Week 1 Scheduling for the Champs - A Discussion

[Steve Spurrier III]

I still think, and this is only my opinion, that the defending champions should open the season on the road against the division or conference opponent with the best record from the previous season. If I were making the NFL schedule I would have the schedule weighted differently from the current NFL scheduling format. That's probably a discussion for another thread.

All right, here's another thread. Why should the NFL go out of their way to punish the Super Bowl Champions? Is opening at home even an advantage? And even if it were, so what? It's a brand new season, why hold last year's success against a team?

[GSPODS]

I still think, and this is only my opinion, that the defending champions should open the season on the road against the division or conference opponent with the best record from the previous season. If I were making the NFL schedule I would have the schedule weighted differently from the current NFL scheduling format. That's probably a discussion for another thread.

All right, here's another thread. Why should the NFL go out of their way to punish the Super Bowl Champions? Is opening at home even an advantage? And even if it were, so what? It's a brand new season, why hold last year's success against a team?

The short answer is I think the top eight teams in each conference should open on the road and the bottom eight teams in each conference should open at home. No team should have back-to-back home or back-to-back away games. It is not specific to the SuperBowl Champions. This is actually a benefit to the teams with better records since under my plan all of the teams in the top half would play two of their final three games at home.

In my world, the Giants, as SuperBowl Champions, should open the season, against a non-conference opponent with an equal standings position or record from last season, the Jaguars by position (4) or the Steelers by record (10-6). Why? Because only half of NFL fans care about the NFC. Opening the season with a non-conference game gets everyone paying attention to the game, even on a workday, upon which they insist on opening the season. What the hell is wrong with opening the season on a Sunday? Teams don't want 10 days between games any more than they want 4 days between games. Thursday is for baseball.

[Steve Spurrier III]

The short answer is I think the top eight teams in each conference should open on the road and the bottom eight teams in each conference should open at home.

That would only work if the top eight teams were going to play the bottom eight teams each season, which isn't the case, and can't be the case, unless you want to expand the schedule or cut out inter-conference games or multiple division games.

No team should have back-to-back home or back-to-back away games.

That's impossible. If teams are always alternating home and away, then the teams that play at home Week 1 can never play each other.

Because only half of NFL fans care about the NFC. Opening the season with a non-conference game gets everyone paying attention to the game, even on a workday, upon which they insist on opening the season. What the hell is wrong with opening the season on a Sunday? Teams don't want 10 days between games any more than they want 4 days between games. Thursday is for baseball.

1: I don't think there are really NFC fans and AFC fans. I doubt a Cowboys fan is more likely to watch a Falcons game than a Titans game - especially in Week 1, when there aren't any playoff implications.

2: Opening the season on a Thursday is good because it gives fans a chance to watch an extra game - it's not like they take a game away on Sunday. And since it's the first game of the season, no team is stuck with the disadvantage of a short week.

[GSPODS]

I wrote the book on impossibilities.
That's why I won't be getting that NFL Commisioner's position in this lifetime.

My 8 month old son was screaming his head off while I was trying to answer this, and after reading it, it makes no sense at all. I'll try to answer the question better tomorrow.

[GSPODS]

OK. Let me see if I can attempt to make sense of that mess I posted yesterday.

What I was trying to say was that the top eight teams in each conference should play each other in non-conference games, and the bottom eight teams from each conference should play each other on opening weekend. I don't think the first game of the season should be a divisional game. If I were making the NFL schedule, it would look like this for opening weekend:

Rams@Dolphins
Raiders@Falcons
49ers@Chiefs
Saints@Jets
Bears@Ravens
Bills@Lions
Panthers@Bengals
Broncos@Cardinals
Texans@Eagles
Browns@Vikings
Titans@Redskins
Jaguars@Giants
Buccaneers@Steelers
Chargers@Seahawks
Colts@Packers
Patriots@Cowboys

This is based upon:
1) final conference standings
2) conference record
3) non-conference record
4) divisional record
5) total points scored
6) total points allowed

This has nothing to do with the SuperBowl Champions specifically. What it has to do with is creating the best opening day matchups, matchups which do not schedule divisional games on opening day.

It further weights the schedule so that teams with poor records have a better chance of opening the season on a high note, and so that playoff teams can compete against other playoff teams and make changes or adjustments as necessary.

Playing against a division rival on opening day does not allow for any margin of error. On week one, teams should have a margin for error, and only non-conference games allow any margin of error.

I understand that every team starts off equally uncertain of the on-field product on week one. I just don't think divisional matchups of teams not playing at full game speed creates good opening day matchups.

No amount of pre-season or practice is equal to actual gameplay. To me, it is like sending a soldier into battle with the rifle, but without the ammunition.

[SkinsJock]

I hope the NFL continues to allow the winner of the Super Bowl to be the home team in the first game of the next season - that is how it should be.

I am hoping that the Washington Redskins can get that first game in NY as we should win that game. We might not be the best team in the NFC East (yet) but we are better than the NY Giants.

[VetSkinsFan]

I hope the NFL continues to allow the winner of the Super Bowl to be the home team in the first game of the next season - that is how it should be.

I am hoping that the Washington Redskins can get that first game in NY as we should win that game. We might not be the best team in the NFC East (yet) but we are better than the NY Giants.

We'll see in Sept!!

[HEROHAMO]

I still think, and this is only my opinion, that the defending champions should open the season on the road against the division or conference opponent with the best record from the previous season. If I were making the NFL schedule I would have the schedule weighted differently from the current NFL scheduling format. That's probably a discussion for another thread.

All right, here's another thread. Why should the NFL go out of their way to punish the Super Bowl Champions? Is opening at home even an advantage? And even if it were, so what? It's a brand new season, why hold last year's success against a team?

Do suggest any other way of schedueling? It seems fair to me. Also it has been this way for quite some time. I haven't heard any of the SuperBowl teams complaining about it.

I also think that if you won the Super Bowl your team was the best for the last season. Most of the time the next year the team is mostly in tact. Therefore should be schedueled against the hardest competition. It makes no sense to give that team a cakewalk. Also the draft is set up the same way. Best team picks last. It also gives teams of lesser talent a better chance to compete and become a good team.

[SkinsJock]

As I have said, I think the current set-up is fine. I also think the NFL should try and schedule a match-up that merits the first game of the year.

This is an intriguing game. It is a divisional game. We did win 2 very important games (to us) against the giants and the pukes at the end of the year. The Redskins have a new coach. The giants lost some defensive starters. It is the first game and there is more than likely some rust still evident. It is NY

I am looking forward to it Manning threw a bunch of picks last year and I remember his first game last year (actually his first 2 games were IMO, typical Eli) and Coughlin has a new contract and it would be so great to beat him in his first game of the season to show NY that this guy is not going to catch lightning in a bottle, EVER again.