NFL (2024 Season)

[ilpt4u]

But the two posts before yours were talking about this week, which is Week 16. Normally there would have been a Thursday game, but they moved it to Friday since today is Christmas.

A Christmas Day Late Afternoon game is a much better TV product than a Christmas Eve Night game. Not a shock that TNF got bumped to Christmas Friday

[webny99]

I think the all-divisional week 17 is stupid and I was never in favor of it. 11 seasons too many of that format.

I'm sure it's probably done so that the league will get some games being played for the division title, but curious why you're against it.

[webny99]

To bring up another point that's been mentioned many times already... we need a game today to ensure a game is played on every day of the week. 

[jeffandnicole]

If it were not for the TV Broadcast Deals with CBS, FOX, and NBC and needing to fill 3 separate Sunday Broadcast windows, really all the Week 17 games should all be 4-4:30 EST Kickoffs - all playing at the same time

The league has tended lately to put games that matter (or don't matter) in the same time slot.  If there's a bunch of games being played by teams not making the playoffs, they'll generally be 1pm games.  For games that have major playoff implications, they'll be 4pm games. Games that may have some seeding implications could go in either time slot. The single bye in each conference may make things interesting too.

[1995hoo]

To bring up another point that's been mentioned many times already... we need a game today to ensure a game is played on every day of the week. 

As long as they time a commercial so everyone can flip to TBS to watch Ralphie visit the Chinese restaurant.

[webny99]

The single bye in each conference may make things interesting too.

It's not particularly interesting in the AFC because the Chiefs can clinch with a win this week. The NFC may be more interesting, with 4 teams technically still in contention. But, for teams like the Bills and Steelers, it's still worth playing for the #2 seed so you can host the divisional round.

It is going to be weird for a team that played on wild card weekend to be hosting the divisional round. Crazily, if seeds 2-4 all lost, the #5 seed would host the divisional round, which has never been possible before.

[thspfc]

I think the all-divisional week 17 is stupid and I was never in favor of it. 11 seasons too many of that format.

Disagree.

[ilpt4u]

If I were to critique the Week 17 schedule (which may become Week 18 before too long): I like the Divisional Matchups

But I would put your oppenent and game site on a set rotation. That final week will be a known before the schedule is announced, fine, but that way there is a regular rotation for W17 opponents thru a Division

I think it is a little bit unbalanced when the Bears haven't played the Lions (and therefore Vikings/Packers) in Week 17 since 2015

Bears/Vikings and Packers/Lions in Week 17 was 4 years in a row, 2016-2019

Bears/Packers and Vikings/Lions will be Week 17 this year, but most recent before was back in 2013

Packers have got to play the Lions a lot for W17 lately

[webny99]

The Bucs have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2007.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, blew their chance to be in control of the final NFC wild card spot. Their loss to the Niners leaves the door wide open for the Bears, who have the tiebreaker and can clinch just by winning out. It also puts the Rams in peril: if they lose to the Seahawks and the Bears win out, Cardinals-Rams Week 17 is an elimination game.

[webny99]

What a hilarious loss for the Raiders. They suck.

... their 421 points allowed is an NFL-worst, and their sorry defense makes them look like the Chargers... against the Chargers! I mean, come on. You can't get blown out by the Falcons, barely escape the Jets, allow 44 points to the Colts, lose to the Chargers in overtime in Week 15, and make the playoffs. Playoff teams don't do any of those things, much less all four. What a collapse.

Quoted for emphasis now that the Raiders have been eliminated from the playoffs.

Not sure what was worse, the Chargers loss, or the loss last night.

[NWI_Irish96]

Why do highly-paid NFL coaches get such basic, yet critical decisions wrong?

Down 23-22 with 3rd and goal on the 1, with 1:05 left and your opponent out of time outs, you score the touchdown 100% of the time, rather than kneel down to run the clock down and kick the FG.

Being up 5 (or 7 if you get the 2 point conversion) with 1:01 left has a higher win probability than being up 2 with 0:19 left.

