Will NFL playoffs expand in time for 2015 season?
Looks like it's not a matter of "if" anymore.
The NFL looks like it could expand the playoffs by two teams in time for the 2015 season, according to Peter King at the MMQB. This would increase the potseason field to 14 teams, instead of 12. It would also mean that there would be an added wild card game in each conference.
Here is how the first weekend of the playoffs would break down: No. 2 seed vs. No. 7; No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5. Only the top team in each conference would receive a first-round bye. Here's the interesting part: The league could decide to hold at least one of those games on Monday night.
King writes:
"Unfair to have teams play Monday night? I don'€™t see it, though I'€™m not a fan of playoff expansion because I think it devalues the 17 weeks of the regular season. Currently, the four teams playing on the Saturday of wild-card weekend have a short week going into the game. Often, teams that play on wild-card Sunday have to play on the following Saturday. I'€™m certain the NFL would arrange the schedule so that a Monday winner wouldn€'t play its divisional game until the following Sunday."
Don't kid yourselves, the NFL is interested in the increased dollars the additional playoff games would bring through ticket sales and broadcasting rights. Even expanding the postseason field to 14 teams out of 32 total isn't as big of a ratio as those used by the NBA and NHL.