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NFL Reportedly to Announce 17-Game Regular-Season Schedule

purplefaithful
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The NFL will reportedly announce its expansion to a 17-game regular season this week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.  
Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported in February that the league considered making the change, as well as reducing the number of preseason games from four to three, as soon as the 2021 season (h/t Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports).
While the makeup of the regular season hasn't changed since 1978—when the league moved from 14 games to the current 16-game format and dropped from six preseason contests to four—the NFL schedule did look different in 2020, with an expanded postseason field of 14 teams compared to 12. 
Peter King of NBC ran through some of the major expectations for a 17-game season on Feb. 28: 

  • There will be no extra bye week—there will be 17 games across 18 weekends.
  • The Super Bowl—scheduled for Feb. 6—will likely be pushed back one week to Feb. 13. 
  • The two conferences are expected to alternate hosting the extra week of the season every year—the AFC will have the honors of hosting the 17th game in 2021, though Maske reported Friday that may change in 2022, when the league wants to use some of those games as neutral-site contests for international play. 
King also reported that Game 17 will be played between cross-conference opponents based on the 2020 standings. Per John Breech of CBS Sports, that sets up the following matchups: 
  • Packers at Chiefs
  • Bears at Raiders
  • Vikings at Chargers
  • Lions at Broncos
  • Seahawks at Steelers
  • Rams at Ravens
  • Cardinals at Browns
  • 49ers at Bengals
  • Saints at Titans
  • Buccaneers at Colts
  • Panthers at Texans
  • Falcons at Jaguars
  • Washington at Bills
  • Giants at Dolphins
  • Cowboys at Patriots
  • Eagles at Jets
Per Maske, NFL owners are expected to vote on the new schedule Tuesday and Wednesday.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2938564-nfl-reportedly-to-announce-17-game-regular-season-schedule-this-week?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger! 

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#1 · Mar 28, 1:16 PM
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Looks like I'll be making the drive down to Los Angeles

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#2 · Mar 28, 1:22 PM
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I forget there used to be 6 (!!) pre-season games! 

I'm surprised they're looking at the final week of the season for x-conference instead of interdivisional 

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#3 · Mar 28, 1:34 PM
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I think that game 17 does not mean week 17

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#4 · Mar 28, 2:42 PM
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I just want to know if the season ticket prices will stay the same with the 1 for 1 swap of a pre-season game for an additional regular season game.

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#5 · Mar 28, 4:12 PM
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@"Nichelle" said: I just want to know if the season ticket prices will stay the same with the 1 for 1 swap of a pre-season game for an additional regular season game.
Since folks had to pay full freight for preseason game, I would damn well hope so.
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#6 · Mar 28, 4:46 PM
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@"BarrNone55" said:
@"Nichelle" said: I just want to know if the season ticket prices will stay the same with the 1 for 1 swap of a pre-season game for an additional regular season game.
Since folks had to pay full freight for preseason game, I would damn well hope so.
I would hope so, too. However, the NFL uses a variable pricing structure to lower the face value of less desirable games and raise the face value of others. For the Vikings, the 'face value' of pre-season games is less than regular season.

You still pay the same total price for the season, but the 'official' per game price varies.

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#7 · Mar 28, 5:17 PM
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A 17th game seems so unnecessary, especially without an extra bye week.

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#8 · Mar 28, 10:16 PM
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Two words can explain the NFL’s thinking here....

CHA
CHING

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#9 · Mar 28, 10:52 PM
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#10 · Mar 29, 5:49 PM
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More money for the league and possibly more injuries for the players. 

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#11 · Mar 29, 6:22 PM
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Wish they would start the season a week earlier.

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#12 · Mar 29, 9:52 PM
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Why the F, not give an extra bye week?

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#13 · Mar 30, 12:44 AM
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@"kmillard" said: Wish they would start the season a week earlier.
They will. Next year. After they add an 18th regular season game and delete the third preseason game.
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#14 · Mar 30, 7:03 AM
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It's now official

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#15 · Mar 30, 12:32 PM
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NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports in-person OTAs can begin on April 19."The NFL and NFLPA continue to discuss virtual vs. in-person meetings and on-field work soon thereafter," Pelissero reports. As Pelissero points out, it is possible the league and NFLPA ultimately agree to new COVID rules for the 2021 offseason, but if they don't, the CBA status quo takes the day. We saw a similar dynamic play out in Major League Baseball, where the MLBPA vetoed a later start and the calendar kicked in as normal. Although the pandemic is still roiling in many parts of the country, vaccinations and previous infections are making for fewer places for the virus to spread. The offseason program could still be altered, but it doesn't seem like there is going to be a repeat of 2020 where all in-person activity was scrapped. 
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#16 · Mar 30, 12:33 PM
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@"Vikergirl" said: More money for the league and possibly more injuries for the players. 
@"Vanguard83" said: Why the F, not give an extra bye week?


making milllions of dollars per year, to play a 4-5 month season, comes with some risks.  unfortunately the ones that will likely suffer the most will not be the positions/players making the most money.

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#17 · Mar 30, 12:53 PM
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#18 · Mar 30, 1:30 PM
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@"BarrNone55" said: https://twitter.com/i/status/1376978607281733632
I'm gonna go. 
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#19 · Mar 30, 1:39 PM
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@"Vikergirl" said:
@"BarrNone55" said: https://twitter.com/i/status/1376978607281733632
I'm gonna go. 
Jelly.

I'm 95% certain I'm going to the Panthers game. 

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#20 · Mar 30, 1:41 PM
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We haven't picked our travel game for the year as it depends on the actual schedule. But I'd put this one on the list as a definite possibility. 

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#21 · Mar 30, 3:29 PM
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