kleese

Giants/Cowboys W1

Philly at NE week one

Based on the Thanksgiving leak, here is Mock 2.0… this is also accounts to make sure no conflicts with the announced overseas games. Sunday, September 10th: at Falcons (1pm) Sunday, September 17th: Dolphins (1pm) Sunday, September 24th: at Seahawks (4:25pm) Sunday, October 1st: at Rams (4:05pm) Monday, October 9th: Eagles (8pm) BYE Sunday, October 22nd: Bills (1pm) Sunday, October 29th: at Giants (1pm) Sunday, November 5th: Cardinals (1pm) Sunday, November 12th: at Jets (1pm) Sunday, November 19th: Bears (1pm) Thursday, November 23rd: at Cowboys (4:25pm) Sunday, December 3rd: at Broncos (4:05pm) Monday, December 11th: Giants (8pm) Sunday, December 17th: 49ers (1pm) Sunday, December 24th: at Patriots (1pm) Sunday, December 31st: Cowboys (1pm) Sunday, January 7th: at Eagles (TBA) That is an old practice… they generally have stuck to it but there have been exceptions in recent years to that rotation. As a matter of fact from 2014-2016 no AFC teams were involved in the Thanksgiving afternoon games at all. 2018 no AFC teams either. The addition of the night game seems to have altered that.

We will 100% get at least one primetime game this year. I think we get two minimum. I don’t think they will necessarily be “marquee” primetime games, but I think at least 2. And that has a lot more to with sheer numbers than it does us being interesting or not. With a season-worth of TNF, SNF, and MNF alone to fill— it’s going to be filled in with a number of middling teams— often against pretty good teams so you get a fairly compelling match-up. For example, Commanders v. Any NFC East team is a safe bet probably over the first 7-9 weeks of season at a minimum.

For me, the schedule release is 100% selfish. Like many of you, I plan my fall schedule around our schedule so when/where matters quite a bit. I start looking ahead as soon as it comes out. For example, my viewing preference is 4:25 Sunday kickoff. That’s my personal favorite slot because it’s the big boy slot and we were always in it during the glory years. I root for those starts the most. I also like watching the 1pm games without a chance of us losing early. I also really like SNF. Can go a full day of watching anticipating our game without ruining anything. I don’t like playing Thursday night, so I root for our Thursday game to be on an otherwise busy weekend for me. Prefer it later in season too as I just love early fall Sundays and don’t want one robbed. Indifferent on MNF. I like that a Sunday can’t be ruined and always takes away the Monday workday blues, but also sort of miss the Sunday routine. Holiday schedule is huge. Last year I knew I was screwed… the 4:25 Christmas Eve kickoff was worst case for me. Any other slot I could have made work. Missed the Niners game and that was the first game I’ve missed in years. Games will be on Christmas Eve again and I’ll be rooting hard that we actually get a Christmas Day game— MUCH better for me. And if we do play Eve, the 1pm start is preferable. Also, forgot that this year NFL will be playing a Black Friday afternoon game. That could be kinda fun/interesting. I was actually gonna throw us in that game on my mock but forgot.

