Week 18 Schedule Announced

[Buffalo03]

26 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

Not always. The early Saturday game in 2020 went to (7) IND-(2) BUF as (5) BAL-(4) TEN played on Sunday as it was more compelling. 

 

This year, DEN-BUF it MIA-BUF is not as interesting IMO, but PIT-HOU or LAC-HOU is. Still, that game may be the early Saturday one, also known as the "AFC South Invitational".

You do realize that 2020 was the first year of 7 playoff teams, right? And it was the ONLY year when they did 3 games on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. Any other time in the last 12 years it was 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday or now 2 on Saturday, 3 on Sunday and 1 Monday and the very first game on Saturday was the AFC South home team. That year in 2020 was an outlier. 2011-2019 and 2021-present it has been the AFC South home team

[chongli]

2 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

If there was one time where it wasn't, it was the only time. Do me a favor, look up what the first playoff game has been the last 10-12 years. I guarantee you, it's been the AFC South Winner at home. The only time it wasn't that I can remember in that time frame was when the Titans had a first round bye back in 2019 or 2020. That's it. It will be the Texans and whoever

Look at the first game the last 10-12 years and get back to me on the first round matchup. It will be the Texans

 

This is crazy. Please read my posts. I already showed where the early Sat. game 2020 was IND-BUF. TEN, the AFC S winner, played Sunday.

 

https://archive.506sports.com/wiki/2020_NFL_Season

 

In 2021, TEN was the too seed and LV-CIN played early Sat. for the WC.

 

HOU may play early Sat. this year, but it could also be BUF.

[Buffalo03]

2 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

This is crazy. Please read my posts. I already showed where the early Sat. game 2020 was IND-BUF. TEN, the AFC S winner, played Sunday.

 

https://archive.506sports.com/wiki/2020_NFL_Season

 

In 2021, TEN was the too seed and LV-CIN played early Sat. for the WC.

 

HOU may play early Sat. this year, but it could also be BUF.

Incorrect. The Titans were the 1 seed in 2021. That is why it was Raiders at Bengals. The Chiefs were the 2 seed and the Bills were the 3 seed. The Bills went to KC in the Division (the 13 second game) and the Bengals who beat the Raiders in that wild card game went to Tennessee to play the Titans in the Divisional. Congratulations, you picked a year when the Titans were the 1 seed and didn't play wild card weekend to try to prove a point lol

[chongli]

4 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

You do realize that 2020 was the first year of 7 playoff teams, right? And it was the ONLY year when they did 3 games on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. Any other time in the last 12 years it was 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday or now 2 on Saturday, 3 on Sunday and 1 Monday and the very first game on Saturday was the AFC South home team. That year in 2020 was an outlier. 2011-2019 and 2021-present it has been the AFC South home team

 

This post contradicts your earlier post and does nothing to disprove what I said about 2020. And 2021 it was LV-CIN, as TEN was the top seed. It is possible HOU will play early Sat. this year, but so could BUF.

 

I am not going to argue with you any further about this.

1 minute ago, Buffalo03 said:

Incorrect. The Titans were the 1 seed in 2021. That is why it was Raiders at Bengals. The Chiefs were the 2 seed and the Bills were the 3 seed. The Bills went to KC in the Division (the 13 second game) and the Bengals who beat the Raiders in that wild card game went to Tennessee to play the Titans in the Divisional. Congratulations, you picked a year when the Titans were the 1 seed and didn't play wild card weekend to try to prove a point lol

 

You didn't read my post. 

 

I'm done.

[Buffalo03]

1 minute ago, chongli said:

 

This post contradicts your earlier post and does nothing to disprove what I said about 2020. And 2021 it was LV-CIN, as TEN was the top seed. It is possible HOU will play early Sat. this year, but so could BUF.

 

I am not going to argue with you any further about this.

2021 the Titans had a first round bye. They didn't play wild card weekend. Take your L. Secondly, 2020 was the only year in the last 12 or so years where the first Saturday game wasn't played on Saturday at 4:30. That Bills Colts game was Saturday at 1. The one and only time they ever did that and then eliminated that game and went back to the 4:30 Saturday which has always been the AFC South Winner at home other than 2021 when the Titans had a first round bye. 

4 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

This post contradicts your earlier post and does nothing to disprove what I said about 2020. And 2021 it was LV-CIN, as TEN was the top seed. It is possible HOU will play early Sat. this year, but so could BUF.

