forward to Jan 2022 when both #1 seeds were knocked out coming off a bye - one by a wildcard. The conference championship matchups are between a 2 and a 4 and a 4 and a 6. We could have a 4 v 6 Super Bowl.

More teams in the playoffs will make the regular season less meaningful.
Now teams will rest there players or fake injuries and wait to see weather or not their team makes the playoffs.
"Derek Henry" is a perfect example of this.