Reduce number of preseason games?

[Harlan Huckleby]

No. Fuck no. They are just full contact practices. There is not enough real football in training camp, this is at least a chance for a few hours of real football to prepare for season.

The people who complain that the games suck must not understand that they are not required to watch. Season ticket owners can sell their tickets if they don't like it.

Injuries? Teams can always not play key players.

It is interesting and helpful to have 4 games to figure out which bubble boys can play. August is no time for football anyway. Preseason games are like spring training games in baseball - just a chance to get little taste of game before the real thing.

[Bretsky]

Reduce the preseason to 2 game
Take the regular season to 18 games

Every team gets two bye weeks

[Harlan Huckleby]

Reduce the preseason to 2 game
Take the regular season to 18 games

Every team gets two bye weeks

This is what greedy NFL wants. A longer regular season is not better for fans, it dilutes the quality. 17 weeks, 16 regular season games is a lot, the players are already pushing it to make it through that run.

Starting football in September is a pleasure. I don't want real games in summer. More is not better.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Why not just have dual practices instead?

[Harlan Huckleby]

Why not just have dual practices instead?

OK, sure. If they televised them, I'd watch, interesting to see how the players are doing. Maybe have some scrimmages. Wait - isn't this just about the same as preseason game anyway? What does the fan gain by having a joint practice as compared to a practice game?

[smuggler]

Do people watch football on weeks their teams are on bye? I do... Make the season 20 weeks long with 4 byes per team. More tv time, more revenue, peobably fewer injuries, improved quality of play.

The only arguments against it are 1.) Fantasy football and 2.) Curteousy to baseball

Weak arguments. Do itttt.

[mraynrand]

2 preseason games to work out the new guys. Reduce the regular season to 12 or 14 games. These are human bodies being absolutely beaten to hell out there.

Never happen: $$$$

[mraynrand]

Do people watch football on weeks their teams are on bye? I do... Make the season 20 weeks long with 4 byes per team. More tv time, more revenue, peobably fewer injuries, improved quality of play.

like it

[sharpe1027]

Carry two full squads for each team, split the season with 10 games for each squad. Best 20 game combined records make the playoffs. Then combine the best players from the two squads in the playoffs. Everyone wins.

[mraynrand]

Carry two full squads for each team, split the season with 10 games for each squad. Best 20 game combined records make the playoffs. Then combine the best players from the two squads in the playoffs. Everyone wins.

geezopete! The Packers can't field ONE inside linebacker and you want them to double their problems? :)

[pbmax]

geezopete! The Packers can't field ONE inside linebacker and you want them to double their problems? :)

They would have 8 NFL ready QBs and 16 receivers and CBs though. You can trade one of them for an ILB.

Right?

Browns and Jets would have one NFL ready QB between them at all times. On IR.

[sharpe1027]

geezopete! The Packers can't field ONE inside linebacker and you want them to double their problems? :)

As long as they make the playoffs, they really only need two. In the meantime, they get more chances to find another one.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I'm fine with adding more bye weeks, it is fun to take a break from the Packer melodrama occasionally, relax & watch other teams with the pacemaker turned off.

Cautionary tale: the NBA and NHL have ruined their regular season for the fans by playing way too many games. No intensity. The beauty of the NFL is that there are only 16 regular season games - and that's pushing it for the players health already. We get plenty more postseason football.

Face it, the only "advantage" of reducing preseason games is so the NFL and their partners can increase revenue by playing more regular season games. Don't let the slickmeisters, Bretsky and Goodell, pull the wool over your eyes. 16 games is just right for fans.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Oh, and get rid of those ridiculous Thursday night games.

[wpony]

I said way back when they first started messing around with the preseason that it was going to start increasing injuries because it would not give the players time to really get in to football shape you can work out all summer long and its not the same thing as what they put you through at camps .
I dont really care about the number of games they could even take 2 away and add them to the season but I believe the preseason workout section should be lengthened I dont have all the numbers but it just seems like we are getting more and more people injure because there bodies just are not ready for the pounding they are going to go through the rest of the yr I know its not popular with the players but oh well they get payed enough to do it.

[pbmax]

How do colleges manage to do it without preseason games?

[Harlan Huckleby]

How do colleges manage to do it without preseason games?

They have permanent rosters of 80 players or something like that. College teams do a LOT more live scrimmaging during summer.

Often the bowl-bound teams schedule a good dose of patsies early.

You're right, the pros could get-by with no preseason games. So what is gained for the fans by eliminating preseason games? Watching them is better than watching a practice. Just because it is possible to eliminate the preseason games doesn't mean it offers any advantage to fans. If you want a longer regular season, that is only possible advantage.

[pbmax]

They have permanent rosters of 80 players or something like that. College teams do a LOT more live scrimmaging during summer.

Often the bowl-bound teams schedule a good dose of patsies early.

You're right, the pros could get-by with no preseason games. So what is gained for the fans by eliminating preseason games? Watching them is better than watching a practice. Just because it is possible to eliminate the preseason games doesn't mean it offers any advantage to fans. If you want a longer regular season, that is only possible advantage.

