Redesigning NFL Divisions

nfl divisions

The NFL has a system in place where teams play against the other divisional teams twice each year. That way, the teams have a chance to build a rivalry and also get a better look at the competition they’re facing. The problem is the system isn’t perfect. For one, if a team is in the same division as a wild card team that has a worse record, it can happen. This happened 15 times from 2002 to 2012, with the most egregious example being the 12-4 Steelers losing at the 8-8 Broncos in 2011. This was the result of the AFC realignment that took place in 2002, and it should have never occurred.

The best solution would be to revamp the NFL’s divisions to make them more fair for all teams. This would involve adding two new divisions that could be geographically aligned with the existing ones to cut down on travel miles and allow fans in multiple time zones to watch the games more easily. The top seeds in each division would still qualify for the playoffs and get a bye week, but this would make sure that the most competitive teams are playing against each other in the first round of the postseason.

An excellent example of this is the AFC East. The current arrangement puts the Bills, Patriots and Jets together in the same division. That’s three northeastern teams that are used to frigid climates in the same division with the Miami Dolphins, a team that typically plays in warmer weather. In the proposed revamp, the Dolphins would be placed in a new AFC Southeast division along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars. The New York teams, meanwhile, would be split between the AFC East and the new AFC North, where they’d face each other twice a year and be in a much more geographically-friendly division.

A similar situation occurs in the AFC West, which is made up of the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a good division, but it’s not nearly as compelling as the AFC East. The Broncos and the Chiefs have an established rivalry, but the rest of the division needs some work to make it more competitive.

The NFC South is another division that desperately needs some work. This is a talented group of teams, but they haven’t put together a great season since 2022. With Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints leading the pack, they could be a strong contender in the future. But it’s going to take some work from the other teams in the division — especially the defending champion Atlanta Falcons. They’ll need to improve both their offense and defense if they’re going to get back to the Super Bowl. If they can, the NFC South will be a more interesting division than it is now.