"Poopfest."
Even Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who uttered that word to describe having to play a Thursday night game on three days rest, said it wasn't the most eloquent way he could have put it. He was vocalizing his frustration over what he said he considers hypocrisy by the NFL.
"They make this huge stance about player safety. Then you put the players in tremendous danger," he said to reporters Tuesday.
Fans might use that word to describe the quality of the games, too.
Of the 15 Thursday night games played so far this season, six have ended within a one-score margin. Just three have ended by the difference of a field goal or less.
Seven have been by two touchdowns or more and three have been by at least three touchdowns including Thursday's 24-3 Seahawks win over the Rams.
The average margin of victory: 11.8 points per game. None have gone to overtime.
It's worth noting that the two closest-scoring games of the season were the Week 1 opener in which the Broncos beat the Panthers 21-20, and the Week 13 matchup in which the Cowboys beat the Vikings 17-15. What makes these two games stand out? Both teams had a full week to prepare.
National ratings have been down overall for Thursday night games year-over-year. The numbers got a boost the past couple of weeks because NBC's addition to the Thursday schedule this year means more exposure for late season matchups than last year.
There have been reports the NFL is planning to take another look at the Thursday package once it gets through its contractual commitments next season, The league has said it's committed to the Thursday games.
One suggested move going forward is to schedule a team's bye the week before its Thursday game. But that may require the NFL to add a second bye week for each team to make it work.
To be fair, Monday Night Football has been worse competitively. The average margin of victory is 14.3 points per game. Like Thursday, none have reached overtime.
Sunday Night Football, where the NFL puts most of its focus, has been a little more competitive. The average margin of victory is about 10 points a game. Eight of those 14 games have finished within a touchdown or less. Five have been a margin of a field goal or less. Four have gone to overtime. And one ended in a tie.
