Skip to contentPhysical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The Minnesota Vikings are tied for second in the NFC this year, but their first playoff game will be on the road.
That’s because one team ahead of them is 15-2 Detroit Lionswhich won the NFC North with a win over Minnesota in Week 18.
The Lions earned the top seed and a bye, while the Vikings head to Arizona to face the Los Angeles Rams. The game was originally scheduled for Los Angeles, but was postponed due to wildfires.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS ON FOXNEWS.COM
The NFL shield logo on the field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on November 25, 2024. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
This isn’t the first oddity in the NFL playoffs. In the past, teams with seven wins have hosted wild card round games.
However, this may soon change.
According to CBS SportsIn the NFL offseason, take another look at the playoff format change.
Jonathan Jones of CBS said one suggestion is to award the top four teams based on home winning percentage, instead of automatically awarding them to the division winners.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell listens to a question during a press conference before the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on February 5, 2024. in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
If this system were implemented this year, it would mean that the Lions, Vikings, Eagles and Commanders would play games on the NFC side. As for the AFC, that would be the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and Chargers.
The Commanders and Chargers travel this weekend against the Buccaneers and Texans, respectively, because the latter two teams won the NFC and AFC South divisions.
However, Jones later added that the team’s owners have not shown “a lot of appetite” to change the format.
On the eve of the division win, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown suggested a change.
“Obviously if you win the division you obviously have to clinch a playoff spot, but to have a 14-win team that has to go on the road is kind of crazy. But I guess I don’t make the rules.” he said at the time.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell listens to a question during a press conference ahead of the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, 2023. in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
The last time the playoff format changed was ahead of the 2020 season, when it was expanded from 12 to 14 teams. This resulted in only one team in each conference receiving a first round bye instead of two. It also resulted in six wildcard rounds instead of four.
Follow Fox News Digital sports lighting on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
