Possibilities with the league's changes

[iknowftbll]

It's been a while since I've posted any real content here. So many reasons and I'm not going to bore you all with them. I'll get right to the topic for discussion.

Do you think the league's addition of a 17th game combined with 7 teams in the playoffs makes a 10 or 9 win team a stronger contender than a 10 or 9 win team in the 16 game 6 playoff team era?

For the record, only 4 teams in that era finished the regular season 10-6 and reached the Super Bowl. Only 3 finished 9-7 and reached the Super Bowl. Worth nothing, those 4 10-6 teams are collectively 4-0 in the Super Bowl while the 9-7 teams are collectively 1-2. But how does a 10 win team fare in the 17 game era? 17 games with 7 playoff teams, meaning only the #1 seed gets a bye week. Does this formula over the long haul increase the likelihood a lower seeded team upsets a higher seeded team in WC weekend? Does that lead to more momentum from lower seeds, resulting in higher seeds being up-ended in the Divisional round?

Furthermore, does the additional wear of the 17th game mean few "standout" higher seeds? For example, are the 13 and 14, even 15 win teams a thing of the past? Is 12-5 the new 14-2? Will the changes result in even more parity? Where a 9-8 team is virtually the same as a 12-5 team? To a great extent, the NFL playoffs were always a place this existed, even before the changes. How many times did we see a 12-4 team get smoked by a 9-7 team in the first round? We all watched our own 8-8 Broncos take a 12-4 Steelers team to the woodshed in a thriller back in 2011. So already the idea of the playoff upset is something we're all used to. But will it be even more common? So common even that a #7 team at 9-8 beating on the road an 11-6 or 12-5 #2 seed becomes common enough that it is no longer considered an upset?

Personally I think it's coming. I think teams are going to rest starters in weeks 17 and 18 and we're going to eventually start seeing a lot of 11-6 #1 seeds year after year. I think the the changes may lead to a lot of excitement if your team happens to be a bubble team any given year and gets hot at the right time (or simply has the planets align for them). But I think after several years of data (seasons/individual team records) are compiled and we have an appreciable sample to analyze, football historians are going to conclude the product is a watered-down shadow of its former self.

The NFL is on the decline. I firmly believe it. Perhaps not for the owners: they'll continue to make a great profit. But for fans, it's definitely in a nosedive. These changes are great for business, awful for actual fans.

And hopefully that will circle around and become bad for business. But it probably won't. Because eventually guys like me will be replaced by fans who've never known anything but the watered down version of the NFL we see under construction today.

Nonetheless, Go Broncos. I still love my team. I loath the NFL.

 

[LGM]

blah blah blah.

As POTM I demand you be held accountable for your actions (or lack thereof) in the forum as of late. We need details!

And these better be good; like wheelchairs balancing on coffee tables, tee shots of 350 plus yards, moving moons, diaper-wearing men with horseheads, etc., etc.

No need to use a new thread, as this is the offseason. And my special time of year. (Or month, whatever you decide is best.

 

[cdumler7]

Honestly I was a bit surprised the NFL didn't add another Bye week in for teams with the addition of another game. Gives them another week of games on tv, but I know they are already up against the limit with the college all-star games scheduled and teams needing to get personnel set up to be at those events.

I agree I am not a fan of the additional game. More opportunities for players to get hurt meaning a watered down product with less star power when it matters most. I do agree teams might view those last few games as opportunities to rest starters unless they are fighting for that bye week. If they know they have made the playoffs they might use that 17th game as their bye week as much as they can. So you are probably right there are going to be a lot of teams bunched in that 10-12 wins area most years.

Part of what makes the NFL so popular though is the fact that any team that makes the playoffs stands a legit shot of winning. Bengals were not even close to being the best team in the AFC last year. In fact I thought they were one of the luckier teams in the league seeing their own division hit by injuries at the QB position and squeaking out a few wins that maybe they shouldn't have won. I always enjoy those kind of stories though of seeing a team that barely got in catching fire and upsetting some of the big teams (unless it is the Broncos they are upsetting). It was fun to watch the Chiefs fans have a meltdown after that overtime loss.

 

[iknowftbll]

You are right and that is something I've said repeatedly that I love about the NFL too: a team getting into the playoffs is all it takes and literally anything can happen. Unlike NCAA Where you have to be one of the anointed teams at the beginning of the season. I won't lie: unless it affects the Broncos, I will be rooting for mediocre teams at 9-8, 10-7 to consistently upend the whole picture and distort the NFL's big ticket matchups. It was AWESOME seeing the Bengals do that to the league at the expense of the Chiefs. (Fun fact: I watched that with a close friend who's a Steelers fan. He was rooting for the Chiefs, I was rooting for the Bengals!)

I also hope the league does see a lot of teams phone it in as early as week 16 with the changes. And I am extremely confident that is exactly what is going to happen. I hope it destroys ratings and the league's stock declines. Stupidity should never be rewarded.

 

[cdumler7]

You are right and that is something I've said repeatedly that I love about the NFL too: a team getting into the playoffs is all it takes and literally anything can happen. Unlike NCAA Where you have to be one of the anointed teams at the beginning of the season. I won't lie: unless it affects the Broncos, I will be rooting for mediocre teams at 9-8, 10-7 to consistently upend the whole picture and distort the NFL's big ticket matchups. It was AWESOME seeing the Bengals do that to the league at the expense of the Chiefs. (Fun fact: I watched that with a close friend who's a Steelers fan. He was rooting for the Chiefs, I was rooting for the Bengals!)

