Much has been made of the Wild Card Weekend featuring three teams with inferior records hosting home games. The NFL Today insider Jonathan Jones said Saturday NFL team owners plan to take a look at possible changes to the format in the offseason.
CBS hosted one of those games to open the playoffs, with the AFC South champion, the 10-7 Houston Texans hosting (and defeating) the Los Angeles Chargers, who had an 11-6 record.
“Three games this week featuring teams with better records than their opponents, but playing on the road,” Jones said during The NFL Today. “The NFL will take another look this offseason at potentially changing the playoff format. Maybe top four teams in win percentage get a home game instead of division winners.
“Team owners haven’t shown much of an appetite for changing, though.”
“The NFL will take another look this offseason at potentially changing the playoff format.” – @jjones9 š pic.twitter.com/wpbam29Y5m
ā NFL on CBS š (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2025
Other games this weekend where teams with superior records went on the road are the 12-5 Washington Commanders going on the road to play the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7), and the Minnesota Vikings (14-3) at the NFC West champ Los Angeles Rams (10-7). (The LA fires forced the relocation of that game to Arizona.)
This is not a new issue. It’s been visited before by league owners. The most commonly offered suggestion for why the league has stayed with the status quo is the thought that division winners deserve a home game. Fans might argue it makes no sense that a theoretical 7-9 division winner should host a 13-3 team, but owners feel differently.
However, changing the format could pay dividends in the regular season. Teams vying for a better record would have less incentive to rest players in the final games of the season.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.