This is some really bad football (1 Viewer)

[Arodin]

I can't believe people want to get rid of replay. "Let's get the calls wrong so the game is more exciting."

So weird. I remember the days before replay. Nothing worse than knowing your team made the winning play, seeing clear as day on the tv, but some ref got distracted and you're bounced from the playoffs.

Anyone advocating eliminating replay should be shot.

I remember those days too...they were...now.

The most compelling case for eliminating replay is that it still leaves us with plenty of games decided in error. It has not achieved its purpose, and the attempt has made the games less entertaining and more needlessly confusing.

 

[ghostguy123]

As long as players and coaches continue to change teams as often as they do, this will continue.

But yes this season seems worse.

I blame the officiating just as much. It is soooooo bad right now.

 

[stratocatter]

Officiating is horrible, the in game rules are hurting the product as well.

Has anyone mentioned the CBA? Tackling has gone to #### for one thing. They don't get the practice time they need. Not enough reps, teaching time.

 

[Shutout]

Anecdotally, Jim Harbaugh and nick Saban are examples of why teams shouldn't hire college coaches. Meanwhile the best coach in the league (love him or hate him) is a retread.

The flags are an issue but otherwise the game is exciting as always. It just never goes as expected.

I guess it depends which team you're cheering for. While I call myself a Titans fan, I find myself cheering for the panthers and they've given their fans plenty to cheer for.

huh Jim harbaugh was a phenomenal nfl head coach

Until he wasn't. He had short term success but his style of leadership didn't gel in the nfl for long.

Yet, his style of coaching is one of the FEW that works....it just didn't happen to jive with the ownership. It is easy to see, IMO, the league (and definitely the Niners) are worse off without Harbaugh than with him.

Someone above posted about all the retreads of NFL coaching, the good 'ol boy system, etc. It is very true. On any given week, I can see a coach that has been fired more than once still employed somewhere and more times than not that team is not performing well.

Some people mentioned that the track record of college coaches in the NFL isn't great but at what point must something change to get some fresh perspective and talent into the league? At some point, all these guys I've been watching perform at an overall mediocre level have to retire or die, right? I have seen some of these guys, literally, coaching for one of 6-10 teams in their career my entire life.

At this level of the the game, the talent between players as a whole is on par. The difference is the management (procurement, development, coaching). That, in my opinion, is why the NFL is a league of haves and have nots. THe rules absolutely promote parity but it's easy to recognize the 6-8 elite organizations in terms of how they are run and the coaching talent...and that makes the difference.

 

[Shutout]

Between the overall bad football, the penalties every other play and the endless commercials, the NFL is bordering on unwatchable these days. Try keeping your kid interested- not happening. They're going to lose an entire generation unless things change in a big way.

THis is a VERY good point.

For guys my age or similar, we are the "hangers-on" generation. We are going to watch the product and deal with it and we are going to gripe about things that are true but "just the way it is" such as how they have killed defense, the league has rules that unbalance things, the overkill on rules analysis, they commercials, etc.

But when we are gone (or get fed up) it will be different. In today's society where fewer kids are playing football and with the information society we live in today where everything is instantaneous and we don't wait for anything to roll out on a slow pace, the current and up and coming generation is going to start looking at the NFL as akin to watching golf and they are going to find other things to favor.

It is simply TOO uncertain (I can't get excited about a great catch in the end zone because I have to wait 3 minutes to listen to three broadcasters and a ref to explain how the play constituted a catch or not and how the player commited a fottball act, maintained possession, entered the correct password and did 5 minutes of charity work in order to qualify as a valid play). At this point, all NFL players need kangaroo pouches sewn into their uniforms and should be required to slide the ball in the pouch.

I would like to think that an NFL game could still somehow be won with either great offense OR great defense Or just a great played all-around game. It can't. Two of the three of those options is extinct.

Fantasy football kind of caused some of the "problem" but it also, by and large, saved football. The RedZone is the equivalent of the ER. It offers just enough to keep a dying patient on life support. Once the product started eroding and out tipped the balance of being worth it to have to endure it all, the RZ spared us from having to watch 5 minutes of commercials for every 4 minutes of game but even that has its limits.

In a FF forum, we have about 50 die hard FF/football fans chiming in on this —all feeling the same way. If we are all but fed up, it is no wonder the general population and the casual fan is tuning out in droves. If "ALL" I was, was a Eagles fan and I didn't play fantasy and I just sat at home, went to meet friends at a bar, went to games, there is no way I could invest 4 hours into this product.

 

[Shutout]

I have said this a lot the past 5 years. The game has changed drastically rule wise and presentation wise. It is over saturated, over hyped and over exposed to the point of nausea now. Replay has now fully destroyed officiating. You think it is a coincidence since replay came onto the scene officiating has accelerated in how bad it has become? They know they can blow calls now because all TD's and turnover are reviewable. Anything during the crucial moments of the game (near end of the game) is reviewable. Just review the whole ####### game while your at it.

Fans are being fleeced at the stadiums (and games suck balls live to begin with), and if you don't have Red Zone your being inundated with the same 10-15 commercials every ####### 30 minutes.

Thanks god for Red Zone. Otherwise I would probably be a one game and done fan on Sunday.

College football destroys Pro in every way.

I agree with your take.

Question (and I don't watch college so this is why I am asking): How is college better than the pro game? I see a lot of people say that but I thought they had review and all these things that the NFL has. Can anyone give me specifics on what college is doing that the NFL isn't?

 

[Shutout]

this is a thread for posters with losing ff records.

I disagree. I play in 5 leagues and have a combo of the best record/best points, etc in all of them. I have already qualified for the playoffs in all but one league. I'm not a bitter pill looking to vent. I am simply bored with the product on the field and giving this much of my time to it.

With my FF success, I should be smiling, care-free, and ready to go but instead the thing I am thinking right now is "can I just quit it cold turkey and not miss some aspect of it".

 

[lod001]

I have said this a lot the past 5 years. The game has changed drastically rule wise and presentation wise. It is over saturated, over hyped and over exposed to the point of nausea now. Replay has now fully destroyed officiating. You think it is a coincidence since replay came onto the scene officiating has accelerated in how bad it has become? They know they can blow calls now because all TD's and turnover are reviewable. Anything during the crucial moments of the game (near end of the game) is reviewable. Just review the whole ####### game while your at it.

Fans are being fleeced at the stadiums (and games suck balls live to begin with), and if you don't have Red Zone your being inundated with the same 10-15 commercials every ####### 30 minutes.

Thanks god for Red Zone. Otherwise I would probably be a one game and done fan on Sunday.

College football destroys Pro in every way.

I agree with your take.

Question (and I don't watch college so this is why I am asking): How is college better than the pro game? I see a lot of people say that but I thought they had review and all these things that the NFL has. Can anyone give me specifics on what college is doing that the NFL isn't?

