NFL 2016-2017
- Thread starter Grayhead
- Start date
The problem with the NFL is that their regular season is now as boring as the other leagues regular seasons. Wake me up once the playoffs start.
It's getting where I watch less and less regular season games each year. Even then, I usually DVR the games I want to see and zip through all the commercials and halftime BS. I don't have 3-4 hours to watch 30 minutes of game action.
Yup. It's not as bad as the MLB yet - but its getting there. I knew better than to religiously follow the Red Sox for 162 games, only to watch them get swept out of the playoffs in 3 games. I just tuned in when it mattered.
People (analysts/fans) freak out over regular season games which I don't get. I mean, I guess they need to act like they're vital to the season in order to drive ratings - but the Patriots will be in the AFC championship game - I don't have to really fret over if they'll win or lose until then, which makes the regular season just going through the motions.
I agree that the regular season is becoming watered down. I am to the point where I will only watch the Panthers games.
It almost feels, to me, like the game is becoming scripted in a way. It's very predictable. Calls are tricky-tack and annoying. And the biggest thing, for me, is the lack of rivalries now. I like the old Cowboys - Redskins battles. Those don't exist anymore. The regular season is just...boring.
Also - with the new CBA limiting the amount of practice in the OTAs, you're seeing a lot of players coming into the season out of "football shape"...meaning, they might be conditioned, but their bodies are not yet ready for the impact of enduring a full season, and you're seeing it play out with all these injuries. Several former players are coming out echoing this notion too.
It almost feels, to me, like the game is becoming scripted in a way. It's very predictable. Calls are tricky-tack and annoying. And the biggest thing, for me, is the lack of rivalries now. I like the old Cowboys - Redskins battles. Those don't exist anymore. The regular season is just...boring.
Also - with the new CBA limiting the amount of practice in the OTAs, you're seeing a lot of players coming into the season out of "football shape"...meaning, they might be conditioned, but their bodies are not yet ready for the impact of enduring a full season, and you're seeing it play out with all these injuries. Several former players are coming out echoing this notion too.
Last edited:
The regular season is boring because the NFL has achieved its long-desired goal of league-wide parity. All teams except for a handful are 8-8 teams, +/- 2, which means every team is basically average. The way the league is structured, no team can become elite (except the Patriots and the occasional other squad) because once a team locks down its franchise QB, it has no money left over to sign more than 2-3 other elite players.
The league is basically becoming a crapshoot. This extends to the playoff too because it just matters who is healthy at the end of the season.
The league is basically becoming a crapshoot. This extends to the playoff too because it just matters who is healthy at the end of the season.
@TarHeelNation11 the point you've made a few times in regards to the current 4 team playoff in college ball making the regular season more interesting is supported by the NFL. Pretty much every regular season game in college matters for your playoff/bowl hopes, thus making every week interesting.
In the NFL that's just not the case. The Patriots can lose a head scratcher to the Bills, or whoever - it doesn't matter, they're still going to be there in the playoff picture. The Browns can have a huge upset over the Steelers - it doesn't matter, they're not going to be in the playoff picture regardless. The NFL was smart to finally embrace gambling and fantasy football - those are the only things keeping people watching the regular season games at this point.
In the NFL that's just not the case. The Patriots can lose a head scratcher to the Bills, or whoever - it doesn't matter, they're still going to be there in the playoff picture. The Browns can have a huge upset over the Steelers - it doesn't matter, they're not going to be in the playoff picture regardless. The NFL was smart to finally embrace gambling and fantasy football - those are the only things keeping people watching the regular season games at this point.
Appreciate the support haha, and funny you should mention the part I bolded because I've said for several years now that the NFL better be DAMN glad that fantasy football was invented. I honestly think that has saved the league's popularity, especially when you look at how many star players get injured every season. Fantasy football has allowed the league to not worry about developing star players (which they don't want to do because it's about the league, not the players) because people will just find the next man up when a "star" gets hurt.
But yes I agree that the NFL and their mega-playoffs (relative to how many teams are in the league) is exact proof of what I was saying in the CFB Playoff thread on Blitz. The regular season just doesn't really matter. You just gotta basically win 9 of your 16 games and you're probably in.
Yeah there are a number of reasons why the ratings are down this year. I just hope they fire Roger Goodell soon. He's a ****in douche bag and a power hungry tyrant.
Gotta give the Browns some props... Their streak is at 14 straight.
I can't believe a concussion knocked him out for the rest of the year. Must've been pretty severe.
Also Kalil and Luke are out this Sunday. Can't see us beating the raiders without two of our best players.
It's done. If you don't have an OL in this league, you're toast. Daryl Williams has been a complete waste of a 3rd round pick. I think it's time to stock up.
And I'm onboard with severing ties with Mike Shula now. He handcuffs this offense worse than Fox did.
Looks like the Panthers are (unofficially) throwing in the towel on this season....Ryan Kalil and Gino Gradkowski both placed on the season-ending IR today.
2004 season all over again. What a difference a year makes...Panthers this year are 0-5 in games decided by last minute drives / last-second FG's. That's how close they are to a 9-2 record.
****ing sports.
2004 season all over again. What a difference a year makes...Panthers this year are 0-5 in games decided by last minute drives / last-second FG's. That's how close they are to a 9-2 record.
****ing sports.
How's the upcoming draft class? I don't follow college football outside of UNC, so I have no idea.
I'm torn...they desperately need help on the OL, but the temptation is there to go after one of the big-time prospects at pass rusher...kid from Tennessee is supposed to be a beast and should be available where Carolina picks. Myles Garrett gets a lot of hype too, but I'm not sure if it's more of a name-recognition thing. Peppers from Michigan is a big time player too but he'll be gone before the top 5 picks are done.
Just hate giving up a 1st round pick on an OL...it's a complete crapshoot and so many of them turn out to be busts. My gut is Gettleman goes that route though.
Just hate giving up a 1st round pick on an OL...it's a complete crapshoot and so many of them turn out to be busts. My gut is Gettleman goes that route though.
At the end of the day, the Panthers issues are in the trenches on both sides of the ball, which is a little surprising since that area was supposedly Gettleman's specialty. Kony Ealy, by all accounts, should be considered a bust at this point. There's very little depth...hence, once or two injuries, and the line collapses b/c there's no one to fill the void.
Letting Josh Norman go certainly hurt the defense early on, but to their credit, Worley and Bradberry have become pretty solid and reliable, I think.
Thomas Davis might very well be done after next year, so Shaq Thompson better be making a big leap soon to fill that spot permenantly.
I'd almost take a top-tier pass rusher in the 1st round, put Mario Addison on the other side of the line...let Charles Johnson retire, put Ealy in as a back-up (he's earned it)...and try filling the OL in later rounds.
Letting Josh Norman go certainly hurt the defense early on, but to their credit, Worley and Bradberry have become pretty solid and reliable, I think.
Thomas Davis might very well be done after next year, so Shaq Thompson better be making a big leap soon to fill that spot permenantly.
I'd almost take a top-tier pass rusher in the 1st round, put Mario Addison on the other side of the line...let Charles Johnson retire, put Ealy in as a back-up (he's earned it)...and try filling the OL in later rounds.
Lousy at QB; stacked at defensive front 7. Alabama will probably have 4-6 picks in the Top 20. Not joking. All front 7 players.
Never was.
Also, don't look now but there's a tie atop the NFC South. Bucs have won four straight.
Wow, Charles Johnson gets hurt, Cam sat out the first series, and Stewart just fumbled. What a disaster of a season this has been
For God's sake, they need to incorporate him more into the offense. With KB back I thought he would get more looks, not less.
