The effects of Thursday Night games - would it benefit the Panthers to just forfeit?

[hepcat]

I'm just spitballing here, but let's go back in time and speculate how different each Panthers season would be from 2018 onward, if they forfeited every Thursday Night game.

2018: Steelers Massacre. This game individually ruined the Panthers 2018 season. Cam Newton's shoulder was probably destroyed for good in this game and the defense was completely decimated. If the Panthers don't play this game, their season might still end up similarly, but who knows? This completely destroyed all confidence for that team.

2019: Cam's last game as a Panther. The Bucs came to Charlotte and beat the Panthers on a rainy night in Cam's last game as a Panther. The end of the game was sadly ended on a fake QB sneak to CMC, which was stopped short of the goal line. It was a miserable way for Cam to end his time with the Panthers. If this game doesn't happen, does Cam get more time to heal up and continue playing that season? 

2020: Atlanta embarrasses the Panthers. This game looked a lot like the games of 2021, with the Panthers looking good early in the game and falling apart late. If this game doesn't happen, I'm not sure much changes with the season honestly. Donte Jackson went down in this game for awhile and the team continued to decline after this.

2021: A losing streak begins before the game was even over. CMC, Jaycee Horn, and Juston Burris are all injured in a win over the Texans that really felt more like a loss. The Panthers still haven't recovered from the injuries in this game.

So let's just speculate, let's say the Panthers never play any of these games. How different are their seasons? 

[SmokinwithWilly]

It's not the craziest thing in the world to consider doing. Players need time to recover, plain and simple. If a team told the league they weren't playing a Thursday game in the interest of player safety, expect some serious backlash from the league. That's a lot of revenue lost and there is no way Goodell let's that go unpunished. What happened to Cam in SB50 and the season opener in 16 would be a walk in the park. 

[07579394]

Bench the starters,play TNF like playing a pre-season game

[Fox007]

To be real in hindsight you'd just take the L and keep the health. I mean if the players cared enough about it to protest there are things that they could do. The players don't seem to care enough honestly...I mean they do have to sign the CBA and all that.

[Dunn]

Its something that the players and coaches need to seriously consider.  It seems no team gets out of a Thursday night unscathed.  Why risk it?? especially now that you have an extra game in the season, you can account for the loss and hopefully make it up down the road.  

Richard Sherman preached hard on how bad it is to have those games and I'm sure he is the silent majority on that.  

Edited October 18, 2021 by Dunn

[t96]

NFLPA is an absolute joke. If they actually cared about the players' interests, there would be no football as long as turf fields and TNF exist.

[Mother Grabber]

if we never played any of the games we lost, we’d be undefeated 

[thunderraiden]

No need to forfiet, just play our backups and let them head hunt like every other team lol can still come out with a win.

[Move the Panthers to Raleigh]

The NFL should work in teams that are coming off of a bye week into these games. It's the only way to reduce the strain on the players. They obviously don't want to reduce the amount of TV time because it makes them money.

[Shocker]

They really need to do away with these games but they make the league money.  Just like the extra game this year.  Money always wins

[ZeroZeroSeven]

53 minutes ago, Move the Panthers to Raleigh said:

The NFL should work in teams that are coming off of a bye week into these games. It's the only way to reduce the strain on the players. They obviously don't want to reduce the amount of TV time because it makes them money.

Most logical way to move forward.  Start Thursday night games Week 7 with teams coming out of a bye.

[mwright350]

So full disclosure - I actually STARTED this post wanting to post stats about how much more players are injured on TNF and then rant and rave about player safety / snuffing TNF / pillorying whoever's idea it was / manning the torpedos etc.  I still think we should get rid of TNF and I still don't think it's generally good football but uh - that stat waving thing fell through.

What I DID manage to find was people citing *lower* injury rates on TNF vs Sunday and Monday games (Here is an example if anyone is curious) so that fugs up THAT rant.  Thanks numbers.

So yeah.  To the original question?  Yeah fug it - I'd take the L every year and skip the game if I could.  This team, specifically, is still snakebit on TNF and I hate it.

[Waldo]

I think it would be hilarious if we just didn't show up to the next one, like it's not even worth it, even at if it's at home. 

Thursdays are just bad football nights, most of the games are complete ass. Not enough preparation, not enough time to heal up...all to be rushed out for a crap product and a late night I don't need. I don't watch any other Thursday night games or Monday night games anymore, just not worth it. 

[Carl Spackler]

We generally only lose and get hurt when we try, so forfeiting at least gets us the same result but keeps players healthy