Getty Image
The NFL playoff format could be getting a facelift, and, if it happens, it’d make the drama of the regular season even better.
As most of us know, the current NFL playoff format consists of 12 total teams, with the top-two seeds from each conference getting a bye, leaving seeds 3-6 playing in a Wild Card Game leading up to the Divisional Round, Conference Championships and, finally, the Super Bowl. It works well, but, at times, the playoffs can be too predictable. To help change that, the NFL and the NFLPA seem like they’re interested in spicing things up a little bit when it comes to the postseason, and it has to be done.
According to CBS Sports, per an NFL Network report, with talks for a new collective bargaining agreement continuing this week, players and owners are looking for a way to eliminate a preseason game or two. That sets the stage for a 14-team NFL playoff format, with the idea being to keep the regular season at 16 games, rather than 18 — which is something that NFL owners have discussed previously. It’s important to note that the expanded playoff format hasn’t been formally proposed, but it is being talked about as a possibility.
Per CBS Sports, here’s how a new NFL playoff format could look, which would add an additional team from each conference, while only giving the top-seed from each conference a bye.
Adding two extra playoff games remains in play, as the league’s TV rights are set to be up in a few years. How might the NFL playoff format look with an expanded postseason? With 14 teams entering the picture, the top seven seeds in each conference would make the playoffs. The No. 1 seed would receive a first-round bye, while the No. 2 through No. 7 seeds would play first-round games. The top seed would play the lowest remaining seed in the next round while the winners of the other two first-round games would play each other.
So, yeah, this is awesome and needs to happen. Think about how MLB has kept the intrigue of the postseason races alive from the first game of the season till game No. 162, with multiple teams fighting for the two wild card spots. If people get hyped about that format for baseball, imagine how fans will react with something similar in the NFL, where there’s a shorter season and more fan involvement.
The current NFL collective bargaining agreement expires in 2021 — and the NFLPA has already sent a letter to players warning them that a lockout could be coming, and advised them on how to spend wisely — so we’ll see if this proposed NFL playoff format helps get both sides what they want, while making sure no games are lost in a couple seasons. In my mind, the players ditch a meaningless preseason game or two, the owners get a chance at more money with an expanded playoff game, and fans get excited over the drama lasting all season long. Sounds like a triple win to me.