NFL playoff thread

PK had an interesting tidbit regarding the NFL's possible expansion of the playoffs...

The four other games last weekend would have been:

Giants at Falcons - He called it a rematch of a 34-0 game, I would have been really curious to see how a playoff game would have shaken out.

Bears at Niners - Yeah, not a great game, but not a bad one either...

Chargers at Broncos - Yeah, not sure anyone wants to see these teams play a third time, especially when one of them was 7-9.

Steelers at Patriots - I don't care how bad the Steelers were this season, I would have loved to see this game...

I still hope it happens... I'm not a fan of the bye weeks.

 

I hope RG3 has a long career, but after watching him this season, I wouldn't bet on it.

 

Not all horrible matchups on paper, but you have to remember how badly the Steelers and Giants were playing at the end of the season. Pittsburgh had also just lost Heath Miller for the season, taking away a huge part of an offense that was already faltering. The Patriots would have run them right off the field.

That said, the matchups would have been decent enough that just on this one small sample size, it doesn't look like a complete disgrace to have the expanded field.

 

Two 7-9 teams would have made it. That sounds pretty disgraceful, as does the idea that a team can be 4-9 and still be marketed as a playoff contender.

I personally like the bye weeks. I think they add a meaningful reason to finish in the top two and history proves it to be something of an advantage.

 

Notice I said it wouldn't be a complete disgrace. It still would be pretty bad. I think the format is fine as it is, but the league is going to go for that extra TV money if at all possible and a couple of 7-9 teams in the playoffs is not going to stop that from happening.

Think of the league's perspective on the teams that would have made it. You get two huge markets with New York and Chicago and the Steelers, a small market, but one with a huge national following. You think that doesn't look good to the league despite those teams' failings on the field?

I agree with you about the bye weeks. The top two seeds deserve that reward.

 

Could be in the mid-50s here in Foxboro Sunday evening.

 

It's too easy to make happen for it not to happen...

King addressed this in MMQB, but it would make for a very crowded first weekend because I can't imagine that they would want to put games on opposite each other...

I think it would be three games on Saturday, three games on Sunday and two on Monday. I don't even know if that would be possible.

 

Seriously doubt they'd put two games on Monday. You'd either have them competing with each other or, like the first week of the regular season, you'd have one starting too early for the western half of the country and the other one starting too late for the eastern half.

If they go to 16 teams I think one game is a Thursday craptacular featuring Mike Mayock, one is Friday Night Lights, three Saturday, three Sunday.

I assume they're going to 16 but it's going to suck.

 

The obvious problem is that some winning teams will get as many as three extra practice/rest days in the 16-team format. That's like half a bye week. And you KNOW the top two seeds will get the Saturday and Sunday night games.

 

Who on earth would want to see this year's Chargers play in the playoffs?

Just leave it the fuck alone.

Bigger is usually not better.