NFL VP of Broadcast: We gave the Chiefs hardest schedule in the league

[dirk digler]

That is some bullshit. Yes we got Mahomes and Taylor but jfc we don't need to play all these national games on short weeks.

Even though NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North admits the “Chiefs have been our belcow for a while”, the league is aware that it “maybe gave the Chiefs the hardest schedule in the league.”

🎧 https://t.co/mIBxyagJwm pic.twitter.com/zXFxcSo9Kt

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2024

“Good teams win, bad teams struggle,” said North. “You could give a team that doesn’t have a great roster, the quote-unquote easiest schedule, and they’re still going to go 4-13. You could give the Kansas City Chiefs the worst possible schedule, and some have been saying we did, right? They’re playing every day of the week except a Tuesday. They’ve got multiple short weeks and catch Buffalo off their bye, and Taylor Swift is gonna be there. Like, we maybe gave the Chiefs the hardest schedule in the league. I suspect they’re gonna be there come playoff time.

“These are the kind of things that we’re trying to think about — not just maximizing viewership, fan interest, and attendance and those kind of things, but what are the truly competitive inequities that we really need to be focused on and really need to avoid? I’m not sure we’ve really found that yet.”

“They’ve been our bell cow for a while, right?” North explained of the Chiefs. “They’re kind of used to carrying our water for some of these unique opportunities here. You think about that Peacock playoff game last year. If you want to make Peacock a destination for an NFL playoff game, well, put a Chiefs game there. If Amazon wants to continue to try to build Black Friday into an event, even though it’s not a national holiday, but can we turn it into one — where instead of going to the mall, we’re gonna stay home and watch a game on television at 3 o’clock in the afternoon? Put a Chiefs game there.

“You want to make Christmas on Netflix a thing? Put a Chiefs game there. You can’t go to that well over and over again. There are only so many Chiefs games and obviously, a lot of other really good teams and good stars and storylines in this league. But the Chiefs definitely were not surprised by their national television windows and some of the windows we decided to use them.”

[Chief Pote]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Just enjoy the ****ing Mahomes era when are the biggest thing in the sporting world. We will be back to the noon games every Sunday that some of you clowns want so bad when he retires.

Oh no we won’t, Patty’s son will play QB for us someday.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by TwistedChief

If you actually listen to it, he's not saying they gave the Chiefs the hardest schedule. He's parroting other people who are saying that because of the days of the week they're playing. And it's all in the context of making a point that the schedule isn't going to define who the good and bad teams are (a lame point, of course, given that it can shave around the edges in a meaningful way).

He says they probably gave them the hardest schedule mostly because they will be in the playoffs anyway. As you said though that is lame and there needs to be general fairness involved.

The NFL makes this alot harder than it should be, for example the bye weeks make it more complicated. Instead of doing what the other leagues do and have a mid season week break they stagger everyone then throw in Thursday night games and holiday games now it just to much.

[Womble]

Originally Posted by RunKC

All the more reason to add a 2nd bye week. Every team should have one in the first and second half of the season.

Weeks 5-8 and 12-15 would be ideal

We already get a 2nd bye week. It's the week the Broncos travel to Arrowhead.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

- Not everything that's ever done is done with bad intentions.

Don't necessarily disagree. But whether through indifference or intentions, the result is the same.

Originally Posted by Bearcat

- Warren Sharp's graph is just as meaningless as last year.

It was incredibly meaningful last year and will be again this year. Rest matters in the NFL. From Sharp's report last year:

It would be one thing to have the third-worst net rest edge in the NFL. But for there to be six games in a row where they are dealing with (most often) multiple days rest disadvantage, and for them to come late in the season as they do, will be extremely challenging on the Chiefs.

Week 12: -1 rest day vs Raiders - W 31-17 (Started the game down 17-0)
Week 13: -3 rest days vs Packers - L 27-19
Week 14: -7 days rest vs Bills - L 20-17
Week 15: -3 days rest vs Patriots - W 27-17
Week 16: -4 days rest vs Raiders - L 20-14
Week 17: -2 days rest vs Bengals - W 25-17

So the Chiefs went 3-3 during games where they were at a rest disadvantage, including stunning losses to the Packers and Raiders, and a 3-point loss to the Bills which was massive for the playoff picture. We went 2-0 in the only two games where we had an actual rest advantage. It matters.

