Who's Playing Today in the NFL?

It’s Sunday and that means it’s time for some football! Who’s playing today in the NFL? Check out our blog for a full list of games and matchups.

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Introduction

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 on the first Sunday in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

NFL Football Teams

AFC East

The AFC East is one of eight divisions in the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 1970 season. There are currently four teams in the division: the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets.

AFC West

In the National Football League (NFL), the AFC West is a division that includes four teams: the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers. All four teams are in either California or Colorado. The AFC West is one of eight divisions in the NFL. It is also one of four divisions in the AFC, which is itself one of two conferences in the NFL (the other being the NFC).

The AFC West was formed in 1970 when the NFL merged with the American Football League (AFL). At that time, it was made up of the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos. The Broncos and Raiders are charter members of both the AFC and NFC.

The Chiefs have won the most division championships with 11, followed by the Raiders with 9, then the Broncos with 8, and finally the Chargers with 5.

AFC North

The AFC North is home to some of the most storied franchises in NFL history. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers have a combined 34 Super Bowl appearances and 20 championships.

The Ravens and Steelers have been the class of the division for the past two decades. Baltimore has won two Super Bowls (2012, 2000) and made six playoff appearances since 2000. Pittsburgh has been to three Super Bowls ( XLIII, XL, XXX), winning two (2006, 2005), and made the playoffs eight times in that span.

The Bengals have had their moments of glory as well. They won their first division title in 1981 and made it to two Super Bowls ( XVI, XXIII), but they have yet to win a championship. The Browns have been the laughing stock of the NFL for much of their history. They haven’t won a division title since 1989 and they’ve only made the playoffs once since then (2002).

In recent years, the AFC North has been one of the most competitive divisions in football. Any of these four teams could win the division on any given year.

AFC South

The AFC South is a division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The AFC South currently consists of four teams: the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans.

In order to make room for two additional franchises (the Houston Texans and the expansion team Cleveland Browns), the AFC was divided into two eight-team divisions, with four teams in each division. As a result of this realignment, the AFC South was formed out of what was previously the AFC Central division.

NFC East

The NFC East is a competitive division in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and New York Giants are all fighting for a spot in the playoffs. Who’s playing today?

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which opened for the 2009 season. The stadium took the place of the closed Texas Stadium, which served as the Cowboys’ home from 1971 through the 2008 season.

New York Giants

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which it shares with the New York Jets in a unique arrangement. The Giants hold their summer training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. They are Super Bowl LII champions, having defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52.

The franchise was established in 1933 as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets, when a group led by Bert Bell secured the rights to an NFL expansion team in Philadelphia. Bell, Chuck Bednarik, Bob Brown, Reggie White, Steve Van Buren, Tommy McDonald, Greasy Neale, Pete Pihos, Sonny Jurgensen, and Norm Van Brocklin have been inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team has an intense rivalry with their divisional archrivals, the Dallas Cowboys, whom they have played twice a year since 1960.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Redskins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. The franchise has won five NFL championships, including three NFL championships and two Super Bowls.

NFC West

Today, the San Francisco 49ers are playing the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks are currently in first place in the NFC West with a record of 12-3, while the 49ers are in second place with a record of 11-4.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Cardinals were founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States. The Cardinals play their home games at State Farm Stadium, which opened in 2006 and is located in Glendale.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team that compete in the National Football League (NFL). They are members of the NFC West division, and play their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in Cleveland, Ohio. The franchise relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1946 and became the only NFL team to play their home games in three consecutive cities (Cleveland,Los Angeles, and St. Louis) before returning to Los Angeles following the 1994 NFL season.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team located in the San Francisco Bay Area. They compete in the National Football League as a member of the league’s National Football Conference West division. The 49ers were founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and joined the NFL in 1949 after the AAFC merged with the NFL. The team played its home games at Kezar Stadium until 1970, when it moved to Candlestick Park.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference West division. They joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFC North

The Chicago Bears are playing the Detroit Lions today. The game is at 1pm EST. The Bears are favored to win by 3 points.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and are one of two NFL teams from Illinois, the other being the AFC’s Chicago Bears. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinements in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears have also recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and called the Portsmouth Spartans, the team began play in 1929 as an independent professional team. For the 1930 season, the Spartans formally joined the NFL as the other area independents folded because of the Great Depression. Despite success within the NFL, they could not survive financially and returned to Portsmouth in 1932. The NFL split into two separate divisions for that year only; for 1933, a more balanced schedule was used, and four teams from each division qualified for playoffs instead of just two. The Spartans thus became part of the Western Division for only their third season of operation; despite another winning season record-wise, they finished fifth and did not qualify for a playoff berth.

From 1934 to 1957, the Lions were a charter member of the NFL’s Western Division (and therefore had automatic playoff berths throughout those 24 seasons), before switching over to the Eastern Division from 1958 to 1970; during this time period, they captured four division titles (1952–1953, 1957) and three NFL championships (1935, 1952, 1953). Theyhave won only one playoff game since 1957. The Lions began play at Tiger Stadium in 1968; it was previously known as Briggs Stadium (1938–1965) and Briggs Park (1915–1937).

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team that competes in the National Football League (NFL). The Packers are headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and are members of the NFC North division in the NFL. The Packers were founded on August 11, 1919, by former high-school football rivals Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. The team has played in Lambeau Field since 1957.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings joined the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion team in 1960, and first took the field for the 1961 season. The team competes in the National Football Conference (NFC) North division.

NFC South

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the road to take on the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are coming off a win against the Indianapolis Colts, while the Buccaneers are coming off a loss to the Detroit Lions.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined the NFL in 1965 as an expansion team, after the NFL offered then-owner Rankin Smith a franchise to keep him from joining the rival American Football League (AFL).

In their 51 years of existence, the Falcons have compiled a record of 368–450–6 (including playoffs), winning division championships in 1980, 1998 and 2004. The Falcons have appeared in two Super Bowls during that time, Super Bowl XXXIII and Super Bowl LI, losing both—the former appearance representing the franchise’s lone NFC Championship Game victory. However, the Falcons are yet to win a Super Bowl championship.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team is headquartered in Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte; the stadium also serves as the home venue for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. The franchise began play in 1995 as an expansion team, and has appeared in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team was founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966. The Saints began play in Tulane Stadium in 1967.

Headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana, the Saints practice at their training facility, the Ochsner Sports Performance Center at Metairie Park on Airline Drive. Since 1987, the team has played their home games at Mercedes-Benz Superdome after using Louisiana Superdome for its first 21 seasons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The club joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team, along with the Seattle Seahawks.

Led by Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy, and quarterback Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay won Super Bowl XXXVII, their first and only league championship, during the 2002 season. They played their home games at Raymond James Stadium from 1998 to 2016 before moving to nearby Tropicana Field in 2017. During the franchise’s history, they have also accrued five playoff appearances, ten winning seasons, and one division championship.

Conclusion

The NFL regular season is nearly over, and the picture of who’s in and who’s out of the playoffs is almost complete. But there are still some big games to be played today that will have an impact on the postseason seeding. Here’s a look at who’s playing today in the NFL and what’s at stake.

In the AFC, the New England Patriots can clinch a first-round bye with a win over the New York Jets. The Pittsburgh Steelers can also clinch a first-round bye with a win over the Cleveland Browns, but they will need some help from other teams.

In the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams can clinch a first-round bye with a win over the San Francisco 49ers. The New Orleans Saints can clinch a first-round bye with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they will need some help from other teams.

Here are all of today’s NFL games:

Who’s Playing Today in the NFL?

Introduction