Dec 23 2008
Patriots Playoff Problems
Like the alliteration in the title? That is my catchy intro to a discussion of the NFL playoff system. The NFL playoff system seems to have some definite holes. I am not usually one to complain about the way organized sports are run (i.e. College football), but this year’s playoffs could turn me into a complainer. The Patriots, if they win next week against the Bills, as they are sure to do, will finish the season at 11-5. That is pretty good for an NFL team. Ten wins is all it should take to get into the playoffs; winning eleven games should GUARANTEE playoff birth. Now, the Pats could win 11 and still not make it. The worst part is, if San Diego beats Denver and if the Cardinals lose to Seattle there will be two teams with .500 records. So, the Patriots will have a .687 winning percentage and not make the playoffs, but the Cardinals and the Chargers will have .500 winning percentages and MAKE the playoffs. That is ridiculous. The Patriots need to win at Buffalo and have the Jets beat Miami to lock the AFC East. I am not sure what they need to get the Wild Card, but that is irrelevant. The point is, the better teams should be in the playoffs. Case closed. The Cardinals aren’t good enough to be there and neither are the Chargers. The Patriots should be in the playoffs. Everyone knows it. They are doing this well even without superstar quarterback Tom Brady. Now that, is saying something about the Patriots team. They play to win championships. How can they win if a faulty system keeps them out of the playoffs?
