CFZ How unoriginal are the schedule makers?

[Silver N Blue]

How unoriginal are the schedule makers? Honestly, they have the creativity of Jason Garrett calling a play. Have a look at this. Opening against the Giants on SNF. Closing on the road. It's amazing how rarely we close at home.

I'll give you an example. Did you know that we've only had 2 home games to close the regular season from 2014? The only two other seasons that we closed at home were 2015 against Washington and 2019 against....... Washington. Oh, and if that's not uncreative enough, let me show you all how many times we have finished our regular season against a particular division rivals:

Washington: 2014 (Away), 2015 (Home), 2019 (Home), 2022 (Away), 2023 (Away - based on a thread I saw)
Philly: 2016 (Away), 2017 (Away), 2021(Away)
NYG: 2018 (Away), 2020 (Away)

Assuming that we close at Washington, as expected, then that means we will have closed against them 5 times, with only 2 being at home. So, not only is closing with Washington unoriginally common, but they're it's usually at their place. Then again, they're the only team that we have closed at home against in nearly 10 years.

By comparison, here's how the other division rivals have finished:

Washington not only closed at home against us 3 times in that span, but they also closed at home with the Giants in 2016 and against Philly in 2018. That's 5 times they have hosted the season finale, including against us.

Philly - aside from the 3 times they closed at home against us, they closed at home against Washington in 2020 and NYG in 2021. That's 5 times (tbd for 2023), including against us, that they have closed at home in that same span .

NYG - aside from the two times that they've closed at home against us, they've closed at home against Philly in 2014, Philly in 2015, Washington in 2017, Philly in 2019, and Washington 2021 (2023 TBD). They've been the luckiest of the teams with 7 home finales.

So, in the span of nearly 10 years, we've had 2 home finales. Washington and Philly have had 5 home finales. The Giants have had 7 home finales. How unbelievably unoriginal is that? I don't understand how the NFL determines schedules, but I find this ridiculously unoriginal. Then again, FedEx field is usually an extra home game for us anyway. That said, it'd be great if the NFL would, I don't know, schedule us for a few more home finales. I did find it rather interesting to see the home finale counts. It's amazingly unbalanced when you break it down like this.

As for the Giants, we have opened against them in the following years in the same time span: 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019. Then, we opened against the Rams to open their stadium in 2020 and the Bucs in 2021 and 2022 before now opening again against the Giants this year. That's 5 years out of nearly 10 years that we've opened against them. This includes 3 years ina row of the same opener in the same place as 2015-2017 were at home (as was 2019).

So yeah, I think the NFL is a bit repetitive with their schedules making. They love to have us open against the Giants, and they won't schedule us for a home finale. Thoughts?

Great post and 100% utter crap. The league hates Jerry but he doesn’t care as he still gets his home games.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Great post and 100% utter crap. The league hates Jerry but he doesn’t care as he still gets his home games.

Yes, but if I were Jerry, I'd be making an absolute mess of it. Why is it that Cowboys fans, other than 2015 and 2019 in that sequence, have to watch the season finale on the road? That's not right imo.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Gotcha. The Giants SNF opener thing is ridiculous already.

It really is. I'd be delighted if they'd spice it up with Washington as an opener. That'd at least be sort of different.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Great post and 100% utter crap. The league hates Jerry but he doesn’t care as he still gets his home games.

I reckon they probably hate us fans more than they hate Jerry. I say this as someone who lives in Cleveland, Ohio and will be seeing them, in all likelihood, when they come here in a few years (and hopefully in Chicago during MFF again if I'm so lucky). It's absolutely ridiculous how rare it is for Cowboys fans to see a home season finale. If any Cowboys fan actually is fortunate enough to have a Cowboys home finale ticket, save the ticket. It's a rare event. I don't think they hate Jerry that much, considering that he makes money for the league. They just seem to hate us.

 

[DandyDon52]

Gotcha. The Giants SNF opener thing is ridiculous already.

it is plain boring, was hoping for something new and interesting ! guess I can forget about it.
It was starting to get boring back when nyg had a good team, lately it is ho hum.

I think playing phil would have been the best matchup for first game. Or play miami, something different.

