Thoughts on a possible 18 game schedule....

Big Dan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
197
Reaction score
47
Location
Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
I love the idea, and have a great solution. Each team plays every other team in their conference once, and play a second game against each of the three other teams in their division. Packers would play 2 with the Bears, Lions, and Vikings, and one each with the other 12 teams in the NFC. There's your 18, and no more crying over "strength of schedule."

Every team would also get 2 bye weeks, between weeks 5 and 14. No byes in the first 4 weeks, and none in the last 4 weeks. Instead of 17 weeks of regular season, there would be 20 weeks. Players get an extra week to heal up, and revenues would naturally rise.

I could also see expanding the rosters, but only if the same cap is in place. The players want more guys, but do they want it enough to share their overly large slice of the pie with the new guys?
 

ebterp

Cheesehead
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
I don't know about this. As the packers have already figured out this year its pretty hard to keep a team healthy thru the current season. Expanded rosters would help but are we as fans ready to see second rate players more often?

EB
 
OP
OP
Big Dan

Big Dan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
197
Reaction score
47
Location
Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
I'm thinking the second bye week might actually help some guys. It wouldn't help at all for serious injuries (a blown knee is a blown knee), but if a guy had a nagging hamstring (Matthews) a bye week might mean he wouldn't miss any time. I would think a lot of little nagging issues might benefit.

Or... I could very well be outta my mind. It's been known to happen.
 
OP
OP
Big Dan

Big Dan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
197
Reaction score
47
Location
Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
Maybe that's what they'll settle on, Wood Chipper. But part of me thinks that expanding the league to 32 teams, and re-aligning the divisions to their current state, was done in preperation for exactly the scenario I laid out in my first post.

Or... the last line of my second post could be the case.
 

aristotle

Cheesehead
Joined
Oct 11, 2010
Messages
96
Reaction score
3
Location
Londonderry, NH
I think the 18 game sched screws up the record books too much. Also the injury factor. I do like the idea of playing your whole conference once and in the Packers case one AFC team every year. Build a rivalry with one AFC team, probably Cleveland for the Packers. Jets vs Giants, Dolphins vs Bucs, etc. Of course alternate home and away with every team. That would also eliminate Divisions. Just have the top 8 in each conference make the playoffs. 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, and so on. That adds 4 teams to playoffs and eliminates byes in the playoffs.
 
OP
OP
Big Dan

Big Dan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
197
Reaction score
47
Location
Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
aristotle,
I don't think the record books would be much of a concern. In my lifetime, they've gone from 12, to 14, to 16 games per year. There are already arguments about what record means what. I also think they pretty much have to have each team play their division rivals twice. I guess they could eliminate divisions altogether, but I think that wouldn't go over very well. I know it wouldn't with me. I wanna smack the Bears and the Vikings in the mouth twice a year (or take a smacking).

I hope it doesn't look like I'm trying to argue over this. I swear I'm not. I'm just thinking about it a lot.
 

Kitten

Feline Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
5,120
Reaction score
1,227
Location
Philly/ South Jersey area
I like the idea in terms of the fairness of who you play and how many times you have to play them, especially within the division. Teams couldn't really complain that their schedule is harder than someone else's. Of course different teams peak and decline at different times during the course of a season but there isn't anything to do about that. I think this would be a good idea. As for adding players to compensate for a longer season/ injuries, you'd run into a problem with the cap as you noted. But I would think if the league made these changes, they'd also adjust the cap so teams can compensate and nobody gets screwed.
 

Veretax

Cheesehead
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
Messages
637
Reaction score
11
there are 32 teams in the NFL right? they are NOT going to have 15 games against every other team +3 division games, that's just silly, it will probably more likely be like it is now

X Division vs Y Division (Same Conference)
X Division Vs A Division (Different conference)

that accounts for 14 games right there, 6 in division 8 in the other divisions. that leaves 4 games to rotate through a single game in one other conference. 2 of them in conference 2 of them out of conference maybe.
 

Kitten

Feline Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
5,120
Reaction score
1,227
Location
Philly/ South Jersey area
there are 32 teams in the NFL right? they are NOT going to have 15 games against every other team +3 division games, that's just silly, it will probably more likely be like it is now

X Division vs Y Division (Same Conference)
X Division Vs A Division (Different conference)

that accounts for 14 games right there, 6 in division 8 in the other divisions. that leaves 4 games to rotate through a single game in one other conference. 2 of them in conference 2 of them out of conference maybe.

*blushes* I didn't even do the math on that one to make sure it was even viable... Still I like the idea behind it, the intent.
 
OP
OP
Big Dan

Big Dan

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
197
Reaction score
47
Location
Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
Kitten, your math was just fine. Veretax seems to have a problem with reading comprehension, and would be wise not to throw out words like "ridiculous" in case he might make an *** of himself. There are 16 teams in the NFC. The Packers and 15 others. I'll list the other 15 teams below, with how many times per year we would play each of them.

Cowboys=1
Giants=1
Eagles=1
Redskins=1
Bears=2
Lions=2
Vikings=2
Falcons=1
Panthers=1
Saints=1
Buccaneers=1
Cardinals=1
Rams=1
49ers=1
Seahawks=1

Add them up, and you'll get 18 every time. Any questions, Veretax?
 

Kitten

Feline Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
5,120
Reaction score
1,227
Location
Philly/ South Jersey area
Kitten, your math was just fine. Veretax seems to have a problem with reading comprehension, and would be wise not to throw out words like "ridiculous" in case he might make an *** of himself. There are 16 teams in the NFC. The Packers and 15 others. I'll list the other 15 teams below, with how many times per year we would play each of them.

Cowboys=1
Giants=1
Eagles=1
Redskins=1
Bears=2
Lions=2
Vikings=2
Falcons=1
Panthers=1
Saints=1
Buccaneers=1
Cardinals=1
Rams=1
49ers=1
Seahawks=1

Add them up, and you'll get 18 every time. Any questions, Veretax?

Thanks man, I thought it was just me!
 

NelsonsLongCatch

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
270
Location
Chi-Town
Only way to have an 18 game season would be to expand the roster to 60 or so players.

As shown by the Packers this season, it is hard to keep enough players healthy throughout the season.
 

Members online

Latest posts

Top