College just looks better because things like teams scheduling cupcakes. Guys are running wide open all the time so it makes it exciting.

They get more plays because the clock stops on 1st downs. More plays = more scoring and more action. If they did that in the NFL, more guys would get hurt and by the end of the season there would be some really horrible teams. When a guy does get hurt, it doesn't mean as much as in the NFL except maybe at QB. The drop off in quality is not even remotely as bad as in the NFL.

 

[Shutout]

As long as players and coaches continue to change teams as often as they do, this will continue.

But yes this season seems worse.

I blame the officiating just as much. It is soooooo bad right now.

Not sure it is the officiating as much as it is the interpretation of the rules. They need to be clear. Just say "two steps with the ball (in whatever fashion) IS a catch" Or three or four. Whatever. Just don't leave everything so vague as "the player has to complete a "football" move (which is subjective) and things like that.

Two weeks ago I watched a game with two very similar plays breaking the plane into the ENd zone. One crew called it a TD and one didn't and the one that called it a TD seemed more iffy than the first.

I'm with the other guys that said I want flow, I want consistency. I just want to know what I am seeing so that I don't have to stop for 2 minutes and have it explained to me every play.

 

[Shutout]

I have said this a lot the past 5 years. The game has changed drastically rule wise and presentation wise. It is over saturated, over hyped and over exposed to the point of nausea now. Replay has now fully destroyed officiating. You think it is a coincidence since replay came onto the scene officiating has accelerated in how bad it has become? They know they can blow calls now because all TD's and turnover are reviewable. Anything during the crucial moments of the game (near end of the game) is reviewable. Just review the whole ####### game while your at it.

Fans are being fleeced at the stadiums (and games suck balls live to begin with), and if you don't have Red Zone your being inundated with the same 10-15 commercials every ####### 30 minutes.

Thanks god for Red Zone. Otherwise I would probably be a one game and done fan on Sunday.

College football destroys Pro in every way.

I agree with your take.

Question (and I don't watch college so this is why I am asking): How is college better than the pro game? I see a lot of people say that but I thought they had review and all these things that the NFL has. Can anyone give me specifics on what college is doing that the NFL isn't?

College just looks better because things like teams scheduling cupcakes. Guys are running wide open all the time so it makes it exciting.

They get more plays because the clock stops on 1st downs. More plays = more scoring and more action. If they did that in the NFL, more guys would get hurt and by the end of the season there would be some really horrible teams. When a guy does get hurt, it doesn't mean as much as in the NFL except maybe at QB. The drop off in quality is not even remotely as bad as in the NFL.

If this is the "answer" that is by and large what people think of as what makes college better (and it is certainly fine if it is...not arguing against it), then it's pretty clear that the audience preferences have shifted dramatically, generationally. Old school fans of what they think of the NFL is a tolerance (and maybe a desire) to see those 24-21 games with great defense IF it involves great defense, great hits, great tackling, etc. People LOVED Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Junior Seau, etc. They loved tough Wrs that would go over the middle and take a hit. They loved seeing a limping, tough as nails QB get blown up and bounce back, throw a dagger in the EZ and then celebrate!

In general, the stuff people loved about a CONTACT sport was...the contact....which is being legislated out of the game.

The thing that fills the void is, naturally, pinball scores where its wide open and the scores are 45-38 every week. These are two very different "pleasing outcomes" to football games. Seems to me as the older generation (and the one with the bigger fan base and , currently, more spending dollars to give) fades, it will continue to evolve/devolve into what caters the next base of fans. But, like someone said above, these new fans are as many and aren't as patient.

 

[bigmarc27]

I have said this a lot the past 5 years. The game has changed drastically rule wise and presentation wise. It is over saturated, over hyped and over exposed to the point of nausea now. Replay has now fully destroyed officiating. You think it is a coincidence since replay came onto the scene officiating has accelerated in how bad it has become? They know they can blow calls now because all TD's and turnover are reviewable. Anything during the crucial moments of the game (near end of the game) is reviewable. Just review the whole ####### game while your at it.

Fans are being fleeced at the stadiums (and games suck balls live to begin with), and if you don't have Red Zone your being inundated with the same 10-15 commercials every ####### 30 minutes.

Thanks god for Red Zone. Otherwise I would probably be a one game and done fan on Sunday.

College football destroys Pro in every way.

I agree with your take. Question (and I don't watch college so this is why I am asking): How is college better than the pro game? I see a lot of people say that but I thought they had review and all these things that the NFL has. Can anyone give me specifics on what college is doing that the NFL isn't?

College just looks better because things like teams scheduling cupcakes. Guys are running wide open all the time so it makes it exciting.They get more plays because the clock stops on 1st downs. More plays = more scoring and more action. If they did that in the NFL, more guys would get hurt and by the end of the season there would be some really horrible teams. When a guy does get hurt, it doesn't mean as much as in the NFL except maybe at QB. The drop off in quality is not even remotely as bad as in the NFL.

I'm not saying college teams don't schedule cupcakes, but no one was using that as an argument as to why it's better. You whiffed on the point.

To me it's a few things, it's less rigid for one. You have heavy run teams, you have heavy pass teams, you have balanced teams, you have defensive teams, you have variety. While there is a talent disparity, when you get a close game anything can happen and that unpredictability leads to excitement.

I'm not saying what makes college football great is transferable because it's not, bit is a far superior product right now.

 

[FUBAR]

Anecdotally, Jim Harbaugh and nick Saban are examples of why teams shouldn't hire college coaches. Meanwhile the best coach in the league (love him or hate him) is a retread.

The flags are an issue but otherwise the game is exciting as always. It just never goes as expected.

I guess it depends which team you're cheering for. While I call myself a Titans fan, I find myself cheering for the panthers and they've given their fans plenty to cheer for.

huh Jim harbaugh was a phenomenal nfl head coach

Until he wasn't. He had short term success but his style of leadership didn't gel in the nfl for long.

Yet, his style of coaching is one of the FEW that works....it just didn't happen to jive with the ownership. It is easy to see, IMO, the league (and definitely the Niners) are worse off without Harbaugh than with him.

Someone above posted about all the retreads of NFL coaching, the good 'ol boy system, etc. It is very true. On any given week, I can see a coach that has been fired more than once still employed somewhere and more times than not that team is not performing well.

Some people mentioned that the track record of college coaches in the NFL isn't great but at what point must something change to get some fresh perspective and talent into the league? At some point, all these guys I've been watching perform at an overall mediocre level have to retire or die, right? I have seen some of these guys, literally, coaching for one of 6-10 teams in their career my entire life.

At this level of the the game, the talent between players as a whole is on par. The difference is the management (procurement, development, coaching). That, in my opinion, is why the NFL is a league of haves and have nots. THe rules absolutely promote parity but it's easy to recognize the 6-8 elite organizations in terms of how they are run and the coaching talent...and that makes the difference.

