The pitifulness of the teams residing in the NFC South has once again brought concern about a team with a losing record hosting a playoff game and questions about playoff re-seeding.
At 4-7 the Atlanta Falconssit atop the NFC South with five games remaining -- the New Orleans Saints similarly sit at 4-7, the Carolina Panthers are 3-7-1 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are disgustingly only two games out at 2-9.
While there is a very real possibility that a six-win team could take the division and host a playoff game against a team with 10 or 11 wins, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said on NFL GameDay First that nothing is expected to change in the near future.
"The view of the competition committee at this point is that if you win your division, you deserve a home game," Rapoport said Sunday morning. "I'm told this is something they are expected to discuss this coming March for the owners' meetings, especially if a six- or seven-win team does make the playoffs and does get to host a playoff game."
Rapoport added that re-seeding was discussed in 2008, but was "voted down strongly," which is what would likely happen again.
"No one I talked to believes this will change," Rapoport said. "What they do believe though is that the playoffs will be expanded, so at least that will answer some questions going forward."Â
Playoffs are expected to expand to seven teams in each conference as early as next season. Expansion might stop one double-digit team from missing the postseason tournament, but it doesn't solve the problem of a team with a losing record hosting a team that has won substantially more games.
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