Expanded playoffs short on competitive teams
The NFL thought it was doing its 32 teams a favor when it added a playoff spot in each conference in 2020, expanding the total field from 12 to 14.
The response in 2022: Thanks, but no thanks.
The battles for the final playoff berths in the AFC and NFC come down to teams that aren’t playing as if they want it — teams that are under .500, suffering lengthy losing streaks, or both. For example, the Patriots, who play a crucial game against the Dolphins Sunday, somehow still control their destiny despite being 7-8 and having lost four of their last five games.
The NFL added two playoff spots as a way to keep more teams alive later in the season (and, of course, to make more money). And it seems to be having the intended effect. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, only four of 16 teams in each conference have been eliminated from contention.
But that doesn’t mean the teams in the wild-card hunt are any good. Eleven of the 14 are under .500. Eleven also have negative point differentials.
All the NFL has done is weaken the field and cheapen the accomplishment of making the playoffs.
Start with the AFC, where five of the seven playoff spots have been clinched (Bills, Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens, and Chargers):
■ The 8-7 Dolphins hold the No. 7 spot. They used to be 8-3 and just a half-game off the top seed in the conference. Now they are riding a four-game losing streak (49ers, Chargers, Bills, Packers) and are losing games with three interceptions in the fourth quarter. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is in concussion protocol for a third time this season, and his availability for the rest of the season is in doubt.
■ The Patriots certainly aren’t playing like a playoff team. None of their seven wins has come against a team currently with a winning record, and they have beaten up on the likes of Zach Wilson, Sam Ehlinger, Mitchell Trubisky, and Colt McCoy. But they will be in the playoffs at 9-8 if they can beat a struggling Dolphins team Sunday and somehow beat the Bills in Week 18.
■ The AFC South will be decided between a couple of teams that are currently 7-8, the Jaguars and Titans — one of which could win the division with a losing record (they play in a winner-take-all Week 18 game at Jacksonville).
The Jaguars, who are ahead of the Titans because of tiebreakers, are at least playing well, and could become the first team in 52 years to make the playoffs after a 1-6 start. The Titans are the opposite; they are riding a five-game losing streak, and quarterback Ryan Tannehill (ankle) is likely out for the rest of the season. Even if they win the AFC South, or somehow sneak in as a wild card, the Titans would not be an inspiring playoff team.
■ The Jets have lost four games in a row and five of six, and have had quarterback woes all season. Yet they are still very much alive at 7-8 in the No. 9 spot in the AFC.
■ The Steelers are 29th in the NFL in scoring (17.6 points per game) behind rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, have the sixth-worst point differential (minus-55), and haven’t beaten a team with a winning record since Week 1 (Bengals). Yet they have taken advantage of a soft post-Thanksgiving schedule to get to 7-8 with an outside shot at the playoffs.
■ Even the 6-9 Raiders are technically still alive, though it would take a lightning strike for it to happen. But it’s a sign of the mediocre times that a 6-9 record isn’t disqualifying.
The NFC race isn’t any better. Four teams have clinched (Eagles, Vikings, 49ers, and Cowboys), leaving eight teams for three spots:
■ The 8-6-1 Giants have the inside track in the No. 6 spot. They can clinch a playoff berth with one win in their final two games, and are fortunate to play the lowly Colts Sunday. But they haven’t exactly seized the opportunity. After a 7-2 start, they are 1-4-1 in their last six, with the win and tie against the Commanders. The Giants have the worst rushing defense in the league (5.4 yards per carry) and a minus-28 point differential.
■ The Commanders are in the No. 7 slot at 7-7-1, but they are fading. Washington is 0-2-1 in its last three, it is minus-28 in scoring differential, and coach Ron Rivera is on the verge of benching quarterback Taylor Heinicke for Carson Wentz.
■ The NFC South, like the AFC South, is truly a Battle of the Leasts. As miserable as this season has been for Tom Brady and the 7-8 Buccaneers, they can clinch the division title Sunday with a win over the 6-9 Panthers. The Panthers, though, have won three of their last four to keep their season alive, and still have a chance to win their division with a losing record. The Buccaneers are 2-3 in their last five but their wins required late-game heroics from Brady. The 6-9 Saints are also still alive in the division race.
■ The Seahawks, Lions, and Packers are all 7-8, sitting in the Nos. 8, 9, and 10 spots, a halfgame behind the Commanders. The Seahawks have lost three in a row and five of six. The Lions were playing well, and had a big opportunity last week to jump into the playoff bracket, but instead fell flat in a 37-23 loss to the Panthers. And the Packers have had a miserable season, and are alive only thanks to a three-game win streak against the Bears, Rams, and Dolphins.
The NFL got what it wanted by expanding the field: It makes more money with two more postseason games, and keeps more fan bases engaged in the regular season.
But it also is inviting a bunch of lousy teams to the playoffs.