Tag: primetime

Why isn’t Russell Wilson’s return to Denver a prime-time game?

Russell Wilson’s return to Denver should provide big ratings for CBS in Week 2, and the network protects select games during the NFL season.

After the Seattle Seahawks traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in 2022, the two teams faced off on Monday Night Football in Week 1 that season.

This offseason, the Broncos cut Wilson and he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson is now set to return to Denver to face his former team in Week 2, but the game won’t be in a prime-time window.

The Broncos-Steelers showdown on Sept. 15 is set for 2:25 p.m. MT on CBS and because it’s so early in the season, it’s not eligible to be flexed. So why is Wilson’s return to Denver locked out of prime time?

Part of the reason could be that CBS likely wanted to “protect” the game. NBC (Sunday Night Football), ESPN (Monday Night Football) and Prime Video (Thursday Night Football) often get many of the NFL’s best matchups, leaving leftovers for CBS and Fox on Sunday afternoons. Consequently, networks can “protect” a game each week and while there hasn’t been official confirmation of it, CBS might have exercised that right for the Wilson Bowl.

Interestingly, Kirk Cousins returning to Minnesota to face the Vikings is not scheduled for prime time, either. Minnesota is set to host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14, and Fox likely wants that game protected as well.

While Wilson and Cousins returning to face their former teams did not get prime time treatment from the NFL’s schedule makers, Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans did. The Saints will host the Broncos on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

It’s also worth noting that while the Denver-Pittsburgh game won’t be at night, it could end up being close to nationally televised if CBS opts to broadcast it across most of the country (which seems likely). So there will be plenty of football fans tuning in when Wilson faces the Broncos in Week 2, it just won’t be an evening game.

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Packers scheduled to play 4 straight primetime games late in 2024 season

Between Weeks 13-16, the Packers will play four straight primetime games: vs. the Dolphins, Lions, Seahawks and Saints.

The 2024 schedule for the Green Bay Packers is officially out, and one stretch stands out above all the rest: four straight primetime games between Week 13 and Week 16.

Barring a flex scheduling change, nationally televised audiences will see the Packers for a month straight during the heart of playoff positioning time in the NFL.

Here’s the stretch of primetime games for the Packers spanning November and December:

— vs. Miami Dolphins on Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving night)
— at Detroit Lions on Dec. 5 (Thursday Night Football)
— at Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 15 (Sunday Night Football)
— vs. New Orleans Saints on Dec. 23 (Monday Night Football)

“That will definitely will be a tough four-game stretch,” said coach Matt LaFleur, per Packers.com. “Going into the season, those are four teams that I think project to be very tough football teams. But it is nice to have two of those, at least, at home with San Francisco and then following it up with Miami on Thanksgiving, which is great to have a Thanksgiving night game in Lambeau.”

Last season, the Packers were 2-3 in primetime games, with early-season losses to the Lions at home and Raiders on the road mixed in with big wins over the Chiefs at home and Vikings on the road and a wild loss to the Giants during the late-season surge.

The Packers are scheduled to play the maximum five total primetime games in 2024: the Week 1 opener in Brazil against the Eagles and the four-game stretch from Week 13-16. After returning home from Brazil, the Packers will play 10 straight games in the noon or 3:25 timeslot.

The season finale’s date and time is currently to be determined, so it’s possible the Week 18 matchup against the Chicago Bears could be flexed into primetime.

One final ‘Bryan Bulaga, Iowa’ from now retired Packers OT

Bryan Bulaga retired from the NFL on Friday as a member of the Packers. It called for a fitting sendoff.

“Bryan Bulaga, Iowa.”

The retirement of former Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga on Friday required a final sendoff, and there was no better way than his famous primetime phrase.

“Bryan Bulaga, Iowa.”

Bulaga, a starter at right tackle for the Packers for almost a decade, became an Internet sensation during his playing career in Green Bay for his deadpanned introduction during Sunday primetime games.

“I don’t think people are ever going to let me live down the ‘Bryan Bulaga, Iowa,’ which is fine, I think it’s funny,” Bulaga said Friday.

Over the years, Bulaga’s hilarious intro became a tradition for the Packers, who often played several primetime games on Sunday night per year during the dominant Aaron Rodgers era. Every nationally televised game on NBC provided an opportunity to hear Bulaga’s intro.

On Ftiday, the team’s social media account got Bulaga to say it one more time:

Bulaga retired from the NFL as a member of the Packers on Friday. A first-round pick in 2010 and a part of the Super Bowl XLV-winning team, Bulaga spent 10 seasons in Green Bay from 2010 to 2019. He signed with the Chargers in 2020 and finished his career in Los Angeles.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reveals his favorite time to play a game

Kansas City #Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reveals his favorite timeslot to play in on Sundays.

