NFL Scheduling Idiots Week 18

[RiverDog]

Got it
I think the issue here is that many dont see it as luck at all, rather the NFL making a deliberate decision that very much favors another team that put themselves in just as mediocre a position as Seattle did

Could Seattle have avoided this specific situation by winning more? Sure

Can you see a situation in the future where Seattle could be put in a spot by the NFL to lose out on a #1 seed or homefield advantage by similar circumstance? Of course

The answer cant always be: well go 17-0 then! At some point we have to hold the NFL to a standard of competitve fairness even if we know thats not how it works.

All we have left is to complain haha

I don't subscribe to the conspiracy theories. I have this thing about requiring direct evidentiary facts before I buy into them, not the circumstantial stuff most people give. I'm also the type of person that doesn't like it when people give me excuses for their failures, and some of these complaints about the kickoff times reeks of excuse making.

That doesn't mean that I don't want to strive for perfection and try to make things fairer in scheduling, officiating, etc, and in a perfect world, I would like to see some sort of agreed upon procedure for scheduling the start times for the last week of the season instead of leaving it up to ESPN as it can affect competitiveness.

 

[RiverDog]

Two things being said that I don’t understand.

1) Detroit fans shouldn’t be upset

I wouldn’t be happy (assuming a Seahawk victory) to go from having a game that gives us a shot at the playoffs to a game that means nothing but spoiler. As a fan the playoffs are the goal of the regular season. I’d say especially so if you’re a Lions fan. They don’t have that many opportunities to play for a playoff possibility the final week.

2) l have seen online that it’s the only game with a win and you’re in and lose and you’re out meaning. This is not true. And this game only has that win and you’re in for both teams if Seattle loses. Jacksonville plays Tennessee on Saturday. That game is guaranteed win and you’re in and it’s even got a division title on the line. This would be the perfect game
To end the season on.

Jacksonville-Tennessee is scheduled for Saturday. Moving it to Sunday could cause some major inconveniences for fans that already have game tickets. As a matter of fact, only the Sunday afternoon games can be flexed into NBC's SNF due to concerns about causing a major inconvenience for fans that have bought game tickets.

 

[kidhawk]

Jacksonville-Tennessee is scheduled for Saturday. Moving it to Sunday could cause some major inconveniences for fans that already have game tickets. As a matter of fact, only the Sunday afternoon games can be flexed into NBC's SNF due to concerns about causing a major inconvenience for fans that have bought game tickets.

Week 18 games are left as TBD until 6 days prior. So on yesterday they had to decide the Saturday games and today they had to decide the Sunday games.

Here’s the official rule:

For Week 18, two Saturday games and the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 9. The schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, but games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives "surprise" teams a chance to play their way into primetime.


So they could have easily not scheduled the Titans Jags for Saturday afternoon. They chose to put it there purposely. If they truly wanted the most games to matter they could have scheduled several of these matchups in different time slots

 

[RiverDog]

Week 18 games are left as TBD until 6 days prior. So on yesterday they had to decide the Saturday games and today they had to decide the Sunday games.

Here’s the official rule:

For Week 18, two Saturday games and the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 9. The schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, but games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives "surprise" teams a chance to play their way into primetime.


So they could have easily not scheduled the Titans Jags for Saturday afternoon. They chose to put it there purposely. If they truly wanted the most games to matter they could have scheduled several of these matchups in different time slots

Thanks for the correction! I didn't know that.

 

[kidhawk]

Thanks for the correction! I didn't know that.

No problem. It’s the fact that all games are TBD week 18 and they still made this schedule is what I find frustrating. If they’d made this schedule in the off-season I wouldn’t really care.

 

[seabowl]

Media should ask Goodell why they would schedule this game Sunday night with the whole point of waiting to finalize week 18 games so that games that correlate with each other are at the same time. Would loooove to hear his response.

 

[SEAHAWKSTER]

If Detroit is any type of honorable team and even if we win and their season is over , why would you fold to a divisional foe and let them get in, cause if it was us we would try our best to keep one of our west foes out of the playoffs just so they don’t make it in , I’m hoping lions coach Campbell who is a former player sees it my way and they play hard not matter what our outcome is ….

 

[Fade]

How did the Seahawks not go at least 3-1 instead of 0-4 against the NFC South, and losing to the injured Raiders at home?

The Seahawks played one of the easiest schedules in the league. If coached better they would have 12 wins. And the Lions @ Packers wouldn't matter.

 

[FLSeahawk]

Anyone that thinks the Packers don’t have a competitive edge with this scheduling is an idiot. To even try and argue that it’s not an advantage to play a team that might find out they’re eliminated from the playoffs a half hour prior to kickoff is asinine. It’s a 53 man roster, you’re really trying to say all 53 men won’t care that there playing for nothing but being the spoiler?? C’mon

Could we have won another game and not be in this situation? Yes, but that has nothing to do with the kickoff times that the nfl set today. They know what each team is playing for and decided to do it anyway.

 

[flv2]

Explain the week 18 scheduling rules then

Thanks

https://www.nfl.com/schedules/flexible-scheduling-procedures

"For Week 18, two Saturday games and the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 9. The schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, but games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives "surprise" teams a chance to play their way into primetime."

Week 18 start time changes could be decided on 6 days notice to ensure a game with playoff implications.