His style didn't jive with the players either. It has to be a lot different coaching adults who make more than you do, than kids who usually haven't been totally spoiled yet.

I like Jim, have since his days as QB for the big blue and it's great to see him succeed back in college. I think he can do well again in the NFL for a short period at least but most owners want a coach they get along with instead of one who shakes the boat.

I agree wholeheartedly that management, including the owner, is the biggest difference in the league. That's why I'd like to see the staff, trainers, etc. count against the salary cap.

 

[Todem]

I can't believe people want to get rid of replay. "Let's get the calls wrong so the game is more exciting."

So weird. I remember the days before replay. Nothing worse than knowing your team made the winning play, seeing clear as day on the tv, but some ref got distracted and you're bounced from the playoffs.

Anyone advocating eliminating replay should be shot.

The original implementation is all you needed.

Coach get's 2 challenges per half no rollovers. You make a challenge and it fails, loss of time out and second challenge.

Done.

All this wankery of every score, every turnover, last 2 minutes.......awful awful awful.

 

[lod001]

I have said this a lot the past 5 years. The game has changed drastically rule wise and presentation wise. It is over saturated, over hyped and over exposed to the point of nausea now. Replay has now fully destroyed officiating. You think it is a coincidence since replay came onto the scene officiating has accelerated in how bad it has become? They know they can blow calls now because all TD's and turnover are reviewable. Anything during the crucial moments of the game (near end of the game) is reviewable. Just review the whole ####### game while your at it.

Fans are being fleeced at the stadiums (and games suck balls live to begin with), and if you don't have Red Zone your being inundated with the same 10-15 commercials every ####### 30 minutes.

Thanks god for Red Zone. Otherwise I would probably be a one game and done fan on Sunday.

College football destroys Pro in every way.

I agree with your take. Question (and I don't watch college so this is why I am asking): How is college better than the pro game? I see a lot of people say that but I thought they had review and all these things that the NFL has. Can anyone give me specifics on what college is doing that the NFL isn't?

College just looks better because things like teams scheduling cupcakes. Guys are running wide open all the time so it makes it exciting.They get more plays because the clock stops on 1st downs. More plays = more scoring and more action. If they did that in the NFL, more guys would get hurt and by the end of the season there would be some really horrible teams. When a guy does get hurt, it doesn't mean as much as in the NFL except maybe at QB. The drop off in quality is not even remotely as bad as in the NFL.

I'm not saying college teams don't schedule cupcakes, but no one was using that as an argument as to why it's better. You whiffed on the point.

To me it's a few things, it's less rigid for one. You have heavy run teams, you have heavy pass teams, you have balanced teams, you have defensive teams, you have variety. While there is a talent disparity, when you get a close game anything can happen and that unpredictability leads to excitement.

I'm not saying what makes college football great is transferable because it's not, bit is a far superior product right now.

I can rephrase it. More offense makes for a better product on the field. Watching 2 teams trade 3 and outs is boring as hell. Stupid penalty calls are also killing the NFL. The worst one is when a defender is blocked and he ends up being pushed down at the QBs feet by the OL. Instant penalty if he tries to tackle the QB. Once again, that has to do with keeping the product at a high level. You lose starting QBs in the NFL, the product deteriorates fast. You lose starters in the NCAA, meh, whoever is next will be able to step in. They have a lot more players to choose from.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I'm not saying college teams don't schedule cupcakes, but no one was using that as an argument as to why it's better. You whiffed on the point.

To me it's a few things, it's less rigid for one. You have heavy run teams, you have heavy pass teams, you have balanced teams, you have defensive teams, you have variety. While there is a talent disparity, when you get a close game anything can happen and that unpredictability leads to excitement.

I'm not saying what makes college football great is transferable because it's not, bit is a far superior product right now.

This is one of the reasons I prefer CFB over the NFL. About 5 years ago I officially switched from a diehard Sunday football viewer to a diehard Saturday football viewer.

There are teams that run the spread, the pistol, the read-option, pro-style, wildcat, hell one of the best teams in the nation runs the ####### triple option. On defense, you see not just 4-3 and 3-4, but 3-3-5, buck linebackers, 50, etc. I think with the talent disparity between teams and even between players on individual teams, coaches need to innovate more and coach to their team's strengths. That leads to more dynamic play. I think the NFL is getting there, but since defensive speed is so much different in the NFL, offensive coaches aren't as eager to adapt.

The fact that individual games are more meaningful is fun to me. Yes there are more lopsided scores, but you look at a team like LSU....3 weeks ago they were #2, in the driver's seat for the playoff. One crushing loss and a slip-up the next week and their season was over. In the NFL you can have a few lackluster weeks and still roll into the playoffs at 10-6 or 9-7 in a down year. In CFB if you lose 2 games, your season is over. Every week is a playoff game.

CFB has its own problems....20-minute halftimes and games routinely taking 4 hours being major problems....but the product is better than what the NFL is putting out there, IMO.

 

[lod001]

I'll add terrible coaching & misuse of star players. E. Elliott was spot on with his misuse in the OSU game. That is epidemic in the NFL. Look at Jimmy Graham. Horribly misused. That guy is exciting to watch. Now he's just another guy with Seattle. He has made zero difference in that team. Same with Calvin in Detroit & Lamar Miller in Miami.

What is exciting? Watching New England and Pittsburgh's offenses - among the best in the NFL.

Lame penalties on 3rd and 25, of tackling the QB high or low, and giving a team a fresh set of downs is a fake way of keeping an offense on the field. No one likes it.

 

[Todem]

I have said this a lot the past 5 years. The game has changed drastically rule wise and presentation wise. It is over saturated, over hyped and over exposed to the point of nausea now. Replay has now fully destroyed officiating. You think it is a coincidence since replay came onto the scene officiating has accelerated in how bad it has become? They know they can blow calls now because all TD's and turnover are reviewable. Anything during the crucial moments of the game (near end of the game) is reviewable. Just review the whole ####### game while your at it.

Fans are being fleeced at the stadiums (and games suck balls live to begin with), and if you don't have Red Zone your being inundated with the same 10-15 commercials every ####### 30 minutes.

Thanks god for Red Zone. Otherwise I would probably be a one game and done fan on Sunday.

College football destroys Pro in every way.

I agree with your take. Question (and I don't watch college so this is why I am asking): How is college better than the pro game? I see a lot of people say that but I thought they had review and all these things that the NFL has. Can anyone give me specifics on what college is doing that the NFL isn't?

College just looks better because things like teams scheduling cupcakes. Guys are running wide open all the time so it makes it exciting.They get more plays because the clock stops on 1st downs. More plays = more scoring and more action. If they did that in the NFL, more guys would get hurt and by the end of the season there would be some really horrible teams. When a guy does get hurt, it doesn't mean as much as in the NFL except maybe at QB. The drop off in quality is not even remotely as bad as in the NFL.

