Week 18 is full of people talking, what went wrong, and what went right. How they made the playoffs or how they missed them. What if, instead of a cold calculated formula for playoff berths, there was a committee just like in college football that had the sole goal of putting the best teams in each conference and division in the playoffs? Here’s how it may play out.
NFC
1 seed: Packers. Tied at 14-3 with the Saints, there could be an argument in the committee since the Saints have been hotter and have a very impressive resume, but H2H reigns supreme and the NFC runs through Green Bay.
2 seed: Saints. At 14-3 with the second best defense in the league and a great offense to accompany it, this is a no brainer for the playoff committee.
3 Seed: Rams. They showed they could win their division and they did with a rookie quarterback. Poised for another playoff run, the committee can’t have them higher than 3, but there are expectations of a deep run.
4 Seed: Cowboys. Despite their lackluster 9-8 record, the formatting for these playoffs is the same with division winners earning a spot. They went 5-1 in their division so definitely earned it.
5 seed: Lions. A great season from Detroit after acquiring Chris Jones has the Lions as the top wildcard spot, they have some quality wins and the gameplan to make something happen.
6 seed: Vikings. In our first departure from the actual playoff picture, the Vikings shoot up to the 6 seed with their 9-8 record and strong quality of play keeping games close and beating top teams like the Packers. A team the committee LOVES as they may not win a playoff game but they will keep it close.
7 seed: Cardinals. In an ultra hard decision for the committee, the Cardinals get into the playoffs as the NFC 7 seed. The Cardinals have a record better than the Vikings, but with a point differential of -9 over this season, it was not guaranteed that the Seahawks, Giants, or Falcons could have jumped them like the Vikings. In the end, they are healthy and competitive.
Just Out:
Falcons: The committee, just like their college counterpart’s Florida State decision, couldn’t put Atlanta in due to their injury volume fearing they were too weak to make something happen.
Seahawks: They had the resume and even had a win over the Vikings and Cardinals, but the committee chose a different path and surely would get hate from Seattle fans over their inconsistencies.
Giants: 9-8 is above .500, so the Giants have something to be proud of, but with just 1 win against a team .500 or above, they never stood a chance in the wildcard pack.
So what if PML had a playoff committee and they decided the NFC seeding? Minnesota fans would be happy that’s for sure, but virtually everyone else would be upset.
AFC Coming once the real bracket is set
