When Did the NFL Add Week 17?
Contents
A look back at how the NFL’s regular season schedule has changed throughout the years, including the addition of Week 17.
NFL Basics
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. It was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL is the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Each team plays 16 games during the NFL regular season.
What is the NFL?
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world.
How many teams are in the NFL?
The NFL is comprised of 32 teams, divided equally into two conferences — the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is then further divided into four divisions, to include North, South, East, and West. There are four teams in each division, making 16 total teams in each conference.
What is the NFL’s history?
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.
The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held in February. The league is headquartered in New York City.
Week 17
Week 17 was added to the NFL schedule in 1977. The NFL originally had a 16-game schedule, which was increased to 17 games in 1961 and then to 18 games in 2010. The 18-game schedule was later reduced back to 17 games in 2020.
When was Week 17 added to the NFL schedule?
The NFL added Week 17 to the schedule in 1967, when the league expanded from 14 to 16 games. The extra week allowed for a better geographical balance of games and gave players a much-needed break. Prior to 1967, the NFL schedule was 14 games long and did not include a bye week for teams.
Why was Week 17 added to the NFL schedule?
In 1967, the NFL added a fourteenth game to the schedule, making it a full two games longer than it had been just a few years earlier. The addition of Week 17 was seen as a way to add even more excitement to the end of the season. With more teams in contention for playoff spots, and more games with playoff implications, fans would have even more reason to tune in.
Seventeen weeks seemed like the perfect number – long enough to create a sense of urgency, but not so long that the season would drag on forever. And so, for nearly 50 years, Week 17 has been a staple of the NFL calendar.
But why stop there? In recent years, the league has added an additional week to the schedule – making it an 18-week season – and there is talk of expanding even further. Some believe that this is simply a way to generate more revenue, but others argue that it is necessary in order to keep up with the ever-growing popularity of the sport.
Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: Week 17 is here to stay – at least for now.
What happens in Week 17?
Week 17 is the final week of the regular season for most teams in the National Football League (NFL). For some teams, it is a chance to improve their position in the playoffs. For other teams, it is a chance to finish with a winning record. And for some teams, it is a chance to play spoiler and knock another team out of the playoffs.
In Week 17, each team plays one game. The games are normally scheduled so that all divisional opponents face each other. This ensures that there is meaning to every game and that every team has something to play for.
The NFL playoffs start the week after Week 17. The four division winners and two wild card teams (the two best teams that did not win their division) from each conference qualify for the playoffs. The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament that culminates with the Super Bowl, which is usually played on the first Sunday in February.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NFL adding Week 17 to the regular season schedule has had a positive impact on the quality of play. The extra week allows for more rest and preparation, and also gives teams a chance to make up for a poor performance in the earlier weeks of the season. There are a few drawbacks, however, such as the fact that it can be difficult to sell tickets for the final week of the season. Overall, though, the NFL’s decision to add Week 17 has been a positive one.
How has the NFL changed since Week 17 was added?
In 1978, the NFL adopted a 16-game regular season schedule. This schedule remained intact for 25 years, until the NFL added a 17th regular season game in 2002. The extra game was added to the schedule in an effort to generate more revenue, as each team would now play one additional home game per season.
The decision to add Week 17 was not without controversy, as some felt that it would lead to more injuries and fatigued players. Others felt that it would devalue the importance of the regular season and lead to more meaningless games being played at the end of the year.
Despite the concerns, Week 17 has been a mainstay on the NFL schedule for nearly 20 years now. How has the league changed since the addition of this extra week? Let’s take a look.
-Injury rates have not increased since 2002
-There has been a slight increase in player fatigue and REST days per week during the NFL season
-The quality of play has declined slightly since 2002, as teams have been less likely to take risks early in the season knowing that they have an extra game to play
-The number of teams making the playoffs has increased from 12 to 14, which some believe has devalued the importance of winning your division
What will the NFL be like in the future?
Only time will tell what the NFL will be like in the future, but one thing is for sure – it will continue to be one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. With new technology, changes in player safety, and the ever-growing popularity of fantasy football, the NFL shows no signs of slowing down.
