The Titans and Patriots are once again in limbo as a result of a new positive test for a Titans staffer and for Patriots DT Byron Cowart. Meanwhile, the Broncos will have their bye this week since their game against New England has been pushed to next Sunday, but because Denver practiced all this week in preparation for a game, it has effectively lost the benefit of a bye.
As the NFL tries to push through the season, let’s take a look at a few COVID-related items:
- Luckily, aside from the positive tests mentioned above, there were no other new positives this morning, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter).
- Nonetheless, pundits around the league seem convinced that the NFL will be forced to insert a Week 18 for rescheduled games. The Broncos–Dolphins contest originally slated for next week will need to be rescheduled since the Broncos will now be taking on the Patriots at that time, so Denver-Miami could be the first game set for a Week 18 matchup.
- There is also the possibility, of course, that some games will just need to be cancelled. If that happens, the league would need to use winning percentage as a tiebreaker, as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reminds us (Twitter link). That’s hardly ideal, but it may be a reality.
- In the event of a cancelled game, players would lose game checks. Although the union is not yet amenable to a home-market bubble for the remainder of the season, it may change its tune if players starting losing money, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
- During the NFL’s mandatory conference call with players, coaches, and GMs last week, the Bengals reportedly drew the ire of the league, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. The call included data that showed which teams were doing the best job in terms of social distancing and contact tracing, and Cincinnati was at the bottom of the heap. Luckily, the Bengals have avoided any major COVID-19 scares thus far.
The NFL is playing wack-a-mole with the schedule. Apparently they think there is a way to reschedule the Denver-Miami game without going to week 18. I don’t see any, but then I quit looking after 30 minutes, since I don’t get paid to do this (LOL). Otherwise, why not send Denver-NE to week 18, instead of Denver-Miami? Do you understand this?
In other words, if the NFL’s position is to avoid week 18 at all costs, even if every other week sees least one change and every other team’s original schedule is effected, well God bless and good luck. You mentioned several other changes, ending up with Jacksonville the odd team out, so I guess that’s the way the NFL is thinking, But all this is still assuming no other teams are shut down due to positive tests. I see week 18 as inevitable, and maybe more…
Broncos get punished for having no cases, Pats allowed to get everyone ready to play.
AZ you’re exactly right…then the Dolphins are impacted, then the Chargers, the Jaguars, etc. It sure looks like the NFL will move heaven and earth to avoid week 18. I say why not use week 18 for games that you predict will have no effect on playoff seeding, so after week 17, if you’re right, you can simply cancel them. Now there’s a strategy…