Patriots Pregame Thread Pre Game Thread - Pats @ Bills

[Pape]

They legally can not.

huh? Of course they can. There is nothing that bars the NFL from airing a game at that time.

 

[VectorPrime]

Mike Reiss is trying his best to say without saying that people talking about just forcing through this game are really not understanding how players around the league are not ok right now.

 

[Mcp1982]

As I understand it, if Titans beat the Jags on Saturday, Jags end up with #7 seed, making all these other games irrelevant. So, we could know the answer on Saturday.

Edit: forgot this requires other outcomes like Jets, Bills & Cle winning. What a mess.

that isnt correct, Pats win and they are in, if they lose and Jags win, and Steelers and Phins lose, then Jags would get in as 7 seed

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

If the Bills win this week they will be the #1 seed and no need to play a makeup game with the Bengals.

No... If the Bills and Chiefs both win this week,

the Chiefs would be 14-3 and the Bills would be 13-3.

The Bills would have a tie breaker advantage, but there would be no tie to break unless there was a resumption of the Bills-Bengals game and the Bills won.

if the Bills & Bengals won and the Chiefs lost, then the Bills are #1 but there are complications with the Chiefs and Bengals seeds, also requiring an outcome for the Bills-Bengals.

It's messy no matter what, unless the game is resumed or the game is declared a tie (which also would not be fair and may not be legal).

 

[Pape]

Has the Pats / Bills game been moved? Or is it still scheduled for Sunday at 1pm?

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

huh? Of course they can. There is nothing that bars the NFL from airing a game at that time.

Depends on the language in the TV contract with ESPN for MNF

ESPN / ABC has the rights to the NCAA championship game, correct?

 

[Patjew]

I don’t think the NFL would allow them to forfeit the Pats game.

The Steelers, Dolphins, and potentially Jags franchises are not gonna be fine with the Pats getting the final playoff spot by forfeit while they fought all year to get in playoff contention.

I'd be OK with it.

 

[Pape]

Depends on the language in the TV contract with ESPN for MNF

ESPN / ABC has the rights to the NCAA championship game, correct?

doesn't matter ... if they are airing the game, then yes they have the rights...

but this isnt a reserved friday / saturday game that the NFL legally cannot counter-program against under Title 15

they can put the college stuff on Espn+ or Espn Ocho

 

[venecol]

I dunno, if I'm a Dolphins fan, maybe I'm more pissed that my team hasn't won since before Thanksgiving, and maybe really shouldn't be a playoff team?

The only teams that have winning records in Dec/Jan and have been playing their asses off to make it are the Jags (4-1) and Steelers (4-1). Those two are the most deserving of the four and shouldn't lose the chance to make it in over a forfeit by another team.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

doesn't matter ... this isnt a reserved friday / saturday game that the NFL legally cannot counter-program against under Title 15

It wouldn't be an issue of the NFL stepping on college football's toes, it would be the NFL stepping on the toes of their broadcast partner, ESPN.

ESPN has rights to NFL Monday night games.
ESPN has rights the the NCAA championship game.
ESPN has sold millions in advertising and promotion for the NCAA championship game.
ESPN televising (on ESPN2? ESPN news?) an NFL game opposite the NCAA game guts their revenue.

I can't imagine that such conflicts are not specifically excluded in their TV rights contract.

Could ESPN televise it at say 5PM on Monday? Sure. Otherwise it gets messy and lawyers get paid.

 

[SVN]

 

[Steve102]

Nothing would surprise me. NFLPA could tell the league to eff off and not play at all this week.

The NFL announced no resumption of the game last night. EDIT: this week.

 

[venecol]

that isnt correct, Pats win and they are in, if they lose and Jags win, and Steelers and Phins lose, then Jags would get in as 7 seed

My understanding is if all four teams end w/ 8-9 records, the Jags get #7 based on best conference record.

@Ross12 ?

 

[Pape]

It wouldn't be an issue of the NFL stepping on college football's toes, it would be the NFL stepping on the toes of their broadcast partner, ESPN.

ESPN has rights to NFL Monday night games.
ESPN has rights the the NCAA championship game.
ESPN has sold millions in advertising and promotion for the NCAA championship game.
ESPN televising (on ESPN2? ESPN news?) an NFL game opposite the NCAA game guts their revenue.

I can't imagine that such conflicts are not specifically excluded in their TV rights contract.

Could ESPN televise it at say 5PM on Monday? Sure. Otherwise it gets messy and lawyers get paid.

sure they could... they could also schedule it for 6, push back the start if the nfl game goes long...

without seeing the contracts, we don't know what's allowed & what isn't when it comes to contingencies/extenuating circumstances

there is always a way when there is money to be made

 

[doesntmatter1]

I don’t think the NFL would allow them to forfeit the Pats game.

The Steelers, Dolphins, and potentially Jags franchises are not gonna be fine with the Pats getting the final playoff spot by forfeit while they fought all year to get in playoff contention.

I'm okay with that. The league can slap another asterisk to our franchise for all I care.

 

[VectorPrime]

Mike Reiss keeps trying to tell people. Everything is on the table so stop assuming this or that is gonna happen.

 

[XLIX]

The League is going to desperately pray that things shake out in week 18 such that Buffalo-Cincy becomes a meaningless game.... which could theoretically happen but is a longshot.

There simply is no option available which is going to satisfy everyone.

 

[Pape]

My understanding is if all four teams end w/ 8-9 records, the Jags get #7 based on best conference record.

@Ross12 ?

based on the espn playoff machine, this appears to be correct

 

[Hyped]

I think the entire league gets a BYE now.

Bills and Bengals play again on Sunday...then we have week 18 in week 19.....and wild card/divisional/conferences a week later. SB on schedule.

 

[PowerRunRevival]

Bills-Bengals isn't being played this week. Week 18 schedule will not be changed. Bills are extremely unlikely to rest anyone due to this.