Who picks the teams that play against each other each season in the NFL?

Question

Last year the Baltimore Ravens played against the Seattle Seahawks. But this year they are not scheduled to play in the regular season each other. When and how does it get picked?

Answer 1

Its kind of random.

Take the NFC North as an example. Every team has two games vs. teams in the division. The Packers play two games vs. the Vikings, Lions, and Bears. That is 6 games.

Then four four games they play a division in their conference. It rotates by year 2 years ago it was the NFC west. Last year it was the NFC East. This year it'll be the NFC South. Next year it will be the NFC North again. That is 10 games.

Then four games is vs. a division in the other conference. This year the NFC East plays the AFC East. Last year they played the AFC North. Two years ago it was the AFC South. Three years ago it was the AFC West. Next year it is the AFC West again. That is 14 games.

Two games are based on where in your conference you finished. The #1 finisher in the East will play the #1 finisher in the divisions in their conference they don't play. This year the NFC South and AFC West. Meanwhile the #4 team plays the #4 team of the divisions in their conference they don't play.

Answer 2

The NFL's schedule is filled primarily through a formula.

Each team plays 2 games (home and away) against the teams in it's division.

That totals 6 of the 16 games

Next each division plays another division in it's own conference (This season the AFC North plays the AFC South, while the AFC East plays the West.) This rotates from season to season so you play the each division every 3 years.

That is 4 more games for a total of 10 of the 16

Each division then is scheduled to play one of the 4 divisions of the other conference. The AFC North this  season will play the NFC East. This accounts for 4 more games. It rotates similarly to how they play their own conference but on a 4 year interval.

The last 2 games are based on record and availability. Generally the league will try and schedule playoff re-matches and matchups of regional importance as well as attempting to balance the schedule based on last season's standings. This season those games for the Crows are Miami and Oakland.