Couple of things.
the argument I'm making is that the NFL "steers" outcomes and they aren't always successful. Key injuries mean that they have to have multiple narratives and they have to be ready to go with the hot narrative. I don't think they steer all 256 games. If anything, I think the NFL tends to be hands off early in the season. Moreover, I think part of the "chaos" and upsets this season has been a deliberate effort to make the NFL look like it's got more parity even as more and more people are still showing plays that go against that.
But anyway, I think they really only get involved in a few games a year... some years more than others, but it's not as interactive as folks may think.
I truly believe they wanted Drew Brees to win in his final year, but he was almost literally the walking dead... 8 broken ribs, punctured lung and other mess wrong with him... he just couldn't go and the NFL focused elsewhere
As for the anti-trust issues, they can have exemptions while still being entertainment and they have less oversight for the most part, but there are certain things that they can't do that MLB can.The point is that the NFL has ALREADY had long term cheating.