Kraft today: when schedule goes to 18 games, EVERY team will play once overseas

[farn]

I hate this

 

[Wax Frog]

 

[ScottishPatriots]

The human body isn't built to play 18 game regular seasons + playoffs just look at the injury rate increases moving to 17 games.

16 games with 6 teams in the playoffs and 2 byes was perfect, the 7 seeds have offered zero apart from giving the NFL an extra 100 million a year for screening 2 pointless playoff games a year where they get drubbed by the 2 seed.

The international games are also nothing but a money grab, everyone from Europe and i'd assume outside the US in general with a serious interest in the NFL already has a team and watches the games, the extra money they get are from people who are showing up for a one off event and buying a jersey almost like they would going to a concert or any random one off event.

That doesn't grow the game, i refuse to believe someone in Europe attends an NFL game after having no interest and then is a hardcore fan of a team sitting down watching Sunday Night Football at 1/2am in the morning over here and is suddenly passionately invested.

Every team playing one international is just a way to get 16 extra chunks of revenue like the Netflix games, the Amazon games and the 2 extra playoff games, "growing the game" stuff they like to chuck out is baloney.

 

[Tunescribe]

I do NOT that injuries are heavily affected by the number of games

This simply defies logic.

 

[Ross12]

If they add two more weeks to the regular season (1 bye week, 1 game) I imagine they will cut the pre-season down to 2 games and then push the Super Bowl back a week (so it's before presidents day). Fans would love having a holiday the next day. Players only extend their season one week and that's just the super bowl teams.

I have been thinking about this for years - that it would be excellent to move the Super Bowl just one more week, so many people get an extended weekend.

Making every team play international games, and also re-equalizing the # of home and away games so that there isn’t a disadvantage where some teams get fewer home games or some teams have an international game counted as a “home” game, does make it more fair than it is now, despite the extra week.

An extra bye week also would be good, because as it stands now, teams with very early or very late bye weeks are kind of getting shafted. Now, each team would get two byes, so that’s not really a problem anymore.

I hate to say it, but I kinda don’t hate it. I just hope this change comes with a roster expansion - I would say 55 man rosters, up from 53, increase the practice squads by a couple spots, and maybe increase the allowed PS game day elevations per player by 1.

 

[gobesmug]

You should be asking yourself why are they asking for more games and going on world tours? The ratings have been inconsistent over the last several years and for good reason. The league isn't what it was 20 years ago. The lack of true super stars in the NFL are severely lacking. Player and HC turnover have gotten out of hand. Why do you think they've expanded rosters? More games and playoff teams means the margin of error of making the playoffs increases. Starting 0-2 used to be a death wish, now they can start 0-4 or 2-5 and have no problem making the playoffs like the Texans.

The rise of fantasy football/betting is the only reason the league exploded in revenue, but that is going plateau (if not already). You are going to see more teams implode every year because there too many games and injuries will pile up. The product as a whole has been awful since 2020.

Just because you make more money, doesn't mean you have a good product. Just ask Nike.

I'll finish by using your acronym of "ROFL".

And yet here you are in your free time discussing this sport. You might not like the direction the league has gone but it hasn't stopped you or any other complainers from watching.

And that's the real reason they keep doing this stuff and why the superbowl half time show isn't for the die hard fans. You won't turn the TV off, especially now that your team has a potential HoF QB.

 

[p8ryts]

I guess it could make sense to have the season end on MLK Day. Wild card round the next weekend, divisional round and conference championships follow, so the Super Bowl is the end of February.

Foxboro in February, brr.

 

[XLIX]

I smell a work stoppage coming

The players will cave in about 30 seconds like they always do.

 

[XLIX]

You're right. It should be zero preseason and 20 regular season games

 

[XLIX]

16 games with 6 teams in the playoffs and 2 byes was perfect, the 7 seeds have offered zero apart from giving the NFL an extra 100 million a year for screening 2 pointless playoff games a year where they get drubbed by the 2 seed.

"Drubbed"? It took a miracle for this year's 2 seed in the NFC to get by the 7 seed.

 

[Tunescribe]

I have been thinking about this for years - that it would be excellent to move the Super Bowl just one more week, so many people get an extended weekend.

Making every team play international games, and also re-equalizing the # of home and away games so that there isn’t a disadvantage where some teams get fewer home games or some teams have an international game counted as a “home” game, does make it more fair than it is now, despite the extra week.

An extra bye week also would be good, because as it stands now, teams with very early or very late bye weeks are kind of getting shafted. Now, each team would get two byes, so that’s not really a problem anymore.