Well, I'd say it's time for the Mock 1.0!.... I say 1.0 because it's possible I will screw up the original and post a conflict about something that's already been released/rumored. And maybe between now and the actual release we will get some credible leaks that can then produce a 2.0 and beyond... Some notes: --I definitely don't think we will be on the radar for a bunch of marquee spots. I think there is a SMALL chance we get an early season SNF game, but more likely we don't. I think we'd get maybe one featured 4:25 start, but that could be a stretch as well. I think you can lock us in to probably two MNF games and likely a standard TNF appearance. We do play in a marquee division and have a few other marquee opponents, so I could see us sliding into a primary spot sort of as the "other" team once or twice. --Three west coast trips this year which is out of ordinary. Teams make scheduling requests all the time... It's typical request is for East coast teams to request back to back games if they play multiple WC games. I would imagine we've made that request. These requests are not always answered of course. Also, Seattle, Denver, and Los Angeles are all kinda spread out--- it's not like we play the Rams and Chargers or the Raiders and Niners, where it makes even more sense. --Also important to note the league is pushing for more and more flex ability on the schedule starting this year... so late season games can move even more easily than before. --I've thought it through and I just don't see us getting a marquee slot week 1. We know the Chiefs will open the Thursday kickoff game. And Dallas is basically always featured as well. I assume the new tradition of both networks showing a DH week 1 will continue as well. I think Philly for sure winds up either in the 4:25 or on SNF. I think if Philly wound up on SNF we could POSSIBLY be the Cowboys opponent at 4:25-- it's a "safe" week 1 game that will do just fine in terms of interest/eyeballs -- and it allows the league to save the Giants and Eagles for Cowboys later. So I am picking us to have a cast away game week one at 1pm, but I do think the 4:25 possibility exists-- but ONLY if it's Dallas or if we happen to play a WC game week one. --I don't think the ownership situation will factor much into our schedule, but if it does, it would only increase odds for more exposure. With Snyder gone and our name changed, there really won't be any negative nonsense swirling around us or potential for the narrative to turn embarrassing. And you'd think FedEx will at least be presentable on TV in terms of attendance. Here goes... Sunday, September 10th: at Falcons (1pm) Sunday, September 17th: Dolphins (1pm) Thursday, September 21st: at Giants (8pm) Sunday, October 1st: at Rams (4:05pm) Monday, October 9th: Eagles (8pm) BYE Sunday, October 22nd: Bills (1pm) Sunday, October 29th: at Cowboys (4:25pm) Sunday, November 5th: Cardinals (1pm) Sunday, November 12th: at Jets (1pm) Sunday, November 19th: Cowboys (1pm) Sunday, November 26th: at Seahawks (4:25pm) Sunday, December 3rd: at Broncos (4:05pm) Monday, December 11th: Giants (8pm) Sunday, December 17th: 49ers (1pm) Sunday, December 24th: at Patriots (1pm) Sunday, December 31st: Bears (1pm) Sunday, January 7th: at Eagles (TBA)

Eh, it’s like saying NFL accepts money from beer companies so players should be able to get drunk in the lockeroom. There are rules and parameters for everything. Not that hard to stay within the lines.

I was in 7th grade in 1990 when I first learned what a satellite dish was and that certain establishments could get out of market games. Then I got Sunday Ticket for first time in 1999 and haven’t missed a year since. So for the past 33 years I have watched ALMOST every single game we’ve played. Missed less than five over that time in games I “wanted” to see but life got in way. Another handful of late season meaningless games I missed due to lack of interest. All in all this accounts for roughly 540 Redskins/Football Team/Commanders games. More than 2/3 of those being Snyder era games; over a period that spanned me personally from age 13 through age 45. I’ve taken pride over the years that I was able to still enjoy being a fan despite our utter ineptitude and embarrassment at the top. I truly am as big of a fan now as I was in 1991 or 1999 or 2004. No change. Have the individual seasons been as fun/enjoyable? Of course not. Losing is terrible. Hopelessness in many of those seasons is even worse. But in my own ways and practices I’ve maintained my fandom. Over the years in trying to articulate this I think I was labeled by some as a mark or apologist. It was always hard to explain that I wasn’t being fooled or drinking the Kool Aid. I knew what I was being served and who was serving it; I just chose to drink it anyway; occasionally enjoy the taste, and hope it didn’t kill me. Lots of close calls, but I made it. I honestly thought it was a game of chicken between me, Snyder, and death. I really did. I really didn’t have much belief he’d ever be out and I knew I’d committed to being in. So I thought death of one of us would be the only way. I’m glad it didn’t come to that. I say all of this to express that I’m actually not feeling much “joy” right now. It’s just relief. And a little bit of satisfaction. I’m thrilled for the fan base and I could not care less about any debates of who has been a more hardcore fan over the years— ZERO part of me would look at packed FedEx next year and think “geeze look at all these fair weather fans.” I’ll be thrilled if/when everyone is back. Thrilled. I’ll toast a special drink to those like me who didn’t waver, but that’s more for personal purposes; no judgment at all. What great news and that first home game is gonna be LIT. Might have to try and make that trip.

