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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Oliver Connolly

Kicking zones and a ban on losing teams: NFL playoff tweaks we’d like to see

Bryce Young’s Panthers will play in the postseason despite a losing record.
Bryce Young’s Panthers will play in the postseason despite a losing record. Photograph: Rusty Jones/AP

Remove teams with losing records

No legitimate Super Bowl champion should have a losing record in the regular season. The Panthers, crowned NFC South champions at 8-9, are not an outlier. Since 2010, five teams with losing records have made the postseason. The 2022 Bucs were the first team to make the dance with a losing record since the league instituted a 17-game schedule. This season, the NFC South has done it again.

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