Week 17 of the NFL season includes six games that have absolutely no bearing on the postseason whatsoever. Of the games that are meaningful, three have an average point spread of over 14 points.
Two games will take place that include teams that have nothing to gain or lose in terms of playoff positioning regardless of the outcome of their respective games.
So if you’re counting, that’s eleven of the sixteen games likely to be snooze fests.
Some will play out like preseason games, as teams will field some rookies and other players deep on depth charts to help determine whether they are worthy of a roster spot in 2013.
Some will be such lopsided wins by the favorites that starters will take a seat shortly after halftime.
And then there may be other teams watching the scoreboard in order to determine whether or not they should mitigate the risk of injury to key players – players vital to postseason success.
Add it all up and most of this weekend’s games will look a bit like those played in August. You know, the ones they call preseason games. Yep, the same games that Roger Goodell is looking to cut in half because he thinks the fans want better games.
And by eliminating those preseason games and adding two to the regular season (if old Roger gets his 18 game regular season wish) the league will simply be replacing crap games in August for crap games in January.
Here’s what else you will get if Goodell successfully trades the preseason games for regular season games:
- More injuries to star players
- Sloppy play early in the season
- The chance to see players promoted from practice squads to active rosters in stadiums that are 80% filled during inclement January weather
- An even more watered down product than today’s NFL (thank you Thursday Night football)
So while you’re watching this weekend, think about that 18 game schedule and then tell me that’s it’s nothing more than Goodell’s attempt to make something real out of something fake and then try and fleece the TV networks for more money.
It’s like Pamela Anderson telling you, “They’re real.”
