Nick Canepa: Too many injuries, too few QBs for NFL to consider an 18th game

Sez Me (Parts 1, 2 and 3) …

Part 1:

The NFL would love to go from a 17-game season to 18. Because the NFL doesn’t care.

Well, except for one thing: money.

Which means it would be a horrific mistake.

There simply aren’t enough good players — especially quarterbacks who actually can win — to get through 17 games, let alone 18.

After playing on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys, Lions and Chiefs had to go on another Thursday, Christmas.

So on that day, fans were treated (on pay-me Netflix and Amazon Prime) to these starting quarterbacks: Chris Oladokun, Kansas City; Josh Johnson, Washington; and Max Brosmer, Minnesota. Why did they start? Because the top guys were injured — in a few cases, the top two guys.

It’s bad enough that teams are forced to play on short weeks every so often. But Thursday games are killers, not only for home teams but especially for those that have to travel. It’s an incredible physical and mental strain — and forget the mini-bye thing they get on the back end.

The NFL says it abhors violence, and yet coaches preach it as gospel. As a result, injuries are rampant, many of them important. Those who go to Super Bowls are lucky in health.

Here’s Charles Barkley on the NFL playing on Christmas: “Roger Goodell and them pigs always want to hog every day of the week now.”

As Charles added, the NBA always had Christmas to itself. I don’t care about that. The Association has players who take games off as they please. The only time that athletic felony occurs in the NFL is when teams are playing late-season games that don’t matter (and even then, the NFL office hates it).

The National Football League Players Association, which is about making as much as it can for its people (more games, more dough), allows this to slide. It must stick to 17.

What does it say when a 44-year-old QB who hasn’t played in five years and has been coaching prep football can come out of retirement and throw for nearly 300 yards?

No matter what the bosses and gamblers think, no half-ass product on earth makes the money the NFL does. …

Part 2:

For a century, the USC-Notre game has been the greatest rivalry in college sports. Any sport. Period.

Now there has been a divorce — sorry, a “pause.” The Irish have chosen to play BYU in a home-and-home series instead. I hear they may play again in 2030. I doubt it.

I won’t say the Trojans are totally innocent in the creation of this sloppy mess, but I’ll put the brunt of it on Notre Dame, which continues to put itself on a peak, looking down at the rest.

The Irish didn’t make it to the College Football Playoff this year, although they probably should have. That won’t be a problem in the future. Their sweetheart deal with the CFP committee includes their automatic admission if they’re ranked among the final 12 teams in the nation.

And with their softer schedule, that should be no problem.

It’s the main reason USC balked at playing them in the middle of their Big Ten/Eighteen schedule, which isn’t easy.

This can’t be going over well with powerful USC alums, who cherish this game like no other. It’s not going over well with not-so-powerful me, either.

The game was great for college football. But then, nothing seems great for college football anymore. …

Part 3:

Denzel Perryman has been suspended for not one game, but two. For playing football. The NFL has become margarine left out in the Borrego sun. …

Tackle Joe Alt made the Pro Bowl after playing six games. Are voters now taking into account all the good things a player does when not on the field? …

Rodney Harrison was a terrific safety. If he played today, he’d spend more time suspended than the Golden Gate Bridge. …

And those old Raiders defenders. They’d have a dragnet out for them. …

It says so in his contract. DK Metcalf loses dozens of millions in guaranteed money for his incredible lapse in judgment. …

By the way, Unsocial Media, that was a punch DK threw at that fan, not a shove. …

The Ravens, living in the past, have been overrated for a dozen years. …

Derrick Henry did not touch the ball during the last 12:50 of Patriots-Ravens. He didn’t get on the field. He was averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Talk amongst yourselves. …

It was so bad, even Cris Collinsworth, who can’t play anymore, wondered why Henry was sitting. Oh Henry is more than one of our top-selling candy bars. …

I think John “Brother of Jim” Harbaugh is in trouble. If he stays in Baltimore, does Lamar Jackson and his $70 million cap hit go? Maybe. .…

The Chiefs, Lions and Ravens are a combined 21-26. I picked the Lions. What do I know? I’m not a doctor. …

The Kansas City Chiefs are moving to Kansas — which is like the Padres moving to La Mesa. Big deal. Arrowhead Stadium was the best place to watch an NFL game. …

The Chiefs will get $1.8 billion in public money for their new, $3 billion stadium, and more for a practice facility. The NFL Team That Used To Be Here couldn’t overcome the Ham & Eggers’ love for unused bike lanes. …

The fine state of Kansas gets nothing from the Chiefs, who will be $7 million-per-year renters. (That money goes to stadium maintenance, not any government.) The greatest stadium deal ever. …

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt? His family’s worth $24.8 billion …

I like Dan Campbell. Not as an offensive play caller. Gambling is fine — to a point. Know where you are. …

The Vikes beat the Lions with three (3!) net passing yards. QB league. …

The Broncos are 10-0 vs. teams below .500. The Broncos are 3-3 vs. teams above .500. Still, the Jaguars’ big win in Denver — the toughest place to play — was beyond impressive. …

Dallas hasn’t been to the NFC Championship Game in 30 years. Every other conference team has. As with Notre Dame, the Cowboys’ name remains magic to those who know, as my Uncle John would say, diddly squat about football. …

The quarterback EPA is a stupid, baseball stat that is totally without merit and makes no sense. Man, can we complicate things. Is the guy playing well or not? …

College football’s two biggest disappointments played one another Saturday: Penn State and Clemson. …

Kyle Whittingham is not a Michigan man, but he will coach Michigan. Fine, diamond-hard choice. …

I thought I’d seen Shaq a lot. But when he came down my chimney without getting stuck, the 2,000 reindeer needed to fly him around, ruining my roof, that was enough. I threw him out, but not before he took a tin of my wife’s cookies and put them in a TV ad. …

Philip Rivers should be given special treatment and be allowed to be a part of this year’s Hall of Fame class and not wait five years. A real man who’s great for the game, Philip Rivers. Dadgummit. …

JJ Redick says his Lakers “don’t care enough.” JJ knows. It’s the NBA. It’s all about who doesn’t care the least. …

Collinsworth: “Maybe the Patriots needed a loss.” It’s hard to be more stupid. …

When you run out of things to say, don’t say them.