2008 NFL Regular Season Thread.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

I'm a supporter of changing the playoff format to include the top 6 teams regardless of division. The fact that Arizona is sleepwalking yet secured a playoff spot (at home, no less) because SF, Seattle and STL are terrible is silly. Diddo with the Broncos and Chargers.

With 4 Divisions now and only 6 Divisional games the only way I think it could be justified to give Division winners automatic playoff berths would be to expand the playoffs to 8 teams from each confrerence.

So considering that would be a poor idea as you start to have too many playoff teams and no rewards for top teams in the form of a bye, yeah, I think it's time to award playoff seeds based on conference position and no longer give a free pass to a team that won a weak Division.

Back when it was 3 Division winners and half of every teams schedule was based on Division play than I could understand that logic. But with the way it is today, teams like Arizona, Denver and San Diego had ample oppurtunity to post good Division records to help them earn legitimate playoff spots.

[Philly06Cup]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

And on the flip side, who saw the Chargers, Seahawks(I know injuries played a big part of it) and Browns being so awful?

Don't forget the Jaguars being awful, too.

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

I'm a supporter of changing the playoff format to include the top 6 teams regardless of division

This would defeat the purpose of even having 8 division to start with. Winning your division has to be worth something. It's much worse in baseball, when only 4 teams make the playoffs on either side.

A better possibility would be to have 2 divisions in each conference; 8 teams each; winners getting a bye.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Denver is expected to place RB's PJ Pope and Selvin Young on IR after both suffered season ending injuries yesterday. Just to recap...

Anthony Alridge
Andre Hall
Michael Pittman
Ryan Torain
Peyton Hillis
Selvyn Young
P.J. Pope

I think the Broncos have signed Fred Brathwaite to carry the load in San Diego.

[Displaced Flames fan]

You know, it's one season and people are freaking out because some mediocre teams are winning divisions. It's ridiculous IMO.

If we see this a few years in a row then you guys have a case.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

Don't forget the Jaguars being awful, too.

Can't believe I forgot the Jags. They hold the award for 2008's most disappointing team(I would've given it to the Chargers, but I have a feeling they're going to scrape in next weekend, unfortunately. They do NOT deserve it).

[Flickered Flame]

The Fins-Jets game is now at 4pm ET. Basically the league doesn't want both the Giants and Jets on at the same time so they have moved the Fins game back.

[GirlySports]

Wow, what's with these teams that need to win making dumb mistakes.
Chicago throwing this one away after tying it 17-17.

[Sainters7]

That Alex Brown block was about as clutch as it gets. Another OT win for the Bears to keep their season alive, unbelieveable. They had no business winning that game, they were outplayed from start to finish.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

You know, it's one season and people are freaking out because some mediocre teams are winning divisions. It's ridiculous IMO.

If we see this a few years in a row then you guys have a case.

If it were one team that might be different or if the teams on the outside weren't as good as they but to have two division winners look as bad as the Cardinals and Broncos have all season and they beat out teams with possible 11-5/10-6 records is crazy.

Especially considering that the Cards could have won the division with a worse record and the Broncos have been lucky to get the wins that they have. It isn't like these are two teams that are actually good and have had some bad luck they are legitimately poor teams that get to host play-off games.

Through in the Vikings, with Tavares Jackson at QB, and that is 3 bad teams that will win their divisions this year.

[dirk diggler]

now idiots like Kornheiser will continue to say Rodgers cant get it done in the last minute, tired of all the pro favre love, the guy continues to hurt his team with all his stupid interceptions.. you cant compare the packers of last year and say they were so great because of only Favre and this year they suck because they dont have him?? Favre should retire, i am tired of hearing about him....

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

I'm a supporter of changing the playoff format to include the top 6 teams regardless of division. The fact that Arizona is sleepwalking yet secured a playoff spot (at home, no less) because SF, Seattle and STL are terrible is silly. Diddo with the Broncos and Chargers.

The thing is each teams schedule is based on their division. So would it be fair to have three AFC East teams in the playoffs when they had a cream puff schedule outside of their division with games vs the Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, and Cardinals?

[Bobblehead]

Yeah, leave the playoffs like they are. Sure some teams that don't deserve it might make it, but they should lose first round. The best teams are still going to make it. If 3 teams from one division make the post season they had better totally dominate when they play out-of-conference games, and while it looked like that might happen this year, it didn't.

And for a good as some of the powerful divisions are, I think those can also make some of the "cream puff" divisions look worse than they really are. Yeah, the NFC West is bad this year. But any division's record will be bad if they had to play the AFC East and the NFC East. The 49ers season pretty much ended (and Mike Nolan's job was done) when they lost to the Pats/Eagles/Giants in a 3 week span. Not that the 49ers are a playoff team, but that stretch turned a 2-2 season into a 2-5 season in a big hurry.

