The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions enter their Week 18 recreation with matching 14-2 information and can be taking part in for the highest seed within the NFC.
The stakes couldn’t be any clearer.
The winner not solely wins the NFC North, it additionally will get the No. 1 seed, a bye week and home-field benefit all through the NFC playoffs. It’s a completely huge reward for successful the sport.Â
The loser doesn’t get something near that. Regardless of having a file that can nonetheless be one of many top-five information within the league, the loser won’t solely get the bye week or home-field benefit; it would find yourself having to go on the street for its first playoff recreation on the No. 5 seed and play the No. 4 seed (both the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Atlanta Falcons).Â
The NFL’s playoff format is nothing new. All people is aware of the 4 division winners in every convention get the top-four seeds and a minimum of one house recreation. It generally presents a state of affairs the place a group with a greater file has to go on the street, relying on the power of every division.
Some individuals don’t like that.
You possibly can rely Lions broad receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown as a kind of individuals.
He argued on his podcast this week that the NFL wants to vary the playoff seeding format in order that division winners get computerized playoff berths, however that general file nonetheless determines the seeding.
