UPDATED: NFL feels like WWF (new tanking accusations)

[mcmillenandwife]

Some of these games seem rigged to go down to the end this year. I felt this during the Raiders/Broncos games, I felt it yesterday, I'm feeling it again today. It feels like they pick a few games every week to go down like this. I've been watching football my entire life. There used to be 2 or 3 games like this a year. Now it seems like there are 2 or 3 every week.

Rams lead 27-3, then the Bucs hit a bomb and multiple Rams DBs are trotting half speed, seeming to not really try to cover (or catch up with) the receiver. 

Late in the game, Rams up 27-13, their best corner let's a back-up WR beat him badly for a long TD, and again, looks like he's running half speed at the end, just lets the guy separate. 

27-20 Rams, no time outs for Bucs, and the Rams running back coughs up the ball at his own 30.

The Bucs just tied the game 27-27 with 42 seconds left. 

Historically, I'm not a conspiracy guy. But the past couple of years have led me to trust almost nothing. And I don't trust the NFL.

Why would they NOT do this for the sake of ratings and even more importantly, chatter and reposts and social media shares after the fact? 

Once it's tied for late ratings, etc.? Then let the team who was killing it early go ahead and win late. 

And it just happened. The Rams won on a FG. Once the game was tied, then they miraculously hit a couple of super-easy big plays to get in FG range and win on the final play. I accurately predicted this to my wife when it was 27-3 and the Bucs hit that first fishy-looking TD. It happened almost exactly as I said. 

All 3 divisional games have ended in walk off FGs by the teams that controlled the game most of the way, then gave up late scores to tie the game, then ended it with a last second FG to win it.

Prove me wrong. 

[mcmillenandwife]

More WWF nonsense. 

I told my wife, "Watch, they're gonna get a FG even though Buffalo only left them with 13 seconds left." 

Sure enough, it flippin' happened. 

On the pass to set it up, Buffalo left the guy WIIIIDE open. They just let him run free, 20 yards downfield. WTF is that? I just can't accept that these teams all forget how to play in the 4th quarter. NFL boosting ratings. 

I. Don't. Buy. It. 

[mcmillenandwife]

I truly hate the "no defense" NFL happening right now. Ridiculous.

Lastly... get off my lawn. 

[Chucktownsteeler]

I caught a few of the games late. You are correct, all you need to do is tune in late the the 4 quarter.

NBA 2.0

[Chucktownsteeler]

Get off my lawn!!!!

[mcmillenandwife]

Fantasy football is largely to blame, IMO. It's transformed the ultimate team sport into an individual stats-focused exhibition.

Not a fan. But the NFL definitely isn't trying to please me. I've aged out of their target demographic.

[sandfan]

Why klick the ball deep with 13 seconds remaining? A squib kick or shorter kick off might give KC the ball short of the 40 with maybe 6-7 seconds left. That forces one shot at a 25-30 yard completion. Maybe it connects but if not the game goes to the Bills. Even if it does the FG attempt is around 50 yards.

The clock was the best weapon the Bill's had and they took the conservative approach of a deep kick and a prevent defense. The Bills were aggressive on offense almost all game. Their defense had good numbers vs the rest of the league but KC is not the rest of the league.

I think victory favors the brave and Buffalo lost their nerve and made the wrong decision at the end.

[Chucktownsteeler]

I agree, I was watching the game and thinking “squib kick it”. Executed properly I think the element of surprise would have pinned the Chiefs at or inside the 20 and took 4 or 5 seconds off the clock.

Not sure why it wasn’t called, maybe the coach had more confidence in his defense than his special teams.

[dbsfgyd1]

Some of these games seem rigged to go down to the end this year. I felt this during the Raiders/Broncos games, I felt it yesterday, I'm feeling it again today. It feels like they pick a few games every week to go down like this. I've been watching football my entire life. There used to be 2 or 3 games like this a year. Now it seems like there are 2 or 3 every week.

Rams lead 27-3, then the Bucs hit a bomb and multiple Rams DBs are trotting half speed, seeming to not really try to cover (or catch up with) the receiver. 

Late in the game, Rams up 27-13, their best corner let's a back-up WR beat him badly for a long TD, and again, looks like he's running half speed at the end, just lets the guy separate. 

27-20 Rams, no time outs for Bucs, and the Rams running back coughs up the ball at his own 30.

The Bucs just tied the game 27-27 with 42 seconds left. 

Historically, I'm not a conspiracy guy. But the past couple of years have led me to trust almost nothing. And I don't trust the NFL.

Why would they NOT do this for the sake of ratings and even more importantly, chatter and reposts and social media shares after the fact? 

Once it's tied for late ratings, etc.? Then let the team who was killing it early go ahead and win late. 

And it just happened. The Rams won on a FG. Once the game was tied, then they miraculously hit a couple of super-easy big plays to get in FG range and win on the final play. I accurately predicted this to my wife when it was 27-3 and the Bucs hit that first fishy-looking TD. It happened almost exactly as I said. 

All 3 divisional games have ended in walk off FGs by the teams that controlled the game most of the way, then gave up late scores to tie the game, then ended it with a last second FG to win it.

