DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Monday Night Wild Card Playoff Game

NFL plans to add Monday game to Super Wild Card Weekend slate in 2021 playoffs, per report - CBSSports.com
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-p...ffs-per-report/

The 2021 NFL season isn't just the biggest in league history, adding an 18th week and 17th regular-season game to each team's schedule. It's also set to feature an expanded Super Wild Card Weekend, with NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reporting Thursday that the league is likely to push one of the opening-round playoff games to Monday night. The NFL hosted three games each on Saturday and Sunday for Super Wild Card Weekend in 2020, its first season with a sixth wild card game, but concluding the first round on Monday would allow for additional prime-time coverage.

The NFL is still "tinkering" with the format, Rapoport said, but all signs point to the 2021 postseason featuring the Monday night wild card slot. That means there'd be two games on Saturday, three on Sunday, and one on Monday, with the final broadcasting network to be determined.

NBC Sports' Peter King previously hinted at this possibility in February, while writing for "Football Morning in America." A Monday Wild Card addition was "somewhere between 50-50 and very likely," King said, pointing to the schedule and recent playoff expansion as reason for the NFL to adjust the postseason lineup. The NFL didn't consider a Monday game in 2020 because it would've conflicted with college football's national championship, but that won't be the case in 2021, with the NFL going an extra week in the regular season.

King also suggested that concerns over a team having an especially short week going into the divisional round would not be widespread:

With three wild card games on Saturday, six teams are sure to play a short-week game. With two wild-card games on Saturday and one on Monday, five teams are assured of a short-week game -- four on Saturday and Monday's winner, which would play the following Sunday. If I'm a coach, I'm happy after playing 17 games in 18 weeks to have an extra day of rest before a playoff game. What's the argument against it?

It remains to be seen if/when the NFL will officially announce a revised playoff schedule to include the Monday matchup.

This seems wildly unfair to the team that wins on MNF.

Damn right it is. It’s a competitive disadvantage in the playoffs (and during the regular season, for that matter). I hate the NFL’s decision-making at times.

How many teams in the AFC/NFC can be wild card teams? 4 each?

We all know from 2020, that they can have a game any of the 7 days of the week. That all came on short notice anyway. The NFL would be better off, for wild card week, moving one of the games to Friday night, instead of Monday night, to get more prime time games.
It begins the playoffs earlier, and no team, that sneaks in into the last spot, spot #7, would be able to complain if they had to play Friday, instead of Saturday or Sunday.

Actually, they should, just have 2 mid to late games on Saturday, and then 3 games on Sunday, like they did, if that's what they did.
The Sunday 1pm eastern timeslot, is a marquis NFL time slot anyway.

With our luck, we’ll play Monday night in the wild card round at LA and then have to play Saturday in Miami or something LOL

Wonder when they'll try Thursday night playoffs.

I don't see how this is such a big deal. Playing on a Sunday and then again on the following Saturday is the same time span as Monday to Sunday.

I'm sure they won't make the Monday night winner play the following Saturday...

One full day less to recover health wise is a pretty big deal, especially that late into the season. I can guarantee every coach will be wanting to avoid that MNF game.

Playoff games are always scheduled on Saturday and Sunday... there are plenty of times teams play with "one full day less". Ie... play on Sunday and then the following Saturday. So... what's the difference?

Agreed. I remember there was concern last year about it being unfair that the Browns played the late game on Sunday and being at a disadvantage because of rest concerns.

It's not why the Browns lost to the Chiefs the following week.

This seems like a talking point, but a non-issue.

making a Wild Card game winner play a divisional opponent on short rest is EXTREMELY unfair

records of Sunday winners of Wild Card games since 2002, by day of their next game:

SUN (normal rest) = 13-14 (48%)
SAT (short rest) = 3-9 (25%)

ATS records of Sunday winners of Wild Card games since 2002, by day of their next game:

SUN (normal rest) = 19-7-1 (73%)
SAT (short rest) = 6-6 (50%)

on a night with multiple players going down with injury while playing on short rest...

the NFL wants more playoff teams to play on short rest after already playing a 17-game season

https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/status/1441217759430340608

Or is it just simply the better team wins more often?

<shrugs emoji>

Either way, an extra day of gambling entertainment!

Looks like getting the 1 seed has even become MORE important

Flip side to that is that if you are coming off week 18 banged up, it gives you one MORE full day to recover before your first playoff game.. And if the goal of the playoffs is to survive and advance, winning that first game is all you will care about coming out of week 18... and an extra day of rest could be a benefit.

And these teams are used to it. They do it all the time Sunday-Thursday, Sunday-Saturday, Monday-Sunday...

I'd like for the NFL to somehow add a "wild, wild card" team .....for the team with the best record that missed the playoffs.

I haven't quite figured out how to make it work .... maybe have a "play in playoff" game, where the team that is the "wild wild card" plays the lowest seed in the conference with the worst wild card record. That team would take that lowest spot if they won. (even if the team whose spot they took was in the other conference)You could even do it with 2 teams, who would have to "play in" vs the worst 2 teams in the playoffs. (again, even if those 2 teams are in the opposite conference)

Just a thought.

How many teams in the AFC/NFC can be wild card teams? 4 each?

3 teams SuoerBrown.

Thanks!

don't take this the wrong way... but when you have a conversation with yourself on here is it after drinking?

I could see myself doing that.... not realizing I'm replying to myself....

What's a SuoerBrown?

Maybe he accidentally had a vowel movement when he was supposed to take a pee?

well-played.