My Theory on Thursday Night Games Going Forward

[Matthias]

With the news of CMC going on IR, it is beginning to look like that one night in Houston will cost us a promising season. (In spite of a horrid O-line)  You have to remember it wasn't just our star halfback that got sidelined, but also our up and coming corner Jaycee Horn, who at the time we were wondering if he tore his achilles.  That much damage was done going up against a crappy Texans team.  This got me thinking quite a bit.  I've been thinking about McCaffrey's workload and how impossible it is to decrease it no matter what our coaching staff say in wanting to see him get less touches. (He is the offense folks.  Shoot, he might be the entire team at this point)  Then I thought about the league increasing the season by one game.  This of course made the season longer.  It was at this point an interesting idea began to swirl.  In the NBA, there are times when stars of big name teams sit out games to rest up.  When it comes to these ridiculous Thursday night games, on the road, not against a division opponent, not against a conference opponent, we should rest our starters.


Now of course hindsight is 20/20.  With an undefeated team riding high, who in their right mind would rest their starters?  That would be unheard of.  Yet going forward, I would set this as the new standard if I were coaching a team.  The only exceptions would be if we desperately needed the game, and/or if it is a division opponent.  Now I know a lot of folks will crap on this idea, I say fug that.  We lost our young rookie for the year in Jaycee Horn.  We lost CMC for most of the year, if not the year with the way his hamstring is twitching.  Heck, we lost freaking Burris in that mother lovin' Texan game if I'm not mistaken.  That free safety spot in our defense has been vacant ever since.  Shoot, you got me wondering if D-Jax or AJ Bouye can play safety until Burris can come back.  Screw the NFL and their Thursday Night games!!!  Again if I were the coach, I'm resting me and mine, if not forfeiting them mugs all together!  This league is tough to play games on the regular and stay healthy, yet you are going to give these men two days to rest before they have to get ready to play again?  I'm telling y'all we are going to have to get ahead of this curve.  As the old adage say, "Work smarter, not harder".

Edited October 17, 2021 by Matthias

[Scott12345]

Goodell wants Thursday night games

he could care less about anything but cash$$$

[Basbear]

CMC was still playing late into 4th for an in-hand game before this one......no one members it feels like.

Plus thursday hate games is right and all, but how come only two players got hurt? Why not half the team??.... Pulls pin-------Maybe if the players were able to practice in pads more there would be less gameday injuries..... 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Basbear

[FugginPoo]

Why not Friday or Saturday night football instead???

[LinvilleGorge]

If teams collectively boycotted TNF by refusing to play their starters maybe that would get the NFL to finally stop this terrible idea.

[BlitzMonster]

Thursday games would be fine if they only came after bye weeks.  

[Harbingers]

1 minute ago, LinvilleGorge said:

If teams collectively boycotted TNF by refusing to play their starters maybe that would get the NFL to finally stop this terrible idea.

Football is for Sunday and Monday. Thursday night except for thanksgiving has to stop. 

[Matthias]

24 minutes ago, Basbear said:

CMC was still playing late into 4th for an in-hand game before this one......no one members it feels like.

Plus thursday hate games is right and all, but how come only two players got hurt? Why not half the team??.... Pulls pin-------Maybe if the players were able to practice in pads more there would be less gameday injuries..... 

Burris got hurt as well.  You're right CMC played late in that Saints game when we had things wrapped up.  

[LinvilleGorge]

3 minutes ago, Harbingers said:

Football is for Sunday and Monday. Thursday night except for thanksgiving has to stop. 

They're almost always terrible games and I really do think that if you looked at the numbers you'd find that injuries are significantly more likely in TNF games. It's just not a good formula for quality football. It's just a money grab from a league already making TONS of money.

[Snake]

Honestly with 17 games you could just sit them for that one Thursday game. 

[SmokinwithWilly]

46 minutes ago, FugginPoo said:

Why not Friday or Saturday night football instead???

Friday night is high school ball, Saturday is college. Can't lose that revenue. 

[Proudiddy]

To the point of CMC though, part of his misfortune and undoing, is of his own volition.  He has stated emphatically that he is a RB and that he wants all of the touches possible.  He doesn't want to give up snaps, and I think that's why regardless of what the coaches say, his touches never markedly decreased, and I also think that's why he was still playing in the 4th qtr before the Texans game.

That being said, yes, the TNF games are atrocious and need to be done away with, but honestly, I really only think it cost us Horn for the majority of the year.  CMC was gonna end up on IR regardless, whether it was TNF or not.

[ThPantherFan]

I've never liked TNF from its beginning.  You play Sunday and then 3 days to rest and practice before you do it again.  Never been a good idea.  I agree it is for dollars.

[Zaximus]

Thursday games should be after a bye week, it only make sense.  However if anyone thinks a team is going to sit people on TNF unless they are in the playoffs or completely out they are crazy.  This league is a boys club of massive profit sharing they would never do it.