NFL schedule release: The 7 teams who won the social media video battle
The Rams had a strong showing on NFL schedule release day. As did their SoFi Stadium co-tenant. (Photo by)
NFL players prepare for the Super Bowl. NFL social media teams prepare for schedule release day.
What was once a straight-forward day of revealing when and where teams will be playing each week has turned into a 32-team battle royale to go viral on social media, with production values increasing every year. The competition is fierce every year.
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Wednesday's schedule release day was no different, though some teams tried hard than others. Some teams released television parodies longer than five minutes. Some just let their players have some fun. The Cincinnati Bengals pretended like they were too cool for any of it.
Here are this year's standouts.
Los Angeles Chargers... and the Indianapolis Colts
We'll just get this one out of the way.
The Chargers go full bore with animation and hatred every year. They did anime in 2022 and 2023. They did "The Sims" in 2024. This year, it was "Minecraft," with the expressed written consent of publisher Microsoft.
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We're still trying to dig through all the references in here.
But here's where it gets awkward. The Indianapolis Colts did the exact same thing. Then deleted it, as best as they could. We'll leave you to decide who wore it better.
It's never great when your schedule release allows the New York Jets to take an easy shot at you.
Atlanta Falcons
At this point, we might as well call schedule releases using animation or video game tech a Chargers-like.
Whereas the Chargers and Colts both did Minecraft, the Atlanta Falcons did a version of "Mario Kart" we're certainly hoping is legally distinct enough for Nintendo's lawyers' liking.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers decided to do a 16-bit version "Oregon Trail."
And the Washington Commanders did "Roller Coaster Tycoon."
Los Angeles Rams
Sometimes, all you need to do is hire a professional and let them rip. In the case of the Los Angeles Rams, they brought on Brenda Song of "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" fame (plus several more television shows, including this year's "Running Point) and had her dish out the roasts.
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For the New Orleans Saints, it was "There's finally been a ruling over the controversial no-call in the 2018 Rams NFC championship game. By me. It's been seven years, grow up."
As if to prove Song's point, the Saints did a play on the anger translator from "Key & Peele" and had their guy yell "The ball was 10 yards away before they even tackled the guy. It was blatant!"
Buffalo Bills
There's always a topical one on schedule release day and the Bills came through with one of the funniest videos of the competition. We're not going to spoil what happens, just watch.
Kansas City Chiefs
Who doesn't like "Cash Cab"? Or guessing that "Abbott Elementary" is set in Miami?
As for other television parodies, the Baltimore Ravens win the highest-effort award for a seven-minute "Severance" parody that seemed to feature half the organization. You can decide if it was time well spent.
The Las Vegas Raiders did their own seven-minute television parody with a "This is SportsCenter" mockumentary. With Tom Brady now owning a part of the team, whoever was in charge of this got in some grade-A sycophancy by nodding to the New England Patriots with a literal goat.
New England Patriots
When you have an honor-roll aerospace engineering major on your roster, like the New England Patriots do with back-up QB Josh Dobbs, you use him.
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In this case, you have him oversee a middle school science class-style egg drop (like schedule drop, get it?).
Minnesota Vikings
We have no words. Whereas every other team spent time, energy and money on their videos, the Minnesota Vikings literally tattooed their fans to reveal their schedule.
God help everyone involved in making this.
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