the problem comes when you get beyond just competitive disadvantage and into the realms of player safety - this potential postponement could lead to a squad of under-prepared players who've not practiced together for 2 weeks and therefore will not be game fit necessarily + add in the PS players all being elevated at once and you end up with the potential for some player safety issues looking at injuries etc.
at that point the NFL has a problem because the NFLPA will get involved - im aware that they dont really care about competitive disadvantage
Not really buying it though...
1. The entire purpose of expanded roster, extra PS, extra was for this. Its the purpose. If you're going to argue that the guys you lobbied for to have roster spots that normally wouldn't are now somehow unprepared and shouldn't have to play, then why did you agree to it to begin with? Its not like the NFLPA can reasonably argue that "well we thought we'd always get a week of practice time to prep".
2. It would be the ultimate hypocrisy for the NFLPA, who lobbied so hard for so many years for reduced practices, less contact, more days off, AND this year, lobbied for no preseason and no training camp, to then come out and say "hey our guys aren't ready, they can't play". Talk about a whiff...
3. NFL players will tell you directly (as they have for years)... "practice" during the regular season is overrated. They're rarely hitting, there's only 3 days during the actual week where they're doing anything other than studying film or traveling, and any veteran with even minor bruises practice time involves doing cardio to the side.
None of which can't be achieved in a non-group setting. You lose reps. That's about it. If you're losing reps in October, and that makes you out of shape from a game you played less than 14 days prior, that's on you.
NFL isn't worried about this one bit. Its all self-inflicted. They're worrying about scheduling and how to maximize games.