This was unveiled yesterday at the NFL on CBS Media Day in New York which your humble writer attended. With CBS and NFL Network combining to air Thursday Night Football, we note that Rich Eisen, Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk and Steve Mariucci will be doing a pregame show from outside each game site.
This show, “NFL Total Access Kickoff” will air each week at 6 p.m. ET and will run 90 minutes. This will lead up to the CBS-produced “Thursday Night Kickoff” which will be fronted by James Brown and analysts Bill Cowher and Deion Sanders.
During the season, CBS and NFL Network analysts such as Terrell Davis, Tony Gonzalez, Willie McGinest, LaDanian Tomlinson and Kurt Warner plus others will appear on location on either NFL Total Access Kickoff or Thursday Night Kickoff.
Following the games, Eisen, Irvin, Faulk, Mariucci and Sanders will return for the Postgame Show and a player from the winning team will be interviewed on the set and receive the traditional gift bag plus leave their handprints in concrete on the winning wall.
Hopefully, we’ll see the return of Eisen’s patented “Walk and Talk” from the field to preview the postgame (although at the NFL on CBS Media Day, it was revealed that Pat O’Brien claims to have invented the “Walk and Talk”).
Here’s the joint CBS/NFL Network announcement.
COMPLETE CAST OF THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PREGAME SHOW ON NFL NETWORK & CBS ANNOUNCED
Featuring Multiple Locations, Coverage Begins at 6:00 PM ET with ‘NFL Total Access Kickoff’ on NFL Network and ‘NFL Thursday Night Kickoff’ at 7:30 PM ET on CBS and NFL Network
James Brown, Deion Sanders and Bill Cowher to be Joined by Rich Eisen, Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk and Steve Mariucci Live On-Location Every Thursday
‘Postgame Show’ Wraps Up On-Location Coverage Each WeekThe complete pregame and postgame talent roster for Thursday Night Football on NFL Network and CBS is set. Joining the previously announced set featuring host James Brown and analysts Deion Sanders and Bill Cowher will be an additional set featuring host Rich Eisen and analysts Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk and Steve Mariucci.
Every Thursday at 6:00 PM ET on NFL Network, Eisen will kick off the NFL week with Irvin, Faulk and Mariucci live from outside the stadium on NFL Total Access Kickoff. The cast will provide news and analysis of the upcoming matchup, as well as highlight the atmosphere and festivities outside the stadium as fans arrive for every Thursday Night Football game on CBS and NFL Network.
At 7:30 PM ET, Brown, Sanders and Cowher anchor NFL Thursday Night Kickoff from inside the stadium. The show will air on CBS and be simulcast on NFL Network during Weeks 2-8 and air exclusively on NFL Network during Weeks 9-12 and 14-16. During halftime, Brown, Sanders and Cowher host the Halftime Show on CBS and NFL Network.
Brown, Sanders and Cowher also will appear on NFL Total Access Kickoff in the 6:00-7:30 PM ET window, while Eisen, Irvin, Faulk and Mariucci will appear within NFL Thursday Night Kickoff from 7:30 PM ET to kickoff.
Additionally, throughout the course of the 2014 Thursday Night Football schedule, NFL Network and CBS analysts such as Tony Gonzalez, Kurt Warner, LaDainian Tomlinson, Willie McGinest, Terrell Davis and more will appear on-location on both the NFL Total Access Kickoff and NFL Thursday Night Kickoff pregame shows.
Immediately following each game, the Postgame Show airs live from the stadium on NFL Network and CBS. Eisen, Irvin, Faulk, Mariucci and Sanders reprise their wildly entertaining postgame show, providing highlights, analysis and live interviews. Each week, a player or coach from the winning team will join the crew on-set to discuss the victory, receive a gift bag which will vary each week and leave their handprints on the Winning Hands wall.
The full slate of 16 regular-season Thursday Night Football games will be produced by CBS with its broadcasters and production team, including Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson. The Thursday Night Football schedule kicks off on September 11 with Steelers vs. Ravens from Baltimore.
2014 Thursday Night Football Schedule
Kickoff times are 8:25 PM, ET unless otherwise noted
Sept. 11 (Week 2): Steelers at Ravens Nov. 6 (Week 10): Browns at Bengals Sept. 18 (Week 3): Buccaneers at Falcons Nov. 13 (Week 11): Bills at Dolphins Sept. 25 (Week 4): Giants at Redskins Nov. 20 (Week 12): Chiefs at Raiders Oct. 2 (Week 5): Vikings at Packers Dec. 4 (Week 14): Cowboys at Bears Oct. 9 (Week 6): Colts at Texans Dec. 11 (Week 15): Cardinals at Rams Oct. 16 (Week 7): Jets at Patriots Dec. 18 (Week 16): Titans at Jaguars Oct. 23 (Week 8): Chargers at Broncos Dec. 20 (Week 16): Eagles at Redskins* Oct. 30 (Week 9): Saints at Panthers Dec. 20 (Week 16): Chargers at 49ers* Weeks 2-8 and one of the Saturday games from Week 16 will be broadcast by CBS and simulcast on NFL Network. Weeks 9-12 and 14-16, including one of the Saturday games during Week 16 will be televised on NFL Network.
*The kickoff times for each of the Saturday games – Philadelphia at Washington and San Diego at San Francisco – will be determined at a later date.
That is all.
