03-21-2021, 11:42 AM
My problems with a 17 game season is the home/away impact, as well as the continued dilution of impact from the divisional games.
Prior to the last divisional re-alignment, a minimum of 8 games were divisional. I say minimum because our own AFC Central had 10 divisional games per team. This pretty much guaranteed that the team with the best divisional record was going to be the divisional winner. Currently teams only play 6 divisional games. You can literally go 6-0 in your division but not make the post season. The Raiders achieved that feat several years back. Now there is one more game to further dilute the importance of the divisional games. In my mind, the only way to correct that and have and expand the number of regular season games is to go to a 19 game schedule, not 17. The additional games would all be 3rd match up divisional games at a neutral site.
Prior to the last divisional re-alignment, a minimum of 8 games were divisional. I say minimum because our own AFC Central had 10 divisional games per team. This pretty much guaranteed that the team with the best divisional record was going to be the divisional winner. Currently teams only play 6 divisional games. You can literally go 6-0 in your division but not make the post season. The Raiders achieved that feat several years back. Now there is one more game to further dilute the importance of the divisional games. In my mind, the only way to correct that and have and expand the number of regular season games is to go to a 19 game schedule, not 17. The additional games would all be 3rd match up divisional games at a neutral site.
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
