NFL 2021-2022: Everything You Need to Know

The 2021-2022 season of the National Football League (NFL) that begins on September 9, will be historic since its regular calendar will have 17 games for the first time and will also have a shorter preseason, both conditions applicable to the 32 teams that make up the circuit.

The decision was made last March by different team owners, but some details had not been specified since then. For example, counting the week off, the regular season will be extended for 18 weeks. The objective is that this additional day will boost the increase in income for the league in a season in which for the first time since 2010, it will be played with a reduced salary cap compared to the previous year.

All this arose from the approval of the last collective bargaining agreement in February 2020, only that in the previous campaign it was played under the previous format. With the expansion of the regular season, the preseason also decreases from four to three games as indicated above.

While expanding the season has been contemplated for some time, the players' union refused to budge.

As will be?

The 17-game schedule will start with the kickoff on Thursday, September 9 in Tampa Bay, and with the first Sunday on the 12th of that same month. There will be no additional rest week, so there would be 17 games in 18 weeks (until the previous season it was 16 in 17), and the other news is that the regular season would end on Sunday, January 9 and not in December as it usually happens.

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Thus, the postseason would begin on January 15 and it would be a three-day weekend, something also novel, to include a Monday night game in the wild card round. In turn, the Super Bowl of the LVI edition, initially scheduled for February 6 with the previous calendar, would be postponed one more week to be played on Sunday 13. Normally by that date, there is already a champion.

Mahomes vs. Rodgers

The additional week, in addition, would provoke the attractive duel between Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, two of the most important quarterbacks on the circuit today and who come from two consecutive seasons reaching the final stages.

There will also be other interesting duels, such as the Cowboys against Bill Belichick's Pats, Seahawks vs. Steelers, Rams vs. Ravens, Cardinals vs. Browns, 49ers vs. Bengals, Packers vs. Chiefs, Bears vs. Raiders, Vikings vs. Chargers, Lions vs. Broncos, Washington vs. Bills, Giants vs. Dolphins, Cowboys vs. Patriots, Eagles vs. Jets, Saints vs. Titans, Bucs vs. Colts, Panthers vs. Texans and Falcons vs. Jaguars.

What is most striking is the formula for defining the extra game. According to King, the league opted for inter-conference duels and all the American Conference teams would be local to those of the National Conference. The combinations that were registered in 2019 (AFC West vs NFC North, AFC North vs NFC West, AFC East vs NFC East, and AFC South vs NFC South will be repeated, but using the positions of 2020 to face 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3 and 4 vs 4.

The Champions

As this NFL revolution brews, the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are aware that their players will need to be more consistent from the neck up.

Head coach Bruce Arians is happy with the way his team performs in preseason training. However, you also want to see smarter jobs.

“We have to be a much smarter soccer team. In some practices, we have made mental mistakes. We have Work, practice speed, and all those things that are very, very competitive, but we have to become a smarter soccer team quickly, "Arians reflected on the team's website.

Arians also praised the play of inside linebacker Devin White and rookie outside linebacker Joe Tryon in particular but said the execution has been lacking on the other side of the ball, which frustrated quarterback Tom Brady after a couple of plays. broken or failed. Everyone, however, knows that the team can only improve.