NFL Schedule, Part I: NBC Gets Positive Reviews For '08 Slate

The ’08 NFL schedule was officially announced yesterday at 2:00pm ET. The following is a list of the primetime games airing on NBC, ESPN and NFL Network

FLEX SCHEDULING: The Week 11-16 games on NBC are subject to change via the flex schedule.

UNDER THE LIGHTS: Of the 32 appearances by teams scheduled for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” there were 25 playoff appearances last season among them. Of the 34 appearances by teams on ESPN’s “MNF,” there were 14 playoff appearances. Of the 16 appearances by teams on NFL Network, there were six playoff appearances. Three teams appearing on NBC this season had a losing record last year. ESPN will feature 11 teams with losing records last season, while NFL Network has seven teams with losing records (THE DAILY). ESPN.com's John Clayton wrote the NFC East "appears to be the choice of prime-time television this season." The division will play an NFL high 17 primetime games, including five of its 12 divisional matchups. On the contrary, the NFC West has an league low four primetime appearances (ESPN.com, 4/15).

GOLDEN GAME? NBC’s John Madden said of the net airing Patriots-Colts in Week 9, “Before the schedule comes out ... you say, ‘OK, what’s the best game?’ It has to be the Patriots and the Colts.” NBC can flex out of its scheduled games beginning with Week 11, but Madden said, “Right now, I couldn’t pick a game that we would flex out of. They all look very good in that period” (NFL Network, 4/15). NBCSPORTS.com's Mike Celizic wrote of the Patriots-Colts game: "I can't imagine any list of must-see games that doesn't include this one. It's a Sunday nighter on NBC, so there's nothing else to get in the way of your attention" (NBCSPORTS.com, 4/15). 

MORE PRIMETIME THOUGHTS: USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand writes, "None of the NFL-carrying networks were stiffed." With primetime games being taken from CBS' and Fox' Sunday-afternoon schedule, the NFL "played it exactly down the middle with NBC -- taking eight games from each package for its 16 scheduled games." ESPN's 17 "MNF" games "include nine from CBS and eight from Fox." However, six of NFL Net's eight games were taken from CBS (USA TODAY, 4/16). ESPN.com's Matt Mosley wrote ESPN's "MNF" schedule this season is "much better" than last year's. But Mosley added, "I'm sure ESPN has to be disappointed to only land one Cowboys game for the second consecutive season" (ESPN.com, 4/15).

WIN, LOSE OR DRAW: THE DAILY solicited the opinions of sports media writers and analysts about the NFL’s primetime TV schedule. Pilson Communications President Neal Pilson said, "As in prior years, it appears that the traditional 'Monday Night Football' schedule has been moved to NBC. However, I think ESPN's schedule has been upgraded from last season." Pilson added NFL Net's schedule "seems inconsistent: some good matchups but quite a few teams with minimal national following -- Browns, Bengals, Cardinals, Raiders, Jaguars, Ravens." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Bob Wolfley said NBC’s schedule “is way sexier than ESPN’s. Not even close. Even though the Giants are the defending Super Bowl champions, the Patriots remain the marquee team in the NFL." Wolfley added it is "easier to locate more potential clunkers on the ESPN side than on the NBC side. ... If the Packers and the Browns have good seasons that will help float ESPN’s boat, since together they account for a third of ESPN’s 'MNF' schedule." The L.A. Times' Sam Farmer said in comparison to ESPN, NBC "hands down ... has the better games. ESPN spent all that money for 'Monday Night Football,' and no one told them that Sunday night would become the new Monday" (THE DAILY).

CALENDAR BOYS: The NFL continues to make its schedule release more of an event every year, and Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw said, "I like the way the NFL has made it a big production and I like the way they release it to everyone" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 4/15). NFL Net's Rich Eisen: "It is like the day the brackets come out in the NCAA Tournament -- you get to see the path that your team needs to negotiate in order to get to the promise land and the pitfalls that perhaps the schedule brings up” (NFL Network, 4/15). In Portland, Ryan White: "Hand it to the NFL. No one manufactures news like the NFL. It's the sports world's Henry Ford when it comes to that" (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/16). CBSSPORTS.com's Pete Prisco wrote the NFL has "come up with a great way to try to get more eyeballs to the NFL Network: Make schedule-release day a reprieve from tax-deadline day" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/15).  But YAHOO SPORTS' Michael Silver wrote under the header, "Trippin' Tuesday: Schedule Release A Tease," and noted because we "don't know which teams will be surprisingly good in 2008, and who their unexpectedly lousy counterparts will be, drawing conclusions is a setup for looking silly down the road" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/15).

JUMPING THE GUN: The Chiefs, Jets and Titans posted their schedules on their official team Web sites before the NFL’s announcement at 2:00pm. Both the Rocky Mountain News and KCNC-CBS in Denver posted the Broncos’ full schedule online before the announcement. The Chicago Sun-Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune and ESPN.com’s Hashmarks blog began reporting select games before the NFL's release time (THE DAILY).

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