NFL announces 2007 schedule
April 11th, 2007
New York, NY (Sports Network) - The NFL has announced its 17-week, 256-game regular-season schedule for 2007 and it will kick off on Thursday, September 6 when the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts host the New Orleans Saints.
Kickoff weekend also features 13 Sunday games, highlighted by the prime-time matchup of NFC East rivals Dallas and the New York Giants at Texas Stadium. The Giants will play the Sunday night opener for the second straight season after last year's Manning Bowl against the Colts.
Sunday's action also includes a pair of big division rivalries. The New England Patriots visit the New York Jets in a playoff rematch from last season and the Cleveland Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Another featured game on the opening Sunday has NFC champion Chicago at San Diego.
For the second straight season, the opening Monday night has a doubleheader with Baltimore visiting Cincinnati and San Francisco hosting Arizona.
In addition to the season-opener, the Colts will be featured at least twice more on prime-time, as they are also slated to play at AFC South rival Jacksonville on Monday, October 22 and at Atlanta on Thanksgiving night.
The New England Patriots, Indy's chief rivals of late, are scheduled for a visit to the RCA Dome on November 4. The Colts, who beat the Patriots for the AFC crown last season, will follow that game with a trip to San Diego to face last season's top regular-season team.
Flexible scheduling is also back for a second straight year, ensuring that Sunday night games feature quality matchups. The Colts, or a surprise team, could be late-season additions to the prime-time schedule on NBC for Weeks 11 through 17.
The league has tentatively scheduled Sunday night games this season, a switch from last year when the game was not revealed until 12 days before the scheduled contest. The 12-day window to make a change in the prime-time NBC game for the last seven weeks -- six days for the final week -- is again an option if the league and network so desire.
A playoff rematch between San Diego and New England, this time at Foxboro, is the highlight of the Week 2 schedule for Sunday night.
Byes begin on the season's fourth weekend, which also features a number of potential top matchups. That Sunday, September 30 includes a pair of AFC heavyweight tilts with Denver at Indianapolis and Kansas City at San Diego, while the Sunday night game pits Philadelphia at the New York Giants and the Monday night matchup has Cincinnati hosting New England.
A rematch of Super Bowl XL between Seattle and Pittsburgh is set for the Steel City on October 7 and the following Monday night has Dallas and new coach Wade Phillips visiting Buffalo, Phillips' old team.
October 28 includes the first NFL regular-season game in Europe, as the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants meet in London.
The last two NFC champions meet on Sunday night, November 18 when the Seahawks host the Bears. That weekend is the first for flexible scheduling.
Thanksgiving features the traditional games hosted by Detroit and Dallas. The Lions will welcome NFC North rival Green Bay, while the New York Jets visit the Cowboys. That weekend's Sunday night matchup is scheduled to be a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX when Philadelphia visits New England, and the Monday night contest features Miami linebacker Joey Porter against his old team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The last Sunday of the regular season includes an NFC Championship Game rematch when the New Orleans Saints again visit the Chicago Bears, while the tentative Sunday nighter has Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herman Edwards visiting his old team, the New York Jets.
Wild card weekend is set for January 5-6, with the Divisional playoffs the following weekend. The AFC and NFC championship games will be played Sunday, January 20 and the Super Bowl, which will be carried by FOX this season, is scheduled for February 3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Line of Scrimmage: '07 Schedule - Hits and Highlights
April 11th, 2007
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The NFL's 2007 regular season schedule was announced on Wednesday, meaning it is officially time to begin planning your fall. We're here to help, with a week-by-week look at the most intriguing matchups:
WEEK 1 (9/9)
Saints @ Colts (Thursday) - After a seven-month, two-day hiatus, meaningful pro football returns with the reigning Super Bowl champs taking on last year's NFC South surprise.
Bears @ Chargers - Two teams with a combined 27-5 record in 2006 will look to avoid opening 0-1.
Giants @ Cowboys (Sunday night) - Wade Phillips makes his Dallas debut against the embattled Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning, and Tiki Barber-less Giants.
WEEK 2 (9/16)
Bills @ Steelers - New Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin will try to make his Steel City debut a triumphant one.
Chargers @ Patriots (Sunday night) - Just months after New England stomped on the San Diego logo following a playoff upset, LaDainian Tomlinson and company have a chance to exact their revenge.
Redskins @ Eagles (Monday) - After warming up with a road tilt at Green Bay, Donovan McNabb makes his first Philly appearance since suffering a season- ending knee injury last October.
WEEK 3 (9/23)
Panthers @ Falcons - The first Georgia Dome affair for new Atlanta head coach Bobby Petrino will come in the form of a crucial division game.
Vikings @ Chiefs - Damon Huard makes his 2007 home debut, and will be his team's uncontested No. 1 quarterback for the first time in his career.
Titans @ Saints (Monday) - Vince Young and Reggie Bush will share the spotlight once again.
WEEK 4 (9/30)
Texans @ Falcons - If new Houston QB Matt Schaub walks out of the ATL with a win, Michael Vick is going to have plenty of explaining to do.
Steelers @ Cardinals - First-year Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt looks across the field at his former team.
Eagles @ Giants (Sunday night) - Longtime NFC East rivals and '06 postseason combatants play the opener of their annual home-and-home.
