The NFL owners approved a 17-game schedule for the 2021 season on Tuesday, meaning each team in the league would play an additional game than usual.
While the official schedule is not yet out, we already know it is structured for each team to play its divisional opponents twice (six games), all teams from two other divisions: one AFC and one NFC (eight games), plus the teams from the other two divisions within the conference that finished in the same spot in the 2020 standings (two games).
But who will each team play and how will home field be determined for the extra game?
The league plans to make the extra game another cross conference (AFC vs. NFC) game. It would use the opposite division each conference played against in 2019 (ie. AFC West played the NFC North) and pair them with the team that finished in the same spot in the standings in 2020.
For example, in 2019 the AFC West played the NFC North. In 2020, the Chiefs finished first in the AFC West and the Packers finished first in the NFC North. So, in 2021, the extra game would be the Chiefs vs. the Packers.
Home field will alternate each year, starting with the AFC in 2021.
Here is what the extra game matchups should look like in 2021:
Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs
Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings as Los Angeles Chargers
Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos
Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens
Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals
New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts
Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans
Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars
Washington Football Team at Buffalo Bills
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Jets
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