Why the NFL is Playing 17 Games This Season

The NFL is adding an extra regular-season game to the schedule for each team this season. Here’s a look at why the league is doing this.

Introduction

In 2020, the NFL regular season will consist of 17 games per team. This is an increase of one game from the 16-game season that has been in place since 1978. The NFL made the decision to add an extra game to the schedule in order to generate more revenue. Each team will now play one additional game against a team from the opposite conference.

The 17-game schedule will result in each team playing 16 games within their own conference and one game outside of their conference. The NFL has not released the full schedule for the 2020 season yet, but it is expected that each team will play their extra game during the first week of the season.

The NFL has been gradually increasing the number of games each team plays over the past few years. In 2016, the league expanded from 16 games to 17 by adding a second bye week for each team. This change allowed all teams to have a week off during the season, but it also resulted in an increase in overall games played by each team.

The 2020 season will be the first time that all teams have played 17 regular season games. The last time an NFL team played 17 games was in 1987, when three teams played 18 games as part of a trial run for a possible 18-game season. However, this proposal was ultimately rejected by owners and players alike and no team has played more than 16 regular season games since then.

There are several reasons why the NFL decided to expand to a 17-game schedule. First and foremost, it is a way for the league to generate more revenue. Each additional game on television brings in more money for the league and its teams through broadcast rights deals. Additionally, ticket sales and concessions are also likely to increase with one more home game per team.

Another reason for this change is that it allows for a better balance between out-of-conference and intra-conference match-ups. In recent years, there have been concerns that some teams were at a disadvantage because they had to play more difficult out-of-conference opponents than others. Adding an extra game against a conference opponent should help alleviate this issue somewhat.

Finally, playing 17 games also gives players an opportunity to rest more during the grueling NFL season. With two bye weeks built into the schedule, players will now have at least one full week off during the season to rest and recover from injuries. This should help keep players fresher and potentially reduce injuries throughout the course of the year.

The decision to add an extra game to the schedule is sure to be controversial among fans and players alike. Some people feel that it is unfair to ask players to put their bodies through even more wear and tear than they already do on a weekly basis. Others believe that it is simply too much football and that fans will eventually grow tired of it if they are inundated with too many live games every week. Only time will tell how successful this experiment turns out to be for the NFL

The New NFL Schedule

The NFL made the decision to play 17 games this season for the first time ever. The additional game will be added to each team’s schedule, and the league has said that it will rotate each year so that every team has the extra game every 8 years. This means that there will be more football to watch this season!

How the Schedule Was Made

The NFL schedule is usually made months in advance. However, this year it was released only a few weeks before the season was set to begin. The reason for the delay was because the NFL wanted to see how COVID-19 would affect the season and make changes accordingly.

The NFL also had to contend with moves by both the NBA and NHL. The NBA pushed back its start date, while the NHL shortened its season. This meant that there were fewer days available for football games. In order to fit everything in, the NFL decided to add an extra game to each team’s schedule.

The NFL is playing 17 games this season because it needed to fit everything into a shorter time frame. By adding an extra game, each team is able to play all of its opponents. This will ensure that every team has a fair chance at making the playoffs.

While some people are worried about players getting injured during such a long season, others are excited about the additional football games. Either way, it will be interesting to see how this affected the league and its teams.

Why the Schedule Was Made

When Covid-19 forced the NFL to play a reduced schedule in 2020, one of the options that was considered was to add an additional game to the 2021 season to make up for lost revenue. That option was eventually rejected in favor of a traditional 16-game schedule, but with one key change: each team would play one additional “rival” game.

The thinking behind this was twofold: first, it would create more attractive matchups that would draw in casual fans; and second, it would provide an opportunity for fans of certain teams to see their favorite squad play an extra game.

The decision to go with a 17-game schedule was not without its detractors, however. Some purists argue that it dilutes the importance of the regular season, and there is also the concern that players will be at greater risk of injury with two extra games on the schedule.

Time will tell how this experiment plays out, but for now, we can all enjoy the fact that there will be 17 weeks of NFL action in 2021.

