Is winning NFC West worth it?

[IronSaint]

2016....tried to meet up or see ya....you were not around. We lost and I was able to drown my sorrows a few blocks away with a lot of beads. it was around halloween....and my bday.

Dang, that's right! Yeah, noon games certainly are hell for me. I live an hour and a half out from New Orleans so it's always hectic having to plan when to leave while also accounting for game traffic. I much rather the 3 p.m. starts and primetime games.

We don't even really have proper time to tailgate with how close we cut it, so noon games we pretty much drive in then straight back out afterward. I'm usually getting back home right as the 3 p.m. games are wrapping up.

But I feel you, you can definitely drown some sorrows with a bunch of beads!

 

[Appyhawk]

Division first is always the priority. Everything on top of that is gravy.

Almost. As a player you begin the season with prioritized goals. Goal #1 is to qualify for the playoffs. If you at least have a chance anything can happen.
Goal #2 is to win your division. Division winners get perks, beginning with a top 4 seed.
Next is to win conference and get bye and HF throughout.
Then comes the biggest one...

 

[mikeak]

But is it really worth it if we win the Super Bowl, guys? I mean, that 32nd pick in the draft and all...

That is different. As I said if we get the 1 or 2 seed absolutely worth it

I am also not saying that we should lose on purpose or that I think we will. Just saying if we end up with 3rd or 4th seed playing home in crappy weather vs maybe in Minnesota dome and easier schedule next year it isn't all bad

Purely a hypothetical, again two wins and a bye is the best thing that can happen.

You don’t understand how playoff seeding work. Even if we somehow get 3rd or 4th seed that means we won the nfc west and still have to play packers and saints. The only other way is if you mentioned 5th seed or 6th

That was my point

 

[mikeak]

I think we get GB and Saints next year if we win our division

Is that worth it?

If we get the bye - I say yes
If we get the two seed - I say yes

If we get third or fourth? Get to play home in crappy weather and get a tougher 2020 schedule? I don't know if it is worth it

I get it play to win, win division, get home game but is it really overall better if GB and Saints gets 1 and 2 spot?

I kind of get your feeling, and have thought about this in the past.
For this scenario, however, winning the division looks like the best option.

In the NFC North, if you don't play Green Bay, you get to play Minnesota. That game will be played home in 2020. Although we have had recent success against the Vikings, I consider them a more complete team than the Packers. At the very least, they are (today, of course) at about the same level.

In the NFC South, there's definitely a big dropoff. Based on current standings, you're talking about playing @Tampa as opposed to @New Orleans.

On the other hand, that means losing one (and possibly 2) home playoff games. So, the question boils down to: home playoff game + @Saints in 2020 vs away playoff game + @Bucs in 2020?

For me, the former is better in this case, but I don't think it's as clear-cut as some people are making it to be.

With that said, such a possibility is merely hypothetical. I'm sure this is not being considered in the slighest inside the organization.

Thank you for discussing it from what it was a hypothetical based on outcome not based on intent. Maybe I should have been clearer in that

For playoffs home game is fun for the fans. I really am not sure it is better for the team due to weather

I agree with your other points GB / Vikings doesn't matter much, except a late season game and then I strongly prefer indoor vs outdoor Saints or whomever is second matters a lot more.

Agree on final point. Organization is there to win games. This was more to reflect on the fact that 1st or 2nd has big value - third through sixth in my mind doesn't matter. Pros and cons with both

 

[mikeak]

So here we are

Beat niners and we likely play Vikings at home, get NO next year

Lose to niners we get Philly / Dallas

I would think we are likelier to beat Philly / Dallas than Vikings with their RBs back

 

[chris98251]

So here we are

Beat niners and we likely play Vikings at home, get NO next year

Lose to niners we get Philly / Dallas

I would think we are likelier to beat Philly / Dallas than Vikings with their RBs back

Who gives two shits about next year at this point, we will have a whole new set of players and a year of growth, Vikings will look somewhat different, Dallas could have a new Coach, Philly I am not really worried if we have health.

 

[SanDiego49er]

A 3rd or 4th seed is not as big of a deal. But it still matters a lot. You still can get a wild card game at home potentially. That still matters. Obviously a #1 or #2 seed and a playoff bye is a huge deal if you look at the history of the playoffs. First of all it's 1 less week you can lose. Because you don't even play. You already advance by the bye. That's no small thing. Sometimes you slip up and have a flat game or a trap game for any team. It's one less opportunity for that. Obviously the week off of rest at the end of the year when everybody has nagging injuries is great. You heal up while other teams beat themselves up and just wait for them at your home. The top 2 seeds are a big deal. It goes way down in value from there. Still the #3 seed is pretty valuable. All the wild card match up teams would play at your home. So it's not a bad seed to have.

 

[mikeak]

1 or 2 are gone
3 at home in the cold against the Vikings is better than on the road against a shitty Dallas / Eagles????