8/4/2019 The NFL Needs a New Tiebreaker

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TheNFLNeedsaNewTiebreaker

AfterenduringthatdisgustingfinalweekendoftheNFLregularseason,Ihavecometotheconclusionthatanewtiebreakerisneeded.Howateamperformsduringthefinalweekendshouldbethefirsttiebreaker,withallthecurrenttiebreakersfallinginlineafterthat.Ateamthatwonitsfinalgamewouldholdthefirsttiebreakeradvantageagainstateamthey'retiedwiththatlostitsfinalg

ame.Iftheybothlost,bothwon,orbothtiedtheirfinalgame,thenthecurrenttiebreakerswouldtakeeffectintheorderthattheycurrentlyexist.Thatwouldaccomplishatleastthreeofpositivethings.First,ateamwithaonegameleadforaplayoffspot,headedintothefinalweekend,wouldhavemoredifficulty"backingin"totheplayoffsthewayMinnesotadidthisyear.Byallrights,NewOrleansshouldhavemadetheplayoffsinsteadoftheVikings.Theyfinishedwithidenticalrecords.However,theSaintswontheirfinalgame,whiletheVikingslosttheirs.Infact,undertheNFL'scurrentcrazytiebreakersystem,theVikings'loss,whileultimatelynotdamagingtheirownplayoffhopes,ironicallywasoneofthemajorfactorsthatkepttheSaintsoutoftheplayoffs!Undermyproposedrule,theSaintswouldhavebeeninandtheVikingswouldhavebeenout.

Second,itwouldkeepmoreplayoffberths/positionsopengoingintothefinalweekendandmaintainmoreexcitementandsuspenseallthewaytotheend.Currently,ateamwithaonegameleadforaplayoffberth,bye,homefieldadvantage,and/orseedingcanhavethatpositionclinchedbeforethefinalweekendiftheyownthetiebreakerovertheteam(s)theylead.Undermyproposal,thatwouldnotbepossible.Thatpositionwouldstillbeopenthroughthefinalweekendoftheseason.Forexample,thePittsburghSteelerswouldnothaveclinchedthehomefieldadvantageintheAFCuntiltheybeatBuffalointhefinalweekend,insteadofhavingitalreadyclinchedgoingintothatgame.Third,itwouldalsokeepteamswithonegameleadsfromhavingde-facto"byes"duringthefinalweekend.TakeIndianapolisforexample.TheColts'gameagainstDenverthisweekendwasmeaninglesstothem,eventhoughitmeanteverythingtotheBroncos.AlthoughtheColtshadonlyaonegameleadoverSanDiegoforthe

numberthreeseedintheAFC,theyownedthetiebreakerovertheChargers.Idon'tcarewhatanyonesays,theColts,withtheirlackofeffort,effectivelyrolledoverandallowedtheBroncostowin,whichwasn'tfairtoJacksonvilleandBaltimore,theteamscompetingwiththeBroncosforthefinalAFCplayoffspot.Undermyproposal,theColtswouldhavehadtowintomaintaintheirthirdseedintheplayoffs.ZZZZZZ