Bills contact NFL about fairness in scheduling

[thabear04]

The Buffalo Bills want a level playing field when it comes to their schedule. The team's website points out that six of the team's opponents have had extra time to prepare for Bills games because they faced Buffalo after a bye week or a "Thursday Night Football" game.

That's the highest total in the league, with the Atlanta Falcons up next with four such games. The Bills have taken their complaints to the NFL.

"We certainly have talked to the league about this because it’s been disappointing where teams are coming off a bye or a long week," Bills President and CEO Russ Brandon told WGR. "This (Sunday) is the second time we're playing the Jets coming off a Thursday night game and now we're playing them coming off a bye.

"We lead the league in amount of games coming off of extra time or a bye week. It is a very, very tough job what they have in scheduling with all the different things that go into the formula and the stadium commitments and TV schedules, but it's certainly something that needs to be addressed."

It's hard to take this complaint too seriously. Teams that repeatedly play on "Monday Night Football" are also at a disadvantage the following week, but teams love that spotlight. This is a scheduling quirk that should be avoided, and it's unfortunate for this year's Bills. But it probably happens every now and then, and we don't remember another team raising the issue publicly.

There's also the question of whether any data supports the notion that extra time actually helps a team. Previous numbers have suggested that teams coming off a bye get a modest advantage at best. We've asked our research department for recent numbers on that, and will follow up here later.

[BlackHelicopters]

Great idea of divisional bye weeks.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Old Dog

I would rather see 8 (one for each division).

That might actually be perfect if you also require that everyone coming off a bye week must play a division game after the bye so that no one has an advantage.

The "half the league takes a bye in 2 weeks" idea wont fly because the NFL can't afford to lose 8 games in two of their weeks, they need at least 12 each week. Your idea would work because it gives them 12 games for 8 weeks and 16 games for the other 9 weeks to sell to their TV partners.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by El Jefe

I know this year in College Football the Buckeyes played four games in a row against opponents coming off a bye week. Saban and the Crimson Tide complained about it a couple years ago because they faced the same thing many times.

But they were all Big Ten teams, so that doesn't count.

[007]

I despise the Thrusday night games. That said, scheduling thursday night games to include teams that were on bye the week prior would make the most sense. Two birds, one stone.

[AussieChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

I've always thought that there should only be two bye weeks. Half the league on one....half the league on the other.

Definitely. The way the NFL does the byes is really odd.

They could easily just have at least 2 divisions each week, making for 4 bye weeks. Could just make it week 8, 9, 10, 11. Or even what you said, half and half. Done.

[OrtonsPiercedTaint]

That is no way to treat our Ambassadors to Canada.

[Mother****erJones]

Meh, pussies. Play the schedule you're given.

[jaa1025]

Originally Posted by thabear04

The Buffalo Bills want a level playing field when it comes to their schedule. The team's website points out that six of the team's opponents have had extra time to prepare for Bills games because they faced Buffalo after a bye week or a "Thursday Night Football" game.

That's the highest total in the league, with the Atlanta Falcons up next with four such games. The Bills have taken their complaints to the NFL.

"We certainly have talked to the league about this because it’s been disappointing where teams are coming off a bye or a long week," Bills President and CEO Russ Brandon told WGR. "This (Sunday) is the second time we're playing the Jets coming off a Thursday night game and now we're playing them coming off a bye.

"We lead the league in amount of games coming off of extra time or a bye week. It is a very, very tough job what they have in scheduling with all the different things that go into the formula and the stadium commitments and TV schedules, but it's certainly something that needs to be addressed."

It's hard to take this complaint too seriously. Teams that repeatedly play on "Monday Night Football" are also at a disadvantage the following week, but teams love that spotlight. This is a scheduling quirk that should be avoided, and it's unfortunate for this year's Bills. But it probably happens every now and then, and we don't remember another team raising the issue publicly.

There's also the question of whether any data supports the notion that extra time actually helps a team. Previous numbers have suggested that teams coming off a bye get a modest advantage at best. We've asked our research department for recent numbers on that, and will follow up here later.

Shouldn't this have been brought up when they were deciding the schedule or right after schedule release? Why now, when the NFL season is more than halfway done.

[chefsos]

Teams need the extra lead time to get over the wall to Canadia

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by jaa1025

Shouldn't this have been brought up when they were deciding the schedule or right after schedule release? Why now, when the NFL season is more than halfway done.

Ever hear the saying, “the low tide exposes the rocks”?
Just a thought.

[L.A. Chieffan]

I can see their complaint, my manager can't even get my schedule right on a weekly basis at taco bell