The ever-evolving game and NFL schedule have showcased more primetime games and networks. Football is no longer primarily a Sunday program, as the added emphasis of Thursday Night Football and the occasional primetime specials have changed how the game is viewed weekly.

The Kansas City Chiefs and star quarterback Patrick Mahomes are must-see television, so they are expected to be seen in front of a national audience. Mahomes understands that responsibility and offered his thoughts on the best time to play while speaking with reporters on Wednesday.

“That comes with the territory whenever you start winning a lot, you play the better teams in the NFL,” Mahomes explained of his feelings when the Chiefs’ schedule was initially released. “Just how the schedule – how they make the schedule. Obviously, we play a lot of primetime games and not a lot of 12 o’clock games and stuff like that. It just comes with it. When you win, they want to put you on those nationally televised games and stuff like that.

“We’re excited for it, what better way to prepare you for the playoffs than playing in different time zones, playing in different times of the day, and playing in front of everybody, so you can prepare yourself that whenever you get to the playoffs, you’re ready to go. It’s a heck of an opportunity, and I’m excited I’m playing at GEHA Field at Arrowhead this week at 3:25 pm because that’s like my favorite time I think to play.”

The Chiefs have already played three primetime games this season, with at least three more scheduled for the rest of the year.

“I think during the regular season, I prefer like that three o’clock window just because it’s right there, especially when you’re at home, you get to go home and watch the night game and everything like that,” Mahomes said. “Not too late. But once you get towards the end of the season, I like the primetime ones at seven, no matter if it’s Monday, Thursday, or Sunday night.”

The next three primetime scheduled opponents are the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots.

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Chiefs’ Week 6 matchup vs. Denver with Broncos Wire

We went behind enemy lines with #Broncos Wire to get the inside scoop on the #Chiefs’ Week 6 matchup against Denver.

The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Denver Broncos on Thursday night in a matchup where the team hopes to earn its fifth straight win against a division rival in primetime. Kansas City is riding high after a close victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5, while Denver is currently tied for the second-worst record in the NFL.

As such, the Chiefs are heavily favored in this matchup, though their recent struggles on offense may keep the final score a bit closer than some might expect.

One thing is certain, despite the disparity in these teams’ fortunes to this point in the 2023 season: Denver expects to give Kansas City a run for their money in this Week 6 tilt, and any team can win in the modern NFL.

We sat down with Jon Heath of Broncos Wire to preview this divisional matchup and gained valuable insight into Denver’s situation.

Check out Heath’s responses to our questions below to see his perspective ahead of Thursday night’s game:

ESPN announces kickoff time for Alabama football showdown with Texas

Alabama and Texas set to meet under the prime time lights on ESPN

Alabama football survived an instant classic on the road against the Longhorns in 2022 by a score of 20-19. Alabama kicker, Will Reichard, was the hero in the game as he drilled a 33-yard field goal in the last minute to win it, but the game could have certainly gone either way.

Texas will return the favor in 2023 as they come to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 9 as the second part of the home-and-home series. ESPN has just announced that this year’s showdown will be under the lights in primetime at 6:00 p.m.

Last year’s matchup was an 11:00 a.m. kickoff in the brutal Texas heat which likely affected both teams with on-the-field temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. However, the game will look much different this year as Alabama lost Bryce Young and Texas lost Bijan Robinson to the NFL draft, both of whom were each team’s most impactful player

Longhorns quarterback, Quinn Ewers, was on fire before suffering an injury that kept him out the rest of the game. The Tide set a program record with 15 penalties and played one of the sloppiest games of the Saban era.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama Football as the 2023 offseason progresses.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

6 biggest games on Chiefs’ 2023 schedule

Our @Nicolas_Roesch breaks down what he believes to be the biggest games on the #Chiefs’ 2023 schedule:

As the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs will naturally play in a number of big games in 2023.

The Chiefs are a marquee game for each of their opponents and have to take everybody’s best shot every week. 2023 will be no exception as Kansas City will be the only NFL game on TV eight different times. If the Chiefs are going to be the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the second straight year, they will definitely have earned it.

Let’s take a look at the six biggest games on the Chiefs’ 2023 schedule.

Packers to face NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in primetime in 2023

The Packers will face NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 13.

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A visit from NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will provide one of the Green Bay Packers’ five primetime games in 2023.

According to the schedule released by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers will host the Chiefs at Lambeau Field on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 13. The Dec. 3 matchup is scheduled for a 7:20 p.m. kickoff and features a rematch of Mahomes vs. Jordan Love from the 2021 season.

The Chiefs went 14-3 during the 2022 regular season and then beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Benglas in the AFC playoffs to advance to Super Bowl LVII, where they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in a thrilling contest to become world champions for the second time in four years. Mahomes was named the NFL’s regular season MVP for the second time in his career after throwing for an league-high 41 touchdown passes and 5,240 yards, and he was also the Super Bowl MVP.

The