Can teams overcome it? Yes. But it deserves to be called out.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by wazu

From the Sharp article:

but they still have a RB playing QB...

[Couch-Potato]

Our schedule looks like a cake walk to me.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by wazu

Don't necessarily disagree. But whether through indifference or intentions, the result is the same.

It was incredibly meaningful last year and will be again this year. Rest matters in the NFL. From Sharp's report last year:

Week 12: -1 rest day vs Raiders - W 31-17 (Started the game down 17-0)
Week 13: -3 rest days vs Packers - L 27-19
Week 14: -7 days rest vs Bills - L 20-17
Week 15: -3 days rest vs Patriots - W 27-17
Week 16: -4 days rest vs Raiders - L 20-14
Week 17: -2 days rest vs Bengals - W 25-17

So the Chiefs went 3-3 during games where they were at a rest disadvantage, including stunning losses to the Packers and Raiders, and a 3-point loss to the Bills which was massive for the playoff picture. We went 2-0 in the only two games where we had an actual rest advantage. It matters.

Can teams overcome it? Yes. But it deserves to be called out.

I'm not saying rest doesn't matter, I'm saying a graph like that is seriously overblown. I remember last year the best and worst teams were like +14 and -14... take away one instance where they play a team fresh off a bye or the other way around and they're suddenly grouped in with the other 28 teams that are all one game or so from each other.

And I think you're mistaking the point of those numbers to some degree. The Chiefs looked like absolute dogshit Christmas Day, but they played the Patriots the Sunday before and Christmas Day was a Monday. I'd say the Raiders did look relatively alive, but it's not like the Chiefs made all those mistakes due to the differential of rest between them and the Raiders. It was more likely the cumulative effect of their own season.

They also didn't go down 17-0 solely because they played MNF and the Raiders played the previous Sunday. And even if the Bills were coming off a bye week, their bye had nothing to do with Toney lining up offside or the Chiefs not playing as well as they could.

The Chiefs days off and cumulative effect of short weeks is probably a far better indicator than one team having an extra day off or two... the NFL/NFLPA should look at things like 3 games in 10 days, fix that and you don't have to get into these weeds that aren't really a huge difference between teams anyway.

[ptlyon]

Don't worry, the NFL is actively working on a secret mission with NASA on getting some Chiefs games played on the moon. It will help us get back to the moon faster.

[ptlyon]

And ultimately, the Chiefs don't give a shit until playoff time. They just make sure there there and in contention.

[Titty Meat]

You guys are some bitches lol

[philfree]

Ratings and money. And the mom's/women can go shopping on Black Friday while the men stay home and watch football.

[Rain Man]

Every sentence that guy is saying in the quote of the op makes me hate him.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Again, I am positive this schedule, along with moving to an 18 game schedule, is going to lead to a work stoppage.

The players are going to want a higher percentage, more control or regulation, or limits on how soon back to back games can be played, etc.

I also hope the players push for an expanded roster. If there are going to be 18 regular season games, and more international travel, and any short weeks, teams should have more healthy players available for games, and the way to do that is by expanding the rosters.

And while this isn't roster related, but if the NFL really wants to expand into other countries, a brand new NFL Europe seems like a no brainer. It might take a while to be profitable, but it could create a true farm system for the NFL, plus Europe seems ready to embrace American Football now more than ever.

[chiefzilla1501]

Kelce made a great point on his podcast that he's glad we play Baltimore and cincy early. I feel like he was hinting that later in the season you might try to hide some of your tendencies against your top playoff rivals where early in the season everyone is trying to figure things out.

[kysirsoze]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Kelce made a great point on his podcast that he's glad we play Baltimore and cincy early. I feel like he was hinting that later in the season you might try to hide some of your tendencies against your top playoff rivals where early in the season everyone is trying to figure things out.

We also start really strong. I'm glad we're starting with them. It's the short rest late in the season that sucks.