I'm really happy that the Seahawks won today. Not that I'm a fan, or have anything against the Rams, but I'm just happy that a 7-9 team will now be hosting the 11-5 defending champion Saints in what seems to be a mockery of a system. The biggest argument, and often only argument that I hear in favour of giving a division winner a home game regardless their record is that division games are very important. Teams will often highlight division games in their schedule and they play harder in those games and you should recognize a team for winning their division. To this I say - the Oakland Raiders. They are the only team in this year's NFL season to go 6-0 in their division. Are they in the playoffs? No. You play 10 games outside your division every year. If you want to make a division count for so much that a division winner earns a home playoff game regardless their record then make each team play their division 4 times and then rotate divisions within your conference. No out of conference games, no games against teams in other divisions who finished in the same spot as you. But obviously you can't do that. Certain teams would fall off the map if they are in small market divisions. You wouldn't get Brady - Manning every year or Packers - Cowboys etc. So, if you only play 6 of 16 games within your division, then winning your division shouldn't mean shit. The Bucs are 10-6. The Seahawks are 7-9. The Bucs beat the Seahawks 2 weeks ago. Demolished them. The Bucs played in a much tougher division. 3 of their 6 losses came against best-record-in-the-NFC Atlanta Falcons and defending SB champion New Orleans Saints (oh, and they beat the Saints today). The Bucs also swept the NFC West. So, not only did they beat he Seahawks, but they beat the 9ers and Rams, two teams that also beat the Seahawks. The Bucs other 3 losses? The Ravens, the Steelers, and an unfortunate loss to the Lions which went to OT and was a pass-interference call away from being a win. The Seahawks on the other hand got to play the AFC West this year. Arguably the worst division in the AFC, where they lost to the Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos. What did the Seahawks to do deserve a playoff spot over the Bucs? What did the Seahawks do to deserve a playoff spot over the Giants? Both of those teams should be looking at the Seahawks and thinking "you've got to be kidding me."
Another argument I hear is what about divisions with a lot of good teams and maybe they beat each other up so their record is poor? I say BS. Even if a division is so even that teams trade games. That means that those teams are 3-3 and that accounts for all your division games. That team can still go anywhere from 3-13 to 13-3 based on their non-division games. Look at the NFC South. Atlanta, NO and TB all beat up the Panthers, but between them - Atlanta vs NO split, NO vs TB split, and Atlanta beat the Bucs in two close games. That division beat up on itself yet it managed 2 playoff teams and a third 10 win team. If teams in a division are that good it shouldn't matter if they beat up on each other because they have 10 NON division games that they should be winning.
Another argument I hear is what about divisions with a lot of good teams and maybe they beat each other up so their record is poor? I say BS. Even if a division is so even that teams trade games. That means that those teams are 3-3 and that accounts for all your division games. That team can still go anywhere from 3-13 to 13-3 based on their non-division games. Look at the NFC South. Atlanta, NO and TB all beat up the Panthers, but between them - Atlanta vs NO split, NO vs TB split, and Atlanta beat the Bucs in two close games. That division beat up on itself yet it managed 2 playoff teams and a third 10 win team. If teams in a division are that good it shouldn't matter if they beat up on each other because they have 10 NON division games that they should be winning.