Game 17 in 2021: Cowboys @ Pats

Looks like 17 games is almost a done deal.

I’d say that this helps a third place schedule look more like a third place schedule but the whole division is playing the NFC Least. Dunno how much it really will help.

They are hell bent on destroying the NFL.

Reducing the pre season games that are vital for roster building and preparation for the upcoming grind of regular season play will lead to even more injuries. Practice time and hitting was already diminished in the last CBA negotiations. The regular season is long enough already. Lost of guys are banged up trying to cross the 16 game finish line.

17 games is such a joke.

16 was the perfect number.

Pats will always be the only team in NFL history to have a 16-0 season. Lock it in! Lol

Lots of guys are banged up in preseason, where the games don't matter. There are lots of ways to evaluate players that don't include the preseason games including the joint practices and scrimmages which don't end up being televised, but do end up showing the coaches what the players can do. 16-17-18 I don't really care, giving players an extra week off, or allowing rosters to expand, or allowing players to come back from injured reserve would probably more than make up for the extra wear and tear on players bodies, and by adding an extra game and an extra week off, they arrive with the superbowl on the Sunday before President's day, which would be pretty awesome!

More football I'm down

Not a fan of 17 games. They need to add a second bye week to make it more managable. Pats will be lucky to win 5 games next season...

It goes to show you they don't give a chit about player health.

So does this mean some teams get 9 home games?

Isn't that against competitive balance?

Nehalem said:

So does this mean some teams get 9 home games?

Isn't that against competitive balance?

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Money >>>>>>>>>>>Fairness in the NYFL.

Dumb that they are pushing the super bowl back to mid February instead of getting rid of that stupid 4th preseason game. They should start the season EARLY.

The decision to add a 17th game is absolutely gross and driven by pure greed. Nobody wants this except the owners, TV execs, etc. A reflection of our deranged culture where "enough is never enough" and everything operates with the unrealistic goal of endless growth.

Nehalem said:

So does this mean some teams get 9 home games?

Isn't that against competitive balance?

Click to expand...

• Hearing it’s most likely to be AFC hosting all 16 newly invented games in 2021. Then NFC teams hosting in 2022. If that’s how it goes, it’s the fairest way. Competitive equity is the key. You don’t want three NFC East teams playing eight at home and the fourth playing nine at home

TommyBrady12 said:

Dumb that they are pushing the super bowl back to mid February instead of getting rid of that stupid 4th preseason game. They should start the season EARLY.

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The league doesn't want the season to start before or on Labor Day.

Bad ratings.

CMH said:

The decision to add a 17th game is absolutely gross and driven by pure greed. Nobody wants this except the owners, TV execs, etc. A reflection of our deranged culture where "enough is never enough" and everything operates with the unrealistic goal of endless growth.

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The NFLPA will agree with a higher CAP, more players, and they will push for a mandatory inactivation.

Remember, it's not as gross if the more money is your money.

Hate the odd number of games.

I also read that the AFC will host all the 17th games this season, while the NFC gets next, and so on. Just for anyone curious about how this new formula will actually work. There are some other details, particularly how they decide which AFC division plays which NFC division in the 17th game. It doesn't seem to be based on any sort of cycle (the way the other division matchups are decided for the scheduling formula) because we're facing a team we last faced in 2019, whereas KC will be up against GB, a team they did not play in 2019.

It seems there might be an arbitrary element to this part of the new scheduling formula, and I do not like that at all. The 16 game formula was perfect because literally nothing was up to a human being. Entirely based on a cycle of divisions playing each other certain years as well as last season's standings.

patsfanincleveland said:

The NFLPA will agree with a higher CAP, more players, and they will push for a mandatory inactivation.

Remember, it's not as gross if the more money is your money.

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The negotiation is already over. Not sure why the NFLPA agreed to what they did, but they're not getting any extra demands for quite some time.

So do all the players get an extra pay check? (For those that do not know, the players get paid only during the regular season, so 16 checks).

I would assume that if you make them play another game, then everyone would make 1/16th more. How would that work with the salary cap?

Or are they playing this extra game for free? (I wouldn't be happy about that if I was a player).

Elijah said:

It seems there might be an arbitrary element to this part of the new scheduling formula, and I do not like that at all. The 16 game formula was perfect because literally nothing was up to a human being. Entirely based on a cycle of divisions playing each other certain years as well as last season's standings.

Click to expand...

My understanding is that the 17th game is also by formula. The formula is that one game will be against the division in the opposite conference that you played round-robin against, two years ago, and the team that you play will be the team in that division who placed the same in that division as you did in your division LAST YEAR.

Pats played the entire NFC East in 2019.
Pats and Cowboys each finished 3rd in their division in 2020.

Chiefs played the entire NFC North in 2019
Chiefs and Packers each finished first in their division in 2020.


and so on...

bottom line: There is no arbitrary assigning of the 17th game.

I am not for it, but I would be deadset against if the matchups were manufactured for ratings.

17 is a stupid number but anyone with common sense knows it’s a stop gap until the owners force through 18 games. Which sucks.