SO the Texans are in first place in the division....

[ObsiWan]

Both teams were recent and their win didn't change the fact that they had no business being there. The post season is there to reward teams that have achieved throughout the whole season. It is set up for the "best teams." Not the luckiest teams out have three bad teams to be better than.

Horsehockey!
If you were correct in your assessment the 8-8 teams should have had their clocks cleaned in the playoffs by the teams that were three games "better". But that wasn't what happened was it?
When the NY Giants won their last SB, they got in with a 9-7 record. They then proceeded to beat - all on the road - the 10-6 Falcons, the 15-1 GB Packers, and the 13-3 Niners on their way to beating the 13-3 Patriots for the title.
Point is to get in the tourney and go from there.

 

[ChampionTexan]

I really dislike watching 8-8 teams in the playoffs every other year. 9-7 is ugly enough, but its a winning record at least.

Well lucky for you it's only happened, what twice? And as has been pointed out both teams won playoff games.

Losing teams (7-9, 7-8-1) have only made the playoffs twice. 8-8 teams have made the playoffs nine times since the NFL went to 6 playoff teams per conference in 1990-91. Surprisingly, only two of those 9 were when the NFL still had 28 teams. Most recently was the 2011 Broncos where Tebow threw a TD pass in overtime to see them beat the Steelers in the WC game. In both 1999 and 2004, there were two 8-8 teams in the NFC bracket. So in the last 25 years (we'll wait and see about 2015), there have been 11 teams at .500 or below in the NFL playoffs. Their cumulative record in the WC round is 5-6.

 

[bah007]

This isn't necessarily based on anything in this thread, more just an observation based on conversations I've had with people I know.

But I've always thought it was funny that the people who complain about the NFL playoff system are generally the same ones that love the college basketball format, where the winner of the Southwest Eastern Ohio conference gets an automatic bid regardless of their record, and knowing full well that there is no chance they win the tourney.

But heaven forbid in a league with generally equal talent level we give auto bids to division winners..

 

[EllisUnit]

Losing teams (7-9, 7-8-1) have only made the playoffs twice. 8-8 teams have made the playoffs nine times since the NFL went to 6 playoff teams per conference in 1990-91. Surprisingly, only two of those 9 were when the NFL still had 28 teams. Most recently was the 2011 Broncos where Tebow threw a TD pass in overtime to see them beat the Steelers in the WC game. In both 1999 and 2004, there were two 8-8 teams in the NFC bracket. So in the last 25 years (we'll wait and see about 2015), there have been 11 teams at .500 or below in the NFL playoffs. Their cumulative record in the WC round is 5-6.

Isn't all this a mute point if we beat Jags on Sunday and are 9-7....

 

[Lucky]

I'd just like to play every team in the conference every year. Yeah there is gonna be the "well we had to play this team on the road and they got that team at home" and that's all crap as far as I'm concerned.

Non conference play would be almost abolished in that scenario. The Texans and Cowboys would play once every 16 years. The Cowboys would play in Houston every 32 years. You know that's not happening. I don't even hear anyone asking for this (until now).

If there is ever additional expansion to the league, playing every team in the conference becomes more implausible. I think fans have to realize there is never going to be a perfect playoff system or schedule. But every team goes into the season knowing the rules and what it takes to make the playoffs. It's on them to make it happen.

 

[Lucky]

Isn't all this a mute point if we beat Jags on Sunday and are 9-7....

Yeah but what would be the difference? If the Bengals had defeated the Broncos on Monday night, the Texans would have clinched the division with no chance at advancing their playoff position. Sitting key players in what would have been a meaningless game would have made sense. So what would be the difference in an 8-8 team vs 9-7 then? Or an 11-5 vs 12-4 team in the same scenario.

The regular season is about doing what it takes to get to the playoffs. How well you do in the regular season affects the seeding but everyone starts with a fresh record. All the teams know this. All the players know this. It's the fans that seem to get confused.

 

[EllisUnit]

Yeah but what would be the difference? If the Bengals had defeated the Broncos on Monday night, the Texans would have clinched the division with no chance at advancing their playoff position. Sitting key players in what would have been a meaningless game would have made sense. So what would be the difference in an 8-8 team vs 9-7 then? Or an 11-5 vs 12-4 team in the same scenario.

The regular season is about doing what it takes to get to the playoffs. How well you do in the regular season affects the seeding but everyone starts with a fresh record. All the teams know this. All the players know this. It's the fans that seem to get confused.

I am agreeing with you, maybe i was mistaken thought you were saying that an 9-7 team shouldn't make the playoffs.

 

[Lucky]

I am agreeing with you, maybe i was mistaken thought you were saying that an 9-7 team shouldn't make the playoffs.

What I was saying in a nutshell is that the point should be moot regardless of what the Texans record is. If they make the playoffs, they deserve to be there.

 

[EllisUnit]

What I was saying in a nutshell is that the point should be moot regardless of what the Texans record is. If they make the playoffs, they deserve to be there.

Ohhhhm ok well i agree with you.

 

[Lucky]

Ohhhhm ok well i agree with you.

You won't regret it, I promise.

 

[thunderkyss]

What's the difference between a 9-7 team & a 10-6 team.

If we're saying we have an unfair advantage because of the division we're in, then even 12-4 team doesn't belong in the playoffs since 6 games don't really count.

The only "fair" way to do it would be to use the media power rankings and a computer generated algorithm to determine which teams wins count & which wins don't. Then get a panel of "experts" to disregard all that, throw darts at a board, select four teams then ask me which two will play for the championship.

It's the only way.

 

[Thorn]

Can we draw straws for the playoffs then?

 

[thunderkyss]

Non conference play would be almost abolished in that scenario. The Texans and Cowboys would play once every 16 years. The Cowboys would play in Houston every 32 years. You know that's not happening. I don't even hear anyone asking for this (until now).
.

Then they should get rid of the pro bowl & all non playoff teams can invite each other to play a single non-conference game the week before the Super Bowl.

The Texans & Cowboys can play each other virtually every year.

They can even award the lowest draft pick to the winner. Of course you'll have to make it mandatory for the five worst teams to host or accept an invite.

 

[TD]

The repeated division games do build some rivalries, but I think the biggest rivalries come from repeated playoff encounters. For example Oilers v. Pittsburgh or Dallas v. Pittsburgh. Dallas and Pittsburgh aren't even in the same conference but the 70s clashes renewed in the 90s has them as huge rivals.

Pittsburgh v. Houston is a good example of divisions stoking rivalries. They were playing 2 - 3 times a year with everything on the line....and because they continued to play two times a year, that rivalry kept going and going. You are right that it is familiarity in big games is what creates rivalries, but without divisions, those would be few and far between.

How often did Dallas and Pittsburgh play each other? Without a game, a rivalry doesn't really mean much.