Pros scrimmage too, and colleges aren't all doing live tackling. But I do agree that 85 scholarships means you can get away with a lot of hitting, but that argues for less games, not more, in the pros.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm fine with adding more bye weeks, it is fun to take a break from the Packer melodrama occasionally, relax & watch other teams with the pacemaker turned off.

Cautionary tale: the NBA and NHL have ruined their regular season for the fans by playing way too many games. No intensity. The beauty of the NFL is that there are only 16 regular season games - and that's pushing it for the players health already. We get plenty more postseason football.

Face it, the only "advantage" of reducing preseason games is so the NFL and their partners can increase revenue by playing more regular season games. Don't let the slickmeisters, Bretsky and Goodell, pull the wool over your eyes. 16 games is just right for fans.

Agreed. 16 is perfect. Works well with a 32 team league that has 8 four team divisions. They should keep the number of playoff teams at 6. I don't want the watered down version of the playoffs that happens in the NBA, NHL, and MLS. MLB and NFL has the right number.

[KYPack]

Agreed. 16 is perfect. Works well with a 32 team league that has 8 four team divisions. They should keep the number of playoff teams at 6. I don't want the watered down version of the playoffs that happens in the NBA, NHL, and MLS. MLB and NFL has the right number.

!6 games and 32 teams are the perfect number. 32 teams, 8 divisions with 4 teams in 'em is totally perfect. 16 games is also a sweet number. This has caused all the reluctance against any expansion. Adding two or even 4 teams upsets a lot of applecarts. So does going to 18 games and/or expanding the play-offs. There are many owners that don't want to strangle the golden goose they have presently.

[Joemailman]

“I think we all have to be practical about this,” said McCarthy, who is entering his 10th season as Packers coach. “The health of your players is at the forefront of everything that you do in your program. Every decision that's weighed with an amount of risk.

“But you have to play. You have to play football. I think it's nonsense to think you can just go and not play your starters throughout preseason. It's not practical. We all signed up for four preseason games. It's what it is.”

Seems MM doesn't think the preseason games are as meaningless as his star quarterback does. My guess is he didn't care for Rogers' classification of the games as meaningless.

[Cheesehead Craig]

OK, sure. If they televised them, I'd watch, interesting to see how the players are doing. Maybe have some scrimmages. Wait - isn't this just about the same as preseason game anyway? What does the fan gain by having a joint practice as compared to a practice game?

In the dual practice sessions they can set up specific scenarios, like a 2 min drill or red zone work instead of hoping that they come up in a game. The fans can watch specific areas if they want that are there. TV could just bounce around for a specific play between different groups, almost like how golf jumps around to different groups. It's the NFL, the fans would eat it up regardless.

The coaches get more say in what gets done and they can have it where certain players don't get hit. It's safer to a degree than a preseason game.

[NewsBruin]

Doesn't everyone hand-wring about this every year, as soon as the first pro-bowler goes down with an injury?

Increasing the number of regular-season games, even if we took out an equal number of preseason games, would increase the wear and tear on the final 52.

I really, really like the 16-game regular season for its geometric perfection in terms of divisions and conferences, playing home-and-away with 3 rivals, and getting a good rotation of novelty for each home matchup (every AFC teams' fans, if they're lucky, get the opportunity of Bertt or Aaron playing on their field, at least once in their lifetime). I don't know how an 18-game season would work without some scheduling formula re-jigger that won't be as elegant as what we've got.

Along those lines, I don't see how extra regular-season games (at the expense of an equal number of preseason games) will add revenue to the league. Tickets, parking, and concessions aren't any cheaper in the preseason. Sunday-and-Monday broadcast contracts are set for awhile, i think. The only way that the NFL could get more money is if more regular-season games could void existing broadcast contracts.

More playoffs would bring 6 more full-house crowds, parking, concessions, and broadcasting fees. But more regular-season without expanding the regular season? I never understood that.

As much as I will miss Jordy, I don't think he's a legit test case for anything. Injuries in the first few games can't be avoided, only postponed. Take out preseason, guys will get hurt in the regular season. At least in the preseason, there's not the must-win pressure. Iffy injuries get put on the bench, rather than sent back in.

The only avoidable injuries of consequence in the preseason are the ones by some dumbass trying to make a name for himself at the expense of a bigger star.

The NFL has some allergic reaction to regular-season football in January or before Labor Day. The injuries to wring one's hands over are the ones that could be avoided with a second or third bye week, more short-term IR or inactive slots, or mandatory in-season games off.

[pbmax]

They should just increase rosters and dump the taxi squad. Make 'em all eligible.

[NewsBruin]

PB, it's counter-intuitive, but I've read that having an inactive list keeps the teams from dumping guys who could heal or develop. If everyone is active, then the rosters will only be stocked with guys who can contribute. Knowing the win-now mentality of everyone who draws a paycheck, I would totally believe that.

[mraynrand]

Agreed. 16 is perfect. Works well with a 32 team league that has 8 four team divisions. They should keep the number of playoff teams at 6. I don't want the watered down version of the playoffs that happens in the NBA, NHL, and MLS. MLB and NFL has the right number.

