The Los Angeles Chargers may have the better record, but the Baltimore Ravens are an example of the system working:
If the Ravens fell into the playoffs with an 8-8 or 9-7 record, the Chargers would have a legitimate gripe about the playoff system. The Chargers went 12-4. They have the kind of record that typically gets a division title and sometimes a bye week. Baltimore earned their home playoff game. They won their division.
The AFC North is a tough division. The Pittsburgh Steelers came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations. The Cleveland Browns won seven games and their emergence from a win free 2017 season made the division much more of a challenge. The Bengals are not good, but they are competitive. Baltimore winning the AFC North counts as a real accomplishment.
More from Ebony Bird
- Should Baltimore Ravens be interested in this recently released WR
- Do the Baltimore Ravens have serious interest in this free agent wide out?
- NFL Draft Profile: Anthony Richardson is the perfect pivot for Baltimore Ravens
- New Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code for Ravens Fans
- Why Baltimore Ravens might use non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson
The division championship cannot be devalued. The NFL playoffs works better than most types of postseasons in sports. March Madness is fun, but of the 64 teams in the tournament, only about eight of them end up mattering to the big picture. College Football just had the most boring playoff games you’ll ever see. The NBA playoffs are flawed because the Western Conference is so much tougher than the Eastern Conference and over half the teams make it.
In the NFL 12 teams go to the playoffs. Their are four division winners per conference to go along with two wild cards per conference. 20 teams get left out of the mix and it makes the NFL playoffs a battle of elite competition. The Chargers, like the rest of the NFL knew the deal. If they wanted a home playoff game, they had to win the AFC West. It’s not the Ravens fault that the top seeded team in the NFL resides in the same division as the Chargers.
The NFL is best when it plays up the importance of rivalries. The NFL got exactly what it wanted in week 17 of the season. A battle between the Ravens and the Browns mattered. The Steelers fate rested on the results of the game in Baltimore. Divisional drama was at a surplus and it highlighted the value of a division championship.
The Chargers are at a disadvantage playing the early game on a Sunday. It’s nothing compared to the position the NFL put the Ravens in for their week 16 game. The Ravens had to travel to Los Angeles on a short week in a game that could have basically eliminated them from the postseason. Baltimore isn’t going to feel sorry for the Chargers scheduling adversity.