Quote:
Originally Posted by MIJB#19
Because the more you lose, the easier your schedule will be in the next season.
In the 16-team format installed on the expansion to 32 teams, on paper every team plays an equal schedule: 4 times vs a 1st place team, 4 times a 2nd place team, 4 times a 3rd place team and 4 times a 4th place team.
With 17 games, all the 4th place teams play their bonus game against another 4th place team, while a 3rd place team gets to play a 3rd place team, 2nd a 2nd and division champ another division champ. So losing now helps getting a slightly easier schedule next season.
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I thought in the past it was this:
6 games against division
4 games against "partner" division in AFC
4 games against "partner" division in NFC
2 games against same place finisher in conference (i.e. 3rd place plays other 3rd place finishers in conference)
I'm guessing the new game adds 1 more game against opposite conference play, right? That's a bit of a help, but 1 game out of 17 for 1st place vs 4th place (or, really, more like 2nd vs 3rd or 3rd vs 4th) doesn't seem like a huge incentive.
I mean, there's always been a lot of incentive to tank for a better draft pick. But the NFL has mostly not had a lot of that.
Maybe I'm underestimating just how much a small edge matters in the NFL.
SI