I'm not saying college teams don't schedule cupcakes, but no one was using that as an argument as to why it's better. You whiffed on the point.

To me it's a few things, it's less rigid for one. You have heavy run teams, you have heavy pass teams, you have balanced teams, you have defensive teams, you have variety. While there is a talent disparity, when you get a close game anything can happen and that unpredictability leads to excitement.

I'm not saying what makes college football great is transferable because it's not, bit is a far superior product right now.

Huge whiff on the cupcake points.

What makes it far better is actually the simplicity of kids playing to play. 99% of the kids you see bleeding their schools colors will never turn pro. The sheer variety of schools in Div A1 College football is great. When I watch Pac 10 or WAC or MAC it's like watching a different game then when I tune into a hard hitting SEC game. Variety, pageantry, the bands, the students, the tradition. It still feels, looks and plays a more pure game of football.

It is a more entertaining game. The unpredictably week to week, the insane finishes we see...the choices of games you have at your disposal. It blows away the watered down, corporate sterile NFL game.

Every now and again we get a great pro game. Take last night's SNF match up for example. I watched the game front to back. It was a very entertaining hard hitting game. That is becoming rare each season that passes. I remember when football was an event on Sunday with a lot of great personalities, to now it is strictly about your fantasy team, what constitutes a catch, to how much advertising can we cram down your throat.

And the quality of the players and personalities for my taste has gone straight into the gutter.

I can't get my 10 year old son to watch a whole NFL game....it's incredible. But he will watch an entire baseball game (amazing right? Well he plays baseball so that is really the reason, if your kid plays baseball they will always love it). NHL and NBA and College football. He can watch all of that.

He can't sit through an NFL game for the most part. The momentum of the game has been halted by all the replay nonsense and commercials.....it's crumbled. It is a huge bubble (The NFL) and one day it will burst in the owners faces. Not anytime soon. But I can see 5-6 years down the line the NFL will lose it's perch.

And like Shutout posted about going cold turkey on FF. I can easily walk away and never miss it. I can find far more useful (and better ways to entertain myself for that matter) use of my time and energy than sitting around watching a game I am fast losing interest in. I watch baseball with passion, and this year I have watched more NHL hockey than ever in my entire life. I love NHL hockey now. The game is fast, moves along (and they adopted a coach challenge replay system so I hope they don't #### it up and keep adding and adding) and the players look and sound like real people. NFL personalities for the most part are garbage today. Nothing like the golden age and growth of the game (80's, 90's).

Even though I have great success year in year out in FF.....the thrill has been dying a slow death and it all started around 2012. Things have spiraled fast for me in my enjoyment of a game I once loved with passion. I have shifted my football passion to the college game and it is awesome. I am going to probably make it more my "football" day going forward (Saturday) and cut loose the NFL next season. I will still tune in here and there to games that pique my interest. But nothing like it has been for me since like forever where Sundays were sacred.

Sundays are not so sacred anymore for The Shield. It's missing a lot of things. Most importantly flow and rhythm. Game is flat out boring now.

 

[Ilov80s]

I can't believe people want to get rid of replay. "Let's get the calls wrong so the game is more exciting."

So weird. I remember the days before replay. Nothing worse than knowing your team made the winning play, seeing clear as day on the tv, but some ref got distracted and you're bounced from the playoffs.

Anyone advocating eliminating replay should be shot.

They still get the calls wrong, it just takes longer.

 

[Ilov80s]

Fortunately the NFL and its owners and teams don't care and nor do they need to care about what we think. The NFL's popularity has never been greater and the true money making machine it is will never die.

This is not to say some people here don't have good points, its just that they don't matter and no it will not eventually catch up to them.

Eventually what goes around comes around. I can't find it but I heard Mark Cuban not long ago kinda say that the NFL has had their day in the sun. I tend to agree. Every great empire falls, and football will be no different. This is the last year I believe until other sports slowly start gaining ground. Hockey has better contact, baseball has fewer replays, basketball has better athletes, college has better football. Fewer people are playing the sport at the youth level. Going to a game is full of drunk idiots everywhere, keeping some kids out of the stadium. The NFL rule book has never been more confusing. The NFL rule book has never been more inconsistent, which goes along with being confusing. Peyton Manning is about to retire, Concussion lawsuits, DFS shoved down our throats, DFS lawsuits, over saturation of advertising. I actually think FF is the a key thing holding the NFL above other sports as this point.

The NBA has to be good before I listen to Cuban. Theres a handfull of players that can make a jumper, NBA is garbage.

I don't want to make this about the NBA, but you are wrong. If anything, this is one of the best shooting eras in the game. So many fantastic shooters. The stretch 4 has redefined the game.

 

[mphtrilogy]

Thursday night football is killing the sport.

It's just a giant wear and tear on the body to get ready in 3/4 days for a TNF game, and the effects of this game all add up...

Greed is doing this sport in.

Only solution I see if adding a 2nd bye week, and getting everyone a bye week before the TNF game, and after any London Game.

 

[MattFancy]

Have we ever had 2 divisions being led by teams that don't have winning records this late into the season? The Colts/Texans and Giants are 5-5.

There's only 10 teams over .500 right now, could go down to 9 if the Bills lose tonight.

Definitely don't remember as many injuries to key players before either. Seems like just about every team is missing/has missed a key player for multiple games this season.

And then there's the officiating. Pretty sure that is at an all-time low.

 

[Steve Tasker]

College is even worse. No defense, 150 teams to keep track of, and you lose one unlucky game at the beginning of the year when 1 player gets hurt for 30 minutes and you're eliminated from contending for the championship. What fun is that?

Can you imagine how Ohio State would've fared if Braxton Miller got hurt last year?

 

[bigmarc27]

Have we ever had 2 divisions being led by teams that don't have winning records this late into the season? The Colts/Texans and Giants are 5-5.

There's only 10 teams over .500 right now, could go down to 9 if the Bills lose tonight.

Definitely don't remember as many injuries to key players before either. Seems like just about every team is missing/has missed a key player for multiple games this season.

And then there's the officiating. Pretty sure that is at an all-time low.

I don't know what the records were, but the NFC south was abysmal last year.

 

[Todem]

College is even worse. No defense, 150 teams to keep track of, and you lose one unlucky game at the beginning of the year when 1 player gets hurt for 30 minutes and you're eliminated from contending for the championship. What fun is that?

I am not emotionally attached to any one school. I just watch great games and enjoy the sport, the tradition and seeing the youthful exuberance for 99% of these kids playing for the jersey, not the money.

 

[Shutout]

Fortunately the NFL and its owners and teams don't care and nor do they need to care about what we think. The NFL's popularity has never been greater and the true money making machine it is will never die.

This is not to say some people here don't have good points, its just that they don't matter and no it will not eventually catch up to them.

