I’m not a big fan of Bye weeks. Maybe it’s because I love the NBA playoffs, but I don’t think teams should play less during tournaments because they finished higher in the regular season. Home advantage? Sure, winning has to count for something. But getting an extra week off, that doesn’t necessarily help teams, like the Green Bay Packers learned against the Green Bay Packers.

Sports should be fair, but there are different kinds of fairness. The week off doesn’t help, as history shows us again and again. Especially if you’re the Indianapolis Colts or the New England Patriots in recent years.

Maybe half of the league is a bit much, but 8 teams, only Division winners, is not enough. Sixteen, despite being 50% of the entire league, is the right number. The NBA is 16 teams out of 30, and I think the playoffs are great. They are too long for some, but the NFL doesn’t have that problem. One game and you’re out, and it wouldn’t lengthen the postseason anyway. Just adding another game to the first weekend.

Maybe we’ll even need to change the name from Wild Card round to something else. Ideas? I’m guessing the NFL has enough creative minds to think of something. Either that or ESPN will make it for them.