 

I am not going to argue with you any further about this.

 

You didn't read my post. 

 

I'm done.

You said the Titans were the 2 seed. I did read your post. They were the 1

[Buffalo03]

17 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

This post contradicts your earlier post and does nothing to disprove what I said about 2020. And 2021 it was LV-CIN, as TEN was the top seed. It is possible HOU will play early Sat. this year, but so could BUF.

 

I am not going to argue with you any further about this.

 

You didn't read my post. 

 

I'm done.

I'm sorry, you misspelled top with too. So, yes, you did acknowledge Tennessee as the top seed but that is why it was a different matchup. Saturday 4:30 had always been the first game of wild card weekend outside if 2020 which was the one year they had a 1pm Saturday game where it wasn't. My main argument is that the first 4:30 game is always the AFC South winner at home, outside of 2021. Which it is, and if you look at 4:30 Wild Card matchups going back to 2011, 2021 was the only year it wasn't 

Edited December 30, 2024 by Buffalo03

[Buffalo03]

47 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

This post contradicts your earlier post and does nothing to disprove what I said about 2020. And 2021 it was LV-CIN, as TEN was the top seed. It is possible HOU will play early Sat. this year, but so could BUF.

 

I am not going to argue with you any further about this.

 

You didn't read my post. 

 

I'm done.

Ok. So I will admit when I am wrong. It's been 3 times since 2011. Where it was the 4:30 Saturday game that was first where it wasn't a AFC South Division winner. But I am not referring to 2020 because that wasn't the 4:30 Saturday slot. 

2014

2017

2022

Were the other Saturday 4:30 matchups outside of 2021 when the Titans had a first round bye. I'll buy you a beer lol

 

Edited December 30, 2024 by Buffalo03

[DrBob806]

4 hours ago, Back2Buff said:

Everyone knows what a joke Cleve is.  It doesn't matter.  Balt is beating the crap out of Cleve.

Cle beat Baltimore & Pittsburgh, with Winston of course. 

[Back2Buff]

8 minutes ago, DrBob806 said:

Cle beat Baltimore & Pittsburgh, with Winston of course. 

 

They just lost to Huntley at home by 17 points.

[LabattBlue]

All this anxiety over who the Bills meet in the playoffs, what day, what time, how much rest, blah blah blah….

 

You want to make it to the SB, you have to beat the best.  Line them up and lets go!!!

[chongli]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

Ok. So I will admit when I am wrong. It's been 3 times since 2011. Where it was the 4:30 Saturday game that was first where it wasn't a AFC South Division winner. But I am not referring to 2020 because that wasn't the 4:30 Saturday slot. 

2014

2017

2022

Were the other Saturday 4:30 matchups outside of 2021 when the Titans had a first round bye. I'll buy you a beer lol

 

 

Thank you. We basically have agreed. I am not saying Houston won't play early Saturday, but it is not always the case if there is a better (i.e., less compelling) game ratings-wise for that slot, as has happened in the past. The slot isn't reserved for the AFC South champion. They do tend to be put there for two reasons:

 

1.  small market for all four teams: HOU, IND, JAX, and TEN

2. The AFC South winner has not, generally, been a very good team relative to its AFC peers.

 

If Houston had been playing lights out this year, I don't think they would go in that slot if there were a better matchup to put there. Houston was the darling last year with a young, hot QB.

 

Who goes there this year? DEN-BUF (or MIA-BUF or CIN-BUF) or LAC/PIT-HOU? Not sure. The NFL would have a hard time placing PIT in that slot given its huge following nationally. LAC-HOU is more likely. BUF has Josh, but DEN is meh, as is MIA this year. CIN-BUF, if that happens, would draw ratings and the NFL may not want to make that game the early one.

[DrBob806]

14 minutes ago, Back2Buff said:

 

They just lost to Huntley at home by 17 points.

True, because the "moneyball" guy ordered a tank (DePodesta).

 

No idea why Roger Goodell picks & chooses punishments for players, yet franchises are allowed to manipulate games and draft position.