Chiefs have a loaded home slate with Eagles, Bengals, and Bills… Dolphins and Chargers also playoff teams playing in KC next year. Again, traditionally they don’t like to “burn” a huge match up on the opener but considering the Chiefs have so many marquee games it wouldn’t surprise me if Eagles or Bengals were opener. If league wants to go more conservative and save those games, Chargers or Dolphins could fit pretty nicely into opener. Perhaps Raiders if they land Rodgers.

Things will be quiet now for quite awhile on the schedule front— usually don’t get a whole lot for the next couple months. We do know that we will won’t be playing the opening Thursday game. I’d also guess pretty strongly that we won’t play Philly week one. I imagine Eagles will slot into one of the marquee Sunday slots against a marquee opponent. The “mock bug” will hit in April, see you then.

Remember, in general, the NFL has treated opening Thursday some years much the way they treat Thanksgiving games— they don’t necessarily want to burn one of their top match-ups in a spot where they know the ratings will be through roof regardless. For example, the pre-Mahomes Chiefs opened at Patriots, the Texans opened at Chiefs, and Falcons opened at Eagles all in recent years. Last year, the league passed on having the Cowboys or 49ers potentially open at Rams and instead went with Bills, who aren’t quite the draw/story the other two would be. I think the goal for the NFL there is to put out a very solid match-up but not necessarily an A+ one. If Philly wins, I’d be surprised if the Cowboys were their opener. Maybe the Giants. Maybe us. Maybe a team like Vikings, etc.

Heading into the Super Bowl, we are still alive to potentially be the opening Thursday game next year. If the Eagles win, we’d be in the running potentially for the opener. And I still think we should keep an eye on being Pats opponent overseas.

That used to be the case, and they still lean that way but they’ve made exceptions in recent years. For example from 2014-2016 the Lions and Cowboys played ONLY NFC teams. The addition of the Thanksgiving night game has seemed to get the NFL away from feeling the need drop an AFC team in an afternoon slot. Cowboys host Jets and Pats next year; I would think Jets could be in line for that game. That said, I think we could always be in running. I take this as a compliment even though I shouldn’t…. I love the NFL schedule AND I love the NBA

A sale finalized this spring will absolutely provide an attendance/energy boost. I don't necessarily think it would equal sell-outs, but I do think numbers would go up, energy would be renewed, and in general interest will increase--- at leas to start the season. Now, our home schedule is still full of likely opposing-fan-takeovers. I think this is going to continue to happen even after a sale and even if we have a new stadium. I think it will be somewhat of DC standard moving forward. Although new owner + success would mitigate it to a certain extent.

