The 2023 Cleveland Browns have the second-best record in the AFC, but due to the outdated playoff format, they will not enter the playoffs higher than the fifth seed in the conferenceGerman SpencerJanuary 3, 2024 8:38am ESTIn this story:
Cleveland BrownsThe NFL first began allowing division winners into the playoffs in 1967.At the time, the league consisted of 16 teams, divided into two 8-team conferences, which were further divided into four four-team divisions.
Each division sent one team to the playoffs, creating a field of four teams that would compete for the NFL championship. Consider the current format of the College Football Playoff: Four teams participate, one emerges as champion.
Atthe time, and even though the number of playoff teams had increased to eight and then 10 after the merger, the concept of division winners earning seedings and hosting a playoff game made sense.
In 2023, as the peloton has expanded further to a total of 14 teams, the philosophy is outdated and no longer necessary.
It’stime for the NFL to follow in the NBA’s footsteps and start ignoring the arbitrary parameters of its divisions and reorganizing teams based on their record once the playoffs begin.
It’s high time that a league continues to reward mediocrity for geographic reasons – which doesn’t always make sense given that Dallas plays in the NFC East – while penalizing good teams because they play in a tougher league in a given year.
Takethe 11-5 Browns for example. According to the league’s tiebreaking procedures, Cleveland currently has the second-best record in the AFC.
But because they played in one of the best divisions in all of football this year and finished behind 13-3, the Ravens remained the top wild-card team, destined (most likely) for only a stretch of road games.
in their quest for a championship. Meanwhile, a reeling 9-7 Jaguars team knows that a win in Week 18 will guarantee them a home game in Wild Card Weekend, despite having no mathematical way to catch the Browns — which, by the way, also has them beaten head – head.Make it meaningful.
It’snot just a Browns thing either. The same situation is playing out across the board with the current 8-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
They are looking to close out the NFC South with a win this weekend and will also host a first-round game.
Meanwhile, the Eagles, currently at 11-5, will likely put on a show during the playoffs as well.
There’sno reason why the most popular sport in America shouldn’t already be integrated into a more modern postseason format.
This sport could drive 11 million people to watch pointless Thursday Night Football games on a subscription-based platform.
They hardly have to worry about whether every region of the country will be represented in the play-offs. The other point:
It makes games more meaningful until the end of the regular season, making it less likely that teams will rest their players in Week 17 or 18 because there’s still something to play for.
Takethe Browns’ game against the Bengals this weekend. There is literally nothing either team can gain – other than pride and a slightly better record, I think – by winning the game.
The Browns are the No. 5 seed in the conference no matter what, while the Bengals have been eliminated from contention.
Butwhat if, for example, winning this game meant the difference between the Browns being ranked No. 2 or n. 3 and a better chance at home deeper in the playoffs or a more advantageous matchup in the opening round probably would.
I’m not even thinking about resting this weekend, guys. It’s time to turn the league’s play-off format into a meritocracy, as it should be.
Hopefullythe topic will be on the agenda when owners gather for the league’s annual meeting in March. On the other hand, there’s a lot of stubbornness in that group, so changing something that “has been this way forever” may seem easier said than done.
Maybe one day the good old boys club will get smart.
