Lions propose significant playoff seeding change

The Detroit Lions have proposed a significant change to NFL playoff seeding that would largely use regular-season records as the guiding principle, rather than division championships, according to a list of potential rule changes the league released Wednesday.

Under the proposal, the division winner with the conference’s best record would still receive the No. 1 overall seed. But after that, teams would be stacked by records, regardless of whether they won their divisions or received wild-card berths.

That approach could have a significant effect on the Lions and the highly competitive NFC North, which fielded three playoff teams last season — the Lions (15-2), Minnesota Vikings (14-3) and Green Bay Packers (11-6). The Lions received the NFC’s No. 1 seed, but the Vikings were seeded No. 5, and the Packers were No. 7. Based purely on records, the Vikings would have been the No. 3 seed, and the Packers would have been No. 5.

The Los Angeles Chargers made a similar proposal in 2023, but it did not receive much support. Any NFL team can make a rule change proposal for consideration by owners. The proposals require at least 24 votes to be approved, but owners are generally more likely to approve proposals that are endorsed by the competition committee rather than individual teams.

Owners are scheduled to meet March 30-April 2 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Other club proposals for changes to rules, bylaws and resolutions include:

• A previously reported attempt to ban the “tush push” short-yardage play the Philadelphia Eagles have used in recent years, submitted by the Green Bay Packers. The rule would prevent players from pushing a teammate that is “lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.”

• A proposal that would eliminate the automatic first down that comes with an illegal contact or defensive holding penalty, submitted by the Lions, who led the league last season with 11 flags for defensive holding.

• A submission from the Eagles to give both teams a guaranteed possession in overtime during the regular season, aligning with current rules for playoff games.

• A resolution from the Pittsburgh Steelers to allows some direct contact between pending free agents and teams that are pursuing them during the three-day negotiating window that precedes the opening of the league year.

• A change submitted by multiple teams that would allow preparing K-balls that are used for kicking before game day as teams are allowed to do with the balls that are used on other plays.

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