League officially announced it will move to a 17 game schedule starting in 2021

[Logic]

Yes, this was a formality. Everyone has known since the CBA was ratified that the league secured the right to expand the regular season to 17 games, and that they were highly likely to exercise that option. Nevertheless, today it was announced that they definitely WILL be exercising that option, beginning in 2021.

Personally, I HATE that this is happening. I don't see any reason for it other than money. I get that the NFL is a business, but they're doing JUST FINE, thank you very much. There are many other ways to continue to increase revenue without lengthening the regular season. There were even polls done in recent years by PFT and other outlets asking if fans were in favor of expanding the regular season, and the majority of fans voted that they WERE NOT in favor of it. Yet here we are. Ugh. 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/03/28/yes-the-nfl-will-expand-to-17-regular-season-games-this-week/

 

"Maybe it’s just a slow news day.

Whatever the case, a report from ESPN that the NFL’s owners are expected to add a 17th regular-season game this week is not news. Anyone who has been paying any attention to the NFL over the past few months knew that it wasn’t just “expected” to happen, but that it is happening.

The only question left is whether the NFL will reduce the preseason to three games or to two. The owners are expected (am I doing that right?) to reduce the preseason to three games."

 

[RaoulDuke79]

Safety first.........unless there is a chance to increase revenue. Then safety second.

[GottaRun]

One of my worthless preseason games now becomes a regular season game.  I'll take it, it's a good deal for the season ticket holders.  

[Doc]

2 minutes ago, driddles said:

One of my worthless preseason games now becomes a regular season game.  I'll take it, it's a good deal for the season ticket holders.  

 

Yup.  I eventually see it as being an 18-game season with 2 pre-season games.

[Boxcar]

13 minutes ago, Logic said:

Yes, this was a formality. Everyone has known since the CBA was ratified that the league secured the right to expand the regular season to 17 games, and that they were highly likely to exercise that option. Nevertheless, today it was announced that they definitely WILL be exercising that option, beginning in 2021.

Personally, I HATE that this is happening. I don't see any reason for it other than money. I get that the NFL is a business, but they're doing JUST FINE, thank you very much. There are many other ways to continue to increase revenue without lengthening the regular season. There were even polls done in recent years by PFT and other outlets asking if fans were in favor of expanding the regular season, and the majority of fans voted that they WERE NOT in favor of it. Yet here we are. Ugh. 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/03/28/yes-the-nfl-will-expand-to-17-regular-season-games-this-week/

 

"Maybe it’s just a slow news day.

Whatever the case, a report from ESPN that the NFL’s owners are expected to add a 17th regular-season game this week is not news. Anyone who has been paying any attention to the NFL over the past few months knew that it wasn’t just “expected” to happen, but that it is happening.

The only question left is whether the NFL will reduce the preseason to three games or to two. The owners are expected (am I doing that right?) to reduce the preseason to three games."

 

I don't understand the complaints. It's one more week of football to shove in our eyeballs.

[WotAGuy]

15 minutes ago, Boxcar said:

I don't understand the complaints. It's one more week of football to shove in our eyeballs.

It’s just that 17 is my unlucky number. I’ll lose my shirt that week. 

[Logic]

23 minutes ago, Boxcar said:

I don't understand the complaints. It's one more week of football to shove in our eyeballs.

1. It shows no care whatsoever for player safety or the quality of the games. As it is, by week 17 of the NFL season, many teams are the walking wounded and bear no resemblance to the team that began the season.

2. It makes 43 years worth of statistical records useless. 

3. There is no evidence that fans actually WANT an extra week of football. Indeed, some polls that have been taken showed that fans were AGAINST expanding the season.

4. There are plenty of ways to continue to increase revenue other than trying to fix what ain't broke with regard to the schedule length.

5. The NFL would become the only major pro sport to have an odd number of games instead of an even number of games.

6. The NFL is the greatest sport there is. It's massively popular and rakes in billions of dollars. Why does the league continually insist on tinkering with it, when it's already the most popular sport in the country just the way it is?


-- I'm all for getting rid of 1 or 2 preseason games. I don't like expanding the regular season. I don't see the need for it, and I worry that the NFL will just go on adjusting and tinkering with things in perpetuity with a league that doesn't really seem to need the alterations. I'm concerned that the NFL's never-ending greed will eventually mean the downfall of the game that we all love so much. They just don't seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

[Mike in Horseheads]

I really thought they'd  get rid of 2 PS games as part of the CBA

[Warcodered]

18 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

It’s just that 17 is my unlucky number. I’ll lose my shirt that week. 

