Memo to the NFL: Add a Playoff Round, Not Regular Season Games

Andrew Cahill

Senior Analyst Written on March 28, 2009

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 18: Fullback Terrelle Smith #45 and tackle Gabe Watson #98 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrate after the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 18, 2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 32-25 to advance to the Super Bowl. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Patriot Pat says-

Remember how much of a feel good story the Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl run was?

The NFL has a gold-mine staring itself in the face, and they don't know it.

Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to create a longer regular season. It would happen by essentially transforming one or two preseason games into regular season games.

The intent behind such a move would be two fold; to create more revenue through ticket sales and television marketing, and to allow fans the opportunity to see their star players play more often instead of the backups.

With the Patriots out of the playoffs, I chose to follow the Cardinals and their chance at making a run at a Super Bowl victory.

They surprised everybody, and if not for a great last-minute drive, they would have won the Super Bowl.

So my idea is simple.

Instead of adding regular season games for every team, where the regular season would likely end with quite a few meaningless games, just take the idea of more games and add a playoff round.

Fans want to see their star players play more, but I believe that they would prefer that playing time be at the end of the season, and it would give more teams a chance at putting together a run at a great story.

Week one would begin where week four of the preseason is now, and a new round would start during what is currently week seventeen.

As the playoff system stands, 12 teams make the playoffs out of 32. That's six from each conference.

In this new system, sixteen would make the playoffs. The four division winners, and the next four best records from each conference.

This is how the system would look for one conference:

Hypothetical Conference Bracket

True Wild Card Wild Card Divisional Conference Super Bowl

1st Seed

3rd Seed 1/3/5/8 Seed

5th Seed 3/5/8 Seed

5/8 Seed

8th Seed 1-8 Seed

2nd Seed

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written on March 28, 2009 Opinion