Which game(s) do you think get flexed to Saturday and Sunday Night for week 18?

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Just now, Richard Noggin said:

 

Not to mention, it's an AFC NORTH rivalry game in the final week of the season with playoff implications for BOTH teams. Difficult to imagine a somewhat middling Pittsburgh squad led by Mike Tomlin letting their collective foot off the gas. 

 

Exactly. And great point about how middling the Steelers have been. Three straight losses, failing to score more than 17 points in all three and giving up an average of 30ppg. They need a good performance going into the postseason.

[Richard Noggin]

1 minute ago, MikePJ76 said:

I don’t give a damn about the tv contracts.  The league should never allow this.  
 

also if you don’t understand how valuable that time is to a veteran coaching staff in Cincy and think it’s no big deal than you don’t understand exactly what these guys do.  
 

not to mention the players can get to work on rehab and recovery quicker.

 

its just simply wrong.  

 

Morality and ethics don't make convincing arguments in the face of these insane corporate broadcast contracts, unfortunately. The money talks. And the money demands a premier matchup Saturday night. Will accept a less meaningful, but same division, matchup at 4:30. So there we have it.

[strive_for_five_guy]

13 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

The TV networks don't pay big bucks for meaningless stand alone seeding implication games. You all need to get over the Bengals having an extra day. There are three games featuring teams that could be the 7 seed. Odds were very low one of them wouldn't be on Saturday. If Bills staff is so concerned they can start prepping for Bengals tomorrow. 

 

 

The staff should definitely get prepping for Denver, Miami and Cincy more this week, probably spending more time in Denver than the other two.  The staff

should already know Miami real well anyway.  The odds are heavily in favor of us playing Denver.  I’d be shocked if the staff hasn’t been prepping for potential playoff matchups already given we clinched the division a few weeks back.  As for the extra day, our best guys should be fairly rested for the WC Round too, given I wouldn’t expect our best starters to be active or playing much against the Pats anyways.

[Buffalo03]

The NFL botched the times on the Saturday games next week. The games they picked are fine but they should be flipped. The Bengals at Steelers should be on first. If the Ravens win Saturday afternoon, they clinch the North which means no matter what the Steelers do, they will be playing for nothing on Saturday night and will more than likely sit players. At least putting them on first would have met they would have to play starters and would still force the Ravens to have to win on Saturday night to take the division. Complete screw up

[MikePJ76]

27 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Morality and ethics don't make convincing arguments in the face of these insane corporate broadcast contracts, unfortunately. The money talks. And the money demands a premier matchup Saturday night. Will accept a less meaningful, but same division, matchup at 4:30. So there we have it.

Yes I am a tv editor.  I understand the business of this but allowing the tv networks to schedule games that create a competitive balance is nonsense.  Just like the Monday night playoff game is foolish.

 

and fwiw I wonder had Atlanta won if the rams Seahawks game would have been the sat night game.  That would fit the profile of an important game.

[BLeonard]

11 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

The NFL botched the times on the Saturday games next week. The games they picked are fine but they should be flipped. The Bengals at Steelers should be on first. If the Ravens win Saturday afternoon, they clinch the North which means no matter what the Steelers do, they will be playing for nothing on Saturday night and will more than likely sit players. At least putting them on first would have met they would have to play starters and would still force the Ravens to have to win on Saturday night to take the division. Complete screw up

Steelers will still be playing for seeding.  They lose and the Chargers win, they'd fall to the 6 and have to play Baltimore.  Winning locks them into the 5, where they'd play Houston.

[Buffalo03]

1 minute ago, BLeonard said:

Steelers will still be playing for seeding.  They lose and the Chargers win, they'd fall to the 6 and have to play Baltimore.  Winning locks them into the 5, where they'd play Houston.

I don't think they are really gonna care who they play. I think they will care more about being healthy

[BLeonard]

Just now, Buffalo03 said:

I don't think they are really gonna care who they play. I think they will care more about being healthy

I mean, if I were Pittsburgh, I'd care.  Baltimore just beat them pretty good a couple weeks back.

 

That and eliminating Cincinnati with a win?  I don't see the Steelers benching anyone, TBH.  We'll see.

[Buffalo03]

2 minutes ago, BLeonard said:

I mean, if I were Pittsburgh, I'd care.  Baltimore just beat them pretty good a couple weeks back.

 

That and eliminating Cincinnati with a win?  I don't see the Steelers benching anyone, TBH.  We'll see.

I still think since it only takes a win from the Ravens to take the division that it would have made more sense to make the Bengals and Steelers play first but that's just me

[BLeonard]

2 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

I still think since it only takes a win from the Ravens to take the division that it would have made more sense to make the Bengals and Steelers play first but that's just me

Don't necessarily disagree, but if the Bengals beat Pittsburgh, then Baltimore would have nothing to play for and could rest their starters.

 

At least Pittsburgh has something to play for either way, even if it is just seeding.

Edited December 30, 2024 by BLeonard

[UKBillFan]

4 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

Yes I am a tv editor.  I understand the business of this but allowing the tv networks to schedule games that create a competitive balance is nonsense.  Just like the Monday night playoff game is foolish.

 

and fwiw I wonder had Atlanta won if the rams Seahawks game would have been the sat night game.  That would fit the profile of an important game.

 

Second year in a row it's happened to the Bills. In January 2024 the Steelers played on Saturday in week 18, whilst the Bills played Sunday night. And last year it was a game that mattered to the Bills - if they had lost, then the Dolphins would have claimed the East.

[Matt_In_NH]

12 hours ago, Monty98 said:

It might be Philly purely to see if he sets the single season rushing record.

Philly will have nothing to play for.  That would be dumb to play him with a big work load or at all

5 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

Absolutely amazing.  The bengals play on Saturday and if they win they can get right to work on preparing for the bills while the bills have a game to play Sunday on the road.

 

i don’t care that cincy is on the road or that it’s a night game, this should never happen.

Let me call the waaaaambance.  Standby…

Edited December 30, 2024 by Matt_In_NH

[Matt_In_NH]

5 hours ago, zow2 said:

The Broncos are not losing to the KC backups.  it’s not happening. 

It’s an nfl game.  It can’t just “not happen”.  Are you new to this?

[Mr. WEO]

7 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

Absolutely amazing.  The bengals play on Saturday and if they win they can get right to work on preparing for the bills while the bills have a game to play Sunday on the road.

 

i don’t care that cincy is on the road or that it’s a night game, this should never happen.

 

Bengals get an extra day to prepare is absolutely amazing and should never happen?

 

that's a bit extreme.

[Monty98]

16 hours ago, Matt_In_NH said:

Philly will have nothing to play for.  That would be dumb to play him with a big work load or at all

 

I'm aware, but I said he'd probably only get a half or a quarter at most to get 101 yards. It's just a thought process that I was speaking about

[Matt_In_NH]

53 minutes ago, Monty98 said:

I'm aware, but I said he'd probably only get a half or a quarter at most to get 101 yards. It's just a thought process that I was speaking about

I wonder if they go for it.   Against the giants especially they will want to run their fade in it.  Logic says rest him they need him in the playoffs.   The giants may just stack the box if he plays. 

[agilen]

On 12/29/2024 at 6:49 PM, zow2 said:

The Broncos are not losing to the KC backups.  it’s not happening. 

https://www.nfl.com/games/steelers-at-bills-2004-reg-17

 

It’s the same scenario. Win and in while the 1-seed rests everyone, and the plucky upstart can’t get it done. (15-1 1-seed won the SB that year too 🤮)