[webny99]

I agree, but with just :19 remaining, I think 31 other defenses could've still kept the opponent out of field goal range.

The real gutsy move would've been to kneel on 3rd down and run it in for a TD on 4th down. Risky, but with that sorry defense, it has to be an option.

[thspfc]

The world will explode if the Cowboys win the NFC East next week. All that needs to happen is a Cowboys win vs the former media loverboys Giants, and a Washington loss vs Philadelphia. There are still people who think Dallas should have tanked the season when they started 2-7. 

[thspfc]

Also, the Eagles are eliminated. I can already see the future: the Hurts novelty wears off midway through 2021. He finishes 2021 with 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions or some below average statline like that. The media babies him for two more years, focusing on a four game stretch when he was good instead of the rest of his career, before it becomes apparent that he's not the answer, and the cycle repeats itself with a different quarterback. I will be revisiting this post in 2023.

[webny99]

A lot went down today, but my biggest takeaway is that a 10-win (possibly 11-win) team from the AFC will miss the playoffs, while a NFC East team with a losing record will host a playoff game.

At this point it's very unlikely that the NFC team is favored in the Super Bowl.

[NWI_Irish96]

If the Bears win their last game, or the Cardinals lose theirs, the Bears will become the third team in NFL history to make the playoffs after losing 6 straight during the season.

[1995hoo]

Be interesting to see who starts at QB for the Redskins next week.

[thspfc]

A lot went down today, but my biggest takeaway is that a 10-win (possibly 11-win) team from the AFC will miss the playoffs, while a NFC East team with a losing record will host a playoff game.

At this point it's very unlikely that the NFC team is favored in the Super Bowl.

You're assuming that Kansas City makes it.

[Roadgeekteen]

A lot went down today, but my biggest takeaway is that a 10-win (possibly 11-win) team from the AFC will miss the playoffs, while a NFC East team with a losing record will host a playoff game.

At this point it's very unlikely that the NFC team is favored in the Super Bowl.

Poor Rivers.

[webny99]

At this point it's very unlikely that the NFC team is favored in the Super Bowl.

You're assuming that Kansas City makes it.

Not at all. I think if any team can beat the Chiefs and get to the Super Bowl, they're going to be favored.

Poor Rivers.

How come? If they beat the Jags, they've still got a very decent shot to make the playoffs.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Chiefs haven't played all that well over the last month-plus. Some people are comparing them to the 2011 Packers, who went 15-1 but got bounced handily by the Giants in their first playoff game.

[webny99]

Chiefs haven't played all that well over the last month-plus. Some people are comparing them to the 2011 Packers, who went 15-1 but got bounced handily by the Giants in their first playoff game.

8 one-score wins is the most in the league this year. That includes a sweep of the NFC South by 11 points total.
It's almost like they need to be in a hole before they're motivated to snap to life. They're still doing enough to win, but just barely in the case of yesterday against the Falcons.

[thspfc]

Chiefs haven't played all that well over the last month-plus. Some people are comparing them to the 2011 Packers, who went 15-1 but got bounced handily by the Giants in their first playoff game.

8 one-score wins is the most in the league this year. That includes a sweep of the NFC South by 11 points total.
It's almost like they need to be in a hole before they're motivated to snap to life. They're still doing enough to win, but just barely in the case of yesterday against the Falcons.

Chiefs are not peaking at the right time like the Bills, Packers, and Ravens are. This year we're seeing a lot of good teams fall off as the season goes on. Steelers, Titans, Saints, Browns, Rams, and Seahawks and Chiefs to an extent. That probably has something to do with the chaos of training camp and no preseason.

[1995hoo]

Be interesting to see who starts at QB for the Redskins next week.

It won't be Haskins: He was just released.

[webny99]

Be interesting to see who starts at QB for the Redskins next week.

It won't be Haskins: He was just released.

Yikes. I hope it's Alex Smith.