Through one quarter of the season, is the NFL a much worse product than expected?

[Matt_In_NH]

You have not even had byes yet....that is when it gets challenging.   All the stand alone windows takes away from the 1PM/4PM selection.  I bet they could balance the amount of the 1PM/4PM games to have a better selection at 4PM.   I know many wont like that but they are not going to end Thursday games or Overseas games.

[FireChans]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

Going into this season, the AFC was meant to be an absolute dog fight for the playoffs.  You had the Chargers finally healthy and Payton to fix the Broncos, creating a super competitive AFC West.  Then you had the AFC North with the returning Bengals, Ravens with receivers, Browns/Steelers defense with an evolutionary step on offense.  The AFC East would have the Jets/Dolphins/Bills battling it out.  The AFC South was the only one team division.  In the NFC, you only had the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles, and hopefully continued growth from the Giants, Lions, and offensive explosive Bears.

 

Now, four weeks in, I could barely watch the 4p games yesterday.  Prime time games have been an absolute joke.  The AFC is down to the Bills, Dolphins, and Chiefs, but even Mahomes has struggled in half his games to the point that we are talking about Swift/Kelce more.  Granted, Burrow being crap and Rodgers getting hurt was unpredictable, but still...

 

I hate the idea of flex scheduling for Thursday games and MNF, but at this point, the NFL needs it.  This is as bad a product as I can remember.  Thankfully, the NFL fan will watch anything football.  And of course, the Bills are the only team in the AFC that has another team in their division. The Chiefs have no excuse to not get the one seed again.  I was really hoping they would lose last night.  But they have the easier schedule from here on out.  Yes, we play them and can gain a game, but we also have the Eagles and Cowboys to play, but the Dolphins again.  The Chiefs only have to play us and the Dolphins once.  

 

In any case, just some thoughts

you are a spoiled Bills fan. We watched football akin to the rest of the league for the entire drought.

 

Most teams don't have a Josh Allen type QB. In a league with 32 teams, more of them are going to be outside the top 10 in offense than in it.

[Alphadawg7]

7 minutes ago, Virgil said:

Last nights game was a refreshing surprise, but expected to be a blowout.  The cardinals have also been a nice surprise.  I'd still say there are way more let downs that surprise teams 

 

But for me, the surprises and the let downs are what make the NFL so great and special.  So much can change one year to the next.  I don't want to see everything we expect happen just happen.  The unpredictability of the NFL is what makes it so great.  Its what makes me love the UFC too where the unpredictable happens a lot.  

 

I love that any team can lose on any given week or that anytime team can regress or elevate season to season.   Since Rodgers went down on the 2nd play, Jets intercepted Allen and Mahomes 5 times in 2 games and honestly should be 2-0 in those games with Zack Wilson but they gave away last nights game with a couple dumb and silly mistakes.  

 

And when they are making the schedule in the offseason, there is no way to truly know what will be a good or bad game because of that volatility, especially with injuries.  I mean who would have thought the biggest story of the Chiefs vs Jets on Sunday night football would be stupid Taylor Swift and who is in her stupid booth with her instead of Mahomes vs Rodgers?  So I can't fault the NFL when sometimes some bad games happen, there is almost no way to truly predict that, especially with the injuries that are rampant through the NFL.

 

So I think you are being a bit over critical for something they can't truly control.  And they have to find ways to get even some of the lesser teams some primetime games too, can't just be the same teams getting all the games even though the better teams will get more.  And sometimes those lesser teams end up playing better than expected like the Rams, Cards, Colts, etc and the "better" teams don't like Bengals, Jags, etc.  

 

 

[uninja]

Wasn't too long ago the Bills were a D-list matchup and you had to watch other teams play to think "oh, THIS is what it's supposed to look like!"

 

We're now that team and other teams just look bad by comparison. I'm very much at peace with that 🙂

[Shemp]

The fact with one team kicking a last minute field goal to beat the spread and so many blow-outs, yes the NFL is worse than expected.

[Virgil]

6 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

But for me, the surprises and the let downs are what make the NFL so great and special.  So much can change one year to the next.  I don't want to see everything we expect happen just happen.  The unpredictability of the NFL is what makes it so great.  Its what makes me love the UFC too where the unpredictable happens a lot.  