So I don't think you can screw with the playoffs until all teams have a similar schedule, and that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

now idiots like Kornheiser will continue to say Rodgers cant get it done in the last minute, tired of all the pro favre love, the guy continues to hurt his team with all his stupid interceptions.. you cant compare the packers of last year and say they were so great because of only Favre and this year they suck because they dont have him?? Favre should retire, i am tired of hearing about him....

Who listens to Kornheiser? I don't bother to watch MNF anymore. I have it on radio and do other stuff.

Of course SNF with Michaels and Madden is great.
I've been enjoying the NFL Network's coverage too. I thought on Saturday with Marshall Faulk and Dion Sanders it would be a disaster but it was very enjoyable with Faulk providing the Xs and Os and Sanders providing the emotion and intangibles.

The schedule and playoffs are as good as you'll get. NFL shouldn't mess with it. I like the OT rules too
I saw a college overtime on sunday night after the Giants game and it was pretty cheesy.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

The thing is each teams schedule is based on their division. So would it be fair to have three AFC East teams in the playoffs when they had a cream puff schedule outside of their division with games vs the Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, and Cardinals?

The AFC East teams do not have exactly the same schedules. The stronger teams get a couple of tougher games that the weaker teams don't get. ex. the Pats got IND and PIT, while MIA got BAL and HOU.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by troutman

The AFC East teams do not have exactly the same schedules. The stronger teams get a couple of tougher games that the weaker teams don't get. ex. the Pats play the Colts every year.

AFC did have it east this year playing the AFC and NFC West. If Brady hadn't gotten hurt they may have gone 16-0 again!

Pittsburgh's was brutal AFC South and NFC East plus 1st place AFC East and 1st place AFC West

So that was Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinati twice plus Tennesse, Indy, Jacksonville, Houston, Dallas, Philly, NY Giants, Washington, New England and San Diego.

I like the formula. The NFL schedule is quite easy to put together.

Next Year the Lions will play the St. Louis

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

AFC did have it east this year playing the AFC and NFC West. If Brady hadn't gotten hurt they may have gone 16-0 again!

Pittsburgh's was brutal AFC South and NFC East plus 1st place AFC East and 1st place AFC West

So that was Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinati twice plus Tennesse, Indy, Jacksonville, Houston, Dallas, Philly, NY Giants, Washington, New England and San Diego.

I like the formula. The NFL schedule is quite easy to put together

Don't forget though that East-West travel isn't always they easiest thing to do. I don't think a single West Division team won a game in the East this year as bad as the teams were..thats still amazing that 16 games and not one win. Likewise a few of the better teams from the East didn't fare as well on the West Coast as they should. The Jets for example...fail on the West coast.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Don't forget though that East-West travel isn't always they easiest thing to do. I don't think a single West Division team won a game in the East this year as bad as the teams were..thats still amazing that 16 games and not one win. Likewise a few of the better teams from the East didn't fare as well on the West Coast as they should. The Jets for example...fail on the West coast.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_i...008&week=REG13

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Don't forget though that East-West travel isn't always they easiest thing to do. I don't think a single West Division team won a game in the East this year as bad as the teams were..thats still amazing that 16 games and not one win. Likewise a few of the better teams from the East didn't fare as well on the West Coast as they should. The Jets for example...fail on the West coast.

Was successful for NE. They went West 4 times and went 3-1 beating Oakland, San Fran and Seattle and losing to San Diego. KC, STL, DEN and ARI all lost at Gillette Stadium. So 7-1 against the "West"

San Diego had a clutch win against Tampa just this past Sunday but you're right, I think that was the only West team to win in the East.

Edit: And San Fran as Bobblehead just pointed out

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

I'm a supporter of changing the playoff format to include the top 6 teams regardless of division. The fact that Arizona is sleepwalking yet secured a playoff spot (at home, no less) because SF, Seattle and STL are terrible is silly. Diddo with the Broncos and Chargers.

I'd only be ok with that if they rework the scheduling format. If you play eeach team in your division twice, a fair reward for winning that division is a playoff spot, is it not?

Perhaps they need to get rid of divisions as such, maybe just have conferences.

The problem is to come up with a scheduling format that works and is fair to all teams.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by troutman

The AFC East teams do not have exactly the same schedules. The stronger teams get a couple of tougher games that the weaker teams don't get. ex. the Pats got IND and PIT, while MIA got BAL and HOU.

I think we all know how the schedule works. The AFC East still had 8 games against the two weakest divisions in the league. I think their records reflect that.