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NFL Expanded Schedule: Regular Season and Playoffs Explained

The NFL 2022 will begin on September 8, 2022, and before it starts, there will be three pre-season weeks and a hall of fame game. The Jaguars will take on the Raiders in the hall of fame game on the 5th of August. The teams would play three pre-season games instead of four. 

Last year, the CBA announced the expansion of the NFL from 16-games to a 17-games format. In 1978, they changed the 14 games format to 16 games. It was the first time the NFL was expanded in 43 years. All welcomed and appreciated the decision. It was monumental. It also affected the draft, as coaches were more flexible, and it was clear by the NFL draft odds.

Why was the NFL expanded?

The expansion was due, and the COVID became the primary reason. Because of the pandemic, owners lost substantial gate money, and discounted sales also hurt the pocket. Both NFLPA and owners agreed on the expansion for the sake of money and growth of the league.

With another week, the NFL would get more screen time, more ads, more ticket sales, and increased coverage. It also made sense to implement the long due expansion clause in the CBA.

How would the expanded season work?

Before the expansion, in a 16-game season, each team would play four preseason games along with the hall of fame game.

Making the preseason short would benefit the teams. Instead of resting their impactful players, coaches would better evaluate the roster by giving everyone a run before the regular season.

Previously, coaches used to safeguard their starting line to protect them from injuries. With a short preseason, coaches would have more flexibility in experimenting with the combinations.

The regular season would be a week longer. The start of the league would remain unchanged, which means the play-offs would be pushed back a week. Hence, the SuperBowl would take place on the second Sunday of February instead of the first.

The scheduling of matches would also change. The teams will have nine home and eight road games, while some will have eight home and nine road games. The home advantage could be crucial for teams; however, the schedule will shift every season.

Other than that, there would not be many changes in the season, only a week more. Similarly, teams would still have one bye week.

How would teams be affected by the change?

With the addition of one more game, the teams would be in a more comfortable position in resting their players. The rotation would be much easier, and player management would also improve. The players struggle with back-and-forth games because of pure physicality; therefore, the team management would be content with the expansion. 

How would the 17th match be decided?

The format was simple, as the NFL matched the divisions of the AFC and NFC. The opponents were decided based on their last season’s standings. The team that finished first would play against the team that finished first in the respective division, second position with the second position, and so on.

Would there be another expansion?

The right of 17 games expansion was with the owners, and further expansion would require negotiation with the players and other concerning parties. However, the NFL would like to expand, bearing monetary value and sponsors in mind.  

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

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