PFT: Weeks 16, 17 could feature division games only

[WoodysGirl]

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 24, 2010 11:27 AM ET

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has consistently stated that he's troubled by late-season games in which teams that have already clinched a playoff seed decide to rest their top players rather than play to win.

As a result, Goodell said today at the annual league meetings, he's hoping to arrange the schedule so that the last two weeks of the season are heavy on games featuring divisional opponents playing each other.

"It is still an issue and I spoke to the Competition Committee about it on Sunday," Goodell said. "One of the key things we're doing in the short term is in our scheduling. We're trying to schedule, potentially, Week 17 will be all division opponents. And maybe even a large part of Week 16.

"So we think that will address this to some extent. It will not necessarily eliminate the issue but the Competition Committee -- and I've stressed to them -- we need to continue to look at this because it's important to the quality of what we do, the integrity of our game."

Goodell is right that this proposal wouldn't eliminate the problem of Week 17 becoming irrelevant to most teams. Re-arranging the Colts' schedule, for instance, wouldn't have done anything to change the fact that they benched Peyton Manning during Week 16 and sacrificed the chance at a perfect season.

But it's a step in the right direction. A final Sunday in which all 32 teams are playing divisional opponents sounds like a more exciting day of football than the NFL has given its fans in Week 17 the last few years.

 

[Hostile]

That is not a bad idea at all.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has consistently stated that he's troubled by late-season games in which teams that have already clinched a playoff seed decide to rest their top players rather than play to win.

Guess what, Roger? It's only going to get worse when you make the season two games longer.

 

[bbgun]

More unnecessary tinkering. The best part of the schedule release every spring is the suspense. That will be compromised if we know ahead of time that the last two games will definitely be played against two of three teams. Give me roulette, not a fixed card game.

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

That is not a bad idea at all.

Agree. I think I heard the idea a few months ago by a caller on Mike and Mike (hey its the AM drive) talking about having the last 3 games as division games only.

What this does is obvious:

Odds are the division is not clinched with 3 remaining division games, and in a competitive division, such as the NFCE, those games will obviously have a huge impact. Without a division champion clinched, neither is home field, thus giving other teams incentive to play.

Along with that, how great are division games in December? The 2005 season I loved because we played home vs Dallas, home vs the Giants, and at Philly (winning all 3 to make the playoffs)

I think it would be fantastic to have the final 3 be division games

 

[cowboyjoe]

Peyton Manning-QB- Colts Mar. 24 - 11:28 am et


Commissioner Roger Goodell said that he's trying to schedule divisional opponents for all Week 17 games this season.

Goodell added that he would like a large part of the Week 16 games to be division showdowns as well. This would be a step in the right direction to make those late-season games more meaningful and have fewer star players resting. Peyton Manning has played sparingly in Week 17 during each of the last three seasons.
Source: Peter King on Twitter

 

[Longboysfan]

Our schedule always seems to bring a divisional opponent in the last two weeks.

 

[peplaw06]

Goodell is right that this proposal wouldn't eliminate the problem of Week 17 becoming irrelevant to most teams.

Great... I hereby propose that all teams be required to wear throwback uniforms during the last month of the season. It will add a little intrigue to the last few games, while having the same effect as Goodell's proposal here.

Sometimes I think Goodell needs a hobby.

 

[peplaw06]

Agree. I think I heard the idea a few months ago by a caller on Mike and Mike (hey its the AM drive) talking about having the last 3 games as division games only.

What this does is obvious:

Odds are the division is not clinched with 3 remaining division games, and in a competitive division, such as the NFCE, those games will obviously have a huge impact. Without a division champion clinched, neither is home field, thus giving other teams incentive to play.

Along with that, how great are division games in December? The 2005 season I loved because we played home vs Dallas, home vs the Giants, and at Philly (winning all 3 to make the playoffs)

I think it would be fantastic to have the final 3 be division games

I agree that division games are great in December.... but the games don't have any more of an impact simply because the division has not been clinched. The Cowboys game against the Saints was huge this year, just as was our game with Baltimore last season.

And Peyton Manning would not have played in Week 17 any more this past season had they been playing the Texans.

 

[Alexander]

More unnecessary tinkering. The best part of the schedule release every spring is the suspense. That will be compromised if we know ahead of time that the last two games will definitely be played against two of three teams. Give me roulette, not a fixed card game.

I could care less about the suspense.

Having these divisional games late makes for more interesting games. You will not have teams sitting starters and it makes it harder to clinch a division before week 15 if you have not yet played the entire slate. It will take some getting used to, but overall it seems like a good idea.

 

[VietCowboy]

I like it. Even if a team has already clinched the playoffs/division, there's a chance they could keep a division rival from being a wildcard. Which would still make them want to play hard(er).

 

[Hoofbite]

I think there should be certain "division only" weeks but they shouldn't be back to back.

I think weeks 4 and 12 should be division weeks. Every team plays a division rival. Sprinkle the other team games where you want them.

I also think there should be 1 designated week for throwbacks. 1 week and 1 week only.

Probably week 12. I say week 12 because it would come after the bye week in my set-up and would be a divisional game. The entire league wears their throwbacks for 1 game and 1 game only.

Week 4 can be given to the cancer awareness uniforms and colors as it would kick off October.

I think bye weeks should only fall on weeks 7, 8, 9, 10. I team from each Division gets a bye. Bye week is determined by where a team places in it's division the previous year. 4th place finish gets 1st pick, 3rd place gets second choice and so and so forth.

I think divisional games should rotate home and away every year. This one I have thought for a long time because there is no way that any team should constantly play a divisional rival on the road, late in the season. Switch it up yearly.

That's what I would like to see.

 

[ShiningStar]

Is this whats best for the sport, or a ratings grabber? What is the deal with the NFL expanding and trying to become every sport it is not. I feel Football is so popular because you dont have a long schedule. Its not like the other sports where you could miss a month and come back and still watch a ton of games.

Im begining to think this has more to do with money, than Goddell looking out for the best of the nfl.

 

[ShiningStar]

I like it. Even if a team has already clinched the playoffs/division, there's a chance they could keep a division rival from being a wildcard. Which would still make them want to play hard(er).

How about if you get an injury to Romo on that game and you know the seaosn is done? Would you like it than?

 

[Hoofbite]

Is this whats best for the sport, or a ratings grabber? What is the deal with the NFL expanding and trying to become every sport it is not. I feel Football is so popular because you dont have a long schedule. Its not like the other sports where you could miss a month and come back and still watch a ton of games.

Im begining to think this has more to do with money, than Goddell looking out for the best of the nfl.

Of course it does.

Tickets, concessions, merchandise, parking, sponsorships, TV contracts, advertising.

There is so much money to be gained its not even funny. That is the only reason they want to expand.

 

[big dog cowboy]

More unnecessary tinkering. The best part of the schedule release every spring is the suspense. That will be compromised if we know ahead of time that the last two games will definitely be played against two of three teams. Give me roulette, not a fixed card game.

I'm guessing that knowing you were getting that new bike before Christmas took away from the surprise factor when you unwrapped it?

 

[bbgun]

I'm guessing that knowing you were getting that new bike before Christmas took away from the surprise factor when you unwrapped it?

I'm the youngest of seven. We all got a new bike when we turned 10, but never before it. Had to borrow someone''s Schwinn to impersonate Evel Knievel when I was 8.