The Giants play at home on Sunday night on opening weekend. Once again, we are on the road. Sorry if this has been posted already. NFL announces five games featured on opening weekend, three games on Thanksgiving (March 27, 2006) -- The NFL announced its 2006 Kickoff Weekend nationally televised schedule -- including a Monday night doubleheader -- and its Thanksgiving Day national TV tripleheader. In a tradition instituted in 2004, the Super Bowl champion annually hosts the NFL Thursday night season kickoff the following year. This Sept. 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET, the Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers will oppose the Miami Dolphins as NBC rejoins the NFL's TV family for the first time since 1997. The game will feature a quarterback matchup of Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and the Dolphins' Daunte Culpepper, acquired recently from Minnesota in a trade. On Sunday, Sept. 10, the FOX national doubleheader game at 4:15 p.m. ET will feature the Dallas Cowboys at the Jacksonville Jaguars, who finished 12-4 and earned a playoff spot last season The Sunday night primetime game (8:15 p.m. ET) on NBC can be called the "Manning Bowl" and it will be a history-maker. The AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts will visit the NFC East titlist New York Giants. It will be a matchup of quarterback brothers -- the Colts' 30-year-old Peyton Manning against his sibling, 25-year-old Eli Manning of the Giants. It will be the first time in NFL history that brothers will start at quarterback against each other. Monday night, Sept. 11, will feature the first regularly scheduled Monday Night Football game on ESPN, and the first regularly scheduled Monday Night Football doubleheader. The first game (7 p.m. ET) will pit the Minnesota Vikings, under new head coach Brad Childress, at the Washington Redskins, an '05 Divisional Playoff team. The Monday night "nightcap" (10:15 p.m. ET) will be an AFC West meeting of the San Diego Chargers, directed by new starting quarterback Philip Rivers, at the Oakland Raiders, also led by a new coach, Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Shell. On Sunday, Sept. 10, CBS, which has U.S. Open tennis in the late afternoon slot, will carry a lineup of early regional NFL games. CBS will televise the NFL national doubleheader late game in Week 2. The NFL will kick off its new late-season primetime television package on NFL Network on Thanksgiving night, giving NFL fans three games on Thanksgiving Day for the first time. The early game that day (CBS, 12:30 p.m. ET) will feature the Dolphins at the Detroit Lions, under new head coach Rod Marinelli. The second game (FOX, 4:15 p.m. ET) will send the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Dallas to face the Cowboys. The Thanksgiving package concludes at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network when the top two teams in the AFC West last year meet. The Denver Broncos (13-3) will visit the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6). The announcement of these national TV games was made March 27 by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The rest of the 2006 regular-season schedule will be finalized and announced in April.
Here are our possible matchups for opening weekend... Buffalo, Tennessee, Green Bay, Cleveland, New England Minnesota, Miami and Jacksonville are already scheduled for opening weekend...one of these five teams we will face on opening day... I think it will be New England...Mangini faces his old team.
I'd bet on Tennessee or Buffalo. The NFL tries to schedule games in such a way that bad teams will play bad teams and good teams will play good teams to start the season. It was at the end of the Bert Bell era or beginning of the Pete Rozelle era when the NFL figured this was a great way to add to fan interest in the game. You get some bad teams starting 1-0 and you get some good teams starting 0-1.
I think they would let the drama build a little before Mangini faces NE. It also would be nice to start the year off with a positive win regardless of who we play; with us playing organized, well-coached football. If we look anything at all like we looked against KC last year in the opener, it will be time to start worrying.
I really wanted to be at home to start the season, but it didn't happen. I hope its New England. If we got a win it would be huge for confidence...even if we wound up with a losing record to end the season...BEAT NE!
Oh wow, that is an excellent point. Good job. I remember the Eagles and Pats a few weeks back played in Week 2. Philly lost to defending champ Tampa in week 1, and New England got killed by the Bills (see Lawyer Milloy release). In week 2, The Pats beat the Eagles, and there was pandimonium with the Eagles at 0-2.
Anyone with Comcast in the PA region or Cablevision on LI know about if they will start to carry the NFL network?
I would hate to play NE openinig week... maybe its just me but giving Bill Bellichick 5 months to prepare for a game might not be too good for us.
It probably will not be with the Pats because they will save that game for our 1 prime time game on a Sunday night up there. Teacher vs Student good story lines. Pure speculation but there is a good chance to open with the Browns. Once again good story line Mangini vs Crennel.
It's not really fair editing your posts 19 months in the future, Cakes. :lol: By the way, did you check the sports pages while you were in the future? Who won SB XLI? This year's WS? This year and next year's Stanley Cup?
The NFL and the Networks will hype the crap out of a N.E., Jet match upats_suck: So I'll say it's Buffalo a nice divisonal game to get the ball rolling on the Mangini era. I'll also say it's nuts having a Monday night D/H. People have to work come Tuesday morning. Also the match ups are horrible. Espn should be upset if that's the best teams the NFL will schedule for their inaugrial Monday night games.
Eh. Who cares. Personally I like the Jets playing at home in week 17 rather than opening at home. And a opening day victory is the best. Nothing else like it. Remember the Bills game in 2002?
