When Do They Release Next Years Schedule?

[ravenwildman]

[b]When do the powers from above release the 2009-10 schedules?

Also..can anyone explain how the non-divisional opponets selected?

Is there a random factor for out of conference or is there a master plan?[/b] [/b]

[theFRANCHISE]

We've already made a topic about this (I don't have time to search for it), so I'll just answer your question here.

Next year's schedule is traditionally released before the NFL Draft (sometimes after the draft, I believe, but always before training camp begins in the summer.)

The non-divisional opponents are selected through a formula established in the 2002 season, which follows the basic format of:

6 divisional games
4 games against an NFC division
4 games against an AFC division
2 games against AFC teams from the remaining 2 AFC divisions, based on the team's standing the previous season (i.e. 1st place teams play the 1st place teams, 4th place teams play the 4th place teams)

It's a constant rotation, and it's done to ensure that all AFC and NFC teams play each other at least once every four years.

[theFRANCHISE]

To break it down further, here's how the schedule has shaken out for the Ravens since 2002 (and a look towards 2009).

2002 (finished 2nd in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC South
4 games against AFC South
2 games against 2nd place AFC teams (Broncos, Dolphins)

2003 (finished 3rd in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC West
4 games against AFC West
2 games against 3rd place AFC teams (Jaguars, Dolphins)

2004 (finished 1st in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC East
4 games against AFC East
2 games against 1st place AFC teams (Chiefs, Colts)

2005 (finished 2nd in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC North
4 games against AFC South
2 games against 2nd place AFC teams (Broncos, Jets)

2006 (finished 3rd in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC South
4 games against AFC West
2 games against 3rd place AFC teams (Titans, Bills)

2007 (finished 1st in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC West
4 games against AFC East
2 games against 1st place AFC teams (Colts, Chargers)

2008 (finished 4th in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC East
4 games against AFC South
2 games against 4th place AFC teams (Dolphins, Raiders)

2009 (finished 2nd in AFC North previous year):
6 AFC North games
4 games against NFC North
4 games against AFC West
2 games against 2nd place AFC teams (Patriots, Colts)

Note that 2009 is the last year that the scheduling formula will be in place. The league will review the formula in the offseason and consider whether to extend it beyond 2009.

[xen-uno]

I'd like to see them banish the interconference regular season games and save that matchup exclusively for the SB. That would make it more interesting and add to the novelty. Current format is somewhat anti-climatic.

[Chi_Town_Raven]

I completely disagree. I think we should play more interconference games (if the season is extended that is)

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='Chi_Town_Raven' post='144807' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:10 PM']I completely disagree. I think we should play more interconference games (if the season is extended that is)[/quote]
I agree. Just as teams play teams in their conference that had similar finishes in their division the previous season, they should also play teams in the opposite conference with similar finishes as well.

3rd place AFC teams play the other 3rd place teams in both conferences. It'd make sense, considering the league wants to extend the schedule 2 more weeks to an 18-game schedule anyway.

[ravensgirlx88]

Another quick question..

When do tickets for Raven's games typically go on sale? I've been buying off Stub Hub the week before home games and it's making me poor.

[ravensgirlx88]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='144809' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:13 PM']I agree. Just as teams play teams in their conference that had similar finishes in their division the previous season, they should also play teams in the opposite conference with similar finishes as well.

3rd place AFC teams play the other 3rd place teams in both conferences. It'd make sense, considering[b] the league wants to extend the schedule 2 more weeks to an 18-game schedule anyway.[/b][/quote]


This is ridiculous. Everyone saw the toll a 18 week regular season can take on a football team. Unless they get 2 bye week's I don't like that idea at all.

[RavensIQ]

All I know is next year's schedule is gonna be a cakewalk. (save the speech on no given sunday) We play the lions, the chargers, the broncos, the chiefs, the raiders, the bears, the browns twice, the bengals twice. HAHAHA next year is gonna be soooo fun.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='ravensgirlx88' post='144810' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:13 PM']Another quick question..

When do tickets for Raven's games typically go on sale? I've been buying off Stub Hub the week before home games and it's making me poor.[/quote]
I believe tickets go on sale AFTER the period in which PSL owners can exclusively buy season tickets. But I'm not exactly sure.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='ravensgirlx88' post='144814' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:14 PM']This is ridiculous. Everyone saw the toll a 18 week regular season can take on a football team. Unless they get 2 bye week's I don't like that idea at all.[/quote]
The idea that's being thrown around the most these days is to eliminate two preseason games and replace them with two regular season games, and have the week between preseason and the regular season moved and converted into a second bye week.

