Is the NFL broken?

[OldSchool]

I just don't see how someone can be a fan and not appreciate half of the game.
It's like saying an NBA all star game is exciting.

Which is fair, but saying they don't like the game because they don't like what you like is just not right. I personally haven't watched an NBA game in 10 years and MLB is boring the hell out of me. You watch guys strike out for 6 innings in the hope you get 3 or 4 solo home runs? Losing interest fast but if people like those things all the power to them.

Personally I can enjoy every facet of a game and just because there's less defense or offense or special teams in a particular game doesn't mean it wasn't good.

 

[Angry Ram]

I was thinking the same thing. If I wasn't a Rams fan, I have to admit. I would be losing interest in the in the NFL due to the way the game is played now.

I love defense. So in a sense part of the game that I like is changing for the worse, for me anyways. Officiating hasn't helped the cause either.

There are plenty of teams that have good defenses. Two of them were playing last Sunday in Denver.

Ravens, Eagles, Bears, Panthers, Redskins, Jaguars, even Buffalo is coming around.

Again, blame teams for not stocking their rosters with good defenders. And of course injuries.

 

[OldSchool]

how is it more exciting? there's nothing exciting about a game without punts. i fell asleep during the chiefs and cheats game yesterday.

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There's an old saying that started with baseball and worked it's way into the NFL and NBA and that's points = ratings. Look back at the sports. Baseball was struggling through attendance and tv ratings, which back then was mostly local broadcasts and less national TV, and the steroid era happened. More runs scored more coverage and ratings blew up and tv contracts increased. Same thing with the NBA, change the rules, or just stop enforcing them, and more points are scored and the NBA has never been this popular.

What's the one thing that people who don't know the sport well or don't appreciate it's subtleties say about soccer? Not enough scoring! NHL has the same thing, for decades it was 2-1 or 3-2 and those were big scoring events. Then Gretzky, Messier, Lemieux and others came along scoring tons of goals and what happened? NHL became kind of cool and people followed it. Scoring goes down change the rules up a bit and scoring has rebounded and so has the fan base.

People may not like games with no defense or games where the punters get a free ride. But overall the NFL is thriving. Self styled hardcore fans may be losing interest but casual fan base is growing and money is pouring into it at record numbers.

 

[fearsomefour]

Which is fair, but saying they don't like the game because they don't like what you like is just not right. I personally haven't watched an NBA game in 10 years and MLB is boring the hell out of me. You watch guys strike out for 6 innings in the hope you get 3 or 4 solo home runs? Losing interest fast but if people like those things all the power to them.

Personally I can enjoy every facet of a game and just because there's less defense or offense or special teams in a particular game doesn't mean it wasn't good.

Fair enough.
Let me say it in a more reasonable way.
The game is great as it's designed.
It doesn't need constant tinkering.
Too much of the game is now left up to judgement calls of the refs.
Football is a near perfect game. It does not need manufactured excitement in my opinion.
The rules being so slanted to the O is what they are attempting to do, at least partially, in my opinion.

 

[HellRam]

There are plenty of teams that have good defenses. Two of them were playing last Sunday in Denver.

Ravens, Eagles, Bears, Panthers, Redskins, Jaguars, even Buffalo is coming around.

Again, blame teams for not stocking their rosters with good defenders. And of course injuries.

Sure there are good D's in the league. However they are good for today's league. As a whole defense is a dying part of the game. The QB stats are truly telling.

The saying use to be defense wins championships. Now days you're better off with a good offense. Just my take.

 

[OldSchool]

Fair enough.
Let me say it in a more reasonable way.
The game is great as it's designed.
It doesn't need constant tinkering.
Too much of the game is now left up to judgement calls of the refs.
Football is a near perfect game. It does not need manufactured excitement in my opinion.
The rules being so slanted to the O is what they are attempting to do, at least partially, in my opinion.

There are usually corrections and exceptions to these kind of trends though. Watch in 2 or 3 years we'll see another Bears or Ravens type team that win a SB led by their defense. Everything is cyclical.

 

[IBruce80]

I like it just the same.
I accept the changes. Nothing you can do about that.
However, some of the play calling is inconsistent which is my biggest gripe.
For the most part the teams make the game, not the new rules or officiating.
I wanted to catch some of the Raiders Seahawks game...glad I didn't.

 

[Adi]

I love the nfl right now , I feel talent is eavenly disriputed and most games are competitive.

Yes the rules are benefiting the offenses but every 5 to 7 years there is an offensive explosion in the leauge and coaches find a new way to attack defenses. That season the packers won the superbowl , seemed like no one played defense.

It takes time but the defenses eventually catch up and I think there is more defensive talent now than in a long time .

 

[psxpaul]

I think there's a sweet spot for scoring, that the NFL is getting close to overshooting. Something like 15-25ppg is ideal IMO.

I don't like games that end 9-7, because it feels like 1 lucky play can change the outcome too easily. If your CB falls down once, that's half the game's points right there.

Games that end 45-42 are just as bad though, for the same reason. One INT or fumble is a guaranteed 14 point swing, and it's impossible to make a comeback if your defense is useless.

A quick glance here shows that the league average is 24.1ppg, which is the most ever.

