http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8171ff2f&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true This would defiantly make for some very good games and could keep some starters playing .
This could have the Dolphins playing the Jets ending the season instead of the colts watching from the bench as the 3rd string scrimmages the Jets.
Yeah, and guaranteed, our weeks 15 and 16 will be away...in the crappy NY or NE or Barfalo weather...
I'm on the fence on this. Sure it's going to help in cases where teams are in the heat of things, but it's not going to solve the problem people had with the Colts resting starters at 14-0. The main reason a team rests their starters is because they're a shoe in to go to the playoffs. There weren't many teams that were shoe ins in the last week or so. I'm not against it or anything, I mean it does help in some situations, I just think there's got to be a more broad solution that covers all situations.
I doubt that. In fact, in my opinion that's why the Week 1 primetime and Thanksgiving schedule wasn't released this week, as was reported. I think the league is working on having all division games in Weeks 16 and 17 and trying to make sure nobody has back-to-back roadies. In the end, in might not be possilbe, but I think that is why the schedule release was delayed.
It was a bit of a smart-azz remark, knowing that they league likes to put us in NY and NE late in the season...It happens nearly every year. It would be very difficult to make sure that no teams have back to back roadies, and we are the logical ones to get screwed that way because NE and NYjests have much bigger markets and followings than we do. It may not come to pass, and I was being pretty sarcastic, but it also wouldn't surprise me if it does...
I'd be ok with playing up at the Jets in Week 17 so long as we've got Mark Sanchez throwing passes in the cold
We have had Divisional season endng games in the past. Wasnt it a week 17 game where Flutie drop-kicked the successful conversion?? If a team has clinched, this wont change whether starters sit or play.
I know. My post was just to give my .02 cents. Not to call you out. I have no doubt one of our final two games would be at Giants Stadium or Foxboro. I just don't see the league making us play 2 back-to-back cold weather divisional games in Weeks 16 and 17
where did we play when we clinched the division in the final week of the season in '08 the nfl must be out to get us right
If i remember correctly, 2008 Season, our regular season game was against some team from New York in which we beat to win the division, i would love to get the chance to do that again, whether its the Jets, Bills or Patriots
I don't get the benefit in the situation of resting starters... Colts would have benched their starters whether they played the Jests or the Titans or anybody at the point of 14-0. The effect that I like the most which would have changed the end of 2009 is there would not have been three out of freaking four wild card playoff games that were rematches from week 17... the exception of course is Dallas vs Philly.
It would be nice if they found a way to just have your final season record augment your draft choices somehow. Maybe the compensatory ones for example. I don't know I'm just throwing up random ideas. The point is there should be some incentive for winning games, that makes you WANT to go undefeated. Because as much as I hate the Pats, they put it all on the line in their 18-1 year. They could have stopped, but didn't, and I would hope the NFL can find a way to reward teams that push it. I'm not saying I want to see any other teams join the undefeated club. But it diminishes the sport if there's nothing gotten but a head nod on ESPN for taking a risk at greatness.
Well, if you have no losses going into the the last two games of the season, like the Colts, then it's not gonna matter who you play. However, if the Jets played the Dolphins or Pats the last two games of the year, chances are they don't make the Playoffs.
I actually like the idea.....here's my idea. Play the first 3 games of the season against the division and the last 3 also. Have a 8 year plan like they did last schedule. For example....2010 start the season, 2H and 1A, finish of the year by 2A and 1H. 2011, just swap, start the season 1H and 2A, finish the season by 2H and 1A. Does that make any sense??
No matter whos having the good season you can't pick the winner in a divisional game it could be very interesting.
Any plan that would help prevent a scenario like the end of last season is fine by me. I couldn't stomach watching a classless team like the Jets get another free pass into the playoffs.
But then the benefit of playing a "starter resting" team would simply be transferred from one team to the other. Instead of the Jests getting a pass into the playoffs it could have been the Texans or Titans. Not to say I would've loved to have not seen NY advance, heh. But whether it's a non-divisional game or a divisional game, the same problem exists as long as the opponent is a wild card contender, of which there seemed to be like a dozen in the AFC last year. All those Colt scenarios aside, I do like the possibility of division standings and champions fought out head-to-head at the end of the year, ala Fins vs Jests 2008. Playoffs started a week early in that case.
Technically you're right, it could have just been a different team getting a free pass but.... you let a division rival into the postseason at your own peril. They know your game better than anyone, it's hard to imagine a team won't try at least a little harder to put a division rival down.
I think it sucks. For 1 who cares if somebody rests their players. Second who in their right mind would want to play up north in Jan. I live up north and it sucks. Let the coaches make their choices. If the tables were turned and it was Miami and the Dolts rested up on us we would be singing a different tune. We would've spent the week hootin and hollerin' and telling every Jets, Bill and Patsy fan to go pound sand with their crying because we were in and they were not.
This is the way most baseball teams finish their seasons...by playing people in their division to end the season. It would not gaurantee that teams play most of their starters but it would help. I think the NFL should also consider just ranking teams for the playoffs by Conference....the top six teams in each Conference make the playoffs...it would make division play less relevant, but who wants to see the Arizona Cardinals always making the playoffs because they are the best team in a horrible division, while other moe deservng teams get left out.
The other thing that makes this silly is that if you took this past seasons' example, would there really have been an overriding need for NO or Indy to go full out, even if they played division games the last two weeks?? I mean, they were 13-1 and 14-0 in week 15 ?? If I were the Colts, I'd have done the same thing, even if it were division games...
Yeah, it makes sense, but sometimes I think the league schedule makers have something against the Phins....The other thing is playing heavy hitting games early in the season can backfire sometimes. Some teams aren't very good coming out of the gates. Like our team since this regime took over, but that shouldn't stand in the way of the league altering the schedule to try to make it more fair. At any rate, even this plan won't necessarily sway a team from resting their starters if they are 13-0 going into the last three pending on where the rest of their division sits ?? I don't really like teams not playing all out, however, I understand why they may choose to or choose not to play all out... EDIT: Bolded...sorry fat fingers...
I don't agree with any scenario where a division winner might sit out of the postseason. I think the Cardinals have proven they belonged in the postseason. They almost won the Super Bowl for crying out loud. Even when the Chargers won their division at a measly 8-8 they still managed to be competitive and make a little noise in the postseason. As a matter of fact that was their best playoff run in some time, they always seem to lose immediately when they enter the playoffs as some powerhouse team with a bye.
