I know the logic behind how it's chosen for each of the 16 games played.

With the 17th game added...I know we play an opposing conference's division and the corresponding placement of where that team finished within the division (I know we face the Falcons because they also finished last in their division). I also know the AFC gets all home games and then they will switch next year and so on.

But how is it decided in regards to which division plays which opposing conference division? For example, why is our AFC South facing NFC South instead of NFC North or NFC East first? (I know we already play against NFC West for 4 of the games so didn't include them). And how will they choose the next year and so on? Literally just a rotating schedule between the remaining 3 divisions in the NFC meaning it's random on which they choose first, second, third? Meaning it can't interfere rolling into choosing the same out-of-conference division since that rotates too though (referring to the NFC West this year).

Does my question make sense? Thanks!

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https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3115...venue-fans

Here's the relevant part for you:

How exactly will this all work, with an odd number of games?
The NFL's 2021 schedule won't be out for several more weeks, but the formula that decides each team's opponents means teams have known for months who they'd be playing if the 2021 schedule had remained at 16 games. Adding the extra game means adding an extra opponent, and the owners voted some months ago on a format that would determine that extra opponent based on division standings from the previous year.

The league will match each division with a division in the other conference, rotating those matchups each season, and the team that finished first in one will play the team that finished first in the other, and so on. The current plan is to match interconference divisions that played each other two years ago, which means that, in this first 17-game season:

AFC East teams will play NFC East teams

NFC North teams will play AFC West teams

NFC South teams would play AFC South teams

NFC West teams will play AFC North teams

So, to determine the specific matchups, look at those pairings and see which teams finished in which spots in the standings in 2020. The Washington Football Team, which finished first in the NFC East, would play its extra game against the Buffalo Bills, who finished first in the AFC East. The Chicago Bears, who finished second in the NFC North, would play the Las Vegas Raiders, who finished second in the AFC West. The Carolina Panthers, who finished third in the AFC South, would play the Houston Texans, who finished third in the AFC South. And so on.

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Longer term, I think this is headed towards an 18 game regular season.

I don't like it, though.

16 games was perfect.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Is it too soon to do a This Week in the AFC South, Week 18?

Here would be my late March picks for that week's divisional games

Tennessee over New Orleans
Tampa over Indy
Carolina over Houston
Jacksonville over Atlanta

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Longer term, I think this is headed towards an 18 game regular season.

I don't like it, though.

16 games was perfect.

For me, the more games the better. I wish the NFL played a 52 week schedule. I hate the offseason. There is nothing to watch on Sundays.

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Make it a 20 game season and eliminate pre-season all together..

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Longer term, I think this is headed towards an 18 game regular season.

I don't like it, though.

16 games was perfect.

For me, the more games the better. I wish the NFL played a 52 week schedule. I hate the offseason. There is nothing to watch on Sundays.

I am like Pookie from New Jack City when the offseason hits.  The withdrawal is horrible for me.

This pre draft period isn't so bad, because there's constant talk of football.  But once the draft is over and the excitement and buzz dies down, it'll be horrible.

The main thing that gets me through it is going back and watching old games I have recorded, but that'll only get me so far, especially when we're coming off a 1-15 season.

For me, the Kentucky Derby marks the halfway point, and then by early June, the preseason magazines start coming out.  That helps a little, but since I've developed the problems with my eyes, it takes more of an effort to read them.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I know the logic behind how it's chosen for each of the 16 games played.

With the 17th game added...I know we play an opposing conference's division and the corresponding placement of where that team finished within the division (I know we face the Falcons because they also finished last in their division). I also know the AFC gets all home games and then they will switch next year and so on.

But how is it decided in regards to which division plays which opposing conference division? For example, why is our AFC South facing NFC South instead of NFC North or NFC East first? (I know we already play against NFC West for 4 of the games so didn't include them). And how will they choose the next year and so on? Literally just a rotating schedule between the remaining 3 divisions in the NFC meaning it's random on which they choose first, second, third? Meaning it can't interfere rolling into choosing the same out-of-conference division since that rotates too though (referring to the NFC West this year).

Does my question make sense? Thanks!

My guess is in the 2022 season,  the AFC South will be matched up against the NFC North for the 17th game.  With the 2022 games being played in the NFC stadiums,  not counting games that will be played outside the USA. 

I think there's a pattern that was put into place. Being that the NFC North teams played against the AFC West in the 2019 season, the 2021 season is two seasons since then, and the NFC North teams will be playing against all 4 AFC East teams in the 2022 season, I'm expecting the extra game to be two seasons apart from when the team played the full division. The NFC North teams played against each of four AFC South teams in the 2020 season.  Hence, why I think the Jaguars will be facing an NFC North team in the 2022 season.

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Get ready for 18 games a year... it’s coming very soon.

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