NFC North Home and Away Opponents Finalized for 2019 Season
No, your favorite NFC North football team isn't being screwed by the NFL scheduling committee. It's all on a set rotation.
Every year at this time we are able to tell you all the opponents that the NFC North teams will face during the next football season. Once the teams are announced, fans tend to think that the NFL has something out for them because of the home and away schedules. That would be incorrect. The NFL implemented a schedule rotation that started in 2002 that would give teams a chance to play everyone at least every four years.
How does it work? It's pretty easy.
- 6 games vs. own division (3 home, 3 away)
- 4 games vs. division from own conference (2 home, 2 away)
- 4 games vs. division from the other conference (2 home, 2 away)
- 2 games vs. 'Common Opponents' from the same conference based on last year's standings. (1 home, 1 away) (EX: 1st Place NFC North vs. 1st Place NFC West).
The common opponents home/away are on a two-year rotation until the divisions are scheduled to play in full again. The NFC North played the NFC West in 2018, and they will travel to the NFC West as common opponents for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Whereas the NFC North has and will host NFC South teams as common opponents for 2018 and 2019 (and will play in full in 2020). After the 2019 season, the NFC North will host common opponents from the NFC East in 2020 and 2021.
All but two of the games for 2019 for all NFC North teams were set before this past 2018 season even started. Better yet, we could outline the opponents for the NFC North teams home and away for the next 50 years if we really wanted to. No, it's not a conspiracy against your favorite team.
2019 will see the NFC North play the NFC East and the AFC West as part of the schedule rotation. Each team in the NFC North will host its common opponent from the NFC South, and travel to its common opponent from the NFC West.
NFC North 2019 Opponents
Chicago Bears:
Home: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Dallas, NY Giants, Kansas City, LA Chargers, New Orleans
Away: Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington, Oakland, Denver, LA Rams
Detroit Lions:
Home: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Dallas, NY Giants, Kansas City, LA Chargers, Tampa Bay
Away: Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington, Oakland, Denver, Arizona
Green Bay Packers:
Home: Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Washington, Oakland, Denver, Carolina
Away: Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Dallas, NY Giants, Kansas City, LA Chargers, San Francisco
Minnesota Vikings:
Home: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Washington, Oakland, Denver, Atlanta
Away: Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Dallas, NY Giants, Kansas City, LA Chargers, Seattle