Tom Brady and Gisele (the supermodel who needs no last name) spent the weekend on the beach because it was bye week for the Patriots. That’s an actual term on NFL schedules, our sports department explained to me. Bye week in NFL might have a few who don’t really follow sports (like yours truly) scratching their heads.
Let’s scratch with the left and type with the right…
Bye week in NFL: Who, What, When
Who: Every team in the NFL has one “bye” every season, usually between weeks five and 11. The practice began in 1990 to stretch the 16-game season into a 17-week span.
What: A bye can be a football-free week or it can be used to refer to a privilege given to the top teams in the playoff. The top seeded teams rest and automatically advance to the next round, basically.
When: There are bye weeks during the season, playoffs and a bye week between conference games and the Super Bowl.
2017 Bye Week Schedule
Week 1 – Miami, Tampa Bay (The byes were originally scheduled for week 11, but week 1 games were canceled due to Hurricane Irma and will be made up during week 11.)
Week 2 – No Byes
Week 3 – No Byes
Week 4 – No Byes
Week 5 – Atlanta, Denver, New Orleans, Washington
Week 6 – Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dallas, Seattle
Week 7 – Detroit, Houston
Week 8 – Arizona, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Tennessee
Week 9 – Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota, New England, Pittsburgh
Week 10- Baltimore, Kansas City, Oakland, Philadelphia
Week 11 – Carolina, Indianapolis, New York Jets, San Francisco
Week 12 – No Byes
Week 13 – No Byes
Week 14 – No Byes
Week 15 – No Byes
Week 16 – No Byes
Week 17 – No Byes
