I’m writing this the day before Super Bowl LIX, but by the time you read this the game will be over and done with. And that’s fine, because I genuinely don’t care who wins.
I’m not going to be talking about whether or not the refs hand games to the Chiefs or whether or not Josh Allen should have won the MVP award at NFL Honors (but yes he deserved it and you can agree with me or be WRONG). I’m not going to talk about Taylor Swift again or the sheer amount of gambling connected to the Super Bowl.
Nope, I’m going all the way back to the regular season. Specifically, games the last week of the regular season.
For many years the NFL schedule was 14 games long. Then it went to 16 games, and in 2021 it went to 17 games. There is talk of going to 18 games and it seems it’s only a matter of time before that comes to pass.
But regardless of the number of games, by the last week of the season there are a few teams who are already guaranteed a playoff spot regardless if they win or lose the last game. The NFL has tried to combat this by having more divisional games in the last month of the season but there’s no way to have every playoff spot uncertain until the last week- it’s just not possible. So, most teams who find themselves in this enviable position choose to bench their starters so that they don’t get hurt- or hurt worse- in a “meaningless game” before the playoffs.
On the one hand, it does make sense. If you don’t need to win to go to the postseason why risk your best players suddenly not being available when you need them most?
But on the other hand, people pay a LOT of money to go to NFL games. Of course anyone can e injured at anytime, but if you go spend $500 to go to a Chiefs game you expect to see Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelse, etc. on the field. Much like the preseason, there is no discount on tickets for games played by backups.
And even more important, we run into situations like we had a month ago. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos played in week 17. The Chiefs already had the #1 seed locked down so almost no starters played. Several other teams – including my beloved Dolphins – had scenarios for making the playoffs if the Chiefs lost. The Broncos had to win to get in, which they did, but against a team of backups, so how fair is that?
Now I don’t know what the solution is. But there has to be one and I’m sure someone smarter than me can come up with it.