NFL Schedule was released tonight.
Season opens up w/the Cowboys @ Philly.
Next night on Friday, KC plays the LA Chargers in Brasil
1st Sun night game: Ravens @ Buffalo
1st Mon night game: Vikes go to Chicago (only one MNF game on opening week)
Thanx games..........GB @ Detroit, Chiefs @ Dallas, & Cincy @ Baltimore
Xmas contests...........Cowboys @ Washington, Lions @ Minnesota & Denver @ KC
Int'l Games (besides above).........
Pitt vs Min in Dublin Week 4
next 3 in London
Min vs Clev Week 5
Den vs Jets Week 6
LARams vs Jags Week 7
Atl vs Indy week 10 in Berlin
Miami vs Washington week 11 in Madrid
Curiously, 2 Friday games Dec 19....Packers @ Chicago & Eagles @ Washington.
Interesting to me......half the week 17 schedule doesn't have start times. I know why they would do that the last week. But the week before?
Misc notes.............
Tennessee visits Cleveland 12/07. Cam Ward vs Dillion Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders?...............
Giants toughest schedule .574, 49ers the weakest .415.............
KC plays 8 of 17 on national broadcast games. Friday the 1st week, Thnx, Xmas, 3 SNF & 2 MNF. That is rough. Their bye isn't til week 10 & sandwiched between road games to Buffalo & Denver. So they start out of the country & will have short weeks four times. Which means it will be hard to settle into a weekly routine. It will be interesting to see how they hold up health wise having to go thru that kind of schedule...............
Every year seems like the NFL schedule gives us a team on national TV too often. Could be 2 this year. Dallas is usually one of those. They have 7 prime games. Five on Thursday (is that a record) plus one (for now) SNF & another on Monday..............
Commanders got a surprising 8. They have a buffet of a schedule. One in Europe, 1 on Friday. a TNF game, Turkey Day, 2 SNF, & 2 MNF. They had the easiest schedule last season, 10 wins vs non playoff teams. This will be tougher to navigate.............
Saints & Titans have zero prime TV games, Cleveland has only 1 & that will be in London. Panthers have just one as well............
No Saturday games scheduled. They will evidently be flexed...............
I'm shocked the Steelers & Ravens don't have a prime TV game scheduled vs each other. That's usually a given. Neither do the Cowboys & Giants.............
Cincy usually starts slow. This year, they open w/Clev, Jax & Minny. They need to take advantage......
Jets host Pitt as their opener. Justin Fields payback?..................
Texans have grown fat vs the AFC South. This year they start on the road 4 of their 1st 6, but then are at home 7 of the last 11. Including 3 of the last 4 in Houston. Plus, 5 of their division games are done by week 13. Earlier you play a rebuilding team , the better. I expect their schedule to again inflate their worth. They could be a mediocre team w/only 5 or so losses............
Denver's schedule is similarly structured like Houston. But they will have tougher opponents......
Chargers have an opportunity by opening against all divisional opponents the 1st 3 weeks. & 2 will be in LA......
Philly doesn't play Washington will week 16. They are sandwiched around a road game to Buffalo in after Xmas Those could be high pressure games to end the year if they struggle the 1st 14 games...............
Finally, the Panthers. 1st half will be critical. Three of 1st 4 are on the road. Seven of next 12 in Charlotte. Those 1st 3 trips are vs beatable, 'zona, Pats & Jax. The rest of the 1st half of the season includes, Miami, Dallas, Buffalo & Green Bay. A 5-4, 4-5 record could set them up for a playoff run the 2nd half of the schedule. They play 5 of 6 division games towards the end of the year. Opportunity is there.