The NFL has officially announced that Monday night football is coming to the playoffs, and the news drew mixed reactions from fans and the media.
The NFL expanded the playoffs last season by adding a wild card team to each conference. There were three Wild Card Weekend games held on Saturday and three on Sunday. Beginning in 2021, however, there will be two games on Saturday, three on Sunday and one on Monday night.
There were a variety of responses to the big change on Twitter:
A lot of concerns were raised over teams having to play on short rest. That already happens with some games on Sundays and some on Saturdays, but the Monday night game now guarantees a short week for the winner. The NFL will likely avoid making it even shorter by assuring that the two teams that meet on Monday night will play the following Sunday.
Obviously, the NFL made the change with ratings in mind. NFL fans are already accustomed to games on Monday nights, and there is little doubt the Monday night playoff game will draw better ratings than it would have on Saturday. As with any change, however, there is sure to be plenty of opposition.
More must-reads: