How about a 17 game season?

[Orlando Buffalo]

I am all for 2 preseason games and  1 more neutral site game that matters. I think it will make preseason games more watchable as a side benefit. I think they could do 4 games in London and a couple in Germany and a few in Mexico City and then sprinkle the rest.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

If they want to add an extra game, add it to the playoff tourney. 

 

Im assuming the owners are really just adding it in as something to concede in negotiations 

[Buffalo03]

1 minute ago, Don Otreply said:

LOL ?, I was wondering if anyone would catch on, ?, damn funny story, thanks,

Lol. Yeah, I caught on lol. As soon as I saw it I was cracking up. It was no wonder I never found that guy in the employee directory ?

[Don Otreply]

I see your points, time will tell if it all works out or not.

 

Go Bills!!!

[Saxum]

On 9/26/2019 at 9:18 PM, Buffalo Barbarian said:

For now BUT ABSOLUTELY NOT SITTING FOR ONE GAME. You're get paid that extra you better be playing extra. Stop being whiney b!tc#s and get to work.

But what about all those 14 game records ??

 

They were destroyed like the tapes from cheats.

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

On 9/26/2019 at 6:27 PM, DJB said:

Im more in favor of adding the extra bye week. It would extend the season by one week increase TV revenues. Players would also get the extra break to heal up. 

 

Plus we keep the 16 game season and all the records. 

 

Seems a win-win for everyone 

 

I prefer this idea too. And also possibly adding a 7th playoff team. Only the #1 seed in each conference would get a bye week. But i am not sure how much extra revenue would be added. The number of games played is the same with the exception of one additional playoff game. You can schedule three more prime time games with the extra by week but they are just games that switch from regular broadcast to prime time so how much extra revenue do you get there?

 

It is hard to imagine a 17th game ever being added with all the concerns of injury and CTE. And getting rid of 2 preseason games does not solve that issue since the majority of starting NFL players only play about 1 combined game anyway in pre-season. 

 

For those who say we went from 14 to 16 back in '78 or whenever it was. True. But that doesn't mean we should do expand again and destroy the record books even more. Two wrongs don't make a right as the saying goes. 

[iinii]

On 9/26/2019 at 9:25 PM, Doc Brown said:

OJ would've gained 2400 yards that year and would hold the single season record still.  His legacy would be even more impressive today.

Oh it’s impressive all right. 

[The Dean]

While I'm not a huge fan of the 17 game season, I don't think the "problem" with statistical records should even be a minor consideration. Sports leagues evolve and change. I've lived through the creation of the AFL alongside the NFL, the interleague play between the two, the merger of the leagues, the expansion of the league to include more teams, then more games. Every one of those moves has some impact on the statistical records. So what? Those are just individual stats. Football is a team game.

[The Frankish Reich]

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

As someone who tried to buy tickets for the Buccs - Panthers game at Tottenham during the Bills by week and was online the moment they went on sale and by the time I got to the front of the virtual queue 9 minutes later found out they had already sold out I think you slightly underestimate the popularity of the NFL in Europe. It is growing and it continues to grow. 

 

I agree there isn't enough infrastructure to create new teams and a genuinely expanded player base but you do see now a steady stream of European born players making their way into the league.  

 

If the league does go to 17 games I wouldn't be at all surprised if that meant every team playing 8 home, 8 road and 1 international game as part of the regular season schedule. The NFL already has a contract for 4 games a year in London, it has played games in Mexico, they have had discussions with officials in Dublin and in German cities. It is feasible. 

I think this has to be the model - at least one neutral site game, since home field is just too valuable in the NFL to allow for a fair season otherwise. It's bad enough as it is with some teams playing a "home" game abroad.

[Cripple Creek]

9 hours ago, Don Otreply said:

 

Or, teams and fans could actually take preseason seriously and have four additional games, you young people are silly, more football is right in front of you and you poo poo it. 

 

Go Bills!!!

& how, exactly, are you going to legislate that?

[Doc Brown]

9 hours ago, Cripple Creek said:

Old people like you care about records.  I care about watching football.  Give me one more week of real football and another bye.

No.  You'll have one serving of gruel and like it.

[Don Otreply]

14 minutes ago, Cripple Creek said:

& how, exactly, are you going to legislate that?

See, just another example of young people being silly,  extremely weak statement, i’ll Wait for your next attempt ??

[Saxum]

5 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I think this has to be the model - at least one neutral site game, since home field is just too valuable in the NFL to allow for a fair season otherwise. It's bad enough as it is with some teams playing a "home" game abroad.

 

I think neutral rather than all international.  Maybe some places in US like St Louis. San Antonio, etc.  Maybe San Diego (if they have anyplace to play now), Oakland (ditto) when pain has subsided.

[QCity]

You can only water down the product so much. Right now players are bigger, faster, and stronger than ever before -- and they are having difficulties making it through 16 games. Adding another bye week isn't going to magically make CTE injuries go away.

 

The push for 17 or 18 game seasons reinforces what most of us already know -- that the NFL's stance on player safety is an empty gesture and it's always been about the money.

[The Frankish Reich]

40 minutes ago, QCity said:

You can only water down the product so much. Right now players are bigger, faster, and stronger than ever before -- and they are having difficulties making it through 16 games. Adding another bye week isn't going to magically make CTE injuries go away.

 

The push for 17 or 18 game seasons reinforces what most of us already know -- that the NFL's stance on player safety is an empty gesture and it's always been about the money.

17 games + an additional bye week would probably work best. A lot of people are just saying we need to move the Super Bowl to the Sunday of President's Day weekend, which is (I think) where it would land most years.

And I like the idea of neutral site games - London, Mexico, yes. But also possibly a few Canadian sites and other cities where seeing an NFL game involves a pretty long trek - Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, even Boise - as well as the usual suspects like San Antonio.

Edited September 28, 2019 by The Frankish Reich

[Just Jack]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27872220/sources-nflpa-open-discussing-17-game-season-part-new-cba

[Billsatlastin2018]

17 games

2 Pre Season

6 extra players on the Roster.

1 challenge per game

Elimination of EVERY part time, fat, blind, old Ref

+ Hiring of Division 1 Football Players who are in Prime shape

+ Replay Ref hired with HD video cameras who can instantly halt games.

+ Redefinition of Challenge criteria on PI 

[Prickly Pete]

An additional game wouldn't make a season any more interesting to me.

I can only see how it would make more money for the league.

 

me no likey.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

If they want to add a week to the season, add playoff games. 

 

Plus the odd odd number tosses the home away split

 

 

[SoCal Deek]

The simplest change I’d like to see is condensing the bye into one or two weeks right in the middle of the season. I don’t like the current staggered bye. It makes a mess of division and conference standings in a sport that has only 16 games.