Playoffs? Playoffs!

Wouldn't it have been great it if the Colts had defeated the Bears for the right to play the Patriots in the Superbowl last year, instead of visa versa? Can't happen you say? Sure it can, and all we need to do is update the NFL playoffs to insure we get the best possible game each year. The need for this is evident in all sports, based on a discrepancies in talent on one side of the leagues. In the NBA the best talent is in the West, and in Baseball popular opinion says it's in the AL, even thought the lowly Cardinals won the Series last year. In the NFL, it has become apparent that the best teams are in the AFC over the last few years, just as it had once been in the NFC back in the 80's and first half of the 90's.

In order to combat this uneven distribution which results in skewed records in the weaker conferences (you can't tell me the Bears at 13-3 were a game better then the Patriots who were 12-4) and in often unwatchable title games (again the 15-3 Bears vs the 15-4 Colts). This is solved by getting rid of division play as it relates to the playoffs. All 32 teams will comprise one pool, from which the playoff teams are determined. That, naturally begs the question of scheduling, as in who plays who.

First we would get rid of two preseason games and make the season 18 games long. The teams would be divided into 4 tiers based on the previous season's record. Tier 1 is the 8 teams with the best record the previous year, Tier 2 is the next 8 and so on. Tier 1 teams schedule would be made up of: 1) Seven games against the other Tier 1 teams, 2) Eight games against the Tier 4 teams and 3) Three games against traditional/regional rivals for a total of 18 games. A Tier 2 team's schedule would be: 1) Seven games against the other Tier 2 teams, 2) Eight games against the Tier 3 teams, and 3) Three games against traditional/regional Rivals. With the reverse being true for Tiers 3 and 4.

So if the Redskins are a a Tier 1 team (Ha ha ha ha) they would play the other 7 Tier one teams, the 8 worst teams in the league and a game against Dallas, New York and Philadelphia. If one of those teams is in Tier 1 or 4 then they would play twice, home and home.

After the 18 game regular season, the teams with the 8 best records would qualify for the playoffs. Right now 12 teams (37.5% of the league) make the playoffs and there are 11 total games. Under my plan, 8 teams (25% of the league) make the playoffs and there are only two less games, with 9.

This is what the current NFL Playoff tree looks like. More and more it seems that 8-8 teams are getting in, and rarely do they move on. The top 4 teams in the League get a buy in week one meaning that they can go two or three weeks with out a meaningful game. Plus, the first week of the playoffs has none of the best teams in the league playing.

In my plan (which is just like the McIntyre system used in Aussie Rules) the 4 best teams in the league not only play in the first week of the playoffs, but also must be beaten twice before exiting, which allows for playoff rematches, and takes a great team off the hook for a poor performance. In week one the games are as such: #1 vs #4, #2 vs #3, #5 vs #8 and #6 vs #7. The winners of the 1v4 and 2v3 games earn a week off, while the losers earn a second chance. They face off against the winners of the 5v8 and 6v7 games, who's losers are eliminated. If the rankings held to form #1 and #2 would win and move on, while #3 would meet #6 and #4 would take on #5. The winners of these games are crossed to the other side of the bracket to push possible rematches to the title game. So in the scenario in the graph above (click to see larger), the Colts take the Chargers out in week 1 and then wait for the winner of the Chicago vs New Orleans game, eventually beating the Bears to move on to the Superbowl. Meanwhile, the Pats (who as a #5 seed can't afford even one loss) take out the Jets, Chargers and Ravens on their way to their eventual Superbowl Loss to the Colts. Brady vs. Manning in the Superbowl, now that's quality watching.

In addition to the fantastic playoffs, it would also foster the creation of more natural rivals. Indy vs New England never meant anything until Brady and Manning came to town. But, over time they played a back and forth series, and seemed to meet almost every year in both the regular season and playoffs. Now it is must see TV.