The Detroit Lions want a change. They have proposed a change to NFL playoff seeding, prioritizing regular-season records over division championships. Under the proposal, the No. 1 seed would still go to the division winner with the best conference record, but all other seeds would be based solely on team records, regardless of division titles or wild-card status.
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This proposed adjustment could significantly impact playoff dynamics, particularly within the competitive NFC North. Take for example the Lions, Vikings, and Packers. All three qualified for the postseason last year. Under the current system, the Lions secured the No. 1 seed, while the Vikings and Packers were placed fifth and seventh, respectively. If seeding were based purely on records, the Vikings would have been third and the Packers fifth.
Considering that, then, it’s strange that the Lions have proposed a rule that would’ve directly helped its biggest rivals last season. And that’s exactly what Mina Kimes found perplexing too.
“Why did this particular team propose this rule change? The Lions wouldn’t have been beneficiaries of this, the Vikings would have been. The Lions play in a very good division and I’m wondering if they think that the NFC North is going to be very good for the next few years and that’s what played into this decision,” she wondered on NFL Live.
Clearly, the Lions are looking at the bigger picture. They may have earned the top seed and have a first-round bye, but they were just one Week 18 loss away from ending up in the third seed like the Vikings. And with the NFC looking just as, if not more, competitive than last year, Detroit seems to be planning for the long term. But is their vision likely to come to fruition?
Kimes doesn’t think so.
“I don’t think it’s something the NFL is going to go for. In part, because, the need to win the division is what makes the division rivalries great. That’s why that last game between the Lions and the Vikings was so exciting. And that’s not even one of the better or angrier rivalries.”
This rule change is likely not going to materialize, as it would involve a pretty massive overhaul. If the league’s fancy is tickled by this proposal though, we can expect smaller, bite-sized changes. The Chargers had made a similar proposal in 2023, but it did not receive much support.
But we’ll only find out when team owners meet on March 30-April 2 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