I don't know 17 seems like it's been a pretty lucky number for the Bills here lately.

[BADOLBILZ]

41 minutes ago, Logic said:

Yes, this was a formality. Everyone has known since the CBA was ratified that the league secured the right to expand the regular season to 17 games, and that they were highly likely to exercise that option. Nevertheless, today it was announced that they definitely WILL be exercising that option, beginning in 2021.

Personally, I HATE that this is happening. I don't see any reason for it other than money. I get that the NFL is a business, but they're doing JUST FINE, thank you very much. There are many other ways to continue to increase revenue without lengthening the regular season. There were even polls done in recent years by PFT and other outlets asking if fans were in favor of expanding the regular season, and the majority of fans voted that they WERE NOT in favor of it. Yet here we are. Ugh. 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/03/28/yes-the-nfl-will-expand-to-17-regular-season-games-this-week/

 

"Maybe it’s just a slow news day.

Whatever the case, a report from ESPN that the NFL’s owners are expected to add a 17th regular-season game this week is not news. Anyone who has been paying any attention to the NFL over the past few months knew that it wasn’t just “expected” to happen, but that it is happening.

The only question left is whether the NFL will reduce the preseason to three games or to two. The owners are expected (am I doing that right?) to reduce the preseason to three games."

 

 

First.......pro football only exists to make money.  

 

And everybody that says they don't need more football watches more football if more football is on.

 

Until that stops then the supply is not meeting the demand........it will be 18 games by 2023 most likely.

 

Which is more advertising opportunities for things that you might see as more of a need..........like different alcoholic drinks,  chicken sandwiches and pizza concoctions.

 

This is how real business actually works.

 

Keep it coming NFL.........1 more week to tailgate is a need for me.

 

[TBBills]

54 minutes ago, RaoulDuke79 said:

Safety first.........unless there is a chance to increase revenue. Then safety second.

One extra game isn't going to do anything. Fun to go overboard though.

Edited March 28, 2021 by TBBills

[SirAndrew]

I say more football. Let’s play thirty games, so we can make the regular season meaningless, like every other American sport. 

[RaoulDuke79]

3 minutes ago, TBBills said:

One extra game isn't going to do anything. Fun to go overboard though.

Yes.....definitely going overboard by saying NFL prioritizes revenue over safety. 

[Mr. WEO]

The safety argument is an empty one. The players had already agreed to this.  If they aren’t concerned then why should we challenge their choice?

 

Even less convincing is any suggestion that fans won’t be up for another regular season game.  That claim challenges all  “logic”...

[TBBills]

1 minute ago, RaoulDuke79 said:

Yes.....definitely going overboard by saying NFL prioritizes revenue over safety. 

The sky is falling. So basically the Lions are the healthiest team in the league b.c they never make the playoffs.

[RaoulDuke79]

2 minutes ago, TBBills said:

The sky is falling. So basically the Lions are the healthiest team in the league b.c they never make the playoffs.

Hahaha....and I'm the guy going overboard. 

[Mango]

Will the revenue from an increased week of NFL games and the drop of salary cap for 2021 push the cap to standard rates in 2022? 
 

I would imagine it does. 

[SirAndrew]

6 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

The safety argument is an empty one. The players had already agreed to this.  If they aren’t concerned then why should we challenge their choice?

 

Even less convincing is any suggestion that fans won’t be up for another regular season game.  That claim challenges all  “logic”...

True, the players want more money. They always talk a big game about safety until money is on the line. My only argument is about the quality of the game. I hate Thursday Night Football. The product is trash, but fans are eating it up. More football doesn’t equal better football. Wasn’t the 17th game supposed to originally be a neutral site game to balance out the odd number ? If so, that’s additional travel for two teams. Much like Thursday Night Football it lowers the quality of play. 

[ToBillsFan]

Does a 17 game season guarantee an extra home game though? Could be an additional away game for some teams, so season ticket holders may not benefit.

 

in fact you may lose a home preseason game and not gain a regular season game. 
 

Does this make sense?

[nedboy7]

They should also add a 5th quarter to the game. 

And don't forget to have a band play ***** music between each quarter of every playoff game. 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by nedboy7

[SirAndrew]

4 minutes ago, ToBillsFan said:

Does a 17 game season guarantee an extra home game though? Could be an additional away game for some teams, so season ticket holders may not benefit.

 

in fact you may lose a home preseason game and not gain a regular season game. 
 

Does this make sense?