 

I love that any team can lose on any given week or that anytime team can regress or elevate season to season.   Since Rodgers went down on the 2nd play, Jets intercepted Allen and Mahomes 5 times in 2 games and honestly should be 2-0 in those games with Zack Wilson but they gave away last nights game with a couple dumb and silly mistakes.  

 

And when they are making the schedule in the offseason, there is no way to truly know what will be a good or bad game because of that volatility, especially with injuries.  I mean who would have thought the biggest story of the Chiefs vs Jets on Sunday night football would be stupid Taylor Swift and who is in her stupid booth with her instead of Mahomes vs Rodgers?  So I can't fault the NFL when sometimes some bad games happen, there is almost no way to truly predict that, especially with the injuries that are rampant through the NFL.

 

So I think you are being a bit over critical for something they can't truly control.  And they have to find ways to get even some of the lesser teams some primetime games too, can't just be the same teams getting all the games even though the better teams will get more.  And sometimes those lesser teams end up playing better than expected like the Rams, Cards, Colts, etc and the "better" teams don't like Bengals, Jags, etc.  

 

 

 

I would challenge you to look at the schedule for yesterday and primetime games so far and count to see what percentage of them you would consider to be watchable/competitive games.  It's not about who wins them, it just feels like bad football to me.

 

Yes, I may be spoiled by the Bills.  

[BillsFan2313]

I feel like this is said every year

[Success]

The AFC was overhyped.  I was part of that, too - I thought the AFC was going to be just brutal this year.

 

But at the start of October, the landscape looks SO much different.  Our biggest competition will be the Chiefs & Ravens if all of the teams stay relatively healthy.  I would have put the Dolphins in that group, too, and don't want to get too hot-takey - but that team is kind of one note.  They're not balanced, and I think McD figured that offense out.  Not that they couldn't beat us, but we're the better & more complete team and I'd favor us to beat them probably 8x out of 10.

 

The Chiefs, who I normally have a lot of fear & respect for, are not the team that they were the past few years.  Obviously, they're still a great team - but that WR situation is their Achilles Heel this year.  I can't wait until we play them. Again - of course they can beat us, but I think we're the better team this year and should be favored.

 

And then you have teams that I & most thought would be right there w/ the top contenders, but who look pretty lame to this point. Chargers, Jags, Bengals.  I'd probably be more worried playing the Texans than any of those teams.

 

[Fleezoid]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

This was always going to happen once the league kept expanding teams. And it will get worse if they expand more.

 

With all the roster spots to fill around the league it spreads talent levels way too thin IMO. Quality of starting QB play is declined overall league wide leading to poor offensive performance. And this says nothing to the level of Head Coaches that are sub par. 

 

Lack of depth shows when there are mass injuries. Most teams have issues filling 22 starting spots with starting caliber players as is. So when injury hits there are some real sub NFL level guys seeing snaps. 

 

As far as general competition, you're right. Year in and year out we say how the AFC is stacked or that the Bills have a hard schedule. Then games happen, injury sets in and games seem further apart.

 

To add to your coaching comment; with salaries off the charts, the pressure of winning goes along with it. I think that has created a culture of plug and play with all the player movement. Constant releases, free agent signings and trades have chipped away at continuity. Coaches think if they can bring in handful top shelf players with 1 or 2 studs, it'll be instant success. It happens, but more often than not, it turns out the whole is less than the sum of all it's parts. 

[Jauronimo]

35 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

No disrespect, but I don’t know anyone who thought Payton was gonna be a magic fix for the terrible Broncos team or that the Chargers were going to be much different as long as Staley was there and that bad defense.

 

AFCE does have Bills and Dolphins and Jets lost Rodgers or they would have been there too.  
 

NFC is about what everyone expected for most part.

 

I think you’re being a bit overly negative.  Last nights game was a good one.  Niners game was a good one as Cards hung in there and made it competitive.  Cowboys game was enjoyable just watching the Pats get embarrassed is always great.  
 

The only thing I’ve hated this season is the Swift BS, like who cares that a pop singer is dating an NFL player.  No NFL fans do, yet they beating that horse like no other.  It’s fine to make a few comments or what not, but they cover her like she owns the Chiefs and has a brand partnership with the NFL.  

The 1 million people who started following Travis Kelce's socials and the horde of new fans who spiked his jersey sales 400% overnight is who cares.

 

Quote

Sales of Kelce’s jersey spiked 400% after Swift’s first appearance. TV ratings for Chiefs games have also soared. Kelce’s name was briefly Google’s No. 1 most searched phrase and his podcast has retained the No. 1 spot on Apple’s overall charts for days.

