Bye Week Nonsense - Scoring and the Thursday Night Games

[Awesomeness!!]

I was having a conservation with this guy that mentioned how he didn't enjoy the NFL as much as he did in the past because of the new rules on defense, and how it seems like just about everybody can score 30 every week. The more I thought about it the more sense he made. I know I grew up in an era when running the ball and playing defense was how you won Superbowls. It was rare for teams to even be able to score more than 35 on another NFL defense. Now thats pretty standard. I've noticed I've been watching a lot less football in general, especially college. I was disgusting with the Alabama, A&M game. 49 to 42 isn't "exciting" to me. Its basically Arena ball, and there is a reason people don't watch the AFL. Everybody in college uses 5 or 6 receiver sets and its impossible for defenders to defend considering they have basically been handcuffed in the last 5 or so years. Hopefully, when it gets cold teams go back to fundamental football. Running the ball and playing defense. Having 10 QBs throwing for 400 yards every week takes luster out of throwing for 400 yards at all.

 

On another note, Roger Goodell and his Thursday night game need to go. Much like the scoring problem, when you have a game on Thursday Night, and its Jacksonville and the Titans, it isn't "must see". It takes away from the shields image. There are NBA games on TNT in November that are more intriguing than some of these games. Also, towards the middle and end of the season when there are Holiday games, and the dreaded Saturday games, the bread and butter of the NFL, the Sunday afternoon games suffer. They spread the schedule way to thin in my opinion.

[bLACKpANTHER]

our society has yet to say "too much football!!"

 

so until we stop gobbling up the ESPN highlights and NFL Network dedicated to 24 hours of football, the combine, the draft, Free Agency period- let alone the season with Sunday Ticket and the Redzone channel.. they will continue to feed the monsterous appetite our country has for NFL football

[CRA]

meh....

I actually think defense is more important than ever. I think it is much more entertaining watching a team try to limit a Peyton pass attack vs Jerome Bettis.

Yeah, the scores are higher but the chess match is more entertaining.

[Carolina Cajun]

While the rule changes have positively affected the offense, I do think that it is somewhat overblown by how much it has improved the passing game.  Schemes in the NFL have drastically changed in the past 15 years which has helped offenses.  Add to this that 15-20 years ago, at the youth level, QBs were taught to run the option and veer, but over time, young QBs are actually being taught how to throw, by the time they get to high school they are in full fledged passing offenses, and once they get to the NFL, passing and reading defense is just a natural thing for these players.  This is the biggest reason to me why the explosion in passing has happened.

 

As for Thursdays, I agree, I want it to go back to the way it was, Thursdays are for college football, and more particularly, the smaller conferences like the MAC, SBC and CUSA.  I used to love watching the Thursday night games between smaller conference, now I have to watch the semi-pro teams play.

[AceBoogie]

meh....

I actually think defense is more important than ever. I think it is much more entertaining watching a team try to limit a Peyton pass attack vs Jerome Bettis.

Yeah, the scores are higher but the chess match is more entertaining.

I agree. I don't want to start having debates where the Punter is the most important player on the team.

[PhillyB]

I love Thursday night football.

[PiratePanther189]

1. Defense and running game still win championships. There's exceptions to the rule, but it's still the rule

 

2. Football is the most dominant and profitable aspect of pop culture in American society today, look it up. Anything, and I mean anything, will lose in the ratings to NFL football.

[SCP]

I want Kaepernick to implode tonight.

[Darth Biscuit]

Yeah, TNF gives me something to break the monotony of the week up with...

[mav1234]

I like Thursday night games.  The more football days the merrier :)

 

I also have no problem at all with the rules changes.  I actually think it makes the games more exciting when you aren't rooting for a team you particularly care for, since scores are up overall.

[thunderraiden]

No one else noticed he said 6 receiver sets in his OP?

[ncsu12engr]

Everybody in college uses 5 or 6 receiver sets and its impossible for defenders to defend considering they have basically been handcuffed in the last 5 or so years. 

 

6 receiver sets? Last I checked 5 receivers on the field at a time was the max.

[beckersteen]

I don't mind it. It doesn't really change anything. Its relative. A good defense many years ago would only allow 6 points, but today its more like 17. Thats fine to me. You still need a defense to be expected to win, its just not gonna sophisticate people anymore. Same thing with records. Ok the luster of throwing for 400 yards isn't there, but now today its 450 or 500. You just have to adjust to the game. Don't have this absolute, nonchanging way of thinking.

[rayzor]

i don't see how anyone (other than maybe wives) can be unhappy with having football on another night. if you don't like to watch it on thursday, then dvr it and watch it at a more "appropriate" point in the week.

 

it's not like it's diluting the product or anything. it's not another game added to the schedule...it's just another night it can be watched, if you want to.

 

as far as the game changing...it's been evolving constantly since it's inception in the late 1800's. each time new rules have come into effect (many for the safety of players, some just to make it more competative, and others just to make it more appealing to a wider audience) there have been complaints from those who think that football from an earlier time than they were in was better. each era thinks that they had it right a few years back, even tho that era was viewed the same way by those from an earlier one.

 

each decade brings about a lot of changes and with it a lot of complaints.

 

the truth is, although the game looks and plays a bit differently than it did a decade or two ago, it looks incredibly different from when it first started. which era is better? it's personal opinion. those who were around when they had leather helmets would likely say that was better. those who didn't wear helmets at all might ridicule any other era for wearing silly hats at all. what matters, tho, is that for all it's changes...it's still football. it still rules.

 

changes will keep coming, but people will still keep playing and watching.

 

it's good that it goes through changes, imo, becaue it keeps it fresh. evolution is a good thing. change is good. not all changes are good, but overall change is good.

 

people will keep on complaining about how different things are getting, but those people are going to be right back either in the stands or at the bar or on their couch watching whenever the game is being played.