Scott Garceau: Mr. Goodell We Have A Problem
Rog if you're listening I have a suggestion, lower the mound! I know that's a baseball term but that's what baseball did to even the playing field when Bob Gibson, Denny McClain and a lot of other pitchers were dominating hitters at an alarming rate in 1968. There wasn't enough offense then, today just the opposite it's all offense all the time in the NFL. Maybe fantasy players love it but the TV ratings are telling us a different story.
Sinking TV ratings get noticed, and don't think the Network partners who pay the NFL billions for eyeballs haven't noticed the trend. The home office knows Sunday night's blowout in Green Bay was the lowest rated of the season for NBC's Sunday night package. Can't blame people for tuning out, Chicago was down 42-0 at halftime that's the largest halftime deficit EVER for an NFL game in primetime.
The ratings weren't much better the week before when Big Ben dropped 6 TD passes on the Ravens in the Steelers blowout win. The Walking Dead (not the Ravens) had more viewers than Sunday night football on that night. Don't look for the NFL to declare bankruptcy any time soon the Golden Goose is alive and well but the trend should be concerning.
Rule changes have given the passing game a huge advantage and contribute to big numbers and lopsided games. Consider what we've seen in recent weeks.
• Week 6- At Tampa Bay Joe Flacco throws 5 TD passes in the game's first 16 minutes.
• Week 8- Ben Roethlisberger tosses a franchise record 6 TD's against the Colts. Ben and Andrew Luck combine for 907 passing yards second highest total in NFL history.
• Week 9- Big Ben goes back to back 6-pack with 6 TD passes against the Ravens.
• Week 9- Peyton Manning admits he was terrible in Denver's loss at New England. He passed for 438 yards and 2 TD's.
• Week 10- Aaron Rodgers throws touchdowns on 6 of 7 Green Bay drives in the first half! The Packers lead 42-0 at halftime.
Peyton Manning was incredible in 2013 he set an NFL record passing for 5,477 yards a record that might never be broken, right? Hardly, Andrew Luck is currently on pace to exceed the Manning record this year. Don't get me wrong we have some great quarterbacks today but it's not just the great ones putting up great numbers.
Nick Foles has had back to back 400 yard plus games, Kirk Cousins comes off the Redskins bench and flings it for 427 yards, Austin Davis throws for 375 and guys like Tony Romo and Matt Schaub have 500 yard games on their resumes. A passer rating of 90 considered very good a few years ago is now below average. A 3,000 yard season not long ago was an accomplishment today that bar has been raised to 4,000 and even 5,000 for some.
We are in the steroid era of football. I don't mean that from a PED standpoint I do mean that like the steroid era in baseball todays passing numbers in football ring hollow. I don't like it and apparently the TV ratings say I'm not alone. C'mon Rog it's time to lower the mound and give the defense a chance. If not fans will be chanting "we want a hundred, we want a hundred".
Follow @ScottGShow1057
Related Stories - Baltimore Ravens: