The 17 Game Schedule

[RiverDog]

As most of you are probably aware, tt's sounding like the league will be expanding the regular season to 17 games in 2021. According to NFL Network's Albert Breer, here's how they will determine the participants:

1-game crossover (1 v. 1, 2 v. 2, etc.): NFC East/AFC East, NFC North/AFC West, NFC South/AFC South, NFC West/AFC North.

If that comes to fruition, next season we will be playing the AFC North champ in our neutral game, ie the Steelers.

I am not opposed to the 17 game schedule so long as they compensate by cutting a preseason game. Although I haven't seen anything definitive, my guess is that the motivation behind the added game is to enhance the international series and make it more equitable. It's not fair for the Jags to donate a home game each season while we have yet to make that sacrifice even once and have participated in just one international game. This would make 16 games available for the international series.

16 games is a lot of venues to find internationally. One will obviously go to Mexico City and 3 or 4 to England, but where else? Germany? Japan? Australia? And can they iron out all the details in such a short time?

My thought is that some teams could play their neutral game at locations in the US or Canada in areas that are underserved by the NFL, such as Boise, ID or Lincoln, NE.

Thoughts?

[trents]

The real real motivation behind adding a game is more revenue.

With another game, I'm concerned about the additional wear and tear on the players.

[RiverDog]

The real real motivation behind adding a game is more revenue.

With another game, I'm concerned about the additional wear and tear on the players.

Of course, it's all about money. The NFL is anxious to expand their market, and since adding teams in locations like London aren't viable, the only other way they're going to get exposure is to go with this traveling circus concept.

I'm not sure, but I think they're reducing the preseason games from 4 to 3 and they were talking about a roster expansion, which would somewhat address the wear and tear concern.

Personally, I'm good with the 17 game schedule. I like traveling to watch road games and want to see more of the world so I wouldn't mind going to some foreign location to watch the Hawks and kill two birds with one stone. I went to the London game a couple years ago and we had a blast!