Ah, the infamous scheduling issue. Take the Pittsburgh Steelers, for instance. Many fans hated how the team faced no divisional opponents until November 17, but then suddenly had to face the Baltimore Ravens at home. This was followed by the Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals, and a second game against the Browns. Next came the Philadelphia Eagles and yet another game against the Ravens. It really looks like the Steelers got the short end of the stick with their schedule.

In fact, there was a time when the NFL would avoid Christmas games, but this year, they scheduled two (the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by the Baltimore Ravens versus Houston Texans). No wonder ex-Steelers player, Ben Roethlisberger, was mad at the league for their shenanigans.

Earlier this month, he stated, “It’s a shame that the league does this. It just shows that it’s all about money and this is a way that they can, you know, make more money and figure this thing out, because it’s not fair for the players… You wanna talk about injuries and making the game safer, changing the kickoff rule and preventing guys on hip-drop tackles, and concussions… and you’re going to make guys play the most violent game in the world, arguably, three games in 11 days. I mean, there’s no time for your body to get healthy and rest.”

Well, Roethlisberger isn’t the only person who has an issue with the way the NFL is scheduling. Pat McAfee too dislikes how things are going and in fact, he made a request to the league.

Hopping on the ‘NFL GameDay Morning Show’, stated: “Number 2 on my special Christmas wish list. I want that fat man to go over to NFL and say, ‘Hey, we need better weekly slates, schedule management.’ Listen, I know it is not easy. 32 teams, you never know when injuries are going to hit, you never know what teams are going to be good. But whenever we stare down the primetime schedule in the middle of the season and there’s five straight primetime games with some New York team and some Dallas team. And inevitable we are going to think they are good.”

Now, the problem that Pat McAfee pointed out is: “What happens is these networks get scared to flex these games, so we end up with c–p games.”

To offer you some more insights into what happens with flexing games, here’s a brief rundown. You must remember the Bengals vs the Cowboys clash in week 14. Well, the NFL decided not to flex this game out of MNF because of the Simpsons altcast. Yes, the NFL thought that both teams would probably be out before the playoffs. So, flexing it wouldn’t really do any good.

Top Comment by Bullwinkle Von Coffeehausen

To play at that level & the money earned, go cry to someone else. Big deal, you have to play...more

Share your take

Debate

You will probably not be surprised if we tell you that isn’t the only example. Thursday Night’s clash between the Broncos and the Chargers was flexed because both remain in the hunt for playoffs. So what did the NFL do? They changed the Browns vs the Bengals clash that was initially slated to take place on Thursday night into Sunday’s slot. The Broncos vs. the Chargers game was moved to Prime Video to get more viewership.

Now, this makes it pretty difficult for the players to cope with sudden schedule changes. Similarly, Patrick Mahomes also complained about their short week in the holiday season.

Patrick Mahomes called out the NFL for their rough scheduling…

Well, the Chiefs have already played two of their three games within a stretch of 11 days. In fact, when the NFL released the 2024 schedule about seven months ago, Mahomes had stated, “Not a good feeling.”

But before taking on the Browns in week 15, Patrick Mahomes didn’t like what he saw with the Chiefs schedule, “All you can do is focus on the game and the practice that you had that day. I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch by tailoring my workouts, tailoring how you practice and you prepare.”

See, it didn’t start off too well for the reigning Super Bowl MVP. He found himself with an ankle injury last week that gave Kansas City a mini heart attack. Although it wasn’t a great experience, Mahomes did manage to recover magically.

You might be wondering how come magically? Well, it’s Patrick Mahomes’ we are talking about. From MCL concerns to a mild ankle sprain, none of them managed to put Mahomes down from completing his responsibilities. He even stated earlier this month, “It’s just not great for your body. But at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.”

Now, Mahomes didn’t just come back to work from his injury concerns; He also scored a 15-yard rushing TD against the Texans to send everyone a message that his injury wasn’t a concern anymore. Mahomes knows how to ward off troubles and lead the Chiefs no matter what happens. As for the NFL, they need to get their scheduling right. Otherwise, it won’t be long before more players speak about the situation. What do you think?