What gift? It’s the NFL’s division structure. The AFC East is awful. And the Pats keep winning the East…year after year after year.
The Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots weren’t all that good this year. They ended the regular season at 11-5, which seems great on paper but only if you look on the surface.
The Pats play in the NFL’s worst division, the AFC East. Other AFC East teams–those squads New England play twice every year–were a combined 17–31 this season (35.4% winning percentage). That’s bad. Well, it’s worse than bad. The next worst NFL division was 31–33 on the year.
The AFC East gives the Pats an advantage–a six-win-a-year advantage against division rivals.
Now, fans, doesn’t that 11-5 2018 record look shaky? And it’s not a one-off. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, year after year–the biggest gift the NFL can give. Here’s how.
Gift #1: Being in the AFC East almost assures that the Patriots will make the playoffs. How so? This year, the Patriots could have won the AFC East with an 8-8 record. The Chargers didn’t win its division with a 12-4 record!
Gift #2: Winning the division means getting a playoff bye. How important is a week’s “vacation?” TE Rob Gronkowski put it this way: “It’s huge…rest up, get the mental part and physical part…. Clean up the bumps and bruises, because every game you’ve got those.” WR Chris Hogan said, “It’s essentially like winning a playoff game.”
Gift #3: After a week off, the Pats played their first playoff game at home. What an advantage! Just look at the numbers. Of the Patriots’ 11 regular-season wins this season, eight came at home. Even though the Chargers had a better record, LA had to fly across the country to play the Pats. And while I don’t have proof that New England still cheats at home, keep ‘Spygate’ in mind. Bill Belichick, the Patriots’ head coach, was caught stealing opponents’ signs–not alleged to have stolen, CAUGHT at it. The NFL fined him $500,000–the maximum allowed, and the largest fine ever imposed on, an NFL coach.
Before you come at me, Patriots fans, let me go through an obligatory list.
–Is Tom Brady the QB GOAT? Yes.
–Is Bill Belichick the Coaching GOAT of coaching? Yes.
–Did the Patriots play well in the playoffs this year? Yes.
All yes! But without the gift of the AFC East, I’d wager the Patriots would have been 9-7 this year … at best. They wouldn’t have made the playoffs, let alone have won the Super Bowl.
So what do I think needs to happen?
I think the NFL should do away with divisions and go back to playing the regular season by conference.
Here’s how that would work. There are 16 teams in each conference. Each NFL team plays 16 games. Every team would play each other team once and would play one conference team twice.
Yes, there would be issues involved, but here’s what’s most important–for the NFL TO GET IT RIGHT! That means having a system with a level and fair playing field. If teams squared off against conference teams (not division teams), they’d have comparable records. Today they don’t!
It’s ludicrous to have a situation where one team–the Pats–benefits from what I call “The Luck of Division.” Eliminate it, NFL!
Just sayin.’
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Follow Patty Ellis on the web and at Twitter.
great column, great idea ,would like to see nfl try something different.
The NFL needs to make some changes, I agree with your ideas, let’s hope the NFL does too!
I love the idea. I’d like to know more from our math jockies. If this had been done for the past 10 years, how different would the playoff rosters have been? I’m sure that computers can figure this out with power rankings.
Very thoughtful (and accurate). Not a NE cheaters fan, but they do have an incredible record in the playoffs. Look forward to reading more of your insights.
The article is a nice idea and theoretically correct. But to be intellectually honest, when you calculate the divisional records you will have to take out the games that are played within the divisions.
Great article. Even I can understand it!😂
You make a great case and I agree with your suggestions. However, I don’t agree that Brady and Belichick are the GOATS even if they have six rings.