Is an 18 game season still a good idea?

[TSFH Fan]

18 games, 12 minute quarters

Same price, reduced size seems to be how big businesses are hosing consumers these days. The League might as well join in the fun. Keep all prices the same - nah, raise prices, because NFL. Having 18 games is a bad idea, let's make it worse.

Get rid of short weeks. No Thursday game for a team unless it's coming out of a bye week.

Get rid of some/all pre-season games, but allow more/longer joint practices.

 

[Allen2McVay]

18 games, 12 minute quarters

That's a very creative idea.

Would be losing 12 minutes per-game (48 instead of 60); and that's three and a half 60-minute games over an 18-game season. However, it's 18 games instead of 16 (normal number from the mid-70s through 2019).

Don't see it getting traction but it's a really interesting idea. I'm voting it Thread Winner!

 

[Ram Ts]

Going to 18 games is the worst idea since….going to 17 games.

 

[thirteen28]

I'm with the "16 games with 2 byes" crowd.

 

[Packfan18]

I say play 16 games and have 2 bye weeks and get rid of Thursday Night Football. I also say start the season a week after Labor Day then play the Super Bowl the end of February.

 

[blackbart]

AND… If they add those costs, does the 18th game cover it? I suspect YES… but for the quality of play is that diminishing returns?

Really hard to quantify, how much does the advertising $$ change with the addition of one more regular season game?

 

[HitStick]

You can’t sell me on player safety while trying to make players put their bodies through hell for two more games. Nope. 16 was plenty.

 

[dieterbrock]

well.. what players that are not in the post-season, that ended play in early January, are going to want to return to play the most meaningless game ever, 2 months later?
I'm not seeing it - but who knows?!!

Play what game?

 

[Steve808]

I say go back to 16 games and also go back to giving the two best teams in each conference a bye in the playoffs.

I really don't like or see a good reason for a 17th game other than to make more $$$$$ for the owners.
If a team gets their playoff top seed secured, they don't play their starters in the last game or two anyway.

I guess it helps when a few bottom feeders are fighting for the last playoff spot (like the whiners last season) but other than that, the extra game is more of a problem than anything else.

 

[Ramfansince79]

The NFL has become a game of Survivor.

By the time we reach the playoffs, does it come down to who is healthest as opposed to the best team assembled?

Jimmy G, Kyler Murray… starting QB’s lost in recent weeks… And we have 4 games to go.

Currently there are 312 players on IR. LINK. How many will we have after 17 games?

2021 we saw 343 for the season, by the end.

2020 had 300 at the end.

Is 18 games still/ever a good idea?

Was a terrible idea from the start.

 

[RAMSinLA]

They say injuries are part of the game but I've never seen it take a team down like it did the Rams this season. I think its time to increase roster size and salary cap.

 

[RamFanWA]

Play what game?

...was a discussion about the pro-bowl game.

 

[dieterbrock]

...was a discussion about the pro-bowl game.

Right, and I believe it should be moved permanently to February 30th of each year

 

[Tano]

Right, and I believe it should be moved permanently to February 30th of each year

Man am I slow today - I just noticed the date

 

[Memento]

If they're thinking about going eighteen games, they had better increase the rosters (at least 60 roster spots, 53 gameday, and 20 man practice squads.) and have at least two bye weeks per team. To do anything less would be criminal to the players.

 

[OregonRamsFan]

I think 16 games is the sweet spot.

I’d be more in favor of expanding playoffs to get more teams involved in the post season.

I don’t like individual team byes. Instead, make the bye league-wide, 1 game before POs begin. Last place in division is disqualified from PO contention.

The empty bye week should be the sexiest cheerleader competition. Including 1 cheerleader from every team, ranked by hotness voted on nationally using blind voting system. No cheer dudes allowed.

If divisional teams tie for last place, the highest ranked cheerleader between the teams wins and those teams advance.

Why not? It only helps the cheerleader ranks look better.