I hate to say it, but I kinda don’t hate it. I just hope this change comes with a roster expansion - I would say 55 man rosters, up from 53, increase the practice squads by a couple spots, and maybe increase the allowed PS game day elevations per player by 1.

There are downsides that will hurt the game's quality. One is roster expansion, bringing in players that otherwise would not be NFL-caliber while injury attrition of starters assuredly will increase. It could get like the NBA, where players are rested just to avoid wear and tear from an overlong season. This, in turn, would hurt unit chemistry.

But of course, raking in $$$ from casual fans in Finland makes it all worthwhile.

 

[maust]

This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone ...

This scuttlebutt has been around since the league went to 17 games

^This
From the moment they went to 17 games the writing was on the wall for 18. Byes and rosters will need to be expanded and the number of years to FA for 1st contract players will probably need to decrease, they're going to have to give something big back to the players besides just $. Real vs kangaroo arbitration, a revamped tag system and a quicker path to FA would be among the concessions I'd expect to be on the players list

 

[ScottishPatriots]

"Drubbed"? It took a miracle for this year's 2 seed in the NFC to get by the 7 seed.

The 2 seed is 11-1 in those matchups since it expanded and this years being a game like that was more of an anomaly than the normal because it involved a 2 seed against a 7 seed from the same division where the 7 seed had a QB miss games and the 7 seed also had a massive both historical and recent h2h advantage.

The norm is the 7 seed turns up and looks like they don't belong in the playoffs, so the 7 seed right now is winning a game just over 8% of the time since expansion.

The 2 vs 7 seed matchup has had 1 upset, 3 one score games and 8 double digit wins for the 2 seed.

 

[Nehalem]

16 games with 6 teams in the playoffs and 2 byes was perfect, the 7 seeds have offered zero apart from giving the NFL an extra 100 million a year for screening 2 pointless playoff games a year where they get drubbed by the 2 seed.

Looks like the 7 seed is 1/12 in the Wild Card round with 2023 GB over Dallas.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Making every team play international games, and also re-equalizing the # of home and away games so that there isn’t a disadvantage where some teams get fewer home games or some teams have an international game counted as a “home” game, does make it more fair than it is now, despite the extra week.

Yeah, at least on a per-conference basis (e.g., all AFC teams get 9 home, 8 away, 1 international).

 

[mgteich]

This simply defies logic.

really. Just a few year ago, teams played 4 preseason and 16 regular season games, with starters playing all but the last preseason games. The safety equipment and rules were very different. There have been many advances in the rules and in equipment. Do you think that the move to 17 games has caused lots more injury. I strongly disagre.

 

[mgteich]

You should be asking yourself why are they asking for more games and going on world tours? The ratings have been inconsistent over the last several years and for good reason. The league isn't what it was 20 years ago. The lack of true super stars in the NFL are severely lacking. Player and HC turnover have gotten out of hand. Why do you think they've expanded rosters? More games and playoff teams means the margin of error of making the playoffs increases. Starting 0-2 used to be a death wish, now they can start 0-4 or 2-5 and have no problem making the playoffs like the Texans.

The rise of fantasy football/betting is the only reason the league exploded in revenue, but that is going plateau (if not already). You are going to see more teams implode every year because there too many games and injuries will pile up. The product as a whole has been awful since 2020.

Just because you make more money, doesn't mean you have a good product. Just ask Nike.

I'll finish by using your acronym of "ROFL".

OK, it is your personal opinion that NFL (team and player) revenues are up because of fantasy football. OK, thank you to fantasy football. The last I checked, more people attend games and more people watch NFL football games than ever before, in the US and around the world. The league is more popular that ever.

But you are right, I shouldn't laugh at the those who want the good old days when all was better.

 

[mgteich]

The human body isn't built to play 18 game regular seasons + playoffs just look at the injury rate increases moving to 17 games.

You do understand that in the past, starters actually played in 3 preseason games plus 16 preseason games. instead of 1 preseason game and 17 regular season games,

The increased injuries are due to lack of practice and preparation, especially during Training Camp, as negotiated with the union.

 

[mgteich]

This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone ...

This scuttlebutt has been around since the league went to 17 games

The NFL cannot go to 18 games without an agreement with the union. but yes, 17 games was a compromise. NO ONE likes preseason games. It is a matter of figuring out the best way to phase them out.

 

[Joey007]

IIRC, wasn't there supposed to be another bye week added if an 18th game was added?

having every team get an overseas game makes sense. I hate it, but it makes sense.

Players should at least bargain for an “every other year” model for this.

8 international games a year, 16 teams. Next year, 8 with the other 16.