Thursday, November 7, 2013

How to save Thursday Night Football

-- by @Josh_Suchon

Watching an entire game of Thursday Night Football isn’t easy. Overwhelmingly, it’s one of the sloppiest games of the week. It’s understandable too. It’s a brutal schedule that the NFL shouldn’t subject its players, especially the visiting teams:

Sunday: play a game (and maybe fly home)
Monday: go over the last game film, heal/rest
Tuesday: put in a game plan, prepare for new opponent
Wednesday: travel and probably a light walk-through
Thursday: play another game

It’s no wonder energy levels are so low, mistakes are common, late comebacks are rare, the visiting team rarely wins, and the injury risk is so high.

Here’s two quick steps to save Thursday Night Football:

1. Add a second bye week to every team’s schedule.
2   2. Mandate that both teams get a bye before the Thursday night showcase.