The Detroit Lions have proposed a drastic shakeup to the NFL playoff format that every football fan would get behind.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Detroit Lions put forward a proposal for wild card teams to be seeded higher than division winners. In their proposal, the seven playoff teams in each conference would be seeded entirely by record.
In 2024, three wild card teams had to open the postseason on the road against division winners with inferior records. The 14-3 Minnesota Vikings lost to the 10-7 Los Angeles Rams, the 11-6 Los Angeles Chargers lost to the 10-7 Houston Texans and the 12-5 Washington Commanders narrowly defeated the 10-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the NFL were to adopt the Detroit Lions’ proposal, it would be in line with the current NBA playoff format, which was adopted in 2015-16. The NBA previously guaranteed a top-four seed to each division winner, but under the new format, it’s possible for a team to win their division and miss the playoffs if they don’t boast a top-eight record in the conference.
Had the NFL seeded teams strictly by records in 2024, the Vikings would have had home advantage in the Wild Card Round and could have enjoyed a deep postseason run. Ironically, it could be the NFC North rivals who help Minny and future wild card teams down the line.
NFL Should Adopt Detroit Lions Proposal
Simply put, it’s long overdue for the NFL to reseed playoff teams by records.
It remains baffling that the 2010 Seattle Seahawks went 7-9 and still got to host a playoff game over the 11-5 New Orleans Saints, the defending Super Bowl champions. Or how about the 2018 New England Patriots (11-5) getting to host the 12-4 Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional Round, en route to their sixth Super Bowl title?
It was totally unfair for teams like the 2010 Saints, 2018 Chargers and 2024 Vikings to play on the road against division winners who finished worse than them in the regular season, and it’s time for the NFL to change its format once and for all.
