:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69051149/1190072878.0.jpg)
The Baltimore Ravens will have an extra home game this fall now that the NFL has officially expanded the 2021 regular season to 17 games. They were already slated to play the Chargers in Baltimore this year and now they will host the other Los Angeles franchise when the Los Angeles Rams come to Charm City.
The NFL has expanded the 2021 regular season to 17 games.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) March 30, 2021
We’ll now host the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. pic.twitter.com/a55mgbChap
The expansion of the regular season and reduction of the preseason was agreed to in the most recent CBA and will be implemented this fall. It’s been 44-years since the league expanded the regular season from 14 games to 16, back in 1978.
The extra regular season game will feature inter-conference matchups that typically only come around every four years barring a meeting in the Super bowl or preseason exhibition. Opponents will be chosen on a rotational basis based on the divisional standings from the previous season. Both the Ravens and Rams finished second in their respective divisions last season.
The Ravens’ updated list of home and away opponents is as follows:
Home -
Los Angeles Rams
Away -
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Bengals
The last time the Ravens played the Rams in the regular season was in 2019 on Monday Night Football in Week 12. It was one the best games from Lamar Jackson’s unanimous MVP-winning campaign. He shredded the Rams’ star-studded defense for five passing touchdowns and added 95 yards rushing on eight attempts in just three quarters of work as the Ravens cruised to 45-6 road victory.
Every AFC team will have an additional home game and eight road games in 2021 and in 2022, it will be the NFC teams’ turn to have nine home games. The league is also exploring the possibilities of having some of the extra inter-conference games being played internationally.
While the NFL adding an extra game to the regular season, it is reducing the preseason from four games to three in 2021 with the exception of the Hall of Fame game participants. The AFC teams will have just one preseason home game this year and the NFC teams will have just on away game.