The playoff picture in the NFL this year has served up some intriguing scenarios, most notably involving the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. Despite boasting the second-best record in the NFC, the Vikings are set to hit the road for their first playoff clash. This is because the NFC North champions, the 15-2 Detroit Lions, secured the top seed after clinching a victory against Minnesota in Week 18. With that win, the Lions earned the enviable position of a bye week.
Instead of enjoying home-field advantage, the Vikings will travel to Arizona to face the Los Angeles Rams. This game, originally slated for LA, was relocated due to wildfires, adding another layer of unpredictability to this playoff season.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen unusual dynamics in the NFL postseason, as history records seven-win teams hosting wild-card games. And the discussion about revisiting the playoff format is buzzing once again. CBS Sports has reported that the NFL will re-evaluate its playoff system this offseason. One proposed change would alter how home games are allocated, potentially rewarding the top four teams based on winning percentage instead of automatically handing them to division champions.
Had this proposal been in effect this season, teams like the Lions, Vikings, Eagles, and Commanders would be hosting in the NFC, while the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, and Chargers would hold home advantage in the AFC. Currently, the Commanders and Chargers are set to travel, facing off against the Buccaneers and Texans respectively, due to the latter two securing their divisions.
Yet, as Jonathan Jones from CBS notes, enthusiasm for altering the format among team owners seems tepid at best. This conversation isn’t new; Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Lions voiced a similar sentiment earlier, questioning a system that sends a 14-win squad on the road. “Obviously, if you win the division, you should make a playoff spot,” he commented. “But having a 14-win team having to go on the road is kind of crazy.”
The last significant shift in the playoff structure occurred ahead of the 2020 season, when the league expanded the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams. That change saw the introduction of six wild-card games and reduced the number of teams receiving a first-round bye from two per conference to one. Whether this offseason brings about further changes remains to be seen, but it’s a tantalizing prospect for fans eager to see a postseason structure that rewards excellence consistently.