I serve two purposes at ES these days… I start the playoff tracker thread every year and this one. I don’t care much for mock drafts, but I LOVE mock schedules and all things schedule-talk. It’s my favorite part of the off-season— it trumps the draft and FA for me. Schedule chatter is where it’s at. NFL does a pretty good job of keeping that info locked down until the final hours before release (which is May now, when it used to be March). But there are often things we can glean/predict based on the rules, past history, logic, etc. Of course the network schedule/agreement is and will always be, attached at the hip to how the schedule is produced. Now more than ever there are specifically slotted windows for the various networks that opens the door for more opportunities for games to be scheduled on days/times that did not exist in the past. No mock schedule can be taken seriously (yes I just used “serious” and “mock schedule” in same sentence) until the Super Bowl is over and the majority of off-season moves have been made. Obviously Green Bay’s schedule will look vastly different if Rodgers is somewhere else in 2023– just one of many examples of how off season moves can and will alter scheduling. Here are a few things we KNOW going into next year that will be new for 2023: —Sunday Ticket moving to YouTube TV. Shouldn’t affect much in terms of how games are laid out, but this is a major major change for the NFL. —MNF is eligible to be flexed next year for first time. It doesn’t take effect until later in season (can’t remember which week) and I’m not positive if it will require longer than the normal 12 day period for a change to be announced. So if your team has a MNF game later in season I’d make your plans accordingly with knowledge it could move— same for all late season games— a Sunday game could move to Monday now. —NFL will have the first ever Black Friday game. Not sure if it was announced if it would be afternoon or evening, but there will be a game the day after Thanksgiving after what I presume will be the traditional slate of three Turkey Day games. Things we can already safely assume: —NFCE will be all over the national calendar next year. It’s already always a featured division, but with three teams in the divisional round and the last place team 8-8-1 and a playoff contender into January, the NFL is absolutely going to shove the NFCE down everyone’s throats next year. —No indication the tradition of SB champ hosting first Thursday will change. —No indication the trend of late season Saturday games will change. —As always we can assume the 4:25 weekly primary game will remain the TOP broadcast window, followed by SNF. Early afternoon, MNF, and then TNF fall in line from there. —Overseas host teams were announced: Patriots, Chiefs, Bills, Jags, Titans. Notice all AFC teams— this is due to the AFC getting the extra home game next year on the new rotational basis. So, what do we know regarding Commanders schedule. Well, we know who we play: Home: Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, Bills, Dolphins, Bears, 49ers, Cardinals. Away: Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, Patriots, Jets, Falcons, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks. What stands out now: —Potential for a minimum of three late afternoon starts at Broncos, Rams, and Seahawks. Unless any of those games are at night (unlikely for Thursday based on how NFL generally schedules travel for Thursday) those will be late afternoon kickoffs for obvious reasons. That would be the most we’ve been scheduled for in awhile— plus any other late kicks that could be scheduled. —All three division teams still alive. If any of them win the SB (gulp) we would be eligible to play them on road in opening Thursday game. None of our other road opponents are still alive. —Keep an eye on Patriots in Germany. I think we will be on a short list for that game. The Pats host the Bills and Chiefs next year and both of those teams also host an overseas game. The NFL also has traditionally NOT played division games over the pond— so that would also eliminate the Jets and Dolphins from consideration. The Pats host the Saints as well and they were sent over last year so that seems unlikely. That leaves us, the Eagles, Colts, or Chargers as possibilities. Any could fit, but it’s been awhile since we’ve been and we’ve only been once— I think we will be in running for that game for sure. Would be a slight benefit I suppose to lose a tough road game and have it turned neutral. —I don’t think it will matter much, but new owner could prompt the NFL to be a little more willing to put us out in more big TV windows. —If we have a “quiet” off-season and roll with Howell, I think we will be treated like a moderately interesting team to feature— right in the middle. I’d expect 2 MNF games, MAYBE a SNF game early in season against a marquee opponent, the typical Thursday game, and perhaps they will drop us in a 4:25 primary spot against Dallas or Philly or Giants somewhere in there. I think you will see us featured slightly more on the schedule this year than the last few years but not to the level of the marquee teams or the other East teams. That’s what I got for now, will update thread as more info trickles in.

Open the season with Jax and Det — the two worst teams from the prior season— one of them wins their division and the other has a winning season and is eliminated from playoffs on final day. Play SF on Christmas Eve with boy wonder rookie at QB. Play them in week one or two and you face Lance and no CMC. Play Philly with Hurts twice. Play them late in season and you either miss or get a limited Hurts. Catch GB with banged up WRs circling the drain as a team. Play them late in year and get a better version. I could go on and on… point being, we have no idea. There are teams on our schedule next year we think will be good to great and they won’t be. Vice versa too. And the “when” is just as important as the “who.” We have absolutely no clue. Foolish to sit here and predict how we will do next year based on our list of opponents. We will either be good, bad, or in the middle next year and it will likely have little to nothing to do with any of this.