I also hope the league does see a lot of teams phone it in as early as week 16 with the changes. And I am extremely confident that is exactly what is going to happen. I hope it destroys ratings and the league's stock declines. Stupidity should never be rewarded.

It really was fun watching that Bengals/Chiefs game and seeing Mahomes melt down that 2nd half. The last 2 playoffs we have seen classic Andy Reid rear his bad coaching head. Clock management this last year where they decided to get cute at the end of the half instead of taking the field goal and in the Super Bowl his pride of wanting to throw all over the place even though the OL was struggling and getting Mahomes killed. They were running with ease when they did run, but he kept having to go back to his passing game and prove that he is the brightest mind around when it comes to throwing the football. Hopefully he does it again this year.

Chiefs thankfully on that downhill slide of going from winning Super Bowl to losing the Super Bowl to then losing the AFC Championship. Maybe a 1 and done this year.

 

[iknowftbll]

It really was fun watching that Bengals/Chiefs game and seeing Mahomes melt down that 2nd half. The last 2 playoffs we have seen classic Andy Reid rear his bad coaching head. Clock management this last year where they decided to get cute at the end of the half instead of taking the field goal and in the Super Bowl his pride of wanting to throw all over the place even though the OL was struggling and getting Mahomes killed. They were running with ease when they did run, but he kept having to go back to his passing game and prove that he is the brightest mind around when it comes to throwing the football. Hopefully he does it again this year.

Chiefs thankfully on that downhill slide of going from winning Super Bowl to losing the Super Bowl to then losing the AFC Championship. Maybe a 1 and done this year.

What's really disappointing is the way Kyle Shanahan blew that SB against the Chiefs. They had them on the ropes and stopped playing. It would be so much better if the Chiefs had not won a SB in this era.

They'll be in the mix again, but hopefully the Broncos will be too. This division does seem loaded so it wouldn't surprise me to see a 10-7 team win the division as all 4 teams just beat each other senseless. I still think the Broncos have the best defense in the division, so with the addition of Wilson on offense maybe they'll actually have the ability to play complementary football for the first time in years.

 

[listopencil]

Honestly I was a bit surprised the NFL didn't add another Bye week in for teams with the addition of another game. Gives them another week of games on tv, but I know they are already up against the limit with the college all-star games scheduled and teams needing to get personnel set up to be at those events.

I agree I am not a fan of the additional game. More opportunities for players to get hurt meaning a watered down product with less star power when it matters most. I do agree teams might view those last few games as opportunities to rest starters unless they are fighting for that bye week. If they know they have made the playoffs they might use that 17th game as their bye week as much as they can. So you are probably right there are going to be a lot of teams bunched in that 10-12 wins area most years.

Part of what makes the NFL so popular though is the fact that any team that makes the playoffs stands a legit shot of winning. Bengals were not even close to being the best team in the AFC last year. In fact I thought they were one of the luckier teams in the league seeing their own division hit by injuries at the QB position and squeaking out a few wins that maybe they shouldn't have won. I always enjoy those kind of stories though of seeing a team that barely got in catching fire and upsetting some of the big teams (unless it is the Broncos they are upsetting). It was fun to watch the Chiefs fans have a meltdown after that overtime loss.

I want them to do an 18 game season with a few changes. First; increase the size of all of the rosters. Active, Game Day, and Practice Squad. Next; create two universal bye weeks dividing the season into three segments of six games each. Also, limit the preseason to two weeks.

 

[Draft Crazy]

You want a larger PS size then 16?

 

[Speardog_Atlas]

What's really disappointing is the way Kyle Shanahan blew that SB against the Chiefs. They had them on the ropes and stopped playing. It would be so much better if the Chiefs had not won a SB in this era.

They'll be in the mix again, but hopefully the Broncos will be too. This division does seem loaded so it wouldn't surprise me to see a 10-7 team win the division as all 4 teams just beat each other senseless. I still think the Broncos have the best defense in the division, so with the addition of Wilson on offense maybe they'll actually have the ability to play complementary football for the first time in years.

100%

 

[listopencil]

You want a larger PS size then 16?

Yup. Make it 25.

 

[Speardog_Atlas]

Yup. Make it 25.

Why are there Game Day healthy scratches? Everyone on the roster that is healthy should be able to suit up on gameday.

 

[cdumler7]

Why are there Game Day healthy scratches? Everyone on the roster that is healthy should be able to suit up on gameday.

They view it as a possible advantage let's say if one team has 5 guys that are hurt and can't play but that they don't want to put on IR. So another team would have 5 options to put on the field more. Personally though yeah I think all 53 should be activated.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Why are there Game Day healthy scratches? Everyone on the roster that is healthy should be able to suit up on gameday.

It is because of the injuries in the NFL. The Raiders could have 7 injured players and the Broncos 0 so they don't want the Broncos having 7 extra players suit up.

Today's era there are ways around that with large PS's though. They need to tweak it.

 

[listopencil]

Why are there Game Day healthy scratches? Everyone on the roster that is healthy should be able to suit up on gameday.

I picked 25 for a base of 11 O, 11 D, 3 ST. Not that a team would have to do that but it's a starting point to work from.