Teams With Losing Records Should Not Be Allowed In NFL Playoffs
By Paul Kakert
@edpvideo
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Call it the NFC South rule or the no losers rule, or just call it a no-brainer. The fact of the matter is that no team with a losing record should ever be allowed in the NFL Playoffs.
With only five games to play, the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are tied for first place in the NFC South with 4-7 records. In second place are the Carolina Panthers at 3-7-1, who might have a legitimate shot at taking over first place. In Week 13, the Falcons will play the 9-2 Arizona Cardinals and the Saints will play the 7-4 Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Panthers will take on the 4-7 Minnesota Vikings.
The bottom line is that the best scenarios have the first place team finishing at 8-8. I say best scenarios because that requires either the Saints, Falcons or Panthers to go 4-1 over the next five games. The more realistic scenario sees the first-place team in the NFC South posting a losing record of 7-9, or even 6-10.
The NFL needs to update the playoff rules and put in a safeguard against this happening in the future. If a division is so pathetic that no team can manage a winning record, then that division forfeits its right to send its first-place team to the playoffs.
It’s just not fair to send a 7-9 or 6-10 team to the playoffs and allow a 10-6 or 11-5 team from a more competitive division to miss the playoffs. A quick review of the rest of the NFC suggests that actually could happen. It will be sad to see a losing team from the NFC South in the playoffs, while a quality team like the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions or San Francisco 49ers miss out.
It’s time to review the playoff rules and avoid playoff teams with losing records — it’s just not right.
Paul Kakert is an NFL and Chicago Bears writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @edpvideo, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
Road To Playoffs Harder For Cowboys After Week 14
Even with the Philadelphia Eagles losing to the Seahawks this week, it still looks like a tall task for the Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs this year. Read More
49ers' Colin Kaepernick Is Not Clutch
The San Francisco 49ers may have jumped the gun when they signed Colin Kaepernick to an extension. Read More
5 Takeaways From Packers' Week 14 Win
The Packers were able to defeat the Falcons on Monday night in week 14. What five things can you take away from that victory? Read More
5 Takeaways From Falcons' Week 14 Loss
Here are my five takeaways from the Atlanta Falcons' Week 14 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Read More
Packers' Rodgers Makes It Look Too Easy
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers won the battle of divisional leaders as they easily turned away the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Read More
Redskins Should Start RGIII In Week 15
Despite his struggles this season, the Washington Redskins need to give Robert Griffin III another shot at leading the franchise. Read More
J.J. Watt Continues To Make Case For NFL MVP
J.J. Watt continues to make the case to be the NFL MVP for this season by doing it all. Read why his latest performance proves that he deserve this title! Read More
Manziel the Right Choice To Start In Week 15
Johnny Manziel is rumored to be starting for the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, but fans shouldn't count on him saving the season. Read More
Each NFL Team's Most Underrated Player
Superstars alone can’t carry their teams, and it’s often the little known underappreciated players who are the key to each team’s success. Here is every NFL team’s most underrated player. Read More
Giants' Beckham Comparable To Jerry Rice
Odell Beckham Jr. had another huge game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, and broke another New York Giants rookie record. He is starting to look like one of the NFL's greatest WRs ever, Jerry Rice Read More
Week 15 Picks Against The Spread
Here are the predictions for each Week 15 game against the spread. Read More
Dolphins’ Week 15 Playoff Scenarios
The Miami Dolphins head into Week 15 with a 7-6 record. Let's take a look at their playoff chances moving forward. Read More