The Detroit Lions are trying to change the playoff seeding rules so that teams with better records don’t get stuck playing on the road just because a division winner has a weaker record. If the rule passes, teams that perform better during the regular season, even if they aren’t division champs, would get higher seeds in the playoffs.
This all started after the Lions watched a 15-2 season by the NFC North champs get overshadowed by the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings ended up having to play the 10-7 Rams on the road. In short, the Lions want a system where the best teams—regardless of divisions—are rewarded for their performance.
Other teams have proposed similar ideas before, but it’s the Lions pushing this now. The goal is to make sure that teams with better records don’t end up with a disadvantage. For example, last season, the Vikings’ 14-3 record was much better than the Rams’ 10-7, yet the Rams were playing at home. The Lions think this system needs fixing.
The Lions want to see the top seven teams seeded by record alone (with tiebreakers if needed). So in that same example, the Vikings would’ve been seeded No. 3 and the Rams would’ve been No. 7. This would be more fair, especially when weak divisions let subpar teams grab home playoff games.
The idea isn’t new—other leagues have done it. In the NBA, division winners no longer automatically get a top-four seed in the playoffs. Now, it’s all about the best record, with divisions still existing but not determining playoff seeding. The Lions hope the NFL follows suit.
