NFL Network is giddy about a 13 game schedule this season. It will go consecutively from Week 2 through Week 11, taking a week off for Thanksgiving, then finishing the season from Weeks 13 to 15. The season opener will have Green Bay taking on Chicago at the venerable Lambeau Field.
Week 13 will have the New Orleans Saints facing the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome and the following week, NFL Network gets its lone Denver Broncos appearance with Peyton Manning leading his new team against division rival Oakland.
With NFL Network’s expanded schedule, it means every NFL team gets at least one primetime game. And who couldn’t be more thrilled about having an extra five games than NFL Network?
Here’s the NFL Network schedule.
NFL MVP AARON RODGERS & PACKERS HOST BEARS IN OPENER OF EXPANDED NFL NETWORK 2012 THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
185th Bears-Packers Game Kicks Off NFLN’s 13-Game Schedule in Week 2
Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning & Giants visit Rookie of Year Cam Newton & Panthers in Week 3
Peyton Manning’s first visit to Oakland’s “Black Hole” as Broncos QB
9 Division Matchups Highlighted
NFL Network today announced its expanded 13-game, regular-season primetime Thursday Night Football schedule which kicks off in Week 2 (Sept. 13) and features nine 2011 playoff teams, including six which won division crowns and both NFC Championship Game teams (Giants and 49ers). Game times for the contests are 8:00 PM ET.
Among the highlights of NFL Network’s 2012 schedule:
- Opener features 185th meeting between Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers – the most-played rivalry in NFL history.
- No. 1 drafted QBs face off in Week 3 – Giants’ Eli Manning (two-time Super Bowl MVP) and Carolina’s Cam Newton (2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year)
- Peyton Manning’s first start as Broncos QB at Oakland’s “Black Hole”
- Indianapolis and their new No. 1 overall draft pick at Jacksonville
- New Orleans visits Atlanta in a meeting of clubs which have won past three NFC South titles
- Nine divisional matchups
The critically acclaimed Thursday Night Football broadcast team returns featuring Emmy-nominated game analyst Mike Mayock, play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler and sideline reporter Alex Flanagan.
NFL Network 2012 Thursday Night Football Schedule
Week 2: Thursday, September 13 at 8:00 PM ET
Chicago Bears at Green Bay PackersWeek 3: Thursday, September 20 at 8:00 PM ET
New York Giants at Carolina PanthersWeek 4: Thursday, September 27 at 8:00 PM ET
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore RavensWeek 5: Thursday, October 4 at 8:00 PM ET
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis RamsWeek 6: Thursday, October 11 at 8:00 PM ET
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee TitansWeek 7: Thursday, October 18 at 8:00 PM ET
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ersWeek 8: Thursday, October 25 at 8:00 PM ET
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota VikingsWeek 9: Thursday, November 1 at 8:00 PM ET
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego ChargersWeek 10: Thursday, November 8 at 8:00 PM ET
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville JaguarsWeek 11: Thursday, November 15 at 8:00 PM ET
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo BillsWeek 13: Thursday, November 29 at 8:00 PM ET
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta FalconsWeek 14: Thursday, December 6 at 8:00 PM ET
Denver Broncos at Oakland RaidersWeek 15: Thursday, December 13 at 8:00 PM ET
Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia EaglesFor the entire 2012 NFL schedule, visit www.NFL.com.
This year marks the seventh season of live regular season primetime games on NFL Network. Last year’s edition of Thursday Night Football was the most-watched in the network’s history with a record average of 7.3 million viewers per game (including OTAs).
Each NFL Network game telecast will feature a live, two-hour pregame show. In addition, a one-hour postgame show will wrap up the action with interviews, highlights and press conferences.
NFL.com LIVE again will offer complementary Thursday Night Football game coverage including select live video, statistics and interactive applications.
NFL Network games also will be carried on free, over-the-air television in the city of the visiting team and in the city where the game is played if it is sold out 72 hours in advance of kickoff.
And we’ll move to the Sunday afternoon schedules starting with the NFL on CBS next.
