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NFL Background and Showdown

The American Football Conference and the National Football Conference each have 32 clubs in the National Football League. The National Football League (NFL) is a prominent professional sports league in the United States and Canada, as well as the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL season kicks out in August with a three-week preseason, followed by an 18-week regular season from early September to early January, with each club playing 17 games and having one bye week. The National Football League comprises 32 clubs from the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).

After the regular season, seven teams from each conference proceed to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament that ends in the Super Bowl, which is played in February between the AFC and NFC conference champions. The American Professional Football Association (APFA) founded the National Football League in 1920, before changing its name to the National Football League for the 1922 season.

After determining champions through end-of-season standings for the first time, a playoff system was implemented in 1933, ending with the NFL Championship Game until 1966. The Super Bowl was first played in 1967 to choose a champion between the best teams from the two leagues following an agreement to merge the NFL with the rival American Football League (AFL), and it has remained the last game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970.

The NFL is the most popular sports league in the United States, with the largest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world. The Super Bowl is also one of the world’s largest club athletic events, with individual games accounting for many of the most watched television programs in American history and all are on Nielsen’s Top 5 list of the most viewed US television broadcasts of all time. The NFL is the richest professional sports league in terms of income, as well as the league with the most valuable clubs.

The Green Bay Packers have won the most cumulative NFL championships, with thirteen, winning nine before the Super Bowl era and four later. The New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers have shared the most Super Bowl triumphs with six each since the game’s inception. The Los Angeles Rams are the current league champions, having defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022. The 2022 National Football League playoffs are set to begin on January 14, 2023, and will culminate with Super Bowl LVII on February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. At the end of Week 16, the following teams have qualified for the playoffs:

AFC

  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills, AFC East division champions
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Kansas City Chiefs, AFC West division champions
  • Los Angeles Chargers

NFC

  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Minnesota Vikings, NFC North division champions
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • San Francisco 49ers, NFC West division champions

Format

The four division winners and three wild card clubs (the top three non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) from each conference qualified for the playoffs. The four division champions are seeded 1-4 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, while the wild card teams are seeded 5-7. The NFL playoff system does not use a fixed bracket playoff system, and teams from the same division can face each other in any round. The second-seeded division winner hosts the seventh seed wild card in the first round, termed the Wild Card NFL Playoffs or Wild Card Weekend, the fourth seed hosts the fifth seed, and the third seed hosts the sixth seed. Each conference’s top seed receives a first-round bye, moving them to the second round, the Divisional NFL Playoffs, and hosting the poorest surviving seed from the first round (seed 4, 5, 6, or 7). The remaining teams compete against each other, with the higher-seeded team hosting. The two divisional playoff clubs from each conference then face in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championships, which are hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl is played at a neutral site, the chosen host club is decided by a conference-wide rotation.

Schedule Overview

The wild-card round is set to begin the 2022 playoffs, with three wild-card games contested in each conference. The Wild Card Weekend in 2023 is scheduled for January 14-16. The top seed in the conference will play the lowest remaining seed in the Divisional round on January 21-22, while the other two remaining teams will play each other. The winners of those games will progress to the Conference Championships on January 29. Super Bowl LVII is set for February 12 at Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium.

 – Guest Post

After the winter break, headlines include Gadreau homecoming and the Winter Classic

The Blue Jackets’ forward is returning to Calgary; the Bruins and Penguins will play at Fenway Park on January 2. Following its customary Christmas break, the NHL resumes play on Tuesday with 12 games. The League will have an action-packed stretch leading up to the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, which will be hosted by the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Feb. 3-4.

Here are a few stories to keep an eye on between now and the All-Star Game:

The IIHF World Junior Championship will be held in 2023.