 

[CowboysJames69]

I am betting we don't ever close at home as the Cotton Bowl is always at Jerrys world now and usually the same weekend. I hope that was an oversight but all I see is dollar signs.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I am betting we don't ever close at home as the Cotton Bowl is always at Jerrys world now and usually the same weekend. I hope that was an oversight but all I see is dollar signs.

That could be, but it's still insane how rare our fans get to see our team at home for the last game of the season. Besides, isn't that always on a Saturday?

 

[Silver N Blue]

Yes, but if I were Jerry, I'd be making an absolute mess of it. Why is it that Cowboys fans, other than 2015 and 2019 in that sequence, have to watch the season finale on the road? That's not right imo.

I agree I just don’t think he cares. My opinion. As long as he gets more home games he doesn’t care when and where they sit…outside of Turkey day.

 

[Silver N Blue]

I reckon they probably hate us fans more than they hate Jerry. I say this as someone who lives in Cleveland, Ohio and will be seeing them, in all likelihood, when they come here in a few years (and hopefully in Chicago during MFF again if I'm so lucky). It's absolutely ridiculous how rare it is for Cowboys fans to see a home season finale. If any Cowboys fan actually is fortunate enough to have a Cowboys home finale ticket, save the ticket. It's a rare event. I don't think they hate Jerry that much, considering that he makes money for the league. They just seem to hate us.

Rare and sad indeed.

 

[doomsday9084]

Remember, the NFL isn't a fair competition. Its a for profit industry that makes its money through competition. I would not doubt if the schedule is repeating itself because they have determined that it maximizes viewership and ticket sales using some unannounced analysis.

 

[fivetwos]

Oh I get that. This thread is more to do with pointing out how predictable this league is, which was proven with my blind prediction of when we'd play the Bills haha.

And of course they are back to back weeks, and Miami is friggin Xmas eve so that’s out. I’m pissed.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

And of course they are back to back weeks, and Miami is friggin Xmas eve so that’s out. I’m pissed.

Yeah, not very helpful to us Cowboys fans haha.

 

[CowboysJames69]

That could be, but it's still insane how rare our fans get to see our team at home for the last game of the season. Besides, isn't that always on a Saturday?

Actually good point as it is not always on Saturday as the bowl games focus around New Years. Sometimes the next day, sometimes a day earlier or even a few days earlier.. It is the only reason I can think of for us not to finish up at home anymore.

Maybe they also know the Boys will bring bigger crowds to a stadium on the road, who knows.

We have been screwed for sure in my opinion.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Actually good point as it is not always on Saturday as the bowl games focus around New Years. Sometimes the next day, sometimes a day earlier or even a few days earlier.. It is the only reason I can think of for us not to finish up at home anymore.

Maybe they also know the Boys will bring bigger crowds to a stadium on the road, who knows.

We have been screwed for sure in my opinion.

Yeah, not sure why, but it'd be great if we could get a home finale once every 4-5 years.

 

[fivetwos]

Start with four of six on the road. A 4-2 start would be nice with three in a row at home late Nov into Dec.

 

[CowboysJames69]

Yeah, not sure why, but it'd be great if we could get a home finale once every 4-5 years.

Yes it would indeed. It should be every other year in my opinion.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Yes it would indeed. It should be every other year in my opinion.

That works haha, but I understand they can't feasibly do that as a rule. But once every 3-4 years should be feasible for us.

 

[Jake]

How unoriginal are the schedule makers? Honestly, they have the creativity of Jason Garrett calling a play. Have a look at this. Opening against the Giants on SNF. Closing on the road. It's amazing how rarely we close at home.

I'll give you an example. Did you know that we've only had 2 home games to close the regular season from 2014? The only two other seasons that we closed at home were 2015 against Washington and 2019 against....... Washington. Oh, and if that's not uncreative enough, let me show you all how many times we have finished our regular season against a particular division rivals:

They started scheduling divisional games the last weeks of the season a few years ago, for all divisions. They're trying to have fewer meaningless late season games.

 

[big dog cowboy]

How unoriginal are the schedule makers? Honestly, they have the creativity of Jason Garrett calling a play.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

We definitely rarely get a home game to end the season. Ive noticed that.

Lol, called it on earlier in the week, first game on the road and 2 of last 3 on the road. Not sure when we finished a season with 2 home games in the last 3 weeks.