The NFL is also lobbying for more international games. That’s what I think this is ultimately about. That should really improve the product. Those London games are always so great. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

33 minutes ago, Logic said:

1. It shows no care whatsoever for player safety or the quality of the games. As it is, by week 17 of the NFL season, many teams are the walking wounded and bear no resemblance to the team that began the season.

2. It makes 43 years worth of statistical records useless. 

3. There is no evidence that fans actually WANT an extra week of football. Indeed, some polls that have been taken showed that fans were AGAINST expanding the season.

4. There are plenty of ways to continue to increase revenue other than trying to fix what ain't broke with regard to the schedule length.

5. The NFL would become the only major pro sport to have an odd number of games instead of an even number of games.

6. The NFL is the greatest sport there is. It's massively popular and rakes in billions of dollars. Why does the league continually insist on tinkering with it, when it's already the most popular sport in the country just the way it is?


-- I'm all for getting rid of 1 or 2 preseason games. I don't like expanding the regular season. I don't see the need for it, and I worry that the NFL will just go on adjusting and tinkering with things in perpetuity with a league that doesn't really seem to need the alterations. I'm concerned that the NFL's never-ending greed will eventually mean the downfall of the game that we all love so much. They just don't seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

 

 

1.   If I were a player, would completely agree about no concern over safety.  But I'm not, I'm a fan and as some have stated, it's an extra week of football

 

2.  In 1977 people would have stated the same thing, except that time it would only have made 18 years of statistics meaningless as in 1960 they went from 12 to 14 games.  I read between 1926 and 1946 they played from eleven to fourteen games so at some point also an odd number.

 

3.  Not true, there 's at least three posts on this thread in favor so to say no evidence just isn't true.  Actually you may have been the only person on this thread that is actually against it.  You said some polls showed fans were against, I'd take that to mean some polls showed fans were in favor??

 

4.  Can you give some examples of what the league could do to increase revenue to the level adding an extra week of games could do?  The only thing I could think of would be to add an extra bye week so they play 16 games over 18 weeks, but when the league tried to add an extra bye week, they players only would agree if they were paid for the bye week.  So how much are the players really against it?

 

5.  Eventually they will go to 18 games so that will solve this concern.  As stated above apparently at some point the league played 11 games.  I do agree playing different number of home and road games is kind of strange, but guess every other year will balance out.  I can recall for a few years in the late 1960's the AFL had a league of nine teams.  Actually also happened more recently in the NFL from 1999 to 2002.  To me an odd number of teams is even worse.

 

6.   Because to many people an extra week of football is improving the league.

 

OK you don't like the idea, but many will and view this as an improvement adding an extra week of games.  I'm sure many people thought going from 12 t o14 and 14 to 16 games was also no good.  Safety is a valid concern, but not sure how much adding one extra week changes things.  I don't recall seeing a huge spike in injuries per team the during the first week of the playoffs which would be the equivalent of a 17th game

[Southern_Bills]

I'm not against it, not sure player safety is in their best interests. 

 

Of course I'll watch it and most likely enjoy it. Players will just use it to get more $, which they should.

 

The borderline players trying to make a 53 man roster in preseason will be the most likely loses I suppose. Probably won't be that bad though. 

[WotAGuy]

If there’s an extra game this year, why did the cap go down?  Wouldn’t the extra game have wiped out the 2020 losses in revenue?

[Doc]

Just now, WotAGuy said:

If there’s an extra game this year, why did the cap go down?  Wouldn’t the extra game have wiped out the 2020 losses in revenue?

 

It's based on the 2020 revenues.

[Don Otreply]

2 hours ago, Logic said:

1. It shows no care whatsoever for player safety or the quality of the games. As it is, by week 17 of the NFL season, many teams are the walking wounded and bear no resemblance to the team that began the season.

2. It makes 43 years worth of statistical records useless. 

3. There is no evidence that fans actually WANT an extra week of football. Indeed, some polls that have been taken showed that fans were AGAINST expanding the season.

4. There are plenty of ways to continue to increase revenue other than trying to fix what ain't broke with regard to the schedule length.

5. The NFL would become the only major pro sport to have an odd number of games instead of an even number of games.

6. The NFL is the greatest sport there is. It's massively popular and rakes in billions of dollars. Why does the league continually insist on tinkering with it, when it's already the most popular sport in the country just the way it is?