Eventually what goes around comes around. I can't find it but I heard Mark Cuban not long ago kinda say that the NFL has had their day in the sun. I tend to agree. Every great empire falls, and football will be no different. This is the last year I believe until other sports slowly start gaining ground. Hockey has better contact, baseball has fewer replays, basketball has better athletes, college has better football. Fewer people are playing the sport at the youth level. Going to a game is full of drunk idiots everywhere, keeping some kids out of the stadium. The NFL rule book has never been more confusing. The NFL rule book has never been more inconsistent, which goes along with being confusing. Peyton Manning is about to retire, Concussion lawsuits, DFS shoved down our throats, DFS lawsuits, over saturation of advertising. I actually think FF is the a key thing holding the NFL above other sports as this point.

The NBA has to be good before I listen to Cuban. Theres a handfull of players that can make a jumper, NBA is garbage.

I don't want to make this about the NBA, but you are wrong. If anything, this is one of the best shooting eras in the game. So many fantastic shooters. The stretch 4 has redefined the game.

Perspective is a funny thing. I remember growing up I couldn't get into the NBA because I thought it was boring that nobody ever missed a shot, it seemed. I didn't get into it until teams like the Pistons, Knicks, Hornets, etc started playing nittgy gritty defense. But it wasn't about the defense, either, it was about the contrast and options. The Knicks could be bruisers and the Pacers could come in and try to shoot the lights out. The Bulls and Pistons could be contrasts.

It is the same for me in the NFL. I WANT to see the Patriots vs. the Panthers. THe Cardinals vs. the Bengals. I don't want to watch 16 sets of the same production over and over each weeks as you either have two teams just race up and down the field on each other or two teams that can't get out of their own way go at one another.

The Eagles (sorry to pick) are quickly tuning me out of the NFL because when they are on, they just make lopsided absurd games in real life and ff. When they are off, the same. They just can't seem to play a good, balanced game against an exciting opponent?

Wish the NFL offered more than they do now. THe commercials, the saturation, the rule interpretation, the obvious misuse of talent and general lack of solid "long-term built" organizations. For my era...for what made it exciting for me all these years, I feel it is crumbling.

Some of the best games I remember watching (regular season) were "flawed/boring (by today's standards) games.

Kc vs. Broncos on MNF

Cowboys Vs. Giants when it was the triplets vs. LT/Peppers/Banks and they had bruisers like Bavarro, etc

Saints vs. Chicago Bears in a game that ended something like 13-10 was one of the nastiest, low yardage BEST defensive games I've ever seen. Those Saints LBers vs. Singletary and company.

I'm going extinct and it's ok.

 

[Steve Tasker]

FF and the NFL are just so oversaturated these days. I remember when I was younger and I would park myself in front of the TV for NFL Countdown and NFL Primetime. Now it's just an all-week onslaught of information. NFL Network. NFL Live. Thursday games. NFL shows all day every day. Football Night in America shows 30 seconds of highlights for half the games but you'll get 40 minutes of Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy bantering and another Bob Costas/Tom Brady interview.

Two Sundays ago, I was out of town and on the west coast. Woke up early, still adjusting to the time change, and had nothing to do so decided to just relax and watch some NFL pregame for no reason. At one point, ESPN2 had an entire show about fantasy football, ESPNNews and ESPN had full long segments about fantasy football. Literally all 3 of the ESPN channels I got in the hotel were talking about whether you should consider dropping Eddie Lacy and how they had Kirk Cousins ranked the #15 QB this week.

Do people really even watch the game of football anymore? Or are they just watching RedZone Channel and stats-trackers for their fantasy teams?

 

[Jayrod]

The biggest problem this year is Peyton Manning and Drew Brees declining, Aaron Rodgers struggling for a month, Big Ben getting hurt and Andrew Luck's injuries/struggles. When the league banks so much on the superstar QB's and 5 of the biggest names are either at the end of their rope, injured, or just having some bad games, the product will suffer. The best QB's right now are Brady, Palmer, Cam Newton and Andy Dalton.

I'm sure Rodgers will turn it around and Ben will get healthy, but that's still a lot of star power that is hurting the league right now.

 

[FUBAR]

College is even worse. No defense, 150 teams to keep track of, and you lose one unlucky game at the beginning of the year when 1 player gets hurt for 30 minutes and you're eliminated from contending for the championship. What fun is that?

Unless you're in college FF leagues, nobody needs to keep track of all the teams.

You can follow one team, one conference, the top 25, various local teams, or whatever variety you like. Living in Alabama we follow the tide and can't help but follow the SEC. as a KU alum I'll follow the Big XII more than other conferences, and when a top 25 matchup is on, I might watch it. Bowl season is fun even with there being too many and only the big three games meaning much.

The thing that sapped some of the fun from the college game is the conference shakeup. for example, we used to love the MIZZOU/KU rivalry.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

In general--I agree with the sentiments about a reduction in the quality of NFL football. Imho I think that the fantasy world (including DFS) and sports betting are really helping to support the viewership numbers of a product that is in total regression. The product is over-saturated, the rule book is too complicated and too open for interpretation for its own good, the officiating is selective and inconsistent--partially as a result of the rule book, the quality of coaching seems to be on the down swing, and I personally feel like the over integration of analytics has helped remove some of the "rawness" out of professional sports--and especially so in the NFL.

The reaction to the rules about over-celebration some unsportsman like conduct have taken some of the spirit and competitive edge out of the game. I'm a pretty avid recreational basketball player. I've played in some really competitive amateur leagues--and even in those leagues---players understand the value of fouling somebody hard to send a message (I'm not condoning dirty plays that are done with intent to injure somebody). We understand that it's sometimes worth getting a technical foul standing up for a teammate that may have been a victim of a dirty foul. The analytics might say that giving up a point/possession is bad for our team--but analytics don't take into account postive effect that these things do in regards to rallying the troops and bringing the team closer together. Basically--what I'm saying is that in "team sports"--analytics aren't everything. While analytics might be very effective in building a "hypothetical" fantasy team where the only thing that counts are statistics (and every other dynamic is ignored)---analytics aren't nearly as full proof when dealing with real life people/personalities in regards to team building. I think they can be used as one tool of many to make personel decisions--but I personally feel like professional teams are over-using them--and it's reflective in the product.

 

[FUBAR]

FF and the NFL are just so oversaturated these days. I remember when I was younger and I would park myself in front of the TV for NFL Countdown and NFL Primetime. Now it's just an all-week onslaught of information. NFL Network. NFL Live. Thursday games. NFL shows all day every day. Football Night in America shows 30 seconds of highlights for half the games but you'll get 40 minutes of Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy bantering and another Bob Costas/Tom Brady interview.

Two Sundays ago, I was out of town and on the west coast. Woke up early, still adjusting to the time change, and had nothing to do so decided to just relax and watch some NFL pregame for no reason. At one point, ESPN2 had an entire show about fantasy football, ESPNNews and ESPN had full long segments about fantasy football. Literally all 3 of the ESPN channels I got in the hotel were talking about whether you should consider dropping Eddie Lacy and how they had Kirk Cousins ranked the #15 QB this week.

