The National Football League is slowly getting across the border and making its way into Europe. Because the league has done a fantastic job by mixing pop culture during halftime, the number of followers has drastically increased. Also, a lot of the superstars have appeared on talk shows and podcasts to talk about their journey, which most people find inspiring.
Americans who have followed the sport since Vince Lombardi and Joe Montana would argue that American Football is more popular now than it was back in the day. We can all agree that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have made quite an impact on the game and managed to attract fans from around the world.
Some fans focus on the playoffs and the Super Bowl, while others follow the pre-season and the regular season and always have an excuse for ordering chicken wings. The regular season is not the thing you need to get through until you reach the “tootsie pop” or the Super Bowl. The season is filled with a lot of same-division rivalries and fearsome competition.
So, How many games are in an NFL season? When does it start, and when does it end?
Keep reading to learn more about the NFL season and how the schedule is made!
When Does the NFL Season Begin?
Whenever you see on the calendar that Labor Day is around the corner, you should get excited because that means the NFL season is also about to start. Like kids after the summer break, the players return to the field the first week of September.
The matches are scattered from Thursday through Monday. There is one game on Thursday and one on Monday; the rest are reserved for a stay-at-home Sunday Night.
The season is usually wrapped after five months on the same date it started. The 2023 regular seasons started on the 8th of September and finished on the 8th of January.
Now, the only thing left we have to look forward to is the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Eagles. Will Patrick Mahomes get another shot at lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy, or is this the year of Jalen Hurts? Cancel all your plans on Monday the 13th of February because the Super Bowl is finally here.
How Many Games Are in an NFL Season?
The league consists of 32 teams which are divided into two conferences:
- AFC American Football Conference
- NFC National Football Conference
There is an equal number of teams in each conference, and 16 teams are split into East, West, North, and South divisions.
The league has extended its run for the first time in the NFL. Each team will play 17 games in the regular season, one more than in previous years. The game will be spread across 18 weeks meaning each team will get a bye week.
The season got an extra week, while the pre-season lost one. The 2023 regular season is already scheduled for every team, and between weeks 6 and 14, the NFL panel will decide which team will get a bye or an off week.
In total, a regular NFL season has 272 matches and runs from early September to the beginning of January. The playoffs start two weeks after the season. The Super Bowl is always scheduled for the first half of February.
How is the season schedule made?
The new 17th game is a match against a non-conference opponent from a division that the team is not yet scheduled to play. The division ranking from the previous season determined the matchups of this season.
There are six games between divisional teams. There are two games per team, one is away and requires the team to go on the road, and the second one is home. Four games against teams from the same division within the same conference. Two of them are on a home field, while the remaining two are away.
Also, four games are scheduled for teams from the same division in another conference. Just like before, two of them are at home, and two are guests. There are also two games against teams from the remaining divisions of the same conference. One at home and one away.
Best NFL Regular Season Records
Regardless of what sport we are talking about, the simple idea of getting a perfect record during the regular season is a dream that only a few have managed to realize. In the National Football League, only a few have accomplished a perfect record and left a mark on the league’s history.
When a team has the perfect lineup and a quarterback that can carry the team on his shoulders, the legacy usually lasts for a couple of seasons. Therefore, there are two ways that you can analyze this record:
- By most wins
- By winning percentage
The NFL has existed for more than 100 years, and in that period, only three teams have managed to finish the season undefeated. Currently, only one team carries the torch of a record-breaking season.
