The NFL released its '16 regular-season schedule Thursday night, and with Dec. 25 falling on a Sunday this year, the league has "scheduled two games for Christmas Day" -- Broncos-Chiefs and Ravens-Steelers, according to Chris D'Amico of USA TODAY. The league will "play the majority" of its Week 16 schedule -- 12 games total -- on Saturday, Dec. 24 (USA TODAY, 4/15). CBSSPORTS.com's John Breech noted this season "will mark the first time in 10 years that the NFL has held two regular-season games on Christmas." The league "held a Christmas Day doubleheader" from '04-06. The Bengals-Texans game will be played on Christmas Eve night on NFL Network, while all other games that day "will be played" either at 1:00pm ET or just after 4:00pm (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/14). CBSSPORTS.com's Will Brinson wrote Ravens-Steelers is an "outstanding Christmas Day matinee," as they are two teams and fan bases that "really embody the loving spirit of the season" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/14). NFL Network's Rich Eisen: "A Ravens-Steelers contest on a day that we're supposed to celebrate peace on Earth, goodwill towards all men" ("NFL Schedule Release," NFL Network, 4/14). FOXSPORTS.com's Chris Chase noted on top of the rare Christmas Day games, the "usual slate of Thanksgiving games" will make for a "very, very happy holiday season across the NFL" (FOXSPORTS.com, 4/14).
SUPER REMATCH: In Charlotte, Joseph Person reports the Panthers "will play a franchise-record five prime-time games" in '16, "beginning with a Super Bowl 50 rematch against the Broncos on Sept. 8 that kicks off the NFL season" on "Thursday Night Football" in Denver. The matchup will "mark the seventh time the previous season’s Super Bowl entrants played the following season," and the first time since '70 -- the first year after the merger -- that they will play in Week 1 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/15). THE MMQB's Peter King notes NFL Senior VP/Broadcasting & Media Operations COO Howard Katz "loved the Super Bowl rematch." He said, "We looked at a lot of possibilities for that opener -- Indianapolis, Houston and New England -- but we loved Carolina-Denver from the start” (MMQB.SI.com, 4/15).
PRIME FOR PICKING: In Dallas, David Moore notes the Cowboys, a team that has failed to make the playoffs in five of the last six years and is coming off a 4-12 season, "still finds itself with five games in prime time and six national broadcasts next season." Four of those games "come in the final six weeks, an indication the powers that be are betting that the 2016 season will signal a reversal of fortunes for the Cowboys" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/15). On Long Island, Kimberley Martin notes two of the Jets' five primetime games are on "MNF." The Jets also have one Thursday night game, one Sunday night game and one Saturday night game (NEWSDAY, 4/15). In Indianapolis, Zak Keefer notes the Colts "will see three prime-time games" in '16 after five such games the previous two seasons. An 8-8 season "wasn’t going to cost the Colts plenty of prime-time exposure," as they "still have Andrew Luck" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/15).
NEW DIGS: In Minneapolis, Matt Vensel reports the Vikings "will unveil U.S. Bank Stadium to a nationally televised audience on Sept. 18" when the Packers come for an "SNF" appearance. The home opener "is one of five scheduled national games for the Vikings" in '16. That includes "four games in primetime, three of them in Minneapolis." The Vikings "will open the regular season on the road in part because the NFL wanted to give the team time to account for any potential construction delays or resolve any issues that occur" during two preseason games and other early events at the venue (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/15). THE MMQB's King notes the league "honors requests when it can, and Minnesota wanted badly to be home for its first game on a Sunday night." Katz: "Minnesota really wanted to open its building in prime time on Sunday night football. It was important to them.” King notes the "added bonus" is it will be their archrival, the Packers, opening the new stadium (MMQB.SI.com, 4/15). In St. Paul, Chris Tomasson notes the Vikings "will open the season on the road for the eighth time in nine years." Since '08, the "only time they have begun at home" was in '12 against the Jaguars (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/15).
LONDON BRIDGE: The INDY STAR's Keefer notes the "strange part" of the Colts' schedule is the team "will not have their bye week after traveling across the Atlantic" for their Week 4 game against the Jaguars in London. That had been the case "for teams playing abroad" since the start of the Int'l Series in '07. The Colts instead will "face a short turnaround" and host the Bears the next Sunday (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/15). THE MMQB's King notes the Colts actually "chose not to have the bye" after the London game. The league this year "asked the teams playing in England if they wanted the bye the following week, seeing that the games were being played" at 9:30am. London time, meaning that teams "could get back to their city’s airports, for the most part," by 2:00am on Monday local time. The Colts said that they would "like to defer their bye from Week 5 (Oct. 9) to Week 10 (Nov. 13)." Katz: “The Jets got home earlier last year from London than they did from a West Coast game. The teams playing one of the earlier games in London had the option to move their bye back, and the Colts took it.” King writes this "seems sensible; most players would rather have a bye in midseason than in early October" (MMQB.SI.com, 4/15).
PLANTING THE SEED: Fox will air the Week 1 Bears-Texans matchup, and NFL Network's Eisen reported Fox "apparently wanted Houston on their air to promote the fact that the Super Bowl will be in Houston on Fox this year.” Fox will broadcast Super Bowl LI from NRG Stadium next February ("NFL Schedule Release," NFL Network, 4/14).