Do people really even watch the game of football anymore? Or are they just watching RedZone Channel and stats-trackers for their fantasy teams?

even if you ignore the various talk shows, you still have the Thursday game, some Sunday morning games, SNF, and MNF. So while there used to be a buildup for Sunday, that's lessened.

If FF, the schedule goes something like

M: check scores, see who is left to play MNF

T: check scores, scour the wire

W: scour the wire, read FBG's various "upgrade" lists, priority ww rolls in most leagues, maybe use FCFS waivers, get pool picks in

T: make sure your lineup is in if players play TNF, waivers

F: check TNF scores, maybe somewhat of a break

S: this might be the only real break, but make sure to check for Sunday morning games

S: lineup, games, check scores

there isn't much of a break if you're in multiple leagues.

 

[burnall]

I have a few issues with it recently and they are getting worse


1. TNF, It sucks PERIOD, teams are still recovering from sundays game, dont have enough time to plan/prepare properly for the game and dosn't feel speical anymore, the only time there should be TNF is Week 1 and Thanksgiving (all teams should be coming off a bye in my opnion) if the NFL really wants more tv time for more football, i'd much rather rather have double headers on monday least it only shortens the week by 1 day rathe then 4.

2. Rules.. They are getting ridiculous. When me and all my friends, NFL Media, Social media, Footballguys, you reading this right now cant tell what a catch is and what a catch isent, thats an issue. And there are just too many flags in general.

3. Injuries.... not much we can do about this, its bad luck.

4. QB play. has been getting worse. teams need to sit QB's behind their starters and teach them how to pass rather then throwig them out there immedialty, Rogers sat he learnt and now hes one of the best i'm sure bret taught him alot. The entire salary structure for the rookies are designed so this happpens.. yet no team has really done it yet,(i guess brocos sorta) would love to see the Chargers, Cowboys, Saints, ect get a good young prospect behind one of there older starters in the next few years

 

[burnall]

FF and the NFL are just so oversaturated these days. I remember when I was younger and I would park myself in front of the TV for NFL Countdown and NFL Primetime. Now it's just an all-week onslaught of information. NFL Network. NFL Live. Thursday games. NFL shows all day every day. Football Night in America shows 30 seconds of highlights for half the games but you'll get 40 minutes of Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy bantering and another Bob Costas/Tom Brady interview.

Two Sundays ago, I was out of town and on the west coast. Woke up early, still adjusting to the time change, and had nothing to do so decided to just relax and watch some NFL pregame for no reason. At one point, ESPN2 had an entire show about fantasy football, ESPNNews and ESPN had full long segments about fantasy football. Literally all 3 of the ESPN channels I got in the hotel were talking about whether you should consider dropping Eddie Lacy and how they had Kirk Cousins ranked the #15 QB this week.

Do people really even watch the game of football anymore? Or are they just watching RedZone Channel and stats-trackers for their fantasy teams?

Fantasy is the only reason alot of people watch alot of these games. it demands you keep up to date info on all teams. where before you may have just watched your favorite team or 2.

imagine the ratings drop when the jags are being blowen out by a team in the 3rd quarter... before fantasy.. the only reason people watch is to see if A Rob gets a TD for them.

 

[oswizzle]

This is what you get when the League tests for HGH

Without PED's this is going to be a common thing for years to come until another Patrick Arnold/Balco Brilliant mind comes along

 

[Todem]

This is what you get when the League tests for HGH

Without PED's this is going to be a common thing for years to come until another Patrick Arnold/Balco Brilliant mind comes along

Pure schtick....right?

 

[Power Monster]

Been watching for a very long time and I see that the game has evolved into this entertainment spectacle that is lame.

Thursday night football is lousy. Bad coaches, bad organizations, players that act like criminals dominate the landscape.

Bye weeks are maddening as well.

The things that might make sense for scheduling do not really matter to the NFL. Preseason is worthless to the fans but the hype and the pomp sell the entertainment value while the on field product is nothing more than 2nd and 3rd string exhibitions.

The rule changes are just plain silly. Replay looks like it can be good and it certainly has its merit but it is watered down by confusing translations and the never ending commercial arc.

The off field dramas that dominate the head lines are nothing more than boring rabble.

In the end - the games really do not match the hype. Maybe we expect too much because of the fantasy football aspect.

The NFL is all about "entertainment". The control everything about the game and the branding. The respective organizations go along for the ride sharing the wealth. Entertainment usually means well scripted and the NFL is no exception.

This might not be popular but the games are essentially fixed through the game plans supported by narratives that will bring in the most viewership and more dollars. It is no wonder that Vince McMahon tried to start his own league. The NFL uses the same framework for its narrative and pregame hype as the WWE. All this hype and then the letdown.

The spectacle of the SB is lousy. I just turn it all off until the game actually starts. Halftime is just out of control. A hot mess that embarrasses the human race. Then there is the hype of the commercials which at times, outshine the actual game. This is the issue with the NFL - entertainment whores...

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

4. QB play. has been getting worse. teams need to sit QB's behind their starters and teach them how to pass rather then throwig them out there immedialty, Rogers sat he learnt and now hes one of the best i'm sure bret taught him alot. The entire salary structure for the rookies are designed so this happpens.. yet no team has really done it yet,(i guess brocos sorta) would love to see the Chargers, Cowboys, Saints, ect get a good young prospect behind one of there older starters in the next few years

I completely agree but, believe it or not, I'm willing to give QB play in general a little bit of a pass, and here's why:

NFL schemes on both sides of the ball have in my opinion become too complex, and the size and speed of defenses too much, for most single human beings to successfully handle. You're taking the (literally) one in a million guys who have the all-around physical attributes and mental toughness to even qualify them to play QB in the NFL, and now asking them to have the instant processing and decision-making capabilities of modern-day fighter pilots on top of it.

Colin Kaepernick is among the 10 best athletes to ever play QB, but he's just 10% too slow at reading and interpreting defenses ... while Peyton Manning is the finest offensive mind to ever play QB, but he's lost just 10% of his arm strength ... and that's all it takes to turn each from All-Pros to replacement-level guys.

Look at it from the other direction: if the minimum job requirements of fighter pilots suddenly required them to be everything they are now plus 6'3", 4.80-or-better 40 runners, and freakishly strong, with off-the-charts pain thresholds and the ability to throw a football 50 yards into a coffee can on the run ... how successful would our Air Force be?

I hate that this is the case. I hate the fact that teams can build, gameplan, and scheme any way they want but have virtually no shot at a Super Bowl without a top-12 or 15 guy in the world at QB. But it seems like every move the NFL has made has been to protect the QBs and offensive skill players like a mother hen in the name of keeping scoring high ... which just serves to widen the gap between the Bradys and Rodgers of the world and everyone else.