NFL Season Records by winning percentage
| Team | Year | Record | Result |
| New England Patriots | 2007 | 16-0 | Lost the Super Bowl |
| Miami Dolphins | 1972 | 14-0 | Won the Super Bowl |
| Chicago Bears | 1934 | 13-0 | Lost in NFL Championship |
| Chicago Bears | 1942 | 11-0 | Lost in NFL Championship |
| Green Bay Packers | 1929 | 12-0-1 | No Playoffs |
| Canton Bulldogs | 1923 | 11-0-1 | No Playoffs |
| Carolina Panthers | 2015 | 15-1 | Lost the Super Bowl |
| Green Bay Packers | 2011 | 15-1 | Lost in Divisional |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2004 | 15-1 | Lost in Conference Championship |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1998 | 15-1 | Lost in Conference Championship |
| Chicago Bears | 1985 | 15-1 | Won the Super Bowl |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1984 | 15-1 | Won the Super Bowl |
| Oakland Raiders | 1976 | 13-1 | Won the Super Bowl |
NFL Season Records by most wins
| Team | Year | Record | Result |
| New England Patriots | 2007 | 16-0 | Lost the Super Bowl |
| Carolina Panthers | 2015 | 15-1 | Lost the Super Bowl |
| Green Bay Packers | 2011 | 15-1 | Lost in Divisional |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2004 | 15-1 | Lost in Conference Championship |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1998 | 15-1 | Lost in Conference Championship |
| Chicago Bears | 1985 | 15-1 | Won the Super Bowl |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1984 | 15-1 | Won the Super Bowl |
| Miami Dolphins | 1972 | 14-0 | Won the Super Bowl |
| Frankford Yellow Jackets | 1926 | 14-1-2 | No Playoffs |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2020 | 14-2 | Lost the Super Bowl |
| Baltimore Ravens | 2019 | 14-2 | Lost in Divisional |
| New England Patriots | 2016 | 14-2 | Won the Super Bowl |
| New England Patriots | 2010 | 14-2 | Lost in Divisional |
Undefeated Teams in the Regular Season
In the history of the National Football League, only three teams have managed to finish the season undefeated
- The Chicago Bears (twice in 1934 and 1942)
- The Miami Dolphins (1972)
- New England Patriots (2007)
Chicago Bears
The first time that this happened was back in 1934 when the Chicago Bears had a powerhouse of a team. They scored 22 points per game on average. The offensive line averaged 280 yards per game. Unfortunately, they lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.
The game ended with a score of 30-13, and the Bears and their head coach George Halas was devastated. In 1942, they did the same thing again. They crushed every one of their opponents during the season and ended up losing the Super Bowl to Washington.
In 1980, the Chicago Bears were the only team ever to score more than 70 points. They destroyed the Redskins in a season game that ended 73-0. Four years later, Washington got its revenge and stole their title after a perfect season.
Miami Dolphins
Another team that went undefeated in 1972 was the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins posted a 14-0 record during the regular season, which only paved the way to the finals. They defeated the Washington Redskins and became the Super Bowl VII Champions.
New England Patriots
The last team that achieved the perfect score during the regular season was New England. In 2007, the Patriots set a 16-0 record and made their way to the finals. To this day, the 2007 New England Patriots are known as the greatest team that didn’t win the Super Bowl.
Team With the Best NFL Season Record
The best season record was 16-0 in 2007 by no other than the Patriots. In 2007, the Patriots were led by Tom Brady, a youngster, and an underdog. What started as a perfect season ended in a tragedy and an inspiration for many documentaries.
In this era, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were tearing down every team that stood before them. They outscored their opponents by 40 points and showed a lot of dominance on the field, which was very fun to watch. The pressure was a privilege for this team, and nobody could break their winning streak. Before the season, they recruited Randy Moss, who needed a bounce-back season to prove he was still one of the best receivers in the league.
Unfortunately, at the Super Bowl XLI, it all came crashing down on them. Brady and the Patriots were defeated by Eli Manning (Peyton’s younger brother) and the New York Giants. This was Eli’s one championship ring, but football fans count it as three because he managed to defeat the 2007 Patriots.
Summary
How many games are in an NFL season? Which teams managed to finish the season undefeated, and what is the team with the best season record?
There are 17 games in an NFL season scattered through 18 weeks. Every team gets a bye week and a chance to rest. In our article, we also dived into the history of the NFL and ranked all the teams with record-breaking seasons.
