Primetime Heroes
Schedule release day offers fans a window into what teams the league believes are going to be relevant in the year ahead, and those teams are often featured in the majority of primetime games. Last year, ten teams tied with five primetime games each: the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Rams, the Minnesota Vikings, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots, the defending Super Bowl Champions.
This year, you can expect the Chiefs to be atop any such list. Other teams that are likely candidates for a big chunk of games under the lights are the Baltimore Ravens, the New Orleans Saints, the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Tennessee Titans.
But three teams that were barely featured in primetime might see a big boost to their national appearances in the year ahead. Last year the Arizona Cardinals played just one primetime game, but with Kyler Murray entering his second season and some new faces such as Isaiah Simmons and DeAndre Hopkins, we might see more of the Cardinals under the lights. The Buffalo Bills were the only team without a primetime game, but in a new look AFC East they can expect to see more love from the schedule makers. Finally, Tom Brady draws a crowd, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely see more than just a single primetime game.
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