The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. The league's teams are divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is then further divided into four divisions consisting of four teams each, labeled East, West, North, and South.

During the league's regular season, each team plays 16 games over a 17-week period generally from September to January. At the end of each regular season, the six best teams from each conference play in the NFL playoffs, a 12-team single-elimination tournament that culminates with the NFL championship, the Super Bowl. This game is held at a pre-selected site which is usually a city that hosts an NFL team or a popular college stadium. One week later, selected all-star players from both the AFC and NFC meet in the Pro Bowl, currently held in Hawaii.

Formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (it adopted the name National Football League in 1922), the NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. It also has by far the highest per-game attendance of any domestic professional sports league in the world; its 2005 attendance of 67,593 per game was over 25,000 higher than the 2005-06 per-game attendance of the league in second place, the Bundesliga in German football (soccer).

More on [ National Football League ]

SI.com - NFL

FanHouse: Vikes right ship
Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:33:44 -0500

Schaub-to-Johnson connection buries Seahawks
Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:33:44 -0500
Texans-Seahawks recap
Colts break records with 28-16 victory over Denver
Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:33:43 -0500
INDIANAPOLIS(AP) Peyton Manning watched disbelievingly one pass after another hit the ground Sunday.
Giants-Eagles in key NFC East showdown
Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:33:43 -0500

Chargers top Cowboys, extend Dec. streak to 16
Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:33:43 -0500
ARLINGTON, Texas(AP) The December trends hold: Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers are perfect, while Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys are perfectly miserable in the most important month of the regular season.
Johnson rings up 2 team records, Titans rip Rams
Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:33:43 -0500
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(AP) The Tennessee Titans aren't giving up on their slim playoff hopes, not without a fight.

ESPN.com - NFL

Manning's 4 TDs help Colts top Pats' wins mark
Associated Press Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:02:40 -0800
Peyton Manning threw four TD passes as the Colts held off Denver for a 28-16 victory. It gave the Colts (13-0) their 22nd consecutive regular-season win.
Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall sets NFL mark with 21 catches in loss to Indianapolis Colts
Associated Press Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:57:49 -0800
Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall has broken Terrell Owens' NFL record for receptions in a game with 21.
Rivers bails out Chargers to hold off Cowboys
Associated Press Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:09:14 -0800
Philip Rivers bailed the Chargers out of trouble with several third-down throws and hit Antonio Gates for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, lifting San Diego to a 20-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

USATODAY.com NFL - Top Stories

Colts top Broncos, set new NFL standard with 22nd straight win
Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:44:01 -0000
Brandon Marshall of the Denver Broncos had a record 21 catches in a fantasy league dream performance. But Peyton Manning and ...
Titans keep playoff hopes alive after routing Rams 47-7
Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:05:34 -0000
The Tennessee Titans aren't giving up on their slim playoff hopes, not without a fight. Chris Johnson ran for 117 yards and two ...
Ravens, Ray Rice run it up on hapless Lions 48-3
Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:56:08 -0000
Neither the soggy field nor the Detroit Lions' porous defense could stop Ray Rice. Rice ran for a career-high 166 yards and a ...
Packers 'psycho' defense confuses Cutler, Bears
Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:57:01 -0000
Green Bay's "Psycho" package mixed with a late dose of cornerback blitzes psyched Cutler into two interceptions that keyed 10 ...
Bruce Gradkowski hurt as Redskins beat Raiders 34-13
Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:01:59 -0000
Jason Campbell threw two touchdown passes to give the Washington Redskins the lead and Quinton Ganther put it away by running ...
Dolphins above .500 as defense shines in 14-10 defeat of Jaguars
Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:51:06 -0000
The Miami Dolphins won another close game with another late defensive stop. This one put them right in the middle of the AFC ...

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