Conor Bedard of Canada, Leo Carlsson of Sweden, and Charlie Stramel of the United States are among the best prospects for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft who will compete in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick. The tournament begins on Monday and concludes on January 5 with the gold medal game. Shane Wright, the No. 4 selection in the 2022 NHL Draft on loan from the Seattle Kraken, who was named Canada captain, and Luke Hughes, the New Jersey Devils No. 4 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, who is in his sophomore season at the University of Michigan and was named captain for the United States, will also compete.

Stamkos aims for their 500th goal

Overshadowed by Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of his 802nd goal, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos is three goals away from becoming the 47th player in NHL history to score 500 goals. On Wednesday, the Lightning begins a three-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET). Stamkos, who has 16 goals and 32 assists this season, became the Lightning’s first 1,000-point player with an assist in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 1.

Busy On New Year’s Eve.

The winter classic for NHL bids farewell to 2022 with twelve games on December 31, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Calgary Flames at the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers at the Winnipeg Jets at 10 p.m. ET.

The Winter Classic returns to Fenway Park.

On January 2, the Bruins will meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park (2 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, TVAS). The Winter Classic for NHL will be held for the second time at Fenway Park, home of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox. In the third Winter Classic, the Bruins defeated the Flyers 2-1 in overtime at Fenway Park. This game, like that one, will feature plenty of star power, with Boston led by David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Taylor Hall, and Pittsburgh led by Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.

Lindholm’s visit to Anaheim Hampus

Lindholm spent the first nine seasons of his winter classic NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks before being dealt to the Bruins on March 19, 2008. The following day, they reached an agreement on an eight-year, $52 million contract ($6.5 million average yearly value). When the Bruins visit Honda Center on Jan. 8, the defender will return for the first time since then. Lindholm, who helped Anaheim win the Pacific Division four straight seasons from 2013 to 2017, is third among Ducks defensemen in goals (57), assists (165), and points (165). (222).

The Sabres will retire Miller’s No. 30 jersey.

Ryan Miller will become the Buffalo Sabres’ ninth player to have his number retired when his No. 30 is lifted to the KeyBank Center rafters prior to their game against the New York Islanders on Jan. 19. Miller, who spent 11 seasons with the Sabres after being taken in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 1999 NHL Draft, holds Sabres records for wins (284) and games played (540). Tim Horton (2), Rick Martin (7), Gilbert Perreault (11), Rene Robert (14), Pat LaFontaine (16), Danny Gare (18), and Dominik Hasek (39) will be among the Sabres players whose numbers will be retired.

Canada celebrates Hockey Day.

On Jan. 21, all seven NHL clubs based in Canada will be in action for Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada. At 3 p.m. ET, Calgary hosts Tampa Bay, followed by Toronto visiting the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg visiting the Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. ET. At 10 p.m. ET, Edmonton hosts Vancouver in the nightcap. A day of off-ice events will take place in Owen Sound, Ontario.

The return of Gaudreau to Calgary

On Jan. 23, Johnny Gaudreau will make his debut appearance at Scotiabank Saddledome as a visiting player with the Blue Jackets, it will most likely be an emotional night. Gaudreau spent his first nine NHL seasons with Calgary before signing a seven-year, $68.25 million contract with Columbus on July 13 ($9.75 million AAV). Last season, he led the Flames and was tied for second in the NHL with 115 points (40 goals, 75 assists) in 82 games. With 609 points (210 goals, 399 assists) in 602 regular-season games, Gaudreau ranks fifth in Calgary/Atlanta Flames history.

Gagner, Edler, Krejci, and Tavares are all close to 1,000 games.

Before the All-Star break, Jets forward Sam Gagner (998), Los Angeles Kings defender Alexander Edler (997), Bruins forward David Krejci (990), and Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (983) could all achieve 1,000 regular-season games. Gagner is set to surpass the century mark against the Canucks on Thursday. On New Year’s Eve, Edler played in his 1,000th game against the Flyers. If he doesn’t miss any games, Krejci will play in his 1,000th game on Jan. 16 against the Flyers. If he doesn’t miss any games, Tavares will play his 1,000th game against the Washington Capitals on January 29.

 – Guest Post

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