The #1 seeds may have been decided before Sunday night so those games couldn't ensure playoff implications. The Patriots could clinch the #7 seed before Sunday night so that game couldn't ensure playoff implications. There are only 2 games that will definitely have playoff implications. Those are the AFC South title game and the Packers game. Easy choice.

 

[Hawkpower]

https://www.nfl.com/schedules/flexible-scheduling-procedures

"For Week 18, two Saturday games and the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 9. The schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, but games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives "surprise" teams a chance to play their way into primetime."

Week 18 start time changes could be decided on 6 days notice to ensure a game with playoff implications.

The #1 seeds may have been decided before Sunday night so those games couldn't ensure playoff implications. The Patriots could clinch the #7 seed before Sunday night so that game couldn't ensure playoff implications. There are only 2 games that will definitely have playoff implications. Those are the AFC South title game and the Packers game. Easy choice.

You misunderstood

We KNOW the fine print

My point is that the NFL keeps flexible scheduling (in part) to ensure no team gets a competitve advantages based on kickoff times

Which they flat out went back on here

So they should scrap the whole idea if they are going to renag on it when it fits something they want more

 

[Spin Doctor]

I don't know why everyone is up in arms over this. Seattle before last Sunday was on a huge losing streak. The Packers and Lions both are on winning streaks. The Lions have on 3 out of their last 4 and the Packers have one their last four games.

In addition to this, the Lions and Packers both have a chance to get into the playoffs, especially if the Seahawks don't take care of business against the Rams.

In addition to this, the Rams are eliminated from playoff contention. There is nothing on the line for them where as the Sunday night game with the Packers and the Lions has more at stake.

 

[Wheetie]

NFL Week 18 schedule favors Packers, Aaron Rodgers, and Seahawks have reason to be upset

Both the Packers vs. Lions and Seahawks-Rams games factor into the NFC playoff picture, so why aren't they being played at the same time?

yhoo.it

 

[Hawkpower]

I don't know why everyone is up in arms over this. Seattle before last Sunday was on a huge losing streak. The Packers and Lions both are on winning streaks. The Lions have on 3 out of their last 4 and the Packers have one their last four games.

In addition to this, the Lions and Packers both have a chance to get into the playoffs, especially if the Seahawks don't take care of business against the Rams.

In addition to this, the Rams are eliminated from playoff contention. There is nothing on the line for them where as the Sunday night game with the Packers and the Lions has more at stake.

I don't know why everyone is up in arms over this. Seattle before last Sunday was on a huge losing streak. The Packers and Lions both are on winning streaks. The Lions have on 3 out of their last 4 and the Packers have one their last four games.

In addition to this, the Lions and Packers both have a chance to get into the playoffs, especially if the Seahawks don't take care of business against the Rams.

In addition to this, the Rams are eliminated from playoff contention. There is nothing on the line for them where as the Sunday night game with the Packers and the Lions has more at stake.

Nobody thinks Seattle/Rams should be Sunday night

The two games should be concurrent, is the point

 

[DaveG]

If we win I doubt Detroit will put forth a big effort to beat Green Bay. I think most players are not going to want to endanger their health and careers in a meaningless game that is the last one of the season.

 

[renofox]

If we win I doubt Detroit will put forth a big effort to beat Green Bay. I think most players are not going to want to endanger their health and careers in a meaningless game that is the last one of the season.

Many players now make "business decisions" on a regular basis. This scheduling GREATLY increases the chance of DET players making business decisions on crucial plays.

Anyone who can't see this is either a fool or a liar.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Nobody thinks Seattle/Rams should be Sunday night

The two games should be concurrent, is the point

I don't think it matters much. If we don't make it in because the Lions lost to the Packers, that is our own damn fault for playing so poorly for a huge stretch of the year. Under the old system, we wouldn't even be in playoff contention right now.

Regardless of what happens, i'm sure that Dan Campbell is going to approach the game the same exact way. He's going to try and end on a high note whether we win or lose. Sometimes it's the teams with nothing to play for that are the scariest and most unhinged.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Many players now make "business decisions" on a regular basis. This scheduling GREATLY increases the chance of DET players making business decisions on crucial plays.

Anyone who can't see this is either a fool or a liar.

On the other side of this is: The do the Seahawks really deserve to be in the playoffs? We're only in this position because we went on a huge losing streak. We have to rely on the Detroit Lions because we didn't take care of business against some of the worst teams in the NFL.

We dug our own hole, now we get to lie in it.

As recently as 2020 we wouldn't have even been in playoff contention, but the NFL expanded the playoffs.

 

[Hollandhawk]

I don't think it matters much. If we don't make it in because the Lions lost to the Packers, that is our own damn fault for playing so poorly for a huge stretch of the year. Under the old system, we wouldn't even be in playoff contention right now.

Regardless of what happens, i'm sure that Dan Campbell is going to approach the game the same exact way. He's going to try and end on a high note whether we win or lose. Sometimes it's the teams with nothing to play for that are the scariest and most unhinged.

It’s a dumb argument. Green Bay played poorly for a huge stretch of the year too.

 

[Spin Doctor]

It’s a dumb argument. Green Bay played poorly for a huge stretch of the year too.

They also control their own destiny right now because they've been taking care of business lately. They are on a four game win streak. Before last game we lost five of our last six games. Once again, there is nobody to blame but ourselves if we don't make it into the playoffs.

They got hot at the right time, while we fell off at the midpoint of the year. Our inability to adjust and our inability to put teams away are why we are even in this situation. We've finished out the year very poorly.