The first year of anything new will typically feature growing pains and glitches.
But, even if this is a clearly biased take, the NFL extending the season to 18 weeks and 17 games appears to have been be wildly successful in Year 1 and exactly what league officials had hoped for. Without a 17th game, the Saints season would’ve ended at 8-8 and outside the playoffs.
That alone makes Game 17 a win for me, at least so far.
Several teams have a lot to play for, including the Saints who need a win and a 49ers loss to land as the No. 7 seed in the NFC. The only seed solidified in the NFC is No. 1, a spot owned by the Green Bay Packers. Three of the four NFC division titles have been decided, but three teams are still alive for the NFC West crown, and seeds 2-7 won’t be set until the final Sunday of the regular season.
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THE GAME | WEEK 18
SAINTS (8-8, 2nd NFC South) at FALCONS (7-9, 3rd NFC South)
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- When: 3:25 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 9
- TV: FOX
- Listen: WWL AM-870; FM-105.3
- Betting line: ATL +3.5
It’s even crazier in the AFC, where the No. 1 seed won’t be decided until the 17th round of games. Like the NFC, three of the four AFC Division titles have been determined, but not playoff seeding. The AFC East winner will be determined on the final Sunday, as well and the last two AFC playoff spots. The final game of the 2021 regular season on Sunday Night Football is a winner-take-all between the L.A. Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. It’d actually be possible for both teams to make it with a tie, but that’s complicated and this is a simple column.
Still, this has to be exactly what the NFL had in mind. Another Sunday of huge ratings and big money. With so much is on the line, this is definitely that. Three playoff spots and a majority of the seeding. With just one bye in each conference, that seeding is as significant as ever.
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So that’s how we will close out the 2021 season on the final Sunday, with the playoffs beginning next weekend for everyone but Green Bay and Team TBD out of the AFC.
Nothing will ever top the wackiness of the 2020-21 season, but there have been parts of this season that hold a candle. One week, recently, we had football on Saturday, Sunday, and because of COVID chaos, a double-header on Monday before two more games on Tuesday night. Then we started it all over again, with a new week of play 2 days on Thursday night. That’s a lot of football, and sometimes bad football, but NFL football nonetheless.
I hope COVID chaos will be a thing of the past by the time the 2022 season rolls around, and I also hope that I’m sitting in another hotel room next week banging out another column.
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If that happens, it’ll mean the Saints answered the final challenge (and got a bit of luck) to land in the NFL playoffs. If it happens, that would be an L.A. hotel room, with the Saints getting ready for another playoff matchup against the Rams.
And it’s only possible because for the first time the NFL season stretched for 18 weeks and 17 games. As far as the Saints are concerned, it’s a change that’s worked out well … so far, that is.
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