Mimir’s guide to the NFL schedule
Mímir, how does the NFL decide who plays who each season?
That’s a great question! The teams the Minnesota Vikings and other NFL teams face each season do change but the selection isn’t random, nor is it the work of the gods! So let’s take a look at how it’s decided…
How many games does an NFL team play in a season?
This has changed over the years but currently each team plays 17 games in a regular season: one a week over the course of 18 weeks, with each team getting one bye week during the season, usually between weeks 4 and 14.
If your team is lucky enough to make the playoffs, that number of games can rise to a maximum of 20. You can read about the playoffs in my guide to how the NFL playoffs work.
So how does the NFL decide who plays who?
The NFL uses a predetermined scheduling formula to determine which teams play each other from season to season. The scheduling process involves a combination of fixtures that are constant each year and ones that rotate.
All of the schedule is based on the way the league is structured, so if you need to know more about the structure of the NFL, take a look at my handy guide on how the league is structured.
Let’s look at how the games are decided:
Divisional Matchups
The majority of a team’s schedule is made up of games against their divisional opponents. Each team plays its three divisional rivals twice – once at home and once away (or ‘on the road’) – giving us the first six of our 17 games.
The Vikings play in the NFC North division, so we play our divisional rivals the Bears, the Lions and the Packers twice each season, once at home and once at their stadium, all of these making for some of the most hotly contested matchups in the league.
Intraconference Matchups
Next up are the intraconference games. Each team will play four games against teams from another division within its conference, 2 at home, 2 on the road. This rotates between the divisions each year.
In 2023, we faced the NFC South but this season we’ll be taking on teams from the NFC West – the Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks and 49ers. These account for another 4 games of the 17, taking us to 10.
Each team also plays another two games against teams from the two remaining divisions in its own conference, one game at home and one on the road. Matchups are based on division ranking from the previous season.
The Vikings finished 3rd in the NFC North in 2023, so they will play fellow third-place finishers in the Giants from the NFC East and the Falcons from the NFC South, setting up a mouthwatering clash against our former QB, Kirk Cousins. That adds another 2 games to the 17, leaving just five to account for.
Interconference Matchups
Each team also plays 5 games against teams from the opposite conference. This is based on rotation, making sure each team plays every other team in the NFL at least once every 4 years.
Much like the intraconference matchups, each team will play four games against teams from a single division outside its own conference. Last season, the Vikings took on the AFC West, including the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs, and this year it will be the AFC South, giving us home games against the Texans (who have a few ex-Vikings of their own) and the Colts, and road games against the Jaguars and the Titans. So who are our final opponents?
Game 17
The 17th and final game was introduced in 2021. The game is against a non-conference opponent from a division that each team is not otherwise scheduled to play. It’s decided by division ranking from the previous season.
Last season it was the Cincinnati Bengals, whereas this year it will be the New York Jets, who also finished in third place in their division, the AFC East.
Bye week
Among those 17 games is a bye week for each team, making for a regular season lasting a total of 18 weeks. With the Vikings due to play in London this year, probably sometime between week 5 and week 7, we expect the bye week to come straight after that, right in the middle of the season.
When is the schedule released?
The specific matchups for each season are typically announced in the spring, and the release date for this year is May 15th.
Just remember, the schedule is subject to alteration due to unforeseen circumstances, such as severe weather and other factors that may require adjustments.
Are games always played on a Sunday?
Most games are typically played on a Sunday but there are also games on Thursdays, Mondays and sometimes Saturdays; there’s even a Friday night game scheduled to be played in Brazil between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers in week 1 this year, and another on Black Friday after Thanksgiving. Keep your eye on the schedule to know when the Vikings are playing and what time they kick off (UK time of course!).
What else do I need to know and how do they decide when everyone plays?
The NFL considers additional factors while determining the schedule, such as bye weeks, primetime games, and minimising travel distances. It’s a delicate balance of making sure each team is available for their scheduled game each week, while considering logistics and how entertaining each week will be.
Overall, the NFL aims to create a fair and competitive schedule for all teams while maintaining a level of unpredictability and excitement for fans.