 

[Shutout]

This is what you get when the League tests for HGH

Without PED's this is going to be a common thing for years to come until another Patrick Arnold/Balco Brilliant mind comes along

Pure schtick....right?

This is an area that is worth mentioning in regards to "if the NFL wants to have the best product" in terms of best players available/healthiest, there are banned substances out there that can take a 6 week injury and make it a 2 week injury, etc.

I get why they do it. I agree with the premise and I know it would be a BLURRY line to adjust, but I do wonder sometimes how highly trained athletes whose short, short careers hinge on health...how they feel about sitting around rehabbing something that they could cut the time in half if they were you or me.

 

[Shutout]

4. QB play. has been getting worse. teams need to sit QB's behind their starters and teach them how to pass rather then throwig them out there immedialty, Rogers sat he learnt and now hes one of the best i'm sure bret taught him alot. The entire salary structure for the rookies are designed so this happpens.. yet no team has really done it yet,(i guess brocos sorta) would love to see the Chargers, Cowboys, Saints, ect get a good young prospect behind one of there older starters in the next few years

I completely agree but, believe it or not, I'm willing to give QB play in general a little bit of a pass, and here's why:

NFL schemes on both sides of the ball have in my opinion become too complex, and the size and speed of defenses too much, for most single human beings to successfully handle. You're taking the (literally) one in a million guys who have the all-around physical attributes and mental toughness to even qualify them to play QB in the NFL, and now asking them to have the instant processing and decision-making capabilities of modern-day fighter pilots on top of it.

Colin Kaepernick is among the 10 best athletes to ever play QB, but he's just 10% too slow at reading and interpreting defenses ... while Peyton Manning is the finest offensive mind to ever play QB, but he's lost just 10% of his arm strength ... and that's all it takes to turn each from All-Pros to replacement-level guys.

Look at it from the other direction: if the minimum job requirements of fighter pilots suddenly required them to be everything they are now plus 6'3", 4.80-or-better 40 runners, and freakishly strong, with off-the-charts pain thresholds and the ability to throw a football 50 yards into a coffee can on the run ... how successful would our Air Force be?

I hate that this is the case. I hate the fact that teams can build, gameplan, and scheme any way they want but have virtually no shot at a Super Bowl without a top-12 or 15 guy in the world at QB. But it seems like every move the NFL has made has been to protect the QBs and offensive skill players like a mother hen in the name of keeping scoring high ... which just serves to widen the gap between the Bradys and Rodgers of the world and everyone else.

Lot of good thoughts here.

If Peyton Manning played in the 60's, he could probably have played at a high level (by the standard) until he was 50. The next guy with the Peyton Manning mindset might come along in 10 years and have a 15 year career and that might seem LONG.

The requirements bar is shifting and at the QB position, I think we will continue to see a bunch of ok, not great, guys and every once in a while an exceptional talent. But that's going to happen with the way the NFL wants the game played now. Back in the day, a lesser QB could be considered much more competent because in what is supposed to be the ultimate TEAM game, he actually was able to rely on teammates more. A gritty WR who was not afraid to go across the middle (or was tough enough to survive it) completely changed the game. Nowadays, everyone has a Wes Welker. Nobody had an Art Monk when Art Monk was doing his thing.

But they put it all on the QB and so many teams live and die by the QB and we are seeing that this year.

The 2000 Ravens. Won the SB with Dilfer on the backbone of an epic defense. I'm not sure that could happen again in the NFL.

 

[DocHolliday]

I have a few issues with it recently and they are getting worse

1. TNF, It sucks PERIOD, teams are still recovering from sundays game, dont have enough time to plan/prepare properly for the game and dosn't feel speical anymore, the only time there should be TNF is Week 1 and Thanksgiving (all teams should be coming off a bye in my opnion) if the NFL really wants more tv time for more football, i'd much rather rather have double headers on monday least it only shortens the week by 1 day rathe then 4.

2. Rules.. They are getting ridiculous. When me and all my friends, NFL Media, Social media, Footballguys, you reading this right now cant tell what a catch is and what a catch isent, thats an issue. And there are just too many flags in general.

3. Injuries.... not much we can do about this, its bad luck.

4. QB play. has been getting worse. teams need to sit QB's behind their starters and teach them how to pass rather then throwig them out there immedialty, Rogers sat he learnt and now hes one of the best i'm sure bret taught him alot. The entire salary structure for the rookies are designed so this happpens.. yet no team has really done it yet,(i guess brocos sorta) would love to see the Chargers, Cowboys, Saints, ect get a good young prospect behind one of there older starters in the next few years

This is a good post.

Thursday night football has to go. It is tough on the players and makes for an inferior product. As pointed out already a dozen times in this thread, the NFL is becoming annoying. There are too many football shows talking about nothing. We do not need a game between 2 teams that are not as prepared as should be and still not recovered from their last game.

The QB position is too important. We cannot make more great QBs so the NFL needs to get back to making running backs important again. It is way too much for the offense to depend on one guy. Not so long ago, running backs could be the star of the team. That is a rarity these days.

 

[Johnnymac]

I see two separate issues:

• The NFL isn't actually balanced. While the league parrots parity, there's been a fair amount of statistical research that the NFL is actually fairly unbalanced - over the years most good teams stay good and most bad teams stay bad.
• The NFL every year places more responsibility on quarterbacks while not doing anything meaninful to increase the quality of QB play (or decrease the importance of quarterbacks).

The NFL is massively short sighted in my opinion. It benefits less from stellar management and more from the fact that the game peaked right during the explosion of sports on TV and then with fantasy sports. Rather than flowing a million flags to make it easier to play QB, the NFL just needs to widen the field. A wider field would spread defences out and make it easier for non-Brady's to play quarterback. Incidentally, it also would reduce concussions because of more open field tackles. And it would increase scoring.

A wider field is the worst idea I have ever heard. Yeah let's make it even easier to score. The game is going downhill because the defenses are handcuffed and there is no more hitting allowed.

I am tempted to mock your ignorance, but I'll stick to a simple explanation:

First, when you widen the field it will make things easier on the offence so you can reduce the number of penalties. The ticky-tack pass interference and holding penalties are ridiculous and slow the game down, you could return the pre-2010s and actually let DBs/WRs battle for footballs while still maintaining the scoring (or increasing it). The actual result is that defenses would be handcuffed LESS because they could play real football rather than having to worry about touching the offensive player.

Second, "widening" the field means a range of possibilities. You could widen the fie,ld by a yard or by 10 yards depending on what you wanted to achieve. Whatever the increase, you'd increase the number of NFL-caliber QBs because you'd make reading the field easier and players would be more open. It could be a small difference or a big one, depending on how much you widened the field.

Third, you could get rid of a lot of the stupid contact flags they throw because of the wider field. Wider field = more open field tackles = fewer concussions, fewer injuries.