The Pros of the New Schedule

The NFL regular season is expanding from 16 to 17 games this season, and there are some benefits to the new schedule. With an extra game, there are more opportunities for teams to make the playoffs, and the games will be more evenly spaced out over the course of the season. However, there are also some drawbacks to the new schedule, including the fact that players will have to play one more game and there could be more injuries. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the new NFL schedule.

More Football

Under the new schedule, each team will play one additional game during the 17-week regular season. The extra game will be played against a division opponent that finished in the same place in its division the previous season. For example, if a team finishes first in its division, it will play an additional game against another team that also finished first in its division.

The NFL believes that this new schedule will provide a number of benefits for both players and fans. For players, it will create more opportunities to compete and earn a spot on an NFL roster. For fans, it will provide more meaningful games to watch during the regular season.

The NFL is also considering expanding the playoffs to include 14 teams instead of 12. This would create even more opportunities for teams to compete for a spot in the postseason.

The expanded playoffs would likely include two additional wild-card games, which would be played on Saturday and Sunday instead of during the week. This would give fans even more football to watch during the playoffs.

More Exciting Football

The NFL is playing 17 games this season instead of the usual 16, and fans are pumped. Here’s a look at some of the benefits of the new schedule.

More Exciting Football
With an extra game on the schedule, there’s bound to be more excitement. Even if the games are not very competitive, the fact that there are more of them means that there will be more opportunities for thrilling finishes and upsets. This could make the 2021 NFL season one of the most memorable in recent history.

Increased Revenues
The NFL is a business, and businesses exist to make money. With an extra game on the schedule, the league will almost certainly see an increase in revenues. This could mean higher salaries for players and coaches, more money for stadiums and concessions, and more money for other businesses that partner with the NFL.

Improved TV Ratings
More games also means more opportunities for people to watch football on television. This could lead to higher TV ratings and more viewers for the NFL’s broadcast partners. In turn, this could lead to higher prices for advertising during NFL games, which would generate even more revenue for the league.

More Opportunities for Young Players
With 17 games on the schedule, there will be more opportunities for young players to get on the field and show what they can do. This could lead to some breakout performances from unexpected players, which would add even more excitement to the season. It also provides an opportunity for teams to give their starters a break during the season, which could help prevent injuries.

The Cons of the New Schedule

The NFL is adding an extra game to the regular season this year, bringing the total up to 17 games. This has caused a lot of controversy among fans and players. There are a few reasons why this new schedule is not ideal. First, it means that each team will have one less bye week. This means that players will have less rest and recovery time throughout the season. Second, the new schedule is unbalanced. Some teams will have to play 18 games while others will only play 16. This creates an unfair advantage for the teams who play fewer games. Finally, the new schedule is too long. The season will now start in September and end in January, which is too much football for many fans.

Less Rest for Players

The obvious negative to playing 17 games is that it will wear down players’ bodies even more than the current 16-game schedule. A study done by the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that players who competed in a 16-game season were three times more likely to sustain a significant injury that caused them to miss at least three games.

17 games would also put even more of a premium on having depth at each position, as starters would need more rest and there would be an increased likelihood of players getting hurt. While some may argue that this would lead to more competitive football as teams with strong depth would have an advantage, it could also lead to even more Blowouts as teams with inferior backups get exposed.

Increased Risk of Injury

One of the most significant cons of the new NFL schedule is the increased risk of player injury. With two additional regular season games, that means more opportunities for players to get hurt. In a sport as physical as football, this is a major concern for both players and coaches.

In addition to the increased risk of injury, the new schedule also means that teams will have to play more games on short weeks. This could lead to even more injuries, as players will not have adequate time to recover between games. Short weeks also put a strain on team staff, as they will have less time to prepare for each game.

Conclusion

The NFL is playing 17 games this season for a variety of reasons. The most important reason is that the league wants to generate more revenue. With two extra games, the NFL can sell more tickets and television rights, and it can also charge more for advertising. The league also believes that with two extra games, there will be more opportunities for fans to watch their favorite teams play. Finally, the NFL believes that playing 17 games will provide a better product on the field, as there will be more playoff spots available and better competition overall.