Should the NFL stop giving automatic home games to division winners?
 

For the record, ive always hated this since they went to from 3 divisions in each conference to 4.






The Broncos' win means for a second consecutive first round of the playoffs, a division champ with four fewer regular-season wins than its wild-card visitor has pulled a shocking upset. It's sure to re-ignite the debate of whether the NFL should grant an automatic home game to any team winning its division, even if its record is far worse than a wild-card team.

Last year, the 11-5 wild-card qualifying Saints were the No. 5 seed in the NFC, making them play at No. 4 NFC West champion Seattle (7-9) in the first round. The Seahawks won 41-36, despite being a 10-point home underdog.

This year it was Pittsburgh's turn to be heavily favored and yet on the short end of the homefield advantage issue. The Steelers went 12-4 in the regular season, but finished as the AFC's No. 5 seed because Baltimore (12-4) won the AFC North via its two-game series sweep of Pittsburgh. Denver went 8-8, lost its final three games in the regular season and still won the AFC West via tiebreakers over Oakland and San Diego (each went 8-8). Thus, the Broncos got the home game in the first round, and the Steelers hit the road.



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz1izLHMQMn

No.

No. Steelers lost because they played like shit. Don't make excuses for them. Same for the Saints last year.

seems like the current system works

The team with the better record should get home field IMO. Don't know that it made a difference in the game. I believe the Chiefs finally would have won a playoff game had we beat the Raiders. They were just too banged up.

No. Winning your division is important no matter how bad said division is.

Homefield is obviously a huge benefit. But if we're looking for an eventual Champion then that's part of the road to the SuperBowl and if you're the undisputed king then you should be able to win on the road. That said, I don't think the Broncos win that game at Heinz yesterday despite how poorly the Steelers played or how banged up they were. So it's worth discussion at league meetings, clearly.

oh, we also had one of those weird quirks again this year where a team with a better record failed to get in over a division winner with a worse record. The Titans were 9-7, Broncos 8-8.

Not trying to put the Broncos down, just trying to point out flaws in the system i think the NFL needs to change.

Exactly. If you don't win your division you should be happy the league allows a couple of second place teams to play in the tourney to begin with.

No, winning your division should entitle you to a home playoff game.

Absolutely not.

It creates upsets!

Win the division, get a home game.

Remove this and winning the division becomes completely pointless. Why even have divisions?

No

Stupid idea.