Are the NFL Schedule Makers Smoking Marijuana?
As any Steelers fan would know, the NFL’s 2008 season was announced yesterday. I figured that since we’re now all talking about the upcoming season with a little more clarity, this would be a great time to get my blogging butt back in gear, too.
I have been on hiatus for the last couple months because I just have a hard time getting into the whole “mock draft” stuff. I’m not knocking those who do, but I just don’t follow college football enough to know who’s good and who’s a wasted pick. I’ll leave that part up to the Mel Kipers of the world.
I want to start our 2008 blogging season with a good ol’ fashioned rant about why this year’s NFL schedule, overall, is a complete joke.
The “geniuses” who came up with this rediculously lopsided agenda have set new lows this season. The scheduling formula was supposed to be a chance to create a more fair slate of games for “lesser teams” and combine that with the draft order (worst drafts first) to give all 32 NFL teams an opportunity to reach the postseason each and every year. They have taken that idea and promptly flushed it down the toilet with common sense.
Let’s start with Monday Night Football. The original idea behind MNF is that it places both teams in the national spotlight which, in turn, increases the game’s fan base. Teams usually fall into one of two categories for MNF: 1) playoff teams and 2) teams with a large fan base.
Let’s start with playoff teams. How many of the 32 slots playing on MNF this season are playoff teams from last year? 14. Not even half! The playoff teams with the most appearances are Green Bay (3) and Pitsburgh (2). The amazing, theoretically unbeatable, and astounding New England Patriots: 1. The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants: 1. The Colts: 1. The Cowboys: 1. The only other team that has a large national fan base that didn’t make the playoffs are the Raiders (1 appearance). The Seahawks (who have won the NFC West 4 years in a row)aren’t on MNF at all.
So who is appearing in the other 19 spots on the national stage? Leading the way is the Cleveland Browns with 3 appearances. Followed by the Broncos, Eagles, Saints and Vikings (each with 2 appearances).
Now the Broncos and Eagles I can understand. These two teams have made the playoffs most of the last few years. But the 7 spots filled by Cleveland, Minnnesota and New Orleans is ludicrous. These teams have four playoff spots between them this decade and only one since 2003. It’s obvious that Cleveland is the NFL’s 2008 version of the 49ers (It wouldn’t surprise me if they end up the same way, either). And we know that Adrian Peterson and Reggie Bush are playmakers, but come on. This isn’t basketball, it’s football - a team sport!
I don’t normally look at whether a game is a prime time game like the media does to judge the challenge of a schedule. To me, Monday, Thursday and Saturday games are the biggest indicator. Why? Becuase of the amount of days the team has to prepare the following week. More games with four or five days rest make it more difficult for a team to stay at their best.
So, looking at it this way, who has the most challenging go of it in 2008? Cleveland has four of these types of games. Pittsburgh, Denver, Dallas, Philadelphia, Green Bay and New Orleans have 3. Only half of these teams actually made the playoffs last season.
Teams that had winning records last year with the fewest of these challenges include (get this) all playoff teams! The division winning Giants, Buccaneers and Seahawks (1 each) and the Patriots, Colts, Jaguars, Chargers and Titans (2 each).
I think this is outrageous that perennial winners like the Colts and Patriots and Divison winners (not to mention Super Bowl Champs) get 1 appearance.
This is NOT FAIR to the “lesser teams”. Teams like the Texans, Chiefs, even Bills will have a harder time trying to win their divisions becuase the teams that usually make the playoffs have mroe time to rest and prepare.
Does anyone else feel the way I do or is it just me?
April 15th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Liked the way they did the schedule a long time ago, where the worst teams automatically played the worst teams in other divisions. (it allowed my Lions to win once in a while)
Now, they must be smoking something, because some teams are just getting huge breaks (like the Patriots) and some teams are getting screwed (Pittsburgh).
They should have stuck to their Scotch.
April 15th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I agree with some of what youre saying, but I think in regards to MNF, you’re giving it way too much credit in terms of relevance. Check out who’s got the Primetime SNF games. THOSE games are the showcases now. MNF is mostly an afterthought. Sure the ratings are still good because the NFL’s so damn popular, but theres no dbeating the fact that MNF gets second tier games compared to SNF. SNF gets the prime time games. MNF gets sloppy seconds and from the looks of it, have elected to take games with big play individuals (Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush) or electric entertaining offenses (Brees and NO’s passing attack, the Browns and their high powered offense and inability to stop a soul).
April 16th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Well it definitly will challenge them every week and you wknow what they say, to be the best you need to beat the best and this will let us see how good of a coach Tomlin could be. I think this schedule will also make them more serious in the draft to get some blocking and pass rush help since most of the teams we are playing have great defense and offense. Go Steelers, looking forward to the heart attack every week:)
April 16th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I LIKE THE SCHEDULE MYSELF. THE STEELERS WILL BE ON THIER TOES EACH AND EVERY WEEK WITH NO TIME FOR A LET DOWN. THEY HAVE TO START RUNNING FROM THE FIRST SNAP AND NEVER LOOK BACK. IT IS A TOUGH SCHEDULE, BUT IF THEY GO ALL THE WAY, THEY WILL HAVE EARNED IT, IF THEY LOSE EVERY ONE OF THEM, HEY, WE HAD THE TOUGHEST SCHDULE OF THE 2008 SEASON! I HAVE FOLLOWED THIS TEAM SINCE THE MID 70′S, AND THIS IS AS CHALLENGING AS IT GETS. GOTTA LOVE IT! HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!
