Conference-less Superbowl

[SnowPanther]

How does one not "show up" to the Super Bowl? I mean, it is the Super Bowl. Do not buy that. They just were not used to playing the top NFC defenses and would have lost to the top 3 or 4 NFC teams.

 

I mean, look at the division they played in, a ton of pushovers. The Raiders are awful. The Chiefs stomped a bunch of terrible teams. The full strength Chargers almost lost a play-in game to the Chiefs backups, that same Chargers team went into Cincinnati and stomped the AFC North division champions. The AFC East champions stomped the AFC South Champions that almost got stomped by the bad team stompers in Kansas City. And then Denver absolutely beat the hell out of the AFC South Champion stompers in New England. Where as......

The 12-4 49ers barely beat an 8-7-1 Green Bay in an all-out war. New Orleans went into Philly and barely beat 10-6 Philly in a war. 12-4 San Franciscio came into our house and barely beat us in an all-out war. New Orleans then went into Seattle and that game's outcome was indicative by the scoreline. Then finally Seattle welcomed San Francisco into their house and barely pulled out the victory in a bloodbath.

The differences in the two conferences is shocking.

[Proudiddy]

@belding and kettle (can't multiquote on phone)... again, I haven't thought it out fully outside of the main concept, but I don't see why the seeding would be affected prior to the playoffs. If you keep the divisions, teams still play for the division championship and I would imagine head-to-head, common opponents, etc., would still determine seeding... I dont know for certain. But I'm definitely not referring to a BS, err, I mean BCS-type system. That's garbage. The seeding would be totally dependent on play alone.

I know it's possible because IIRC the NHL and NBA have discussed doing it - which the NBA would greatly benefit from considering how bad the eastern conference has been annually.

[LUUUUUKE]

The AFC won't win another SuperBowl for a good while. In fact, I think the only teams that will even come close will be KC/Indi. The NFC teams are fundamentally built with stout defenses. The AFC just really can't keep up. I don't think the format will be changed, but I am looking fwd to the NFC playoff games for at least the next 5 years.

[Omega Atrocity]

The AFC won't win another SuperBowl for a good while. In fact, I think the only teams that will even come close will be KC/Indi. The NFC teams are fundamentally built with stout defenses. The AFC just really can't keep up. I don't think the format will be changed, but I am looking fwd to the NFC playoff games for at least the next 5 years.

The Bengals really have the same build defensively, they just need a QB (or Dalton to actually play) and I think they could take the next step. But you really never know, the Seahawks were a 7-9 team in the worst division, NFC West, only 3 years ago. the entire league changes so quickly it is tough to say that,

[Evengelion]

Not a terrible idea. Sort of like the NCAA tourney, a free for all based on seeding.

The Colts won their division outright after winning just 8 games and were getting blown out every other week because their division was so atrocious. Three teams in the AFC South are picking top 10 and 2 of them are picking top 5. You can pretty much say absent some debacle like a team losing 7 starters during the game to injury like KC there is no way the Colts had any chance of winning anything. A team like that should be put in a bracket with teams like seattle(or SF, or Carolina) instead of Seattle having to face tough team like the saints.

 

[TheRed]

While this idea is intriguing, the NFL will likely never do it.

[Cary Kollins]

The more I think about it the more I like it.

 

 

A conference-less Super Bowl is the best way to truly pit the best two teams against each other.

[Cary Kollins]

While this idea is intriguing, the NFL will likely never do it.

 

 

Yeah I don't think so either.  It's too radical a change.

[Peppers90 NC]

You think the Broncos wouldve made it to the Superbowl had they played in the NFC?

i wont let one game take away what they did the past two years, that's foolish.

[Peppers90 NC]

I honestly don't think so, the Niners would have been equally suited to beat the Broncos and even our Panthers would have been in a good position. 

 

Broncos could not get past a team that pressured Manning. 

 

9ers beat us fairly though. NFC Championship was the Superbowl. 

Broncos would have humiliated us like the saints did in the dome.  we dont have the secondary to match up with them like Seattle, most teams don't.

[Ken]

Honestly don't think Denver is as bad as they were yesterday.

On the OPs point, it's fine the way it is. You'd need to change the whole scheduling system for this to work fairly.

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

Standings according to the system I described above:

1. Seahawks

2. Broncos

3. Carolina

4. Patriots

5. Bengals

6. Colts

7. Eagles

8. Packers

9. 49'ers

10. Chiefs

11. Saints

12. Cardinals

So the first round would have been

Cardinals @ Bengals

Saints @ Colts

Cheifs @ Eagles

49ers @ Packers

Didn't check that for correct tiebreakers.

[TheMaulClaw]

the two best teams did play in the super bowl last night, problem was, only one of them showed up.

Denver was not one of the best teams this year.   They were the best team in an atrocious AFC, even though I think it's a toss up between them and the Patriots.  I think there are 4 or 5 teams in the NFC that would have beat them, and one that didn't even make the playoffs in Arizona.

[t96]

The AFC won't win another SuperBowl for a good while. In fact, I think the only teams that will even come close will be KC/Indi. The NFC teams are fundamentally built with stout defenses. The AFC just really can't keep up. I don't think the format will be changed, but I am looking fwd to the NFC playoff games for at least the next 5 years.

 

That's what I was thinking last night as well, but you never really know what can happen in 2-3 years. Look at the Browns for a second. If they get some snag in the draft at QB who turns out to be a Brady or Wilson like pick, they could easily compete for a Super Bowl. They've got a solid enough defense to stop offenses like ours or Seattle's, and with a great QB snag they could have an elite offense with Gordon and Cameron and their o-line. Yeah they'd need a RB but they can easily get a solid RB in the later rounds of the draft. Now this is obviously unlikely to happen, but you really just never know. And Denver could easily seek revenge for this and go on to win it next year if Peyton plays. I don't see Peyton's career going out without another Super Bowl run or two. I don't think Indy could come close since their defense is a sieve against the run (and all of the top NFC teams can run the ball save the Saints), but I do think KC or even Cincinnati could come close if Dalton steps it up and plays consistently. And like I said, a team like the Browns or even Jets could pop up out of no where like the Seahawks did last year/the year before.