Your opinion on NFL Bye weeks during the regular season

[wdm1219inpenna]

While I like the fact that the regular season is 17 weeks long instead of 16, I hate how the bye week system works and has worked more or less since first implemented back in 1990.

I'd rather see 1 division have a bye week every week, then the following week, those 4 teams play one another. I dislike when teams coming off of a bye play a team that hasn't had a bye, or already had a bye some time ago.

I really dislike that there are some weeks where 2 teams have a bye, some with 4 teams, still other weeks where 6 teams have a bye. If they're going to have it, it should be more uniform, and it should not happen until at least week 5, but no later than week 12, with I believe week 13 being Thanksgiving week if I'm not mistaken.

In the interest of "fairness", shouldn't it always be the case where teams coming off a bye week face one another? I want to see the NFL implement it by division. It's annoying and irritating when you see the Jets are 2 and a half games out of first place.

[Needschat]

To be fair, the NFL should have a 14-game, 16-week schedule. The players are too fast, too strong, too smart to be able handle the current 17-week, 16-games.

[NJTank]

I disagree, we should not reduce the schedule, but I think we can add a second bye week for everyone and go 16 games in 18 weeks.

[Jimmy!]

I disagree, we should not reduce the schedule, but I think we can add a second bye week for everyone and go 16 games in 18 weeks.

They did that one year ('93 I think). If I recall, it wasn't recepted too well.

Make the season 18 games, cut the preseason to two games and call it good.

[The_Admiral]

An 18-game regular season is a horrible idea. Stop posting on our board, Roger Goodell; you have work to do.

I think bye weeks should be restricted to weeks 9 and 10. AFC one week, NFC the other, alternate each year. Yeah, it really restricts scheduling, but it gives players rest when they need it most and eliminates some of the bye-week imbalances you see around the league.

[NJTank]

I disagree, we should not reduce the schedule, but I think we can add a second bye week for everyone and go 16 games in 18 weeks.

They did that one year ('93 I think). If I recall, it wasn't recepted too well.

Make the season 18 games, cut the preseason to two games and call it good.

I think the 18 week two byes would work today without the resitence it had 20 years ago due to the leagues more cautious approach.

[TheOldRoman]

An 18-game regular season is a horrible idea. Stop posting on our board, Roger Goodell; you have work to do.

I think bye weeks should be restricted to weeks 9 and 10. AFC one week, NFC the other, alternate each year. Yeah, it really restricts scheduling, but it gives players rest when they need it most and eliminates some of the bye-week imbalances you see around the league.

That would never happen for the sole reason that Fox and CBS would be royally pissed to have a week with no games to broadcast anywhere in the nation.

Goddell is going to keep pushing the 18 game schedule thing until he's out of office. I hope the players never agree to that or to expanded playoffs, because right now, the NFL playoffs is pretty much perfect. I think that if the players don't budge on those issues before the TV rights come up for negotiation again, he could probably get them agree to a second bye week. That would be more time off for players and more money for all parties due to expanded TV rights.

[NJTank]

Here's an idea 18 week schedule 16 games with two byes and a rule teams that play on Thursday have the previous week as one of their two byes.

[TheOldRoman]

Here's an idea 18 week schedule 16 games with two byes and a rule teams that play on Thursday have the previous week as one of their two byes.

Well, that can't happen because outside of the kickoff game, they have 14 weeks of TNF, (with two earlier games on Thanksgiving). Every team has a Thursday game (with the opening teams having two). The only weeks without one of the NFL Network TNF games are 1, 16 and 17. They don't want TNF games in the final weeks because the ratings wouldn't be as good due to the Christmas season, and it would suck royally for the teams that have byes in weeks 2 or 14 just so they could play in those games.

[DaytonBlue]

I'd guarantee every team would have a bye before a Thursday night game, although not every team would play a Thursday night game. No team would play more than one. This would eliminate the sloppy football on Thursdays and Thanksgiving Thursday could be the end of the Thursday night schedule (ratings go down around Christmas and no team would want a bye at the end of the season).

[njmeadowlanders]

While I like the fact that the regular season is 17 weeks long instead of 16, I hate how the bye week system works and has worked more or less since first implemented back in 1990.

I'd rather see 1 division have a bye week every week, then the following week, those 4 teams play one another. I dislike when teams coming off of a bye play a team that hasn't had a bye, or already had a bye some time ago.

I really dislike that there are some weeks where 2 teams have a bye, some with 4 teams, still other weeks where 6 teams have a bye. If they're going to have it, it should be more uniform, and it should not happen until at least week 5, but no later than week 12, with I believe week 13 being Thanksgiving week if I'm not mistaken.

In the interest of "fairness", shouldn't it always be the case where teams coming off a bye week face one another? I want to see the NFL implement it by division. It's annoying and irritating when you see the Jets are 2 and a half games out of first place.

Don't worry, October will be here soon enough and then it'll be plenty more...

[Rockstar Matt]

Uh, bye weeks are you good thing for the NFL? Yes!

What do I win?

[Magnus]

I tinkered around a bit. This is what I came up with.

Open and close the season against a divisional rival.

Half of each conference gets a bye in week eight, the other half in week 9.

I didn't factor in Monday or Thursday night games, but I'm sure they could be figured out.

[dbadefense1990]

If it were me...

I'd want byes during the middle eight weeks of the season (Weeks 5-12), but I'd also give bye weeks to whole divisions, so that all its teams have the week off. Also, conferences alternate bye weeks in that span to offset the TV rights, with the conference containing the bye week restricted to playing only divisional matchups.

For example, lets say the order of division byes are West, North, South and East. But then, each conference alternates the bye week. So, the byes in Weeks 5, 7, 9 and 11 go to the AFC West, North, South and East, respectively. Meanwhile, in Weeks 6, 8, 10 and 12, byes go to the NFC West, North, South and East, respectively.

Because FOX tends to do doubleheaders during the odd weeks, except Week 17 (because in Week 1, CBS can only do single coverage due to the U.S. Open Tennis tourney), they would keep their doubleheader coverage in the odd weeks, while CBS must do single coverage, consisting of intra divisional matches. Conversely, during even weeks, CBS can do normal doubleheaders while FOX is restricted to intra divisional matches of its three other non-bye divisions.

To abide by NBC and ESPN, both networks must select an intra divisional matchup of the division whose conference counterpart has a bye week. For example, if the AFC West has a bye, then NBC and ESPN must broadcast games featuring intra divisional matches from the NFC West. Each week follows the same pattern for every bye week.

[BBTV]

Not sure any network would be cool with the entire NFC east being off one week, or NE and NYJ being off together, since they're huge ratings. That's likely why things are staggered like they are now.

[Gothamite]

Nor does the league want half its players resting at any time. Bad for press coverage, bad for fantasy.

[HedleyLamarr]

Not sure any network would be cool with the entire NFC east being off one week, or NE and NYJ being off together, since they're huge ratings. That's likely why things are staggered like they are now.

CBS must be pissed off this year.....

[The_Admiral]

Looks like NE and NYJ were off together on Thursday.

[Stampman]

To be fair, the NFL should have a 14-game, 16-week schedule. The players are too fast, too strong, too smart to be able handle the current 17-week, 16-games.

I'm not following the logic here.

[BadSeed84]

Whatever week the nfl gets the lowest ratings (not counting the pro bowl lol) just use that as the bye week.