The NFL season is the annual competition between the 32 teams of the National Football League (NFL). It begins in the week following the first Monday of September (i.e., the weekend following the Labor Day holiday) and ends in early January, after which that season’s playoffs tournament begins. It consists of 272 games, with each of the NFL’s 32 teams playing 17 games during an 18-week period with one “bye” week off. Since 2012, the NFL generally schedules games in five time slots during the week. The first game of the week is played on Thursday night, kicking off at 8:20 PM (ET).
The NFL season is divided into two phases: the regular season and the playoffs. The regular season consists of 17 weeks, with each team playing 17 games. The first 16 games are played against a predetermined schedule, while the 17th game is a “bye” week. The teams are ranked by their win-loss record, and the top 14 teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.
The playoffs consist of four rounds: the wild card round, the divisional round, the conference championship games, and the Super Bowl. The wild card round is played between the two teams with the lowest records in each conference. The divisional round is played between the two winners of the wild card round and the two teams with the best records in each conference. The conference championship games are played between the winners of the divisional round. The Super Bowl is played between the winners of the AFC and NFC championship games.
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the NFL. It is played on the first Sunday in February at a neutral site. The Super Bowl is the most watched sporting event in the United States.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the NFL season:
- Preseason: The preseason is a four-week period that precedes the regular season. It is used by teams to evaluate their players and to prepare for the regular season. The preseason games are not considered official games, and the results do not count towards the team’s win-loss record.
- Regular season: The regular season is 18 weeks long, with each team playing 17 games. The first 16 games are played against a predetermined schedule, while the 17th game is a “bye” week. The teams are ranked by their win-loss record, and the top 14 teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs.
- Wild card round: The wild card round is the first round of the playoffs. It is played between the two teams with the lowest records in each conference. The wild card teams are seeded 6-7 in each conference. The wild card round is played on the weekend following the conclusion of the regular season.
- Divisional round: The divisional round is the second round of the playoffs. It is played between the four winners of the wild card round and the two teams with the best records in each conference. The divisional round is played on the weekend following the wild card round.
- Conference championship games: The conference championship games are the third round of the playoffs. They are played between the two winners of the divisional round in each conference. The conference championship games are played on the weekend following the divisional round.
- Super Bowl: The Super Bowl is the championship game of the NFL. It is played on the first Sunday in February at a neutral site. The Super Bowl is the most watched sporting event in the United States.