WEEK 5 (10/7)
Jets @ Giants - The G-Men are the home team, so they'll call it "Giants Stadium" and not "the Meadowlands."
Chargers @ Broncos - Bolts swept Denver last year, the first time that had happened in 24 years.
Bears @ Packers (Sunday night) - This time, when he faces his team's foremost rival, Rex Grossman won't be distracted by New Year's Eve festivities.
WEEK 6 (10/14)
Vikings @ Bears - Another determined NFC North rival looks to take down the two-time reigning division champs.
Patriots @ Cowboys - Can't trot out any storylines about Bill Parcells or Drew Bledsoe, but this one should be entertaining nonetheless.
Saints @ Seahawks (Sunday night) - On a slow week for drama, a primetime battle of 2006 playoff teams will have to do.
WEEK 7 (10/21)
Ravens @ Bills - Buffalo fans will be spitting fire at new Raven Willis McGahee from start to finish.
Falcons @ Saints - In a good week for bad blood, new Falcon Joe Horn looks to take it to his old team and nemesis Sean Payton.
Colts @ Jaguars (Monday) - If someone in the AFC South is going to challenge Indy this year, it's going to be Jacksonville.
WEEK 8 (10/28)
Giants @ Dolphins (London) - The NFL's first regular season U.K. experiment will feature Joey Porter chasing Eli Manning at the new Wembley Stadium.
Steelers @ Bengals - Neither made the playoffs in 2006, but the rivalry remains heated.
Eagles @ Vikings - Brad Childress will call the plays for Minnesota, which is more than Eagles coach Andy Reid allowed him to do for most of his time as offensive coordinator in Philly.
WEEK 9 (11/4)
Broncos @ Lions - A good week for the recently-traded Tatum Bell and Dre' Bly to disparage their former teams.
Patriots @ Colts - An encore of the 2006 AFC Championship, one of the most entertaining games in recent playoff memory.
Cowboys @ Eagles (Sunday night) - It will lack the intensity of Terrell Owens' first trip back to Philadelphia, but should hold plenty of intrigue nonetheless.
WEEK 10 (11/11)
Bengals @ Ravens - By Nov. 10th, this one figures to be crucial in regard to position in the AFC North race.
Colts @ Chargers (Sunday night) - What would have happened had these two met in last year's AFC Championship? This tilt will help paint that picture.
49ers @ Seahawks (Monday) - San Francisco swept eventual NFC West champ Seattle last year, and many feel that they could take the Hawks' division crown in 2007.
WEEK 11 (11/18)
Redskins @ Cowboys - Even when there's little riding on it, it's still one of the league's best rivalries.
Bears @ Seahawks (Sunday night) - Seattle was 0-2 at Soldier Field last season, including a playoff loss, but gets Chicago at Qwest Field this time.
Titans @ Broncos (Monday) - Will new Bronco Travis Henry have a chance to cross the 1,000-yard plateau against the team that cast him aside?
WEEK 12 (11/25)
Colts @ Falcons (Thanksgiving Night) - Matchup of Manning and Vick will overshadow Turkey Day's two afternoon games.
Saints @ Panthers - Carolina was supposed to be the NFC South champ in '06. New Orleans took home the title. Will '07 be different?
Dolphins @ Steelers (Monday) - Joey Porter returns to Pittsburgh, and we predict he'll have plenty to say about his former team.
WEEK 13 (12/2)
Jaguars @ Colts - Will Indy be ready to wrap up the AFC South title by early December?
Chargers @ Chiefs - San Diego is the team to beat in the AFC West once again, but K.C. is still mighty tough at Arrowhead in December.
Patriots @ Ravens (Monday) - Baltimore fans figure to cheer former standout and new Patriot Adalius Thomas, but will be less kind to Brady and Belichick.
WEEK 14 (12/9)
Giants @ Eagles - It would be a shock if this matchup fails to bring with it NFC East title ramifications.
Chiefs @ Broncos - For his sake, Jay Cutler better be ready to win AFC West rivalry games by this stage of the season.
Colts @ Ravens (Sunday night) - Ravens' home loss to Colts in '06 playoffs was a bitter pill to swallow for Baltimore faithful.
WEEK 15 (12/16)
Broncos @ Texans (Thursday night) - Houston coach Gary Kubiak has a chance to show mentor Mike Shanahan what he can do.
Jets @ Patriots - Hopefully, we'll be done obsessing about Sept. 9th's postgame handshake by mid-December.
Eagles @ Cowboys - Philly's difficult juncture of the season continues with the always-arduous trip to Big D.
WEEK 16 (12/23)
Eagles @ Saints - Philly was 0-2 in New Orleans a year ago, including a heartbreaking playoff loss.
Packers @ Bears - Green Bay walked all over Chicago in the '06 regular season finale at Soldier Field, and the Bears are likely to be better prepared this time around.
Broncos @ Chargers (Monday) - Major Christmas Eve showdown pits the AFC West's last two champs.
WEEK 17 (12/30)
Saints @ Bears - Rematch of the 2006 NFC Championship highlights an eventful final week.
Bengals @ Dolphins - Will tensions between Cincinnati tackle Levi Jones and Miami linebacker Joey Porter have simmered down by the end of the calendar year?
Chiefs @ Jets (Monday) - Probable NFL regular season finale has Herm Edwards taking his new team back to the old stomping ground.