2005 NFL Schedule

[Honolulu_Blue]

Well, the NFL accounced it's 2005 Schedule.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules

The oddest thing about it (besides that the Lions have two nationally televised games this year) is that the NFL is running a full slate of games on January 1. Considering that's traditionally College Bowl Day, I wonder what the reaction will be. Do the Bowl games move (some I imagine are planned well in advance) or will Jan 1, 2006 be forever known as the day of a 100 football games...

[henry296]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Well, the NFL accounced it's 2005 Schedule.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules

The oddest thing about it (besides that the Lions have two nationally televised games this year) is that the NFL is running a full slate of games on January 1. Considering that's traditionally College Bowl Day, I wonder what the reaction will be. Do the Bowl games move (some I imagine are planned well in advance) or will Jan 1, 2006 be forever known as the day of a 100 football games...

In the past the bowl games have moved. In those cases there were playoff games on New Year's Day and the bowl games on Jan 2.

Todd

[Maple Leafs]

Other interesting notes:

- Almost all Saturday games on Christmas Eve!

- The Pats get to host the Thursday opener again. Does this give them an advantage, since it's the only time you can host an early game and get extra rest without also playing on short notice?

- The Colts/Pats MNF matchup should be a beauty. Interesting that the Colts have the week off prior to that game. I wish I could bet on things like "The 8-0 Colts will go into Foxborogh and lost to the 5-3 Pats".

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

- The Pats get to host the Thursday opener again. Does this give them an advantage, since it's the only time you can host an early game and get extra rest without also playing on short notice?

From what I understood, the Thursday night opener is/will be hosted by the Super Bowl winner, which in the last two season has been the Pats. Yeah, could be an advantage...

FM

[MikeVic]

Looks like the Steelers have 3 MNF games...

[digamma]

Welcome to the first place schedule, Falcons.

First five games:
Philly
at Seattle
at Buffalo
Minnesota
New England

[mhass]

What happened to the 'open' Monday night games that ABC was going to get to name? The teams scheduled now get bumped back?

[TazFTW]

Cowboys schedule

Cowboys could potentially start 3-0 (can Brees prove he's not a 1 year wonder?). 4-0 if the Raiders had not added Moss, who kills the Cowboys.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by digamma

Welcome to the first place schedule, Falcons.

First five games:
Philly
at Seattle
at Buffalo
Minnesota
New England

Sign, continuing to attempt to dispel this myth. A team's finish only affects 2 games on their schedule every year, the other 14 are hardwired in.

In Atlanta's case, those two are Philly and Seattle, but the other games are simply part of the rotating division schedule.

[henry296]

Originally Posted by mhass

What happened to the 'open' Monday night games that ABC was going to get to name? The teams scheduled now get bumped back?

I believe that will start with the 2006 season. This season is still part of the old TV contract which means fixed Monday night games on ABC.

The NFL extended the contracts with CBS/FOX well before they expired and got them to agree to change some games for Monday night. They haven't determined which network will have Monday night games in 2006.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Samdari

Sign, continuing to attempt to dispel this myth. A team's finish only affects 2 games on their schedule every year, the other 14 are hardwired in.

In Atlanta's case, those two are Philly and Seattle, but the other games are simply part of the rotating division schedule.

Well whatever the case, the schedule didn't do the Pats any early season favors.

Sep 8 Oakland 9:00pm
Sep 18 @Carolina 1:00pm
Sep 25 @Pittsburgh 4:15pm
Oct 2 San Diego 1:00pm
Oct 9 @Atlanta 1:00pm
Oct 16 @Denver 4:15pm

[ice4277]

The Lions last quarter of the season is pretty rough, 3 of the last 4 on the road including at Green Bay and Pittsburgh, and the Lions are not a great cold-weather team.

[Flasch186]

jags got phucked

[Wolfpack]

Carolina's division schedule is backloaded with four of the final five inside the division. As to the remainder, they get yet another prime time chance to get whipped by Green Bay in week 4 and take on the defending champs week 2. Curiously, they only have two 4 PM starts and one of them is against the Jets of all teams. I'm guessing that weekend is a single-header for CBS and that'll be in the 4 PM slot for them. NFC South takes on AFC East this year, so there really isn't a soft spot in the sked, except for the stretch featuring at Arizona, at Detroit, then a bye week Oct 9-23.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Samdari

Sign, continuing to attempt to dispel this myth. A team's finish only affects 2 games on their schedule every year, the other 14 are hardwired in.

In Atlanta's case, those two are Philly and Seattle, but the other games are simply part of the rotating division schedule.

That's right, but the Falcons get those two games in their first five. And the rest of their division plays the some combination of the Redskins, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Cowboys and Giants. I think its significant. You may disagree.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by digamma

That's right, but the Falcons get those two games in their first five. And the rest of their division plays the some combination of the Redskins, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Cowboys and Giants. I think its significant. You may disagree.

It may be significant, but it's not a product of a "first place schedule".

[digamma]

Originally Posted by sabotai

It may be significant, but it's not a product of a "first place schedule".

Playing the Eagles and the Seahawks as opposed to the Niners and the Redskins is definitely a product of a first place schedule.

[digamma]

dola...

I agree that having them in the first five games isn't a product of the first place schedule.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by digamma

That's right, but the Falcons get those two games in their first five.

That's overrated. They are going to play all 16.

And yeah, if they go 0-2 against the Seahawks and Eagles and someone else goes 2-0 against their same-place-in-division conference foes, beating the Falcons for the division by one game, the difference in their schedules would have made a difference, otherwise it doesn't.

Seriously, the "first place schedule" is a the most overrated concept in the NFL anymore. The team that does the best in the 6 division games and the 8 common non-division games will win the division 90-95% of the time.