Prove me wrong. 

Also seems like we see a lot more of the officials towards the end of games as well. Things that are not called all game long are now penalties. 

How does Green Bay come out guns a blazing, then goes to sleep for the rest of the game? It was like somebody told Rogers forget about winning. 

The NFL has managed to orchestrate playoff games in the AFC a matchup between Mahomes vs Allen and Mahomes vs Burrows. Huge ratings matchups. On the NFC side, you know The Rams are  going to beat the 49er for Stafford vs Mayhomes in the Super Bowl, not to mention a nice payoff for the Rams and their “SoCalled” Stadium…

I hear you about being aged out. Thank goodness for advancing senility and  this site, where I can go back and watch football played the way it was meant to be played without remembering who won when it was recorded….LOL!!!  just joking…

[mcmillenandwife]

And now we have Brian Flores and Hue Jackson making claims of "tanking," saying they were offered bonuses of $100k for each game they lost?

If this is true -- and at this stage, I have no reason to believe it's not -- then why would I EVER believe anything else I see in an NFL game is real?

These claims seem plausible. Teams losing intentionally to enhance draft position is shady AF, but I can definitely envision it happening. Think about it. What else explains the firing of Brian Flores? Dude just led Miami to back-to-back winning seasons, yet they fired him. Yes, they narrowly missed the playoffs. But they were in many ways overachieving vs. their talent level, which speaks well of the coach. Yet they fired him?

That makes no sense, unless they were pissed because he refused to follow instructions and let the team tank late in the season to enhance their draft position.

Lots of questions to be answered.

One thing is for sure: If this is true, Roger Goodell needs to flippin' GO. Dude is an untrustworthy P.O.S. and I don't put any of this past him.

[bksteeler]

Goodell is a figurehead with no real power over the owners. He works for them, not the other way around.

As long as he promotes their interests, he stays. No motive whatsoever to say anything critical about his bosses unless he wants to get fired.

[Rollers]

And now we have Brian Flores and Hue Jackson making claims of "tanking," saying they were offered bonuses of $100k for each game they lost?

If this is true -- and at this stage, I have no reason to believe it's not -- then why would I EVER believe anything else I see in an NFL game is real?

These claims seem plausible. Teams losing intentionally to enhance draft position is shady AF, but I can definitely envision it happening. Think about it. What else explains the firing of Brian Flores? Dude just led Miami to back-to-back winning seasons, yet they fired him. Yes, they narrowly missed the playoffs. But they were in many ways overachieving vs. their talent level, which speaks well of the coach. Yet they fired him?

That makes no sense, unless they were pissed because he refused to follow instructions and let the team tank late in the season to enhance their draft position.

Lots of questions to be answered.

One thing is for sure: If this is true, Roger Goodell needs to flippin' GO. Dude is an untrustworthy P.O.S. and I don't put any of this past him.

Goodell is one of the slimiest human beings on the planet.  Only one I can think of that is slimier is Schumer in the Senate.  Both of those people make my skin want to crawl right off my body.  I have no idea if those allegations are true or not.  In the case of FLores I might believe him.  Jackson?  Not so sure.  Why wait till now to come out with this accusation?  Why have no white coaches said this?  I think Flores got screwed by Miami.  I agree with you Tim.  It makes no sense to fire a guy with back to back winning seasons.  The only way to prove this is if he has something in writing or recorded with instructions to tank.  Goodell will never go anywhere.  Ugh   Now I have to go take another shower after talking about that low life

[Cali-Steeler]

Watching some of these games and "No Calls" from the Refs with some of the Bengals games. It makes me wonder if the NFL has an agenda of who they want to be the story-book Team.

And also Teams Tanking. We never had games like these back then? Why Now?

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

Tim, at around the 7:40 mark there is your comparison between the NFL and WWWF.

[mcmillenandwife]

Tim, at around the 7:40 mark there is your comparison between the NFL and WWWF.

The most eye-opening part of this video is the revelation that there's nothing illegal about the NFL fixing its own games.  
It's literally no different than pro wrestling in that regard. The NFL is a single entity, not 32 separate teams, which is how they get around antitrust laws, etc.  As a result, if they wanna pick winners or dictate that all the games to come down to the final minute or script comebacks from massive deficits (as we just saw game after game throughout the playoffs), they can do it.

I had no idea. I can't even wrap my brain around it. 

The NFL is HUGE money. Ridiculous money. The TV agreements are for insane amounts of cash. Given that there's absolutely nothing to prevent them from doing it, why wouldn't the NFL script finishes to boost ratings?

The tail is wagging the dog. Nothing is sacred anymore. Nothing. 

[Krunch]

I will go to my grave convinced that the league singled out James Harrison for unwarranted penalties because he spoke out against Goodouche's pussification of the NFL. There also were countless holding infractions against him that never got called. Corruption for sure.

[mcmillenandwife]

I will go to my grave convinced that the league singled out James Harrison for unwarranted penalties because he spoke out against Goodouche's pussification of the NFL.  There also were countless holding infractions against him that never got called.  Corruption for sure.

Agreed 100%.