 

“Travis Kelce was already a football star, but after being linked to Taylor Swift, now he’s in an entirely different orbit,” Beth Booker, founder of Gracie PR, told Yahoo Sports. “Miss Americana is turning Travis Kelce into America’s sweetheart.”

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/the-taylor-swift-effect-miss-americana-is-turning-travis-kelce-into-americas-sweetheart-131832393.html

 

Kelce is a nobody compared to Swift.  But sure, the NFL should just ignore the opportunity to reach an untapped market while catering to the crowd they already own.  Brilliant marketing plan. 

[jkeerie]

It has been disappointing.  I watch the Red Zone and there are a lot of bad teams in the league.  Some teams that showed promise have been derailed by key injuries.  For others, I would say it's poor coaching.

[Alphadawg7]

4 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

I would challenge you to look at the schedule for yesterday and primetime games so far and count to see what percentage of them you would consider to be watchable/competitive games.  It's not about who wins them, it just feels like bad football to me.

 

Yes, I may be spoiled by the Bills.  

 

The game doesn't have to be close for me to enjoy the game.  I enjoyed watching the Pats get embarrassed for example.  But there are also players I like watching play, blowout or not.  Fantasy football also makes all games interesting for me, so maybe that is the difference.  I do several leagues, plus I do a couple weekly FanDuel games with some friends and stuff.  

 

I watched all 3 games Sunday afternoon and the Primetime game, and so did my wife.  We enjoyed ourselves, but we are also a football family as she loves football as much as I do

[Virgil]

Just now, Alphadawg7 said:

 

The game doesn't have to be close for me to enjoy the game.  I enjoyed watching the Pats get embarrassed for example.  But there are also players I like watching play, blowout or not.  Fantasy football also makes all games interesting for me, so maybe that is the difference.  I do several leagues, plus I do a couple weekly FanDuel games with some friends and stuff.  

 

I watched all 3 games Sunday afternoon and the Primetime game, and so did my wife.  We enjoyed ourselves, but we are also a football family as she loves football as much as I do

 

I did retire from fantasy this season, so maybe you're on to something....

 

Good talk

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

40 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Heck, we want to fire a head coach that’s won 3 straight division titles and an OC that called the 2nd rated offense in the NFL. 
 

 

Who's we? You and your pet mouse?

 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

3 minutes ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Who's we? You and your pet mouse?

 

I would’ve assumed this was your first day here.

 

All offseason this place was flooded with McDermott and Dorsey hate.

Edited October 2, 2023 by Buffalo_Stampede

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, Buffalo_Stampede said:

I would’ve assumed this was your first day here.

as i've said before innumerable times, Bills fans, on the average, are pretty stupid.

 

 

[CSBill]

2 hours ago, Virgil said:

Going into this season, the AFC was meant to be an absolute dog fight for the playoffs.  You had the Chargers finally healthy and Payton to fix the Broncos, creating a super competitive AFC West.  Then you had the AFC North with the returning Bengals, Ravens with receivers, Browns/Steelers defense with an evolutionary step on offense.  The AFC East would have the Jets/Dolphins/Bills battling it out.  The AFC South was the only one team division.  In the NFC, you only had the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles, and hopefully continued growth from the Giants, Lions, and offensive explosive Bears.

 

Now, four weeks in, I could barely watch the 4p games yesterday.  Prime time games have been an absolute joke.  The AFC is down to the Bills, Dolphins, and Chiefs, but even Mahomes has struggled in half his games to the point that we are talking about Swift/Kelce more.  Granted, Burrow being crap and Rodgers getting hurt was unpredictable, but still...

 

I hate the idea of flex scheduling for Thursday games and MNF, but at this point, the NFL needs it.  This is as bad a product as I can remember.  Thankfully, the NFL fan will watch anything football.  And of course, the Bills are the only team in the AFC that has another team in their division. The Chiefs have no excuse to not get the one seed again.  I was really hoping they would lose last night.  But they have the easier schedule from here on out.  Yes, we play them and can gain a game, but we also have the Eagles and Cowboys to play, but the Dolphins again.  The Chiefs only have to play us and the Dolphins once.  

 

In any case, just some thoughts

Totally agree, Virgil. So many unwatchable games. 

