There are currently 16 games played in a full week of the NFL’s 17-week schedule.
Week 17’s slate had four games with no meaning toward the playoffs – either qualifying or seeding. Next week will see several more that will have no real meaning.
In fact, we’re seeing teams shutting down players with games left to play. Even when they don’t appear that seriously injured.
And don’t even get the NFL started on its “tanking” teams.
The NFL shifted to a 16-week schedule in 1978 and kept it until 1990, when the 16-games over-17-week schedule was born.
One of the then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue’s less than ideal ideas.
The 2021 season brought us 17-games on an 18-week schedule and now the NFL is talking about going to 18 games.
The NFL fully believes in addition by expansion. The correct answer may be the reverse.
The way ahead for the NFL is to embrace addition by subtraction.
It’s time to return to the 16 games in a 16-week schedule.
The Solution
That means no more bye weeks. No more regular season games outside the United States either.
Roger Goodell can have his beloved international games played in the preseason.
Goodell also needs to end weekly Thursday night games with one obvious exception. Play the Thanksgiving Day games.
That week should be the only time in the season that a game is played on any day other than Sunday or Monday night.
No more double-headers on Monday night either.
The schedule needs one more tweak as well.
Teams play their division rivals four times a year, two games at home and two away. The remaining four games will be against teams in another division.
Those will rotate, so you play those four teams once every seven years.
That will make the division winners much more important, especially if you make the playoffs division winners only.
No more wildcards. No more first week byes.
To that end, one final change needs to be made.
A Final NFL Realignment
It’s time the NFL fell out of love with the “historical” rivalries. Imagine how much more intense regional rivalries will be?
Not to mention, should Tampa Bay beat Carolina on Sunday, the NFC South winner will boast an 8-9 record.
The last time a Division was won with a losing record?
It was in 2022 when the Buccaneers won the NFC South with an 8-9 record. Maybe it’s time to break up that division anyway?
Here’s how you do it:
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos
Las Vegas Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
Dallas Cowboys
Houston Texans
New Orleans Saints
Tennessee Titans
NFC East
Miami Dolphins
Tampa Bay Bucs
Jacksonville Jaguars
Carolina Panthers
AFC West
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Washington Commanders
AFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
New England Patriots
New York Giants
New York Jets
A Better End To The Year
Imagine the first six weeks, all played against divisional opponents, followed by four weeks of interdivisional games. Then a six-week dash to the playoffs filled with intradivisional games.
That final run would likely start around Thanksgiving Day, making those three games the kickoff to the playoff push for nearly every team.
It would be a lot more exciting than these two weeks of games having no meaning and seeing 8–9 teams win divisions and getting home playoff games against teams with 10 wins or more.
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