Nice… That’s always how I feel about the end of the season in general. Even though most years are disappointing, I still very much enjoy the rhythm and routine of following the team. From Labor Day through NYD (give or take depending on season) I get very much locked into a weekly routine, culminating each week with our game. Kind of jarring this week that there wasn’t a Thursday game on and a little bit of a gut punch knowing we don’t have another game week for approx 9 months. Believe it or not, I’m a die hard for basketball and baseball too, so I transition pretty quickly— and I actually have NO interest in football once Super Bowl ends— I need detox at that point and am fine with the break (you couldn’t pay me to watch spring football)— but football always has that gameday build-up and routine that can’t be replicated anywhere else. And I’m dying for it when it rolls around every year.

Again, it’s not always accurate to change an earlier outcome and then assume everything else would have gone as it did… for example, if we win last week, Wentz probably starts again this week, Lions-Packers isn’t SNF, etc etc. But just for kicks, one thing I think we can say with pretty clear clarity is that if we beat the Giants on SNF, we would have gotten in. That game felt big at the time and the loss was totally deflating. The defining game of the season. You can probably flip just about any other loss to a win and we’d be in as well. Same with the tie— change it to a win, and we likely get in. Alas, 8-8-1 is probably a pretty accurate reflection of who we were. Again, fun thread. Looked like Dallas was primed to get stomped today so it’s really a shame this game didn’t have anything on line. In January, September always seems really far away. Hopefully we get the news on the sale-front soon that we all want.

When we took the 14-0 lead in that game, I wasn’t just thinking divisional playoffs the next week— I was absolutely thinking Super Bowl. The swing of emotion from early in that game to late was remarkable. Our defense hung tough; Reed Doughty had a standout performance. Hard to know now of course, but had they recognized how hurt RG3 was after we scored to make it 14-0 and they went to Kirk at that point…Cousins obviously wasn’t the player he is now back then. He may have stunk up the joint— but he also may have helped us move the sticks— because RG3 was done and couldn’t. I am honestly not an RG3 fan; I find his personality off-putting and I believe at that time he was highly insecure, entitled (largely by the owner), lacked self-awareness both personally and as a player, and was generally cringe-worthy. However, for THAT DAY, I think the blame falls on Shanny. I don’t care what RG3 told him or even what Doc Andrews told him- his EYEBALLS should have told him that his QB was not in condition to play— for his own personal safety and the betterment of the team. That day was a failure by Shanny. I am not saying the entire RG3 failure was though.

Why wordy, this is actually the simplest and least disruptive of the floated solutions. I think this is fair as they can make it.

I think at some point you have to choose the solution that causes the LEAST amount of damage. Forcing the #1 seed in AFC to play a game and not get the bye seems like a somewhat reasonable to make things even out a bit. But it would seem randomly involving/punishing the Eagles is a totally unnecessary step. Again, I can’t imagine this is being seriously considered AT ALL; however, there is 1% of me that wonders if maybe the NFL isn’t seeing an opportunity to go from 6 games on WC weekend to 8 and going “hmmmmm….”

Looks like Florio is throwing everything out there so he can cover all his bases.

The only argument for it would be they wouldn’t want a scenario where the #1 in AFC would have to win three games to get to SB and the #1 NFC would only have to win one. The NFC playoffs themselves could go on without any scheduling hiccups even if AFC had 8 teams. The question on equity would be what I posed here.

Just saw this— covered it in the other thread, but in the crazy scenario where this was the decision, we’d need a win and a Seahawks loss. The Packers-Lions game wouldn’t matter— I THINK I’d it ended in a tie, the Packers would be eliminated. So we’d need Seattle to lose.

I say don’t overthink it. This is an unprecedented situation and it’s obvious the NFL had little to no choice and no one is getting “screwed.” You only get screwed when there is a viable alternative (ie, the ref NOT calling illegal motion). I would just call it no contest, Bills and Bengals play 16 games, Chiefs likely get 1 seed, and you play playoffs as you would with no other changes. Yes, that really benefits KC, but once you start trying to level it, I think you make it worse.