Kicking zones and a ban on losing teams: NFL playoff tweaks we’d like to see

The postseason consistently serves up enthralling football. But there are ways to make it even more compelling

No legitimate Super Bowl champion should have a losing record in the regular season. The Panthers, crowned NFC South champions at 8-9, are not an outlier. Since 2010, five teams with losing records have made the postseason. The 2022 Bucs were the first team to make the dance with a losing record since the league instituted a 17-game schedule. This season, the NFC South has done it again.