Ultimately, the NFL is mandating offensive scoring. Every year the number of penalties increases and they are largely to benefit the offense. Rather than increase offense arbitrarily (by penalties) you would increase offense by creating more space.

And you want to mock my ignorance?

 

[LittlePhatty]

How about this: make the field bigger, lose the helmets/pads, and replace the goal posts with nets. Oh, and players can't use their hands, they can only kick the ball or head-butt it. Now THAT sounds like an exciting game to watch.

 

[menobrown]

I love TNF football and think it's one of the best things go come along in years. When they finally can agree to shorten the pre-season and get the extra bye week they should be able to tweak this and provide more rest but I hope it never goes away.

The penalties, commericals, replays are things I can't take and I don't and I watch most games every week. I just watch almost nothing live, and that's similar to me for every sport not just football. This seems to not be for most people I talk with, they feel something wrong with not watching live but if I had to watch sports live I'd probably quit watching sports. I don't watch anything that makes me sit through commercials, and I mean nothing.

The injuries suck. Generally there is not a lot that can be done, but there is a little and more on that in a minute.

The rules. I get the need to implement more rules for the need of safety, they don't really have a choice. But why do all the rules need to favor the offense and specifically the passing game? Let's get back to the injuries for a minute. I think football would be safer and have less injuries if teams ran the ball more not less but the rules always seem to prop up the passing game. This is why I've always had an issue with the defenseless receiver rule. I get no contact to the head, different issue. But the football I grew up with involved delivering hits to defenseless WR's, not late hits or dirty hits but solid shots to players who went over the middle or extended themselves to make a reception. Being defenseless was the price they paid, it's up to the defense to make them pay for this choice and in turn make the team reconsider going over the middle again or extending for the ball. It put the onus on the receiver not to put himself in a defenseless position. The end result would be less passing and likely less injuries to the WR/TE and QB position. RB's will and always have got hurt.

The other massive negative of the rules is you don't even know when you can celebrate a play anymore and to me that's bad for the game. Now when I have a player on my fantasy team or real team I pull for score I don't celebrate so much as I wait to make sure it counted. The replay rules need to be changed but every time I hear replay rules being changed it seems like they want more replay and not less. I think we got the replay system in the first place because of those super egregious calls or calls that impact a teams season. I think it should be moved down to 1-2 challenges a game period with zero automatic replays. Calls will be wrong, big deal, they tend to even out. Just keep something in place so that teams have the ability to challenge 1-2 gross or super imactful calls a game and that's it.

Obviously they need to address what is a catch as well so fans can actually watch a game in real time(or on DVR on their own real time) and be able to celebrate a catch when they see a catch. Not sit around on a few minute commercial break or have to lay into the remote and FF to see if that catch we just saw was really a catch.

College football introduced spread concepts and when the new rules got into play it really helped prop up the passing game. End result for me, and this goes back to some degree to the rules, is sometimes when I'm watching a game it looks almost like a glorified 7 on 7 drill. It's become to much of a finesse/passing league. I think some people just assume offense and passing equals excitement. I think they need to allow the DB's to get more physical in the routes, this would also cut down on the immense amount of PI calls which so often seems to be teams third down bailout play.

 

[fantasy stud]

I am still a big nfl fan. However , a good college game is easier to watch . First, they don't seem to have 20 replays a game. Second, the rules seem to make more sense . Usually you can recognize catch live and not having to discuss what a catch is for 20 minutes. Next , they allow defensive backs to play. You don't see illegal contact and teams don't get a free 50 yards by throwing it deep. Pass interference is 15 yards. Also, defense is still aloud to hit people a little bit. In the nfl, you can't hit the qb low, high, or land on him. In college, I feel teams win games and in the nfl I feel refs are winning games for teams. Last, the excitement level of a college football game destroys the nfl. Every Saturday , there are a few primetime games that are the like the super bowl for collge teams . There are true rivalries where the loser might have no chance at a national championship . It feels like life or death to players and fans

 

[St. Louis Bob]

The NFL is nigh unwatchable without the RedZone channel. I think I was legitimately entertained by one game this year and even then I can't remember which game it was.

Yep. It's even worse in person.

 

[Todem]

I am still a big nfl fan. However , a good college game is easier to watch . First, they don't seem to have 20 replays a game. Second, the rules seem to make more sense . Usually you can recognize catch live and not having to discuss what a catch is for 20 minutes. Next , they allow defensive backs to play. You don't see illegal contact and teams don't get a free 50 yards by throwing it deep. Pass interference is 15 yards. Also, defense is still aloud to hit people a little bit. In the nfl, you can't hit the qb low, high, or land on him. In college, I feel teams win games and in the nfl I feel refs are winning games for teams. Last, the excitement level of a college football game destroys the nfl. Every Saturday , there are a few primetime games that are the like the super bowl for collge teams . There are true rivalries where the loser might have no chance at a national championship . It feels like life or death to players and fans

Spot on man.

 

[FUBAR]

How about this: make the field bigger, lose the helmets/pads, and replace the goal posts with nets. Oh, and players can't use their hands, they can only kick the ball or head-butt it. Now THAT sounds like an exciting game to watch.

only if you let someone defend the goal post. with his hands!

 

[burnall]

How about this: make the field bigger, lose the helmets/pads, and replace the goal posts with nets. Oh, and players can't use their hands, they can only kick the ball or head-butt it. Now THAT sounds like an exciting game to watch.

only if you let someone defend the goal post. with his hands!

but what if this new sport causes people to flop all over the field anytime they are touched?

 

[NREC34]

70s and 80s were the golden age of football as far as I'm concerned and it will never be that way again. Fantasy is keeping me watching but also keeps me from really caring how individual teams are doing. So many good points made in this thread. Baseball analogy is spot on and I never thought of before. I think they are losing this new generation. Long term they might become as irrelevant as boxing if things don't change.

 

[UncleZen]

Yet they were saying on the radio today that viewership is up again this season. Nothing will change until that changes.

 

[ghostguy123]

As long as players and coaches continue to change teams as often as they do, this will continue.

But yes this season seems worse.

I blame the officiating just as much. It is soooooo bad right now.

Not sure it is the officiating as much as it is the interpretation of the rules. They need to be clear. Just say "two steps with the ball (in whatever fashion) IS a catch" Or three or four. Whatever. Just don't leave everything so vague as "the player has to complete a "football" move (which is subjective) and things like that.

Two weeks ago I watched a game with two very similar plays breaking the plane into the ENd zone. One crew called it a TD and one didn't and the one that called it a TD seemed more iffy than the first.

I'm with the other guys that said I want flow, I want consistency. I just want to know what I am seeing so that I don't have to stop for 2 minutes and have it explained to me every play.

I mean officiating. Not the officials. The refs are put in an impossible position, and I only hold them accountable for a small percent of the bad officiating.