 

[kurtfaulk]

People may not like games with no defense or games where the punters get a free ride. But overall the NFL is thriving. Self styled hardcore fans may be losing interest but casual fan base is growing and money is pouring into it at record numbers.

i agree but these new fans aren't football fans, they're fantasy football fans. all they care about are their players and the stat updates. it's not sustainable because eventually they will get bored with it. the hardcore fans will be lost forever if the usual game score is 52-49.

i said earlier in the week the nfl is playing a dangerous game with the way they are molding the sport. they should be thinking long term instead of the quick buck.

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[OldSchool]

i agree but these new fans aren't football fans, they're fantasy football fans. all they care about are their players and the stat updates. it's not sustainable because eventually they will get bored with it. the hardcore fans will be lost forever if the usual game score is 52-49.

i said earlier in the week the nfl is playing a dangerous game with the way they are moulding the sport. they should be thinking long term instead of the quick buck.

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NFL doesn't care, in fact they may like them more, some feel they spend more money on the brand than the rest of us.

 

[Ellard80]

I'm not trying to be a dick.. but I think this has been an extremely overplayed "Trend" this year.

Are passing stats up this year? Sure, but it's also still very early in the season. What "rules" changes are people even talking about? The only different rule I can think from last year is how for the first few weeks they were calling dumb roughing the passing penalities. I don't really see how that increases completion percentage, unless people are trying to insinuate that QB's are less... scared?

The amount of grabbing downfield that is called or not called seems no different than anything I've seen for the past 10 years. Sometimes they call it... sometimes they don't.

Penalty calls have a way of evening out of the course of a season (I.E how they have stopped calling so many dumb roughing the passers).

Last year the nfl scoring avg was around 22 ppg... right now its at 24 ppg... which - if continued would be the highest ever.. (last highest was 23.4 in 2013). But we are only 6 games into the season...

Maybe there is an actual difference at years end - but I feel like this narrative keeps getting repeated without any real evidence of cause and effect.

 

[PhillyRam]

There isn't a better game in my memory than the Bucs @ Rams playoff.

That game had all the elements. Kept you on the edge of your seat.

Sadly the NFL thinks games like the Pats and KC is more entertaining.

They have basically diminished the value of a TD. A player scoring 2 TDs in a game used to be a great game for that player, now, not so much. Just above avg.

 

[Ellard80]

Interesting little fact for you. Right now the NFL is on pace to have more sacks this year than last year yet supposedly you can't sack the QB. This is exactly what the NFL wants, more excitement in their opinions for the fans.

Right... I think there are ton's of assumptions being made about how the game is being played differently just because of the roughing the passer issues early on. like it seems to me they called way more defenseless receiver penalites the last few years than this year - how does that increase offense?

Just way too many assumptions/generalizations being made.

It may have very little to do with what the NFL rules may or may not be doing and have everything to do with the fact that passing and quarterbacking coaching/strategy continues to become more dynamic and advanced every year. Completion percentage has been increasing over the past 50 years. Some of this for sure is related to the way the game is called, but that is just one factor and I think the "rules" factor has been severely overblown this year and then has become unsubstantiated fact just because of the word of mouth syndrome.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/NFL/passing.htm

 

[VegasRam]

Here’s my conundrum.
When I watched the KC lineman grab and then release Tommy God, who then ran for a TD, I realized that this is what the NFL has wrought.

I understand nobody wants to watch the NFL with Petermans playing QB for every team, but it has gotten to the point where the integrity is very, very suspect.

Watched Rodgers 3 second TD after SF opened with a TD, turned it off and watched a show with my wife - checked back at 30-23 9ers with 3 minutes left. And told Mari GB Wins with a FG.

Went back to our show, checked back to the game, and guess what?

I KNEW the fix was in on the 9-11 SB, and I voted for the prick, but I have subsequently believed it’d be hard to do on a regular basis, until I saw the catch and release of Brady last nite.

Takes a bit of luster off what JG, TG30 et al are doing, but still enjoying it

Sometime God IS on your side.
We’ll see.

 

[kurtfaulk]

NFL doesn't care, in fact they may like them more, some feel they spend more money on the brand than the rest of us.

until they get bored. and they will. then where will the nfl be?

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[Elmgrovegnome]

I have never enjoyed basketball. There is no defense. I used to love the Magic Johnson Lakers because they scored lots of points even though the league still valued defense at the time. It made the scoring and dominance by my team even sweeter.

I don't like the high scoring college football games. 48 to 45 finishes are only exciting in the final minutes. I prefer some defense mixed with offense.


Part of why I am a Rams fan is because I like a great defense. The Rams teams of the 70's were what I fell in love with. Watching your team shut down another teams offense is fantastic IMO. Sure I enjoy the Rams having a complete team, but just like when I watched the Magic led Lakers, it's more fun knowing that your teams offense is unstoppable when defense still exists.

 

[OldSchool]

until they get bored. and they will. then where will the nfl be?

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Laughing all the way to the bank off the incredible amounts of money they're making on the game right now.

 

[TSFH Fan]

Here’s my conundrum.
When I watched the KC lineman grab and then release Tommy God, who then ran for a TD, I realized that this is what the NFL has wrought.

Anyone else remember when NYG Mathias Kiwanuka did the grab and release on Vince Young 12 years ago (link)?