The NFL Owners’ Meetings are over, but that does not mean rule changes are over for the offseason. We already have a new touchback rule, playoff overtime moving to the regular season, and expanded replay assist. Two things that were tabled at the meetings were banning the tush push and changing playoff seeding. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell likes the Detroit Lions’ proposal that changes the playoffs and is pushing for it.
“Per multiple sources, it became clear during last week’s league meetings that Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to eliminate the guaranteed home game for teams that win their divisions,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported.
“Goodell’s preference became clear during the meeting regarding the proposal that was made by the Lions… One source in the room for the session said Goodell became visibly irritated at the resistance to the measure,” Florio continued.
The Lions’ proposal would give home games to the team with the better record, not the team that won the division. Last year, the Lions beat the Vikings in Week 18 to clinch the NFC North. That sent Minnesota on the road to face the Rams in the Wild Card Round, and they lost. This rule change would have had that game played in Minnesota.
Goodell believes that this rule change will make late-season games more interesting. It would provide another wrinkle to playoff math but could render divisions less meaningful. Florio points out that the Vikings-Lions game would have been effectively meaningless if this rule were in place, as both teams would have clinched home-field.
If this rule goes into effect, it would likely impact the NFC North the most. They have four teams that think they are playoff-ready and may post better records than the NFC South winner. Will Goodell push this rule change across?
