It usually takes an attention-grabbing event to change the NFL rulebook.
Last year’s Saints-Vikings NFC Championship helped change the overtime rules, at least for the playoffs. Falcons president and co-chair of the NFL Competition Committee Rich McKay hopes that the current state of the NFC West forces the league to change its playoff seeding methods starting in 2011.
“I’ve brought it up twice and never had real success getting it passed,” McKay told NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora. “I think it something we should consider.”
McKay said he supports re-seeding spots 3-6 by record, with division winners not necessarily granted a home game. (Division winners would be guaranteed a playoff spot at any record.) He’s come close to getting the measure passed before, with upwards of 18 votes supporting the idea. 24 owners would need to approve the measure to pass it.
Perhaps having the first 7-9 playoff team in NFL history could inspire such a change. It’s almost enough to make us root for the Chiefs, Falcons, Panthers, and Chargers this week.