Low Ratings and Quality of Play

theOHIOSTATE! · Oct 21, 2016

If you loved the game 15/20 yrs ago (when those in their 30s now came up) then it's hardly shocking that you don't like it now.

As mentioned again and again, they've created a pass happy league with no balance between offense or defense, and while many might like that and the younger generation doesn't know any better, many fans like me just prefer the college product now.

Look at the top college programs- way more balance/rushing/hard-nosed play.

Enjoy the weekly 400 yd passing performances on air, I don't play fantasy. To me the Patriots style of football on the off. side is almost unrecognizable from the game I grew up in and played. I probably would never have played football if it was so much geared pass blocking and pass rushing from a lineman's perspective. I enjoyed pulling/collapsing on traps, down blocking on linebackers and just jacking up unsuspecting RB's as they passed me. To me the run game is football; imposing your will-physically- on another man/team and grinding them down till they give in.

Now, maybe that makes me a dinosaur, but I can tell you there are many that feel the same. Change is inevitable, and more passing was always coming after the success of the West Coast Off. but this is a shit show.

bearmick · Oct 21, 2016

Fantasy, yes. Another reason the NFL experience has deteriorated for me. People who used to talk about actual football just discuss their fantasy teams now. I've never understood the attraction.

Gustavus Adolphus · Oct 21, 2016

My dream for the NFL is to adopt a minor league system like the MLB.

ShiftyDevil · Oct 22, 2016

theOHIOSTATE! said:
If you loved the game 15/20 yrs ago (when those in their 30s now came up) then it's hardly shocking that you don't like it now.

As mentioned again and again, they've created a pass happy league with no balance between offense or defense, and while many might like that and the younger generation doesn't know any better, many fans like me just prefer the college product now.

Look at the top college programs- way more balance/rushing/hard-nosed play.

Enjoy the weekly 400 yd passing performances on air, I don't play fantasy. To me the Patriots style of football on the off. side is almost unrecognizable from the game I grew up in and played. I probably would never have played football if it was so much geared pass blocking and pass rushing from a lineman's perspective. I enjoyed pulling/collapsing on traps, down blocking on linebackers and just jacking up unsuspecting RB's as they passed me. To me the run game is football; imposing your will-physically- on another man/team and grinding them down till they give in.

Now, maybe that makes me a dinosaur, but I can tell you there are many that feel the same. Change is inevitable, and more passing was always coming after the success of the West Coast Off. but this is a shit show.

Being pass happy isn't the problem in itself, it's a problem when you combine it with the fact that the number of actual quality QBs is so low. The rules favor a certain play style but the players capable of playing in that style effectively are in short supply.

How much money is Brock Osweiler making based off of 4 games or something from his Broncos days? Teams are beyond desperate and you can see why.

Gustavus Adolphus said:
My dream for the NFL is to adopt a minor league system like the MLB.

They need to do something. College football is generating enough talent in some positions, namely QB.

MIKETOUHY · Oct 22, 2016

bearmick said:
Fantasy, yes. Another reason the NFL experience has deteriorated for me. People who used to talk about actual football just discuss their fantasy teams now. I've never understood the attraction.

So you're gonna allow that to have an effect on your enjoyment of the game?

bearmick · Oct 22, 2016

MIKETOUHY said:
So you're gonna allow that to have an effect on your enjoyment of the game?

I said the NFL experience.

When it comes to watching the game itself, I still quite enjoy the snippets of football in between the incessant commercials and flags on every other play.

Run the ball · Oct 22, 2016

Blaming fantasy for the sub par product is pretty ridiculous. I play lots of FF and have no issue discussing "football". If anything, I'm way more in the loup than most non players.

The NFL and their greed only have themselves to blame here, no one else. Plus the election this year has no doubt affected viewership.

bearmick · Oct 22, 2016

Run the ball said:
Blaming fantasy for the sub par product is pretty ridiculous. I play lots of FF and have no issue discussing "football". If anything, I'm way more in the loup than most non players.

Nobody did. But unfortunately inane fantasy nonsense has replaced football discussion with a lot of people.

FatBabiesHaveNoPride · Oct 22, 2016

Quarterback play really is a crazy thing.

There are what, 6B people on the planet? The number of people that can play NFL Quarterback at a quality level at any given time is roughly 15. Those that can play it at an elite level? Maybe 6.

Think about that. 6 people in a planet of 6B that can do that one specific job at a master level.

The NFL REALLY needs to think about how they develop QB talent for their league. College ball does very little as the style of games are night and day. We can see with Wentz how a pro style college guy can transition. The spread offense, big passing/scoring college game QB just doesn't translate.

NBA has college ball which is comparable and the D leagues. MLB has the minors. NHL has about 100 minor league and foreign pro leagues to season players for the game. For example, Rockford runs the Hawks system with the goal of getting guys NHL ready (and not just NHL ready, but Hawks system ready).

The lack of PROPER development for the most important position in sports is REALLY hurting the NFL. We've already lost one of the best to ever play and Brady and Brees not very far behind him. There will be an elite QB vacuum in this league for years to come. Just go through the list of starting QBs this weekend. Eek. And then look at their backups. Double eek.

Run the ball · Oct 22, 2016

bearmick said:
Nobody did. But unfortunately inane fantasy nonsense has replaced football discussion with a lot of people.

Ok sure, that can no doubt be annoying. I always take the stance that no one cares about my FF team, so I just keep it about football, mostly.

bearmick · Oct 22, 2016

FatBabiesHaveNoPride said:
Quarterback play really is a crazy thing.