The NFL already has one too many playoff games. I would get rid of that extra WC team (and no, you don't have to remind me about 2010 :) )

[run pMc]

I don't have a problem with the preseason/season games. I think the players get plenty beat up, and preseason games are needed for sorting out the bubble/fringe players. For entrenched players and vets (and MVPs) like Rodgers, the games probably are pretty meaningless.
As to Jordy's injury, that could just as well happened in a practice. It wasn't like the CB hit him a la Matt Elam and snapped his leg.

I wonder what guys like TT and Wolf think about preseason.

[sharpe1027]

With many, many players having Swiss cheese for brains, and other serious debilitating problems long after their careers are done, they should just scrap the entire regular season. They should probably scrap the preseason and playoffs too.

[ThunderDan]

Cut it down to 18 games. 2 preseason and 16 regular season. DO NOT EVER FUCK WITH THE 16 GAME REGULAR SEASON ROGER!

[Harlan Huckleby]

Cut it down to 18 games. 2 preseason and 16 regular season. DO NOT EVER FUCK WITH THE 16 GAME REGULAR SEASON ROGER!

The key thing is to stick to the 16, but I also think 4-game preseason makes for better prepared teams.
Look at how a 4-game stretch is giving Hundley an opportunity to get some critical experience.
How would Packers ever know about Barclay without 4 games to play him into shape?

The injuries to Jordy, Cobb and Bulaga are all stuff that could have happened in practice too.

Preseason games are not injuring a high number of vets, the key players mostly sit.

Preseason games are not great for fans, but they are a better view than reading twitter reports from practice.

Regular season football is better quality because of 4 games to fine-tune rosters and prepare.

[pbmax]

PB, it's counter-intuitive, but I've read that having an inactive list keeps the teams from dumping guys who could heal or develop. If everyone is active, then the rosters will only be stocked with guys who can contribute. Knowing the win-now mentality of everyone who draws a paycheck, I would totally believe that.

Quite possibly true. But if you activate the PS guys AND enlarge the roster, I think that is less of an issue. You get 5 more guys (53 GameDay, 7or8 PS and 5 new) who are all active, you eliminate the bottleneck. The third QB is on the roster and can play if the other two are sidelined, especially good when one of those guys is in concussion protocol. Much less need to hide it.

[Patler]

Rodgers is a whiny little wimp. :-)

Guys like him, Nelson, Cobb, Lacy; etc. don't get even a full game worth of time during the four preseason games anyway. Reducing the number of preseason games isn't likely to reduce their time on the field much. Cut it to two games, and the starters will likely play a quarter in the first and a half in the second. Now, they often sit at least one of the four, and play only a series or so in another of the four. Preseason isn't about them, its about the bottom half of the roster.

Barclay needs the four games to get his mojo back. Backman needs the four games, he just seems to be coming on now. Hundley has shown great improvement, and the last game was invaluable for him. Shields needed the four to earn his spot in year 1. Janis, White and this years rookies can use all the time they can get to prepare for the season, even if it is against other teams #3 & #4 lineups, because they have the opportunity to practice in real game situations the techniques the Packers teach.

Years ago when they played 6 preseason games, it definitely seemed too long. There is always interest in seeing the new guys, but not for 6 games. Reducing it to four seemed right then, and still seems right to me now.

[Patler]

PB, it's counter-intuitive, but I've read that having an inactive list keeps the teams from dumping guys who could heal or develop. If everyone is active, then the rosters will only be stocked with guys who can contribute. Knowing the win-now mentality of everyone who draws a paycheck, I would totally believe that.

I don't think it is so much dumping guys, its moving them to IR. That's why I never saw a real need for IR designated to return. If they wanted another player eligible and controlled for the season, just bump the roster up to 54, and you have the IR designated to return, but without the minimum weeks out requirement, which hasn't made a lot of sense to me anyway.

The only guys they would dump are bottom of the roster guys, and what does that matter?

[Harlan Huckleby]

especially good when one of those guys is in concussion protocol. Much less need to hide it.

Ya know, the concussion protocols have made a significant impact on player availability. Roster size needs to be tweaked to respond to that change alone.

[pbmax]

I don't think it is so much dumping guys, its moving them to IR. That's why I never saw a real need for IR designated to return. If they wanted another player eligibale and controlled for the season, just bump the roster up to 54, and you have the IR designated to return, but without the minimum weeks out requirement, which hasn't made a lot of sense to me anyway.

The only guys they would dump are bottom of the roster guys, and what does that matter?

Also makes a lot of sense. I think it the days of limited scouting, there was a huge fear of teams stashing guys like Nebraska's 105 scholarship four-deep in the 70s. Nowadays, the end of the roster is not as impactful from a talent standpoint. There are also 32 teams now, watering down any edge.

[Patler]

Ya know, the concussion protocols have made a significant impact on player availability. Roster size needs to be tweaked to respond to that change alone.

Very true. It now seems most guys with concussions miss at least a week; and they seem to be finding more and more players who have them.