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='144815' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:15 PM']All I know is next year's schedule is gonna be a cakewalk. (save the speech on no given sunday) We play the lions, the chargers, the broncos, the chiefs, the raiders, the bears, the browns twice, the bengals twice. HAHAHA next year is gonna be soooo fun.[/quote]
The Chargers have talent. And if the Steelers offense hadn't kept Philip Rivers off the field for most of the second half by holding onto the ball, the Chargers could've made a comeback and won. The Broncos have a great offense, but no defense. The Bears' defense can't be discounted, even with the off year they had this season.

Outside of those three games, I can see why you'd feel comfortable about next year. But, everyone also assumed the Dolphins would have another losing season as well. And with the easiest schedule in the league, everyone assumed the Patriots would've gone 16-0 again. Conversely, we also assumed that the Steelers would miss the playoffs since they had the statistically-toughest schedule in the league.

So...I'll reserve judgment until the preseason.

[Sub-Zero]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='144797' date='Jan 24 2009, 12:37 PM']We've already made a topic about this (I don't have time to search for it), so I'll just answer your question here.

Next year's schedule is traditionally released before the NFL Draft (sometimes after the draft, I believe, but always before training camp begins in the summer.)

The non-divisional opponents are selected through a formula established in the 2002 season, which follows the basic format of:

6 divisional games
4 games against an NFC division
4 games against an AFC division
2 games against AFC teams from the remaining 2 AFC divisions, based on the team's standing the previous season (i.e. 1st place teams play the 1st place teams, 4th place teams play the 4th place teams)

[b]It's a constant rotation, and it's done to ensure that all AFC and NFC teams play each other at least once every four years.[/b][/quote] more specifically it is an 8 year rotation designed so that every team plays in each others stadiums

[xen-uno]

Franchise >> The idea that's being thrown around the most these days is to eliminate two preseason games and replace them with two regular season games, and have the week between preseason and the regular season moved and converted into a second bye week.

Yuck ... sounds like a quantity over quality move ... can't dig it. I say leave season length as is.


>> The Chargers have talent. And if the Steelers offense hadn't kept Philip Rivers off the field for most of the second half by holding onto the ball, the Chargers could've made a comeback and won.

Could've OR Would've OR Should've? There was enough 3 & outs by SD to dispute any talk of that. Besides that, the 2 late SD TD's were garbage time, influencing the score but nothing else. I assume you watched the game?

[ravensgirlx88]

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='144815' date='Jan 24 2009, 05:15 PM']All I know is next year's schedule is gonna be a cakewalk. (save the speech on no given sunday) We play the lions, the chargers, the broncos, the chiefs, the raiders, the bears, the browns twice, the bengals twice. HAHAHA next year is gonna be soooo fun.[/quote]


Also the Colts(who we can never seem to beat) The Steelers TWICE again.. and the Patriots. With Tom Brady. Figures that the one season Tom is out we don't play them but in pre-season. The season Tom is back in, we play them

[ravensgirlx88]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='144817' date='Jan 24 2009, 05:16 PM']I believe tickets go on sale AFTER the period in which PSL owners can exclusively buy season tickets. But I'm not exactly sure.[/quote]

I know that, because my brother has PSL'S. But I think they go on sale at Stub Hub at FACE sometime in July.. I'd prefer to get them at Face value.

[RavensIQ]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='144819' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:20 PM']The Chargers have talent. And if the Steelers offense hadn't kept Philip Rivers off the field for most of the second half by holding onto the ball, the Chargers could've made a comeback and won. The Broncos have a great offense, but no defense. The Bears' defense can't be discounted, even with the off year they had this season.

Outside of those three games, I can see why you'd feel comfortable about next year. But, everyone also assumed the Dolphins would have another losing season as well. And with the easiest schedule in the league, everyone assumed the Patriots would've gone 16-0 again. Conversely, we also assumed that the Steelers would miss the playoffs since they had the statistically-toughest schedule in the league.

