Changes

*Beginning with the 2021 season, a designated opponent from the other conference which is not in the "designated division from the other conference" that the team would otherwise face.

*Beginning with the 2021 season, a designated opponent from the other conference which is not in the "designated division from the other conference" that the team would otherwise face.

As an example, the [[Green Bay Packers]] finished first in the NFC North after the 2020 season.  They will therefore play the following teams during the 2021 season:

As an example, the [[Green Bay Packers]] finished first in the NFC North after the 2020 season.  They therefore played the following teams during the 2021 season:

*[[Chicago Bears|Chicago]], [[Detroit Lions|Detroit]] and [[Minnesota Vikings|Minnesota]], their NFC North Division Rivals,

*Two games each, home and away, against [[Chicago Bears|Chicago]], [[Detroit Lions|Detroit]] and [[Minnesota Vikings|Minnesota]], their NFC North Division Rivals,

*All four teams from the AFC North ([[Baltimore Ravens|Baltimore]] [[Cincinnati Bengals|Cincinnati]], [[Cleveland Browns|Cleveland]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Pittsburgh]], which is their designated inter-conference division for that year,

*All four teams from the AFC North ([[Baltimore Ravens|Baltimore]] [[Cincinnati Bengals|Cincinnati]], [[Cleveland Browns|Cleveland]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Pittsburgh]], which is their designated inter-conference division for that year,

*All four teams from the NFC West ([[Arizona Cardinals|Arizona]], [[Los Angeles Rams]], [[San Francisco 49ers|San Francisco]] and [[Seattle Seahawks|Seattle]], which is their designated intra-conference division for that year,

*All four teams from the NFC West ([[Arizona Cardinals|Arizona]], [[Los Angeles Rams]], [[San Francisco 49ers|San Francisco]] and [[Seattle Seahawks|Seattle]], which is their designated intra-conference division for that year,

*The other teams from the NFC (besides the West) which also finished first in their divisions: that would be [[New Orleans Saints|New Orleans]] (NFC South) and [[Washington Football Team|Washington]] (NFC East), and

*The other teams from the NFC (besides the West) which also finished first in their divisions in 2020: those teams were [[New Orleans Saints|New Orleans]] (NFC South) and [[Washington Football Team|Washington]] (NFC East), and

*A designated AFC team not in the AFC North, which for 2021 would be [[Kansas City Chiefs|Kansas City]].

*A designated AFC team not in the AFC North, which for 2021 was [[Kansas City Chiefs|Kansas City]].

The season generally begins on the Thursday after [[Labor Day]] and concludes the week after [[Christmas]].  Most games are played on Sunday, with one or more games played on Monday and on Thursday as well.  Games are not played on Friday or Saturday during most of the season due to federal laws prohibiting NFL games competing with high school or college games; the league will play some Saturday games once the college football season ends and has very rarely played on Friday.

The season generally begins on the Thursday after [[Labor Day]] and concludes the week after [[Christmas]].  Most games are played on Sunday, with one or more games played on Monday and on Thursday as well.  Games are not played on Friday or Saturday during most of the season due to federal laws prohibiting NFL games competing with high school or college games; the league will play some Saturday games once the college football season ends and has very rarely played on Friday.