April 16th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Serge: Come on. Waiting on a schedule to make draft day decisions. I think they were fairly serious about blocking up front, better secondary play, incresed pass rush pressure, etc. before seeing the new schedule.
It is a tough schedule. As for SNF and MNF, remeber the change to allow subsitute games that came in last year? I think the emphasis on MNF/SNF games is over the top. Four days to prepare for a Thursday game is a challenge but I don’t think the lack of those are the big factor in the Patriot’s success. It was more cheating and favored treatment by game officials.
Let’s remember. we are form Pittsburgh! We are Steeler fans! Blue collar! Who wants a wimpy schedule anyway. To be the best, beat the best. No whining zone declared!
April 16th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
IF!!!!!! a person can not see the lobsided scheduleing they are on dop or in with the NFL scumb bags who made these schedules the Patriots are getting by easy compared to steelers , colts and jags I think they are trying to pull basement teams up and pushing some to the bottom the way I see they NFL front office Love affair with the Patriots continues, could they be trying to eliminate the domminate steelers ? if you look at the sched. you would have to think so , I do not think the steelers players are worried about the opponets as much as fans do , but they have a very tough schedule I can see them going 8-8 if that has the NFL front office made a statment to the steelers like we are tired of your dominance in the afc north and so are the cleveland browns better up front in that division for NFL ratings , after all that is the only thing TV and the NFL are intrested in anyway.
Puting the Steelers colts and Jags 3 very tough teams in a tough schedule puts a lot of pressure on them I see 2 of them missing the play-offs in 08 colts and steelers I can see any others beating the Patriots in a play-off game baring injurys
April 16th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Listen, I am from MASS originally and live in Sunny FLA and no one hates the Pats more than me. All I am hoping for is just get back to the basics of Steeler ball and get that kid from Oregon or a bruiser in the later rounds after we get some help on both sides of the line. How about a 2 rd pick for Chad Johnson:), even though he has a big mouth, he sure would look good in the black n gold with Holmes, Hines and Miller!!!! Just dreaming but it would be nice
April 16th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
ALL THE GAMES ARE LATE EVENING GAMES. FOUR GAMES START AT 1PM, BUT EVEN THAT CAN CHANGE, WHY, CAUSE THE STEELERS ARE A TEAM FOR THE AGES. WE LOVE IT AND EVERYONE ELSE HATES IT, CAUSE STEELER NATION WILL RISE, AND WATCH ALL OTHERS FALL. WHO, WHAT. WE DON’T NEED CAMERAS TO PUT TEAMS AWAY! N.E FANS! WHATS SO PATRIOTIC ABOUT CHEATING! HAHAHAHAHAHA
April 17th, 2008 at 11:47 am
So let me get it straight JC. They are tired of dominance in the AFC North by Pittsburgh but are looking to extend the dominance of the Pats in the East? Cleveland is considered better for viewership than the Steelers? I guess that is why teams around the NFL sell out in adsvance when the dread Cleve Brownies are coming to town! Steeler games draw more viewership when in prometime or anytime than all other teams excepting Dallas and GB. The Pats have stock has come up in recent years in that respect as well. Who is on dope JC?
Sounds like making excuses for failure way ahead of time to me. We won a Superbowl as a wildcard with three away games to get there. Why is this year’s schedule intimidating? The great teams overcome that crap. The losers use it as an excuse. Why would the NFL hatch a conspiricay to favor and help New England when the Belicheat scandal is being looked at in congress? I guess they just hate the Steelers so much they are willing to risk it…
April 18th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
IT IS, WHAT IT IS. THATS WHAT COWHER WOULD SAY. WE CAN’T DWELL ON THIS YEARS SCHEDULE, THESE ARE ALL BEATABLE TEAMS, AND WE HAVE BEATEN THESE TEAMS AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER. WE HAVE A GREAT QB IN BIG BUCKS BEN, AND WE STILL HAVE A DEFENSE THAT CAN SHUT EM DOWN, WE WILL WIN MORE THAN WE LOSE, AND WE WILL BE TRIED AND TESTED WHEN THE PLAYOFFS START. THE ONLY REAL TEAM THAT MAKES ME LOK TWICE AT THE SCHEDULE, ARE THE HOUSTON TEXANS,, YES ITS ONLY THE FIRST GAME, BUT I FEEL STARTING THE SEASON OUT, IT CAN BE ONE OF THOSE ” LOOK BACK GAMES “. HERE WE GO STEELERS,, I LOVE THIS SCHEDULE………………………… SMASH MOUTH SCHEDULE, FOR A SMASHMOUTH TEAM.