Jets Host Eagles, Giants visit Miami as Details Emerge on 17th NFL Game

 The mystery of the 17th regular season NFL game that will be added to the schedule next season is starting to come to light. We knew already that the NFL was planning to add the game due to revenue incentives, and that teams from the NFC East and AFC East would play one another depending upon where each team finished in the standings. 

One thing that is still uncertain is whether this will happen or not. Chances are good that we will see a 17th game this season. 1) Because the owners want it so they can make more money, especially after COVID-19 kept fans away last fall, and 2) more television revenue. Money makes the world go 'round, ya know. 

If and when the owners approve the 17th game, one would imagine the preseason will be cut down from four games to two or three contests. It's been a long standing belief that preseason games are a waste of time, and fans do not enjoy paying regular season prices for games that do not count and mean nothing to them, except for the number of players on the bubble. 

Now we have more details: 

1) The AFC will host the NFC in the 17th game this year, and the each conference will rotate hosting the game every year after that. For example in 2022, NFC teams will host that 17th game against their AFC counterparts. 

2) NFC East teams will visit AFC East teams; NFC North teams will visit AFC West teams; NFC West teams will visit AFC North teams, and NFC South will visit AFC South teams. More specifically, that means the New York Jets who finished in last place in the AFC East at 2-14, will host the Philadelphia Eagles who finished 4-11-1 and in last place in the NFC East. 

The Giants whose 6-10 record earned them a second place finish last year will visit the Miami Dolphins, who finished 10-6 in second place int he AFC East. 

3) There will be no extra bye weeks. The season will start normally the second week in September and run into the second week in January for 18 weeks. There will be only one bye week for everyone. 

4) With the end of the season pushed back a week, it could mean a wild card game would be eligible for Monday Night Football, which makes sense considering ABC is now back in the mix to host a Super Bowl game sometime in the near future. 

5) Super Bowl LVI will now take place President's Day/Valentine's Day weekend instead of the first weekend of February. 

6) Rumors are the NFL will add two Christmas day games this year. 

7) The match-ups:

 Eagles @ Jets 

Giants @ Dolphins

Cowboys @ Patriots

Washington @ Bills

Packers @ Chiefs

Bears @ Raiders

Vikings @ Chargers

Lions @ Broncos

Seahawks @ Steelers

Rams @ Ravens

Cardinals @ Browns

49ers @ Bengals

Saints @ Titans

Buccaneers @ Colts

Panthers @ Texans

Falcons @ Jaguars  

Dates and times of these games will not be known until at least mid-to-late April when the schedule release comes out.