NFL Week 17 -- Swimming Downstream

Oh, the matchups were good, but you can see the impact of the longer season. Teams are starting slow in September, get their groove in October and November, and by December even the teams still in playoff contention for one of the final spots look "done." Depleted by injuries, their weaknesses exposed, no momentum. It would be interesting to find out what percentage of players on rosters at this point, weren't on rosters in week one.

 

People get amnesia. Remember the years when a sub .500 team wins their division and hosts a game in the playoffs?

 

Perhaps, but I'll give you the field if you give me KC, Buffalo and Baltimore to win the SB. I'm guessing there won't be many takers.

 

You would be too after working the equivalent of overtime now with a 17th game that no one asked for. How many teams were forced to play backup quarterbacks because their starter is out injured? The season is too damn long at this point, not that that meathead Goodell or his billionaire overlords care.

And it'll be even dumber when we go to an 18-game season.

 

The Chiefs aren't staggering into the playoffs. They're 15-1. The Bills and Ravens aren't staggering into the playoffs. The Lions have a lot of injuries, but they are 13-2 and have one of the most creative offenses we've seen. Their NFC north counterparts, the Packers and Vikings, have a combined record of 24-6. The Eagles have an MVP-type rb. The Rams have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games.

But besides those 8 teams, the NFL is definitely staggering into the playoffs.

 

There are 32 teams and 14 make the playoffs. By definition, every season is going to see middling teams qualify. Some years there will be not even middling teams in the playoffs.

 

No one has played their 17th game yet this season. Most haven't even played their 16th. So how are the effects of the longer season showing right now, relative to any other season since 1978?

 

Anthony Richardson hasn't played his 16th game in two years.

 

Well, you've seen several players from teams out of the playoffs shut it down and get a jump on off-season surgeries. I think with 17 games, you've already seen teams kind of view their Thursday after Sunday games into the "if we win, great, but we're not going to sweat it if we lose" category. Players sit with injuries they may have played through in the past. You are already seeing "load management" to some degree, coming before teams are resting up for the playoffs didn't typically happen before the 17th game. I'd also say limiting the playoff byes to one almost forces those teams who have players needing a week off to sit them when they can down the stretch.

 

Even with the same three days in between as a “normal” short week, it has to be jarring to do a Saturday-Wednesday turnaround.

 

If the NFLPA had any clout, this maybe would never happen, no matter how much money Netflix paid. It can't be good for a team playing a Sunday/Saturday/Wednesday schedule