I was listening to 'Mike & Mike' on ESPN Radio this morning, and Mike Greenberg actually raised a very good point when it comes to the NFL playoffs (yes, the M&M boys do get away from their schtick long enough to sometimes make valid sports arguments).
Anyway, Greenberg said that all four playoff games during this upcoming wild-card weekend are actually being held in the wrong locations. He advocated re-seeding based on overall record once the six playoff teams have been established. You know what? He's absolutely right.
Think about this weekend's schedule.
Greenberg's Jets are 11-5, yet they have to travel to face the 10-6 Indianapolis Colts. The Jets had a better season and should be playing this game at New Meadowlands Stadium to chants of 'J-ET-S Jets, Jets, Jets,' but they are not.
In the other AFC game, 12-4 Baltimore has to go to Kansas City to face the 10-6 Chiefs.
In the NFC, the New Orleans-Seattle game is the biggest injustice of all. The 11-5 Saints have to travel to face the 7-9 Seahawks. Not only is it ridiculous that Seattle is in the playoffs with a losing record (when the 10-6 New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers went home) but for them to get a home game is a joke.
In the other NFC matchup, both the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles are 10-6. They will square off in Philly Saturday despite the fact that the Packers defeated the Eagles, 27-20, when the teams met earlier this season. So, theoretically, a tie-breaker would go to Green Bay.
The Giants are not whining about missing the playoffs when an obviously lesser team like the Seahawks, who the Giants manhandled 41-7 this season, is in. So, I won't whine about that either.
I will say, however, that re-seeding to reward the best teams with home-field advantage is common sense. Most likely, NFL decision-makers will be too busy with the collective bargaining agreement to implement a change like this one, but they should.