[Alphadawg7]

8 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

The 1 million people who started following Travis Kelce's socials and the horde of new fans who spiked his jersey sales 400% overnight is who cares.

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/the-taylor-swift-effect-miss-americana-is-turning-travis-kelce-into-americas-sweetheart-131832393.html

 

Kelce is a nobody compared to Swift.  But sure, the NFL should just ignore the opportunity to reach an untapped market while catering to the crowd they already own.  Brilliant marketing plan. 

 

Those are not fans, they are not going to stick to watching the NFL the second Swift isn't dating Kelce anymore.  Literally the only gain for the NFL is utterly minuscule in value with a temporary bump in a single players jersey sales that won't even make an impact on their books by years end as it is such an insignificant amount of money.  And the moment there is a breakup, they will be hating on Kelce and the NFL, burning jerseys, etc.  

 

The "boost in ratings" are for a single game, and all that results on is a slight bump in advertising premiums for that one game a week, which again over the course of a season is a minuscule difference for the NFL, its books, and company value.  

 

So it is one thing to have some fun with it and capitalize to some degree, but its a whole other level to utterly annoy and piss off your entire fanbase that made your corporation a $100B company for a small boost that won't even register in NFL value over the long term because none of those fans care 1% about the NFL, they just showing loyalty to Swift until she writes her next album about the Kelce breakup.

 

In my book, pissing off the fanbase that actually makes your company as valuable as its to cater to some people who bring no value to your company and are 100% temporary is not a great business strategy.  NFL took a ton of heat for last nights over the top approach to Swift...I would be surprised if they don't tame it down some moving forward.  

 

 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

2 minutes ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

as i've said before innumerable times, Bills fans, on the average, are pretty stupid.

 

 

Fans and media to be honest. Listening to the national media today is nauseating. They change their mind constantly.

[BullBuchanan]

2 hours ago, Virgil said:

Going into this season, the AFC was meant to be an absolute dog fight for the playoffs.  You had the Chargers finally healthy and Payton to fix the Broncos, creating a super competitive AFC West.  Then you had the AFC North with the returning Bengals, Ravens with receivers, Browns/Steelers defense with an evolutionary step on offense.  The AFC East would have the Jets/Dolphins/Bills battling it out.  The AFC South was the only one team division.  In the NFC, you only had the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles, and hopefully continued growth from the Giants, Lions, and offensive explosive Bears.

 

Now, four weeks in, I could barely watch the 4p games yesterday.  Prime time games have been an absolute joke.  The AFC is down to the Bills, Dolphins, and Chiefs, but even Mahomes has struggled in half his games to the point that we are talking about Swift/Kelce more.  Granted, Burrow being crap and Rodgers getting hurt was unpredictable, but still...

 

I hate the idea of flex scheduling for Thursday games and MNF, but at this point, the NFL needs it.  This is as bad a product as I can remember.  Thankfully, the NFL fan will watch anything football.  And of course, the Bills are the only team in the AFC that has another team in their division. The Chiefs have no excuse to not get the one seed again.  I was really hoping they would lose last night.  But they have the easier schedule from here on out.  Yes, we play them and can gain a game, but we also have the Eagles and Cowboys to play, but the Dolphins again.  The Chiefs only have to play us and the Dolphins once.  

 

In any case, just some thoughts

I think you're a little off the mark.

Yes, there are a handful of juggernaut teams. If that's all you care about, your point makes more sense, but that's been true every year since forever. If you take (in no order) Buffalo, KC, MIA, DAL, SF, PHI , the league is super interesting.

• You have an evolution going on in Baltimore right now and Lamar Jackson is playing the best football of his career.
• The Indianapolis Colts are way better than anyone expected them to be and could be the next big threat to rise over the next couple of years with a QB that looks like he has all the tools
• The Houston Texans are likewise putting some interesting games together behind another highly touted rookie QB
• The chargers appear to be a great Head Coach away from being very dangerous
• The Commanders have shown a lot of grit under first year QB Howell, and while it doesn't seem he has a the makeup of a franchise QB, he might be bale to make them respectable as they retool under a new Coach
• The Lions are 3-1 and right now look like the 3rd best team in the NFC. They should coast to a Division Championship for the first time since 1993 if they keep it up
• the 3-1 Buccaneers led by the constantly maligned Baker Mayfield would be the story of the NFC is not for the aforementioned Lions. Baker is playing the best football of his career and may have just needed the right environment to reach his potential.