An 18 Game Schedule that might work

[coltsfeva]

   Don’t know if this has been brought up but it appears the NFL is pushing for a 17 game schedule (with each team having to play a neutral site).

  I don’t like the extra game corrupting the records (passing yards per year), etc. And the neutral site has got to cause logistical nightmares.

   I’d much rather see:

18 game schedule but each player can only play 16 games and be inactive for 2 (at the discretion of the respective coaching staffs).

 

  So, NE would have to make Brady inactive for two games, for instance.

 

  Two less preseason games 

 

Keep the same amount of playoff games

 

Rosters go to 60 players to accommodate extra games and supplement inactive players.

 

   It would:

 

    1. Add an extra strategy for the coaching staff (when to sit certain starters)

    2. Keep 16 game individual records relevant 

    3. Give season ticket holders 1 more regular season and 1 less preseason game to pay for.

     4. Provide extra players a chance for a career.

      5. Penalize coaching staffs that are forced to sit their starters at the end of the year, if they haven’t done so.

      6. Possibly extend the season a week or two into Feb.

 

    I’d be happy keeping things status quo, but you know some kind of expansion is coming.

 

    Thoughts?

 

[coltsva]

I believe all this was discussed here a couple of months ago.

[Valpo2004]

Here is the reason this wouldn't work.  People pay to come see the quarterbacks.  

 

Having 2 games a year where the starting QB just doesn't play isn't going to do a lot of good in terms of money.  

 

 

Also an issue is the timing of the beginning of the season.  You could make an argument for starting on labor day weekend.  But starting before labor day weekend is a hard sell.  At the same time I don't think you could argue for extending the season later into January.  The only way around this would be to get rid of the bye week.  

 

I just think it's a bad idea all around.  

[aaron11]

would it be two games at the end where everyone played backups or just a max of 16 per player ?

 

the former would mean you need a whole new roster for the last two games and the later would be a nightmare to manage i imagine.  i think fans would be upset if they paid to see the patriots and got a game brady was benched for 

[coltsfeva]

4 hours ago, Valpo2004 said:

Here is the reason this wouldn't work.  People pay to come see the quarterbacks.  

 

Having 2 games a year where the starting QB just doesn't play isn't going to do a lot of good in terms of money.  

 

 

Also an issue is the timing of the beginning of the season.  You could make an argument for starting on labor day weekend.  But starting before labor day weekend is a hard sell.  At the same time I don't think you could argue for extending the season later into January.  The only way around this would be to get rid of the bye week.  

 

I just think it's a bad idea all around.  

  I see your point but if the league is determined to play 18 games and you don’t limit players to a 16 game season, the records would be skewed going forward.

 

   If a starting QB is hurt now and a backup has to play, the game still draws, if it counts in the standings.

   I hope they don’t mess with the season at all but if they do, I don’t know what would make sense considering all the ramifications 

  

[Superman]

On 10/2/2019 at 7:24 AM, coltsfeva said:

18 game schedule but each player can only play 16 games and be inactive for 2 (at the discretion of the respective coaching staffs).

 

I hate this idea. Voluntarily taking your best players off the field makes no sense to me.

 

I say do all the other stuff you suggested -- less preseason, bigger rosters, etc. -- but just add two byes for each team. The regular season would be 19 weeks, but each team only plays 16 games. You only play TNF coming off a bye, and other scheduling rules to improve the quality of the games played. The league continues to dominate TV, adding two more weeks of real football. 

[Coltsfan66]

My thoughts...

 

When I was born there was a 14 game season.

 

As I approached "tween years" it rose to 16.

 

I honestly feel that any additional games should come at the subtraction of pre-season games.

 

 

Fun fact:  Look at Jim Brown's 1963 season in 14 games.

 

[2006Coltsbestever]

7 minutes ago, Coltsfan66 said:

My thoughts...

 

When I was born there was a 14 game season.

 

As I approached "tween years" it rose to 16.

 

I honestly feel that any additional games should come at the subtraction of pre-season games.

 

 

Fun fact:  Look at Jim Brown's 1963 season in 14 games.

 

Jim Brown was a monster and way ahead of his time but I think 16 games is perfect. For injury purposes mainly. I started watching when I was around 7 years old (1978ish), right when the NFL did away with the 14 game season. I just loved football and became a Colts fan in 1984 because they moved here to Indy. If the NFL does away with the 16 game season and goes to 18 then the records currently held won't mean anything if broken. As in Dickerson's 2,105 in 1 year for example in 1984. If a RB plays 18 games then that could be beaten easier. Same for Peyton's 55 TD's in 1 season. Mahomes could throw for 60 if he plays 18 games?

[Coltsfan66]

5 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Jim Brown was a monster and way ahead of his time but I think 16 games is perfect. For injury purposes mainly. I started watching when I was around 7 years old (1978ish), right when the NFL did away with the 14 game season. I just loved football and became a Colts fan in 1984 because they moved here to Indy. If the NFL does away with the 16 game season and goes to 18 then the records currently held won't mean anything if broken. As in Dickerson's 2,105 in 1 year for example in 1984. If a RB plays 18 games then that could be beaten easier. Same for Peyton's 55 TD's in 1 season. Mahomes could throw for 60 if he plays 18 games?

Exactly, it soils, can't seem to write the word I want as it comes up as "Saints" the game's history and really puts an unnecessary load on the current players.  The only ones that benefit are the owners and the NFL.

[coltsfeva]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

 

I hate this idea. Voluntarily taking your best players off the field makes no sense to me.

 

I say do all the other stuff you suggested -- less preseason, bigger rosters, etc. -- but just add two byes for each team. The regular season would be 19 weeks, but each team only plays 16 games. You only play TNF coming off a bye, and other scheduling rules to improve the quality of the games played. The league continues to dominate TV, adding two more weeks of real football. 

  I like the idea of Thursday night only after a bye and the extra bye for each team.

  But if individual players have to play 18 regular season games, what would happen to their salaries? And even though the league went from 14 to 16 games years ago, the 16 game history records lose a bit of relevance.

  And although having to make your best players inactive for two games isn’t ideal, it would add an element of strategy that coaches and/or GMs would have to deal with. 

[Valpo2004]

On 10/4/2019 at 5:41 PM, coltsfeva said:

  I see your point but if the league is determined to play 18 games and you don’t limit players to a 16 game season, the records would be skewed going forward.

 

   If a starting QB is hurt now and a backup has to play, the game still draws, if it counts in the standings.

   I hope they don’t mess with the season at all but if they do, I don’t know what would make sense considering all the ramifications 

  

 

They arn't going to worry about records if the NFL decides to expand the season.  That's something that's important to the fans but to the owners and the league it's just about cash.

 

Regardless I think it's a bad idea.  

 

The good news is that I don't think that the NFLPA would allow it.  An 18 game seeason I think would have to go through them and my feeling is that is a non starter.  

[Myles]

On 10/4/2019 at 5:41 PM, coltsfeva said:

  I see your point but if the league is determined to play 18 games and you don’t limit players to a 16 game season, the records would be skewed going forward.

 

   

The records are already skewed.  The game is different.  QB's have it easier.  WR's have it easier.