2021 Schedule: 17 games

[iknowftbll]

What do you guys think of the 17 game schedule for 2021?

I think it's stupid. I think with 32 teams and 16 games the league had a very symmetrical and ideal schedule rotation. I think the NFL is working full time to ruin a great thing.

 

[fightinredantz]

So I view this from 3 different perspectives.

• Players perspective: This a bad idea, and it will shorten our careers with compensation not going up to compensate for the additional wear and tear on their bodies.
• Owners and NFL perspective: This is the next step to increase revenue as that is the key to continuing to increase the cap and our income.
• Fans: Are you tired of watching games after the 17th week of the season? Are you tired of watching games at the end of the Super Bowl? For me I am not tired of watching football at the end of the regular season and even if the Broncos are not in the playoffs.

I think the other thing in this discussion, and it sounds like the Broncos maybe in this group too, is teams lost a ton of mo ey in 2020, and this is the best way to infuse more money to help teams recover.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Not a fan of adding the extra game but I will adjust. It wasn’t needed though. Already filled with injuries.

 

[iknowftbll]

@fightinredantz

Yes, from the players perspective it's a horrible idea. I definitely agree with you from an owner's perspective though. All they care about is $$$ and I understand that it's a business. I'll never be able to argue against that.

As for a week 18 game, it isn't that I'm ready to stop watching football at that point. But no one game is about just that game. I feel the league is throwing out legacy and an incredibly optimized scheduling system in favor of a few more dollars. And if they keep pissing off their fans (You are never going to be able to convince me ratings declining doesn't correlate to the league deciding they want their product to be a social justice platform which is an area people turn to sports to escape) it won't matter how many games they add. They'll continue to lose money.

Until the league corrects its cranal-anal inversion issues I hope they do continue to lose money.

 

[iknowftbll]

Not a fan of adding the extra game but I will adjust. It wasn’t needed though. Already filled with injuries.

I hope EVERY SINGLE TEAM is resting starters and playing 3rd/4th stringers and guys they've activated from the practice squad in their final game of the season. I hope it is such an epic failure the league corrects its mistake immediately.

 

[fightinredantz]

If the NFL is going to continue to add additional games, I would like to see the following changes:

• Maintain the expanded practice squad, and potentially expand a little more.
• No more inactives from teh 53 man roster.
• Allow practice squad players to replace players being ruled out for a game, similar to the COVID replacements.
• Continue to allow teams to activate 2 players off the practice squad.
• Limit snaps a player can play either by number or percentage.
  • I think this this will help reserve players develop.
  • Limit extra snap burden on starters.
  • Allow the financial growth to continue for players and teams.

I think the expanding schedule is all be a forgone conclusion due to the potential financial impact.

I have not seen that the owners have had the official vote on the expandend regular season for 2021, but I understand that it is expected to be approved. Did I miss an anouncement?

 

[LGM]

I hope EVERY SINGLE TEAM is resting starters and playing 3rd/4th stringers and guys they've activated from the practice squad in their final game of the season. I hope it is such an epic failure the league corrects its mistake immediately.

I was thinking the same thing. How long till a team gets up and starts to rest players for the next half on a more consistent basis? Or starts subs in some positions to give guys time off?

 

[fightinredantz]

I was thinking the same thing. How long till a team gets up and starts to rest players for the next half on a more consistent basis? Or starts subs in some positions to give guys time off?

Would that be the end of the world? Wouldn’t that be a good development opportunity for some of those depth players?

I do want to see options for more players available however.

 

[iknowftbll]

Would that be the end of the world? Wouldn’t that be a good development opportunity for some of those depth players?

I do want to see options for more players available however.

It could be, but who wants to watch a glorified pre-season game right before the playoffs?

And no, you didn't miss an announcement. I started this conversation when I saw if the expanded schedule is approved the Broncos will pick up a game with the Lions.

Also, I think if they're going to mess up their schedule with an expanded schedule they need to just go all in, expand rosters, add a second bye week, and push it to 18 regular season games. The H/A schedule should be even unless a team agrees to be the "home" team for one of those stupid ass international games.

 

[fightinredantz]

It could be, but who wants to watch a glorified pre-season game right before the playoffs?

And no, you didn't miss an announcement. I started this conversation when I saw if the expanded schedule is approved the Broncos will pick up a game with the Lions.

Also, I think if they're going to mess up their schedule with an expanded schedule they need to just go all in, expand rosters, add a second bye week, and push it to 18 regular season games. The H/A schedule should be even unless a team agrees to be the "home" team for one of those stupid ass international games.

I do not disagree with this, and I think we will get to that. The NFLPA would have never gone for a 2 game jump. I would like to see the season start on Labor Day weekend too.

 

[iknowftbll]

Well they did it: In an effort to screw up their product the NFL has approved a 17th regular season game. Love the Broncos, hate the NFL. They get a little worse with every passing year.

 

[fightinredantz]

My guess is they will try to add an 18th game in the next CBA negotiations.

 

[MileHigh64]

I understand the players disdain for this change but as a fan, I can't get enough NFL football. So selfishly, I actually like it. It's definitely going to throw a wrench into the symmetry of the league, the playoffs and wreak havoc on records but hey.....as long as I'm happy, that's what matters. Haha! Can't everything just be about me?

