Hypothetical yearly division realignment...

[MrNLM]

I saw this on reddit a /r/NFL and thought it was a cool topic so here it is for us to talk about.

 

If the divisions were realigned each year so all the same-place teams were together, who wins each division in 2013?

 

 

2013 alignment:

 

NFC First

Washington

Green Bay

Atlanta

San Francisco

 

NFC Second

NY Giants

Minnesota

Carolina

Seattle

 

NFC Third

Dallas

Chicago

New Orleans

St. Louis

 

NFC Fourth

Philadelphia

Detroit

Tampa Bay

Arizona

 

AFC First

New England

Baltimore

Houston

Denver

 

AFC Second

Miami

Cincinnati

Indianapolis

San Diego

 

AFC Third

NY Jets

Pittsburgh

Tennessee

Oakland

 

AFC Fourth

Buffalo

Cleveland

Jacksonville

Kansas City

 

 

Much like how a season goes for any given team now-a-days we can assume the new alignment means teams in the same division have to face each other twice a season and two other divisions fill the rest of the team schedule.

 

It seems the norm these days is at least one team that finishes last in its division to climb to the top and be first the next season. This, in essence, would guarantee this each year! I think this could make for some FUN football and add a variable to the hunt for a playoff berth. Kansas City would almost be a lock for a playoff berth given the company they have in the AFC Fourth division.

[MrNLM]

I personally would propose that not only would there be a realignment each year but, to also make the NFL more like English football(soccer) and have an ELITE group, a PRO group, and a WE REALLY SUCK group(name needs work). Maybe even change the way in which teams evaluate and sign talent.

[jamesie jr]

As a European fan of the colts I am very familiar with the concept of basing divisions on skill rather than geographical location. For example our football (soccer) is like this and that is what makes the nfl and other american sports very attractive to me, because the sports in the skill division layout are very polarised as the teams in the top division has the better players because of the attraction of more money and better career prospects. For example in premier league you have man utd, man city, chelsea who constantly raid the transfer market and buy the best players and the other teams like wigan, sunderland, west brom who don't have such attractions (money) and it becomes unfair. That's where american sports comes in because (forgive me for saying this) is in an almost communist system where every team has a cap on spending and makes it fairer and based more on smart choices and good play rather than who has more money.

 

And in my opinion this is how each of the divisions would finish (1st,2nd,3rd,4th places and bold signals best and worst records in conference)

 

NFC 1- 49ers, packers, redskins, falcons

NFC 2- Seahawks, vikings, giants, panthers

NFC 3- Saints, cowboys, bears, rams

NFC 4- Buccaneers, Eagles, Cardinals, Lions

 

AFC 1- Broncos, Texans, Patriots, Ravens

AFC 2- Colts, Dolphins, Bengals, Chargers

AFC 3- Steelers, Titans, Jets, Raiders

AFC 4- Chiefs, Bills, Browns, Jaguars

 

I really do enjoy these hypothetical thinking topics

[pacolts56]

I personally would propose that not only would there be a realignment each year but, to also make the NFL more like English football(soccer) and have an ELITE group, a PRO group, and a WE REALLY SUCK group(name needs work). Maybe even change the way in which teams evaluate and sign talent.

Ordinary Joe's?

[JoKeR]

I personally would propose that not only would there be a realignment each year but, to also make the NFL more like English football(soccer) and have an ELITE group, a PRO group, and a WE REALLY SUCK group(name needs work). Maybe even change the way in which teams evaluate and sign talent.

Appreciate the creative thinking here but this model doesn't promote parity and everyone knows how often " the better teams" are upset by the underdog.