Another year, another Week 18 game in which the winner will become the No. 1 seed and the loser will hit the road as a wild card against a team with a lesser record.
In the aftermath of last year’s battle between the 14-2 Vikings and 14-2 Lions, Detroit proposed (at the urging of the league) that the teams be seeded regardless of division championship. No more home game for the best of four bad teams who are assigned to a given division.
The proposal never made it to a vote, because it would have failed. But it’s widely believed the Commissioner wants it. And it’s widely believed he’ll keep pushing for it.
It’s also believed in some key circles that it will happen when the season expands to 18 games.
The timeline for the inevitable addition of another regular-season game isn’t known. But it’s coming, by 2031 at the latest — unless the NFL Players Association successfully staves it off.
For now, the current seeding could result in, for example, the 13-4 Seahawks visiting the 8-9 Panthers in the wild-card round. Yes, despite the five-game difference, the Seahawks would have to return to Carolina, where they won only three days ago, 27-10.
In the AFC, the Ravens (at 9-8, if they win on Sunday night) could be hosting a 12-5 team the following weekend.
Right, wrong, or otherwise, it’s moving in that direction. In time. And while it will create important questions about scheduling equity (really, why play two games against each division rival?), the easy answer is it doesn’t matter.
The man whose signature is on every football wants it. Eventually, he’ll likely get it.