-- I'm all for getting rid of 1 or 2 preseason games. I don't like expanding the regular season. I don't see the need for it, and I worry that the NFL will just go on adjusting and tinkering with things in perpetuity with a league that doesn't really seem to need the alterations. I'm concerned that the NFL's never-ending greed will eventually mean the downfall of the game that we all love so much. They just don't seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

They are now one step away from an eighteen game season, bank on that happening in approximately five to ten years. The owners greed knows no bounds, bank on that as well.  I’m not saying I agree with this happening, but it’s going to happen. 

[Doc]

2 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

They are now one step away from an eighteen game season, bank on that happening in approximately five to ten years. The owners greed knows no bounds, bank on that as well.  I’m not saying I agree with this happening, but it’s going to happen. 

 

The players' (greed in getting) higher salaries will soothe their souls.

[TBBills]

So who do we play? Was it WFT?

[Rc2catch]

I don’t hate the idea. It’s one more game check for players. Also possibly frees up more jobs on the practice squads. More games=more spots for reserves on the practice squads right? 
If it kills some of preseason that’s great as well. Less injuries in pointless games. I think the goal is obviously revenue, but also to make the last weeks more important. Extra week is just more possible drama deciding playoff seeding and draft position etc etc 

[Cygnus99]

I wonder Week 18 Washington Football Team at Buffalo ? 

[CowgirlsFan]

Any idea at what part of the season that this game will play?

[ColoradoBills]

16 minutes ago, TBBills said:

So who do we play? Was it WFT?

 

Yes.  The AFC East plays the NFLC East this year.

Bills/WFT

I like the Pats playing Dallas and the Chiefs playing Green Bay!

2 minutes ago, CowgirlsFan said:

Any idea at what part of the season that this game will play?

 

No one has said yet but I'm sure it will be scattered around.

[Don Otreply]

33 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

The players' (greed in getting) higher salaries will soothe their souls.

Yes it will 👍

[RobbRiddick]

Give me a minute while a break this news to my wife...

[bobobonators]

3 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Yup.  I eventually see it as being an 18-game season with 2 pre-season games.

For me that would be ideal

[Jerome007]

3 hours ago, Logic said:

1. It shows no care whatsoever for player safety or the quality of the games. As it is, by week 17 of the NFL season, many teams are the walking wounded and bear no resemblance to the team that began the season.

2. It makes 43 years worth of statistical records useless. 

3. There is no evidence that fans actually WANT an extra week of football. Indeed, some polls that have been taken showed that fans were AGAINST expanding the season.

4. There are plenty of ways to continue to increase revenue other than trying to fix what ain't broke with regard to the schedule length.

5. The NFL would become the only major pro sport to have an odd number of games instead of an even number of games.

6. The NFL is the greatest sport there is. It's massively popular and rakes in billions of dollars. Why does the league continually insist on tinkering with it, when it's already the most popular sport in the country just the way it is?


-- I'm all for getting rid of 1 or 2 preseason games. I don't like expanding the regular season. I don't see the need for it, and I worry that the NFL will just go on adjusting and tinkering with things in perpetuity with a league that doesn't really seem to need the alterations. I'm concerned that the NFL's never-ending greed will eventually mean the downfall of the game that we all love so much. They just don't seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

Point #2 is my biggest peeve.

 

Just like having 7 teams per conference instead of 6.

 

It's not that I want things to be the same. Things change constantly. But if Josh beats records, I want him to beat them because he's that good, nbot because he had one extra game to do it!

[The Red King]

The extra game will be against the opposite conference.  This season it's AFC East vs. NFC East.  You pull the team that finished the same slot as you.  In this case the 1st place team, the WFT.  AFC will be the home team for the extra game.  Each season the 'home' conference alternates, and we'll play that extra game against a different, rotating NFC division.

 

We got lucky pulling the WFT (at home even) instead of the Seahawks or Packers.

[cba fan]

36 minutes ago, Jerome007 said:

Point #2 is my biggest peeve.

 

Just like having 7 teams per conference instead of 6.

 

It's not that I want things to be the same. Things change constantly. But if Josh beats records, I want him to beat them because he's that good, nbot because he had one extra game to do it!

you math guys do realize they can use a stat called averaging? Right?🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

 

OJ still has the rushing yards avg per game record even after his season total rush yards record was broken.

[machine gun kelly]

Thank god there was no internet when they changed from 12 to 14 games.

 

 

You guys go bananas on each if the games (me too), yet it’s so terrible we have another week to enjoy a game.  Whether it’s popular or not, we will make it to 18 games and at most have two pre-season games.

[Beast]

Go to an 18 game schedule, starting in mid to late August, and give each team 4 bye weeks over a 22 week regular season. The season would then end mid to late February with the Super Bowl.

 

26 weeks of football. I can dig it.