 

[listopencil]

I think the way they are doing it is stupid and I don't like it. If they are going to expand the regular season then I want them to:

1) 18 game regular season with no more than 2 preseason games per team
2) 2 universal bye weeks creating 3 stretches of 6 games for everyone
3) 55 man game day roster of 25 O, 25 D, 5 ST (the 5 ST don't have to have a position designation other than K/P)
4) 75 man active roster
5) 25 man Practice Squad
6) The IR is an inactive roster position that does not count towards any other roster total and players can be moved back and forth from this inactive roster at any time with no penalty to the player or the team as long as all other roster rules are followed
7) the trade deadline is eliminated and any player can be traded at any time during the season with his consent but off season trade rules still apply as written effectively creating a new deadline at the start of the regular season

 

[fightinredantz]

I think the way they are doing it is stupid and I don't like it. If they are going to expand the regular season then I want them to:

1) 18 game regular season with no more than 2 preseason games per team
2) 2 universal bye weeks creating 3 stretches of 6 games for everyone
3) 55 man game day roster of 25 O, 25 D, 5 ST (the 5 ST don't have to have a position designation other than K/P)
4) 75 man active roster
5) 25 man Practice Squad
6) The IR is an inactive roster position that does not count towards any other roster total and players can be moved back and forth from this inactive roster at any time with no penalty to the player or the team as long as all other roster rules are followed
7) the trade deadline is eliminated and any player can be traded at any time during the season with his consent but off season trade rules still apply as written effectively creating a new deadline at the start of the regular season

I like the ideas. I would add the expanded practice squad and the ability to call up players based on injury.

Another idea I like is a snap limit. Let’s say no player can play more then 90% of a the snaps on there side of the ball. To me this would do several things:

• Save players from playing as many snaps.
• Force development of younger players.
• Create match up opportunities.
• Even out the money across the players a little.

The players would not agree to a jump from 16 to 18 games so I see this ada stepping stone.

The one part of your suggestions I done think will happen is the universal bye weeks because that would cause 2 weeks with no football and it is all about increasing revenue.

 

[PumpFake]

Not a fan.

 

[listopencil]

The one part of your suggestions I done think will happen is the universal bye weeks because that would cause 2 weeks with no football and it is all about increasing revenue.

It wouldn't affect revenue in that way. Currently, the schedule calls for a 17 game season played over 18 weeks. That's 18 weeks of television revenue. With an 18 game and 2 bye week schedule you'd still get 18 weeks of television revenue. You'd also get 2 weeks of in-season programming from content creators to generate revenue including sources/media owned by the NFL.

 

[BigKen]

This is step 1. The owner want to increase the season to 18 games and reduce the preseason to two. Preseason is not cost effective because it drags out camp and carrying 30 extra players is expensive. So they're introducing a 17 game season.

The plan is to game 18 in 2023. Don't be surprised if the 17 game season works better that an even year. Less chance that a poor performing team will make it as a wild card.

My gues is that they will solidify training camp starting the third Monday in July and the only preseason game will be the third Sunday in August.
The 19 game season will start on the first Thursday in September and the Super Bowl will be the third Sunday in February.

The new season will start two and half weeks after the Super Bowl and The draft will be the third Thursday in April.

My guess is that the year will be like this one, with limited activity and no pads or contact until July. Unless they allow sled contact.

It's all about the money. The players are second.

 

[iknowftbll]

I think the way they are doing it is stupid and I don't like it. If they are going to expand the regular season then I want them to:

1) 18 game regular season with no more than 2 preseason games per team
2) 2 universal bye weeks creating 3 stretches of 6 games for everyone
3) 55 man game day roster of 25 O, 25 D, 5 ST (the 5 ST don't have to have a position designation other than K/P)
4) 75 man active roster
5) 25 man Practice Squad
6) The IR is an inactive roster position that does not count towards any other roster total and players can be moved back and forth from this inactive roster at any time with no penalty to the player or the team as long as all other roster rules are followed
7) the trade deadline is eliminated and any player can be traded at any time during the season with his consent but off season trade rules still apply as written effectively creating a new deadline at the start of the regular season

I like these ideas. I didn't want to see the schedule expand but if they're going to do it I wish they had done it right and just moved right into 18 games. I think the extra bye is a good idea for the 18 game schedule, and favor teams each team having a by no earlier than week 4 and no later than their 14th game with no less than 5 games in between any given team's bye week. This additional step will prevent the league from giving a team 2 byes early in the season. The NFL is stupid enough to do it.

While I do like your idea of 2 uniform byes for ALL teams (because it's fair from a competition standpoint) I would never expect see this league make such a sensible decision.

I DEFINITELY agree with the IR. Teams should be able to move players back and forth. I also agree with the expanded rosters, though maybe not to the extent you have proposed.

 

[listopencil]

I like these ideas. I didn't want to see the schedule expand but if they're going to do it I wish they had done it right and just moved right into 18 games. I think the extra bye is a good idea for the 18 game schedule, and favor teams each team having a by no earlier than week 4 and no later than their 14th game with no less than 5 games in between any given team's bye week. This additional step will prevent the league from giving a team 2 byes early in the season. The NFL is stupid enough to do it.

While I do like your idea of 2 uniform byes for ALL teams (because it's fair from a competition standpoint) I would never expect see this league make such a sensible decision.

I DEFINITELY agree with the IR. Teams should be able to move players back and forth. I also agree with the expanded rosters, though maybe not to the extent you have proposed.

As far as roster sizes go, to me the only benefit in limiting them is to keep teams from hoarding talent. I believe that the salary cap already does that. So I'd rather have the potential exist for teams to keep as many people as they'd like to keep with no one ever having to cut a guy who shows promise just to meet what I believe is an arbitrary number.