[Buffalo03]

26 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

Thank you. We basically have agreed. I am not saying Houston won't play early Saturday, but it is not always the case if there is a better (i.e., less compelling) game ratings-wise for that slot, as has happened in the past. The slot isn't reserved for the AFC South champion. They do tend to be put there for two reasons:

 

1.  small market for all four teams: HOU, IND, JAX, and TEN

2. The AFC South winner has not, generally, been a very good team relative to its AFC peers.

 

If Houston had been playing lights out this year, I don't think they would go in that slot if there were a better matchup to put there. Houston was the darling last year with a young, hot QB.

 

Who goes there this year? DEN-BUF (or MIA-BUF or CIN-BUF) or LAC/PIT-HOU? Not sure. The NFL would have a hard time placing PIT in that slot given its huge following nationally. LAC-HOU is more likely. BUF has Josh, but DEN is meh, as is MIA this year. CIN-BUF, if that happens, would draw ratings and the NFL may not want to make that game the early one.

Because of Josh Allen alone, I don't think it will be the Saturday 4:30 game. Broncos vs Bills could be Saturday 8:00pm or Sunday 1:00 also. I don't know if they will take the fact that Denver is a west coast team into consideration and put them onto the Sunday 1pm time frame, though. I still think the Texans scream Saturday 4:30. Especially if it's Chargers at Texans. I just feel like the Texans or whoever wins the AFC and NFC South each year are the most irrelevant teams in the playoffs each year. Which is typically why the NFC 4/5 matchup usually gets the Monday Night game. The last 2 years that was Tampa Bay and I think 2021 it was Cardinals at Rams. Which were unintriguing matchups. 

[Boatdrinks]

Only thing I care about schedule wise is not drawing the Monday night time slot in WC round. With the Bills being the 2 seed I doubt they get stuck with that. 

[stlbills13]

The NFL likes a 4/5 matchup on the MNF game because it has the least re-seeding impacts on future games. They can have the divisional round schedule set going into that game with no alternative schedules. 

 

Pitt @ Houston would be the most likely Saturday early slot game. It would also be a really boring game. 

 

If current results hold, this is how I think it'll play out

 

Saturday afternoon: Pitt at Houston - Probably the 2 worst teams in the playoffs. No generational QB (sorry CJ). Injuries galore. 

Saturday night: Packers at Eagles - Could flip with Sunday night but this just screams an under the lights game to me 

Sunday early: Broncos at Bills - Maybe could get pushed with Broncos being multiple timezones behind but I don't see this as a night game

Sunday afternoon: Commanders at Rams - Could potentially be a night game with Daniels in primetime but this feels like the typical FOX game to me

Sunday night: Chargers at Ravens - Harbaugh Bowl will be primetime

Monday night: Vikings at Bucs - 4/5 matchup to finish so that the schedule can be set. Legit good game. 

[chongli]

14 minutes ago, stlbills13 said:

The NFL likes a 4/5 matchup on the MNF game because it has the least re-seeding impacts on future games. They can have the divisional round schedule set going into that game with no alternative schedules. 

 

Pitt @ Houston would be the most likely Saturday early slot game. It would also be a really boring game. 

 

If current results hold, this is how I think it'll play out

 

Saturday afternoon: Pitt at Houston - Probably the 2 worst teams in the playoffs. No generational QB (sorry CJ). Injuries galore. 

Saturday night: Packers at Eagles - Could flip with Sunday night but this just screams an under the lights game to me 

Sunday early: Broncos at Bills - Maybe could get pushed with Broncos being multiple timezones behind but I don't see this as a night game

Sunday afternoon: Commanders at Rams - Could potentially be a night game with Daniels in primetime but this feels like the typical FOX game to me

Sunday night: Chargers at Ravens - Harbaugh Bowl will be primetime

Monday night: Vikings at Bucs - 4/5 matchup to finish so that the schedule can be set. Legit good game. 

 

The thing is I can't see see WAS-LAR being put in the premier slot ratings-wise, which is Sunday 430. LAR has a small following, despite being somewhat hot, and WAS is pretty blah, Jayden Daniels notwithstanding. Sunday late seems more like a GB-PHL game or maybe even PIT-BAL if that is the matchup.

Edited December 30, 2024 by chongli

[Doc Brown]

6 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

They have to play their starters because they put themselves in that position.  They get an extra day because it was handed to them.  See the difference?

I get it but the NFL is a business.  One day's extra rest doesn't really move the needle historically as far as covering the spread goes.  Having a MNF game playoff and then having to play the next Sunday would be much more impactful.