So...I'll reserve judgment until the preseason.[/quote]

[quote name='RavensIQ' post='144815' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:15 PM']All I know is next year's schedule is gonna be a cakewalk. [b](save the speech on no given sunday)[/b] We play the lions, the chargers, the broncos, the chiefs, the raiders, the bears, the browns twice, the bengals twice. HAHAHA next year is gonna be soooo fun.[/quote]

Maybe I should have underlined it?

[BuckWilds]

[quote name='ravensgirlx88' post='144814' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:14 PM']This is ridiculous. Everyone saw the toll a 18 week regular season can take on a football team. Unless they get 2 bye week's I don't like that idea at all.[/quote]

Agreed. Either increase the rosters (and as a result decrease the salaries) or leave the schedule as-is.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='xen-uno' post='144824' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:32 PM']Yuck ... sounds like a quantity over quality move ... can't dig it. I say leave season length as is.[/quote]
Well, the idea was, fans were complaining (and rightfully so) that the preseason wasn't worth the obscene ticket prices being charged for what was otherwise a sub-par product. So, to remedy that, they would simply convert two preseason games to regular season games, so as to keep the overall NFL calendar the same length, and still give fans a bit of value back.

The only drawback, as you pointed out, might be a reduction in quality, since two more games with actual meaning could take a toll on the players. Or, alternately, there's always a good chance of sloppy play in the (new) opening weeks of the season since players would have a shorter preseason to work the rust off.

[quote name='xen-uno' post='144824' date='Jan 24 2009, 04:32 PM']Could've OR Would've OR Should've? There was enough 3 & outs by SD to dispute any talk of that. Besides that, the 2 late SD TD's were garbage time, influencing the score but nothing else. I assume you watched the game?[/quote]
I'm not questioning whether the Steelers should've won that game. And I'm not demeaning the Steelers' defense for successfully shutting down the Chargers' offense in the first half. [b]But my logic is, had Pittsburgh not been so successful in killing the clock and holding onto the ball in the second half, there was a chance that the San Diego offense COULD'VE made a comeback.[/b]

1) [b]The Steelers were leading by only 4 points into halftime.[/b] After getting the ball to start the 2nd half and eating up almost 8 minutes of the clock, they scored to extend their lead to 11 points, making the game still within reach for San Diego. [b]Had Philip Rivers not thrown a stupid interception on his first pass attempt of the second half in the red zone, the Chargers could've (keyphrase: COULD'VE) made the score 21-17.[/b] Still a winnable game for San Diego. [b]But possession #1 for the Chargers blown.[/b]

2) However, because Rivers threw the pick, the Steelers got the ball back and ate up more clock time until almost the end of the quarter. Pittsburgh's special teams, however, came up big when [b]the Chargers made ANOTHER mistake and muffed a punt, which allowed the Steelers to recover and kill the clock[/b] through the end of the 3rd. [b]"Possession" #2 for the Chargers blown.[/b]

3) [b]The Chargers got the ball back around the start of the 4th quarter and were forced to pass, as they were down two possessions.[/b] The Steelers knew San Diego needed to pass. The Steelers defense forced a three-and-out. [b]Possession #3 for the Chargers blown.[/b]

4) [b]Pittsburgh gets the ball back, and San Diego stupidly commits pass interference that allows the Steelers to punch it in for a TD. 28-10, Steelers.[/b] Three possession game against the Chargers in the 4th quarter, [b]pretty much game over.[/b]

[b]The Steelers held onto the ball for 36 minutes and 30 seconds. That's OVER half the game.[/b] The Chargers blew it because they couldn't stop the Steelers offense, and couldn't produce on offense in the first half when they had chances. San Diego also made crucial mistakes in the 2nd half all around the board.

(And this is the "what if" portion of my previous post)

But, IF the Chargers did not commit those mistakes and had time to run the ball or were simply able to move the ball PERIOD, the Chargers COULD have (not saying they WOULD or SHOULD have) beaten the Steelers. [b]After all, the Chargers defense was able to hold the Steelers offense to only 7 points in the first half [/b](the other TD came from Santonio Holmes' punt return, meaning the Chargers special teams unit was at fault.) Therefore, it wasn't impossible for San Diego to contain Pittsburgh in the 2nd half.

[xen-uno]

10-4 Franchise ... decent rebuttal there

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='xen-uno' post='144860' date='Jan 24 2009, 05:47 PM']10-4 Franchise ... decent rebuttal there[/quote]
Just doing my duty.