There are what, 6B people on the planet? The number of people that can play NFL Quarterback at a quality level at any given time is roughly 15. Those that can play it at an elite level? Maybe 6.

Think about that. 6 people in a planet of 6B that can do that one specific job at a master level.

Almost all of the 7B+ people on the planet don't know about or care about football, other than the 4% who live in North America and a smattering of cult fans around the world. Of that 4%, only a fraction of them ever try to be a QB. It's not like there's 7B people who are all going to NFL tryouts every year.

bearmick · Oct 22, 2016

How many elite pitchers are there? Or kickers. Or anything. If there were 50, they wouldn't be elite, the top few would still be considered elite. I don't know why people think QB is unique.

BringBackDitka54 · Oct 22, 2016

bearmick said:
Fantasy, yes. Another reason the NFL experience has deteriorated for me. People who used to talk about actual football just discuss their fantasy teams now. I've never understood the attraction.

That's interesting.

I was about to say that fantasy football is one of the only things keeping me interested in watching the games. Having a player or two on almost every team makes watching a Jaguars-Titans game a bit more enjoyable.

bearmick · Oct 22, 2016

BringBackDitka54 said:
That's interesting.

I was about to say that fantasy football is one of the only things keeping me interested in watching the games. Having a player or two on almost every team makes watching a Jaguars-Titans game a bit more enjoyable.

Exactly. Normally most people wouldn't care less about a TNF Jags-Titans game, but when millions of people have players on their fantasy teams, that's a lot of viewing numbers and more of these non-stop commercials being watched. That's why the NFL has pushed fantasy football so much. Heck even their main website is dominated by fantasy football instead of actual football. It's crazy, and entirely about advertising and money.

The NFL has become a giant corporate empire and the product has suffered.

FatBabiesHaveNoPride · Oct 22, 2016

bearmick said:
How many elite pitchers are there? Or kickers. Or anything. If there were 50, they wouldn't be elite, the top few would still be considered elite. I don't know why people think QB is unique.

Apples and oranges. As for pitchers, dozens. There are quality pitchers on every MLB team.

There are maybe 15 quality qbrs in the league in general. There will be a big vacuum when Brady, Brees, Rivers and Rodgers are gone. Just look at some of the garbage that the NFL fields at QB each Sunday. For gods sake, this season we had the following players start NFL games at QB this season: Blaine Gabbert, Drew Stanton, Case Keenum, Brian Hoyer, Trevor Simeon, Blake Bortles, Brock Ostweiler, Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Fitzpatrick, RG3, Josh McCown and whoever is the QB Over the next two days we will see Matt Barkley and Gino Smith start NFL games that matter.

Not a single elite qb left after the big 4 retire. And no Luck has taken that step. Maybe Prescott or Marriotta or Wentz or Carr will.

It's bleak. The NFL has to figure out how to grow and develop QBs for the NFL game. Terrible QB play like we saw in the Bears game or in the Jets game or on myriad other games is hurting this league big time and the problem is only gonna get worse

Legaeveth · Oct 22, 2016

We clearly need a developmental league that is played during the offseason. QB's are to hard to find and throwing them to the wolves right out of college most can't make that transition due to speed/strength of matured players. We can already see and hear how 2nd and 3rd string players get no real play time to develop so lets develop them and at the same time take away the need for players to have to attend colleges in order to be a part of the NFL. We already see how most players don't even get a college education due to being carried through school. If we open it up we will get more quality players due to sheer numbers and being able to develop a QB for the future before hitting the NFL will be a lot easier to do.

DC · Oct 23, 2016

Every person bitching in this thread would pull a 180 if the Bears were winning. Fantasy football, all 22, Red Zone, the NFLN, etc... Have brought the game and its players closer to the fan. We're just a bunch of bitter ass Bears fans blaming anything and everybody.

Lol at this thread.

PeterMbangala · Oct 23, 2016

FatBabiesHaveNoPride said:
Quarterback play really is a crazy thing.

There are what, 6B people on the planet? The number of people that can play NFL Quarterback at a quality level at any given time is roughly 15. Those that can play it at an elite level? Maybe 6.

Think about that. 6 people in a planet of 6B that can do that one specific job at a master level.

The NFL REALLY needs to think about how they develop QB talent for their league. College ball does very little as the style of games are night and day. We can see with Wentz how a pro style college guy can transition. The spread offense, big passing/scoring college game QB just doesn't translate.

NBA has college ball which is comparable and the D leagues. MLB has the minors. NHL has about 100 minor league and foreign pro leagues to season players for the game. For example, Rockford runs the Hawks system with the goal of getting guys NHL ready (and not just NHL ready, but Hawks system ready).

The lack of PROPER development for the most important position in sports is REALLY hurting the NFL. We've already lost one of the best to ever play and Brady and Brees not very far behind him. There will be an elite QB vacuum in this league for years to come. Just go through the list of starting QBs this weekend. Eek. And then look at their backups. Double eek.

Lol at 6b people. 99%+ have never even seen a football!

ruprecht · Oct 23, 2016

I have transitioned to watching much more hockey than football the last few years, for many of the reasons mentioned plus a few more.

Calabis · Oct 23, 2016

DeepChicago said:
Every person bitching in this thread would pull a 180 if the Bears were winning. Fantasy football, all 22, Red Zone, the NFLN, etc... Have brought the game and its players closer to the fan. We're just a bunch of bitter ass Bears fans blaming anything and everybody.

Lol at this thread.

I'm currently trying to watch other games....of course if Bears were winning it would be awesome, but looking at the games...the rules and refs are making it very boring

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