The NFL added an extra playoff spot last season and has decided to keep that in place moving forward.
The new format has the top overall seed in each conference getting the bye, while seeds 2-6 battle it out on Wild Card Weekend.
That meant three games on Saturday and three on Sunday.
Now the NFL has decided to spice things up by expanding the weekend to Monday.
Official 2021-2022 NFL Super Wild Card weekend schedule:
Saturday, January 15th:
Game 1: 4:35 PM ET
Game 2: 8:15 PM ETSunday, January 16th:
Game 1: 1:05 PM ET
Game 2: 4:40 PM ET
Game 3: 8:15 PM ETMonday, January 17th:
Game 1: 8:15 PM ET— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 24, 2021
This is exciting for the league and the fans, but also has some downsides for the actual teams.
An Easy Choice
The NFL gets to add a whole other day of playoff games for networks to bid on.
Super Wild Card Weekend to Include Monday Night Game Beginning with the 2021 Season https://t.co/OOB0NLuScd pic.twitter.com/dvsf8YDhEu
— NFL345 (@NFL345) September 24, 2021
The Monday night slot will be a lucrative one because it is the only game of the day.
Extra revenue is great for everyone involved and the difference between a Saturday afternoon game and one on Monday night will be monumental.
ESPN currently holds the Monday night slot in the regular season, so we will see if they retain this playoff game.
In past years the network has usually been given the worst matchup of Wild Card Weekend.
The NFL doesn’t care who gets the game as long as the bidding price is high.
A Tough Break
One could argue the teams in the Monday night game are immediately at a disadvantage.
That is even more true if the road team is able to pull off a victory.
A short week is ahead at a time when teams are supposed to be rewarded for making the postseason.
An extra day of rest may not seem like a lot, but this is coming after an elongated 17-game regular season.
NFL teams also operate on strict schedules and you can expect coaches to complain about a Divisional opponent having even just one extra day to prepare.
But one way to look at this is that the two teams in the game get an extra day or two of preparation for the most important game of the year.
So it is not all bad.
Great For The Fans
Some changes, mostly to the rules, are not taken well by fans.
This one should garner positive support, at least until the actual matchup is announced and fans of those teams are worried about the short rest.
Even then, there are no excuses in the NFL and the game being in the Monday night spotlight in the heart of winter will be nice.
This change may also signal other Monday night playoff games in the future.
Just don’t expect the Super Bowl to move off Sunday, even though a Saturday game would be better for those hosting parties.
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