Chargers suggest rule that might’ve impacted Cowboys in playoffs final yr

It’s the time of yr the place proposals are supplied for potential change.

• By
  
  RJ Ochoa
  
• on March 16, 2023 12:00 pm

If you don’t win the final one then individuals typically don’t care, however it feels a bit forgotten that the Dallas Cowboys received a playoff sport this previous season. The Cowboys didn’t simply win a playoff sport. They beat Tom Brady (for the primary time ever), on a grass area, whereas carrying their blue jerseys, and maybe most notably, did it on the street. The victory was the franchise’s first street playoff win for the reason that 1992 NFC Championship Recreation.

That final half was famous loads each within the lead-up to and aftermath of the win in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Relating to information like that folks act like you’ve had a chance to do it yearly for the reason that streak initially started, however the good factor is that it’s not a factor for the Cowboys.

Apparently sufficient, if the Los Angeles Chargers have their manner this offseason then it will have by no means been a factor to start with.

The Chargers have proposed a rule that might have impacted the Cowboys within the Wild Card Spherical final yr

You might recall that the Cowboys had just a few extra wins than the Buccaneers when their Wild Card Spherical matchup in opposition to each other was set. Dallas completed 12-5 throughout the common season, however as a result of they shared a division with the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles and didn’t win the East, they have been relegated to a Wild Card place within the playoffs.

Tampa, alternatively, benefited from enjoying in a relatively poor division, typically that’s simply the best way that issues go. They completed the season 8-9, however as winners of the NFC South held the correct to host the highest Wild Card within the first spherical of the playoffs which is what led to the sport that Dallas received.

It’s potential that this may increasingly not occur sooner or later. On Monday it was famous that L.A. has submitted a rule proposal the place a workforce in Dallas’ place would even have the next seed than the Bucs this previous season.

The rule particularly would apply to Wild Playing cards which have a minimum of 4 extra wins than the division winners that they might be dealing with, the precise margin that Dallas had over Tampa Bay. If this rule had been in place then the Cowboys would have hosted the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium which possible wouldn’t have mattered because the Cowboys have been favored (they simply lined) even because the street workforce.

By the way this is able to have additionally utilized to a different Buccaneers playoff sport, their Wild Card matchup in opposition to the then-Washington Football Team following the 2020 season. Tampa was the highest Wild Card within the NFC with an 11-5 document (the final season earlier than enlargement to 17 common season video games) and Washington received a disappointing NFC East with a 7-9 document. Beneath the Chargers’ rule proposal, that sport ought to have been performed in Tampa. The Bucs received that sport just like the Cowboys did this previous season, however Tampa went on to win the Tremendous Bowl afterwards, of their residence stadium in spite of everything of that.

The Chargers clearly imagine that issues ought to evolve and it’s onerous to disagree, even no matter rooting for the Cowboys; the higher workforce throughout the entire of the common season ought to have the benefit. You’ll be able to argue that if the Wild Card workforce had another win than the division winner that maybe it will be unfair, however the Chargers’ proposal of the previous being a minimum of 4 wins higher represents a real hole in workforce high quality. The Cowboys actually had 50% extra wins than the Bucs did.

NFL groups are sometimes immune to issues like this and on this case might fear about shedding a possible residence sport if they’re the workforce with 4 much less wins as a division winner. That’s clearly solely the damaging finish of the spectrum, possibly groups will probably be a bit extra optimistic when debating and voting.

Learn extra