[SteelerRavenHalfbreed]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' post='144844' date='Jan 24 2009, 05:04 PM']Well, the idea was, fans were complaining (and rightfully so) that the preseason wasn't worth the obscene ticket prices being charged for what was otherwise a sub-par product. So, to remedy that, they would simply convert two preseason games to regular season games, so as to keep the overall NFL calendar the same length, and still give fans a bit of value back.

The only drawback, as you pointed out, might be a reduction in quality, since two more games with actual meaning could take a toll on the players. Or, alternately, there's always a good chance of sloppy play in the (new) opening weeks of the season since players would have a shorter preseason to work the rust off.


I'm not questioning whether the Steelers should've won that game. And I'm not demeaning the Steelers' defense for successfully shutting down the Chargers' offense in the first half. [b]But my logic is, had Pittsburgh not been so successful in killing the clock and holding onto the ball in the second half, there was a chance that the San Diego offense COULD'VE made a comeback.[/b]

1) [b]The Steelers were leading by only 4 points into halftime.[/b] After getting the ball to start the 2nd half and eating up almost 8 minutes of the clock, they scored to extend their lead to 11 points, making the game still within reach for San Diego. [b]Had Philip Rivers not thrown a stupid interception on his first pass attempt of the second half in the red zone, the Chargers could've (keyphrase: COULD'VE) made the score 21-17.[/b] Still a winnable game for San Diego. [b]But possession #1 for the Chargers blown.[/b]

2) However, because Rivers threw the pick, the Steelers got the ball back and ate up more clock time until almost the end of the quarter. Pittsburgh's special teams, however, came up big when [b]the Chargers made ANOTHER mistake and muffed a punt, which allowed the Steelers to recover and kill the clock[/b] through the end of the 3rd. [b]"Possession" #2 for the Chargers blown.[/b]

3) [b]The Chargers got the ball back around the start of the 4th quarter and were forced to pass, as they were down two possessions.[/b] The Steelers knew San Diego needed to pass. The Steelers defense forced a three-and-out. [b]Possession #3 for the Chargers blown.[/b]

4) [b]Pittsburgh gets the ball back, and San Diego stupidly commits pass interference that allows the Steelers to punch it in for a TD. 28-10, Steelers.[/b] Three possession game against the Chargers in the 4th quarter, [b]pretty much game over.[/b]

[b]The Steelers held onto the ball for 36 minutes and 30 seconds. That's OVER half the game.[/b] The Chargers blew it because they couldn't stop the Steelers offense, and couldn't produce on offense in the first half when they had chances. San Diego also made crucial mistakes in the 2nd half all around the board.

(And this is the "what if" portion of my previous post)

But, IF the Chargers did not commit those mistakes and had time to run the ball or were simply able to move the ball PERIOD, the Chargers COULD have (not saying they WOULD or SHOULD have) beaten the Steelers. [b]After all, the Chargers defense was able to hold the Steelers offense to only 7 points in the first half [/b](the other TD came from Santonio Holmes' punt return, meaning the Chargers special teams unit was at fault.) Therefore, it wasn't impossible for San Diego to contain Pittsburgh in the 2nd half.[/quote]

Well said. For me this game produced the most amazing NFL statistic of the entire 2008 season, and perhaps one for NFL history. The Chargers had the ball for only 17 seconds of an entire quarter, and I think they only managed to get off one snap in the 3rd quarter. It's still hard to believe even though I saw it with my own eyes.

[macbrak]

I've heard the Thursday morning before games you can get tickets face value that are released by the visiting teams from ticket master.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='SteelerRavenHalfbreed' post='144908' date='Jan 24 2009, 09:38 PM']Well said. For me this game produced the most amazing NFL statistic of the entire 2008 season, and perhaps one for NFL history. The Chargers had the ball for only 17 seconds of an entire quarter, and I think they only managed to get off one snap in the 3rd quarter. It's still hard to believe even though I saw it with my own eyes.[/quote]
Not only that, but it was probably the most dismal possession in NFL history. If you could even call it a possession, since the ball was snapped and immediately thrown into the hands of a defender. It was like a quick breather for the Steelers offense before they got back on the field to do their thing. It was both amazing and ridiculous at the same time.