Abolish NFL Divisions

Herman Edwards famously said, “You play to win the game.”

Bill Parcells said, “You are what your record says you are.”

In the NFL, however, it isn’t how much you win, it is which division you happen to be in. Sometimes your record says you should be a playoff team, but you aren’t.

I was first annoyed by this in 1985. The 11–5 Broncos missed the playoffs whereas the 8–8 Browns got in, just because the Browns won their 4-team division.

As I write this, seven teams in the NFC are 7–6 or better, but the 6–7 Cowboys are in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot. It seems likely either them or the Eagles will win the NFC East with a 8–8 record or worse, while the Rams or Bears could finish 9–7 or better and miss the playoffs.

This unjust outcome is fairly common; we’ve seen it six times in the previous 11 seasons.

• 2008 AFC: Patriots miss playoffs at 11–5; Chargers win division at 8–8;
• 2010 NFC: 10–6 Giants and 10–6 Bucs miss playoffs; Seahawks win divison at 7–9;
• 2011 AFC: 9–7 Titans miss playoffs; Broncos win division at 8–8.
• 2012 NFC; 10–6 Cardinals miss; Packers win division at 8–7–1
• 2014 NFC: 10–6 Eagles miss; Panthers win division at 7–8–1.
• 2015 AFC: 10–6 Steelers miss; Texans in playoffs at 9–7

Why should this be?