The NFL schedule is out, with no obvious nod to the ongoing pandemic.
The NFL regular season is scheduled to begin Thursday, September 10 with the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs hosting the Texans in a Divisional Round rematch. With the schedule release coming in the middle of a pandemic that has shut down the sports world, the league stressed in a statement that though it plans to play the season as scheduled, it is also prepared to “make adjustments as necessary.”
The full regular season schedule is available on this page.
As released Thursday, the schedule includes only a couple of pandemic-related changes. As previously announced by the league, there are no international games this year.
In addition, CBS will have no 1 PM ET games on November 15, the day set aside for the rescheduled final round of the Masters.
Non-pandemic deviations from the norm include ABC airing its first Monday Night Football game since 2005 when it simulcasts Saints-Raiders with ESPN in Week 2 — the former Oakland squad’s Las Vegas debut.
The league has a Christmas Day game scheduled for the first time in three years, with Vikings-Saints set for a late afternoon start on FOX, NFL Network and Amazon.
As previously announced, Amazon will have an exclusive Saturday game this season. For the third straight year, the NFL will determine its Saturday games using flex scheduling, setting aside five games to choose from in both Weeks 15 and 16. NFL Network will have 4:30 and 8:15 PM ET doubleheaders in both weeks, meaning the Amazon game would likely take place at 1 PM ET.
The New York Post reported earlier this month that the NFL could add more Saturday games if the college football season is called off or postponed.
As for the season’s marquee games, Tom Brady’s Buccaneers debut is set to come against the Saints in the Week 1 national window on FOX. NBC’s Sunday Night Football is set to debut with the Rams hosting the Cowboys in what would be the first game in the new Los Angeles stadium.
ESPN gets the marquee quarterback matchup of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson when the Chiefs face the Ravens in Week 3, while CBS has Mahomes against Brady when the Chiefs face the Buccaneers in Week 12.
CBS also gets its first Cowboys-Giants game since it last held NFC rights in the 1990s (Week 5).
The Thanksgiving slate opens with Texans-Lions on CBS, followed by Washington-Dallas on FOX and Ravens-Steelers on NBC.
