The Lions aren’t taking probably not for an answer.
Detroit has resubmitted a proposal that strips the automatic home game for division champions and seeds all seven playoff participants based on record.
The proposal, revised to make it read a little more cleanly, would take the seven playoff participants (division winners and three wild cards) and seed them based on record.
Although the proposal came from the Lions and not from the Competition Committee, Detroit president Rod Wood admitted last month that the proposal was [made at the behest of the league office](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-nudged-lions-to-propose-change-to-playoff-seeding). We thereafter reported that the [Commissioner wants this change](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/commissioner-wants-revamped-playoff-seeding-to-make-late-season-games-more-compelling), in the hopes of making late-season games more compelling.
By not putting the issue to a vote in March, the Commissioner didn’t take the L. Since then, he’s had time to twist arms and/or do deals in an effort to get to 24 votes.
Under the current system, division winners often lock into a specific seed with a week or two left in the season. With no fear of losing their spot on the playoff tree, they can rest starters in Week 17 and/or 18.
It’s all about ensuring that as many games as possible are interesting and compelling, so that the various and ever-expanding standalone windows will include games worth watching.
The rule, if passed, also would eliminate the potential inequity of requiring a wild-card team with a superior record to travel to face a division winner with a lesser record. Still, it’s not about competitive fairness in the playoffs; it’s about trying to ensure that more games will be more interesting in the final weeks of the regular season.