17th Game Likely: Packers at Chiefs

[go pak go]

Well this makes our season even harder.

The NFL might finally get its Aaron Rodgers vs. Patrick Mahomes game. Although the league surely hoped it would happen in the regular season in 2019 and again in this year’s Super Bowl, the matchups between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs — and the two State Farm insurance spokesmen — didn’t happen.

Two years ago, Mahomes suffered an injury shortly before the two teams were scheduled to play, forcing the Chiefs to start backup Matt Moore instead. Then this year’s NFC Championship Game happened, keeping the Packers out of Super Bowl LV. But as the NFL firms up its plans for a 17-game schedule moving forward, it appears that the league’s plans for adding that extra game will result in another Packers-Chiefs matchup.

According to NBC Sports’ Peter King, the league’s plan will go off as follows:


17th game will be AFC vs. NFC
The divisions involved will be the divisions that played each other two years ago (e.g. the 2019 divisional matchups will be the basis for the 17th game in 2021; the 2020 matchups will be game 17 in 2022, and so on)
Like the two intra-conference games each year, this game will feature teams that finished in the same place in their respective divisions the previous season
Finally, the AFC teams would host all games in 2021, with the NFC hosting in 2022.
When you put all of these stipulations together, you see that the Packers will be traveling to Kansas City sometime in 2021. The NFC North played the AFC West in 2019, and both the Packers and Chiefs won their divisions (and earned their conferences’ top seeds) last season. With the AFC hosting, that puts this game at Arrowhead Stadium.

These two teams’ last meeting also came at Arrowhead, however, making for an interesting change in the typical alternating home/road schedule for cross-conference matchups. The Packers won the 2019 matchup 31-24 despite Davante Adams’ absence, as Rodgers threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, including a 67-yard score to Aaron Jones for the game’s final points. That contest also featured APC’s pick for the best play of the team’s 2019 season.

A Rodgers-Mahomes matchup would be ratings gold, and it would be a no-brainer pick for a Sunday Night Football contest — much as the 2019 game between these teams was.

King’s article also reveals a few other nuggets about the 2021 schedule. For one, the addition of a 17th game will not come with an extra bye week, meaning teams will play 17 games in 18 weeks. The season will start at the same time as usual, which will push the playoffs and the Super Bowl back a week apiece. That may also push the NFL to play a Wild Card game on a Monday, since it will no longer conflict with the College Football Playoff championship game.

The Packers already face what looks to be a tough schedule in 2021, with the AFC North (which fielded three playoff teams), and the NFC West (two playoff teams) as well as a pair of NFC division winners in Washington and New Orleans on the schedule. Adding in a game at Kansas City would make the possibility of a repeat as the NFC’s top seed that much tougher.

[go pak go]

I find it absolutely insane there isn't two bye weeks in a season.

[Drj820]

I hate 17 games bc it just seems like one more opportunity for devastating injuries before a playoff run to accumulate

[go pak go]

I hate 17 games bc it just seems like one more opportunity for devastating injuries before a playoff run to accumulate

Yeah I think it also makes the schedule weird and the standing weird.

But overall I get it. More football = more money.

But for the love of god. Add another bye week then. Make the season 19 weeks. I don't care if it makes the regular season end in mid January or if it means you start Labor Day Weekend.

You chose it. Pretend to at least care about player safety.

[YoHoChecko]

Yes please to the 2 bye weeks. Each team has 2 bye weeks and never plays a Thursday game unless it's following a bye.

[go pak go]

Yes please to the 2 bye weeks. Each team has 2 bye weeks and never plays a Thursday game unless it's following a bye.

Let's even get beyond player safety.

What about go pak go's or YoHoChecko's safety?

Having 2 byes in a year is very, very good for our overall heart health too.

We don't handle the stress of gameday well.

[TheSkeptic]

Start the season a week earlier. 2 bye weeks.

[Crazylegs Starks]

I find it absolutely insane there isn't two bye weeks in a season.

I agree, but last time the NFL tried two bye weeks, it didn't work out like they hoped. The networks didn't like it, and weirdly, many coaches didn't either. They claimed the late bye wrecked their momentum.

[RingoCStarrQB]

Steelers are talking about a 9 game home schedule and only one home preseason game.

Usually season ticket invoices are sent out by now with payment due March 31st.

There is nothing definite coming out of the Packers yet. Maybe this week we'll hear something that's real.

GO PACK GO!!

[RingoCStarrQB]

Interesting hypotheticals being discussed out there .............

For 8 game home seasons --> Packers would keep it the same as is (3 GOLD package games and 7 GREEN package games) with 1 GOLD preseason game and 1 GREEN preseason game.

9 game home seasons --> Only one home preseason game, alternating the preseason game between GOLD and GREEN every other year.

9 game home seasons --> Still 2 home preseason games. 4 GOLD package games and 7 GREEN package games one year -- 3 GOLD package games one year and 8 GREEN package games the next year

9 game home seasons --> Only one home preseason game. Create a 2 game season ticket holder list (call it the WHITE package) which includes the 1 preseason game and 1 regular season game. 2 GOLD package games and 6 GREEN package games.

Any other ideas out there?

Curious to see what really ends up happening.

There is precedence when the Packers played 3 regular season games in Milwaukee + 1 preseason game (the Shrine Game). The 3rd regular season game went away when the Packers moved the MIlwaukee games to Green Bay after the 1994 season. So I think the extra game should be given to the GOLD package season ticket holders and be done with it.

Thoughts? Does anyone really care?

[RingoCStarrQB]

From last year:

Published March 18, 2020

GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers announced on Wednesday, March 18 that they will extend the deadline for season ticket holders and those selected in the Brown County drawing to pay for their 2020 tickets to June 1. This extension is to allow more time for those who may be impacted by COVID-19 over the next few months.

A news release indicates invoices were sent to season ticket holders in late February, along with a brochure outlining new pricing and previewing the 2020 season’s home opponents. The previous deadline was March 31 for season ticket holders and April 8 for those selected in the Brown County drawing.

While the Packers expect to play a full schedule in 2020, ticket holders are reminded of the policy on canceled games. If a game is canceled and cannot be rescheduled, or is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending (for example, if a public authority restricts gatherings to no more than a small number of people), season ticket holders will receive a refund for the impacted game(s), or the option to credit that amount to future playoff or regular season tickets for the 2021 season. Those selected in the Brown County drawing will simply receive a refund for their game, if applicable.

With the Packers ticket office closed to the public until at least March 30, ticket holders are also reminded that they may pay for their tickets online with a credit card, with instructions included on invoices, or by mail via credit card, personal check, money order or cashier’s check. Those who wish to pay in person while the ticket office is closed may also utilize a secure payment drop box, located next to the ticket office front door. Please be sure any payments or correspondence are secured in a sealed envelope while using the drop box.

Those who would like to contact the ticket office prior to March 30 are asked to send an email to tickets@packers.com.

[RingoCStarrQB]

2021 Season Ticket Invoices were available for payment yesterday. Same prices as 2020. GREEN PACKAGE was the same as usual (6 regular season games and 1 preseason game).

Read that if a 17th game season causes the Packers to have a 9 game home schedule, the GOLD Package would get 3 regular season games the first year. Now GOLD Package ticket holders get 2 regular season games.

[NCF]

So, somewhere along the line this became official?

[BF004]

Looks like an easy 20-0 to me.

[go pak go]

So, somewhere along the line this became official?

Yeah last week it became official.

So what it is going to happen is the AFC will host all "17th" games this year.

Starting in 2022, it sounds like the NFL will then start having it where every team will play an international game. How that will work is there will be 4 international games in 2022. The "home" team will all be the same team from a division.

So if the Packers have to "host" an international game, every other team in the NFC North will also have to "host" an International game. At the same time, the formula will be set where the "home team" for the International game will still get 8 home games because it will be their year to host the NFC vs AFC matchup.

[TheGreenMan]

I don't know a single person that thinks the NFL going to a 17 game schedule as a good idea.

[RingoCStarrQB]

I don't know a single person that thinks the NFL going to a 17 game schedule as a good idea.

Neither do I. Same for the international games. It's clearly driven by corporate greed.

[go pak go]

I don't hate either decision to be honest.

I do think or wish they would have gotten a bit more creative with player safety to make it look like they care about player safety. Like an extra bye week. Mandatory rest for every player on the roster for at least one game during the season.

I just think something like that needed to happen. And honestly as a diehard fan, I would welcome the strategy play of mandatory rest or welcome the opportunity of having two bye weeks a season while also lengthening the season.

The worst part time of year of being an NFL fan is mid June through mid July and that February to the beginning of the new league year period. So I don't hate them trying to squeeze that window while also monetizing off it.

[YoHoChecko]

I don't know a single person that thinks the NFL going to a 17 game schedule as a good idea.

I think 17 games is a perfectly fine idea. What sucks are Thursday night games. What sucks is not having a bye week mandated before any Thursday games.

17 games and 2 or 3 preseason games is fine compared to 16 and 4. I don't even think player safety complaints related to an extra regular season game are particularly valid.

[NCF]

I don't know a single person that thinks the NFL going to a 17 game schedule as a good idea.

I think 17 games is a perfectly fine idea. What sucks are Thursday night games. What sucks is not having a bye week mandated before any Thursday games.

17 games and 2 or 3 preseason games is fine compared to 16 and 4. I don't even think player safety complaints related to an extra regular season game are particularly valid.

I'm with you 100%. Put me firmly in the camp of loving having an extra meaningful football game. I do think they are doing this wrong, though, not adding an extra Bye. Always seems like coaches and players want them, so not sure why anyone would complain about it.