Why would anyone be lived? If you don't win the division you are an at large/ wild card team. If there is a softer division and a team with a losing record gets in that's the breaks.
Originally Posted by: wpr
Right, would I be happy if the Packers lost out on a playoff spot at 12-4? Of course not but the same would happen for any other team in the same situation so its not like they are being picked on.
If you are going to have divisions there should be a perk for winning it. That perk is a playoff berth. Otherwise you might as well just scrap the division thing and have the top 6 teams in each conference get in like basketball does it with their 8 teams. Play everyone in your conference 1 time and the team in the opposite conference that finished in the same position as you did, that makes 16 games. Of course that would kill rivalries and we would only play the Bears and vikings and Lions 1 time a year but hey only the best teams, or at least the ones with the best records, get into the playoffs.
I wouldn't mind adding another wild card team to each conference as it would perhaps give a 10-6 or 11-5 team who missed out a chance but not because an 8-8 team got in. Giving the 1 team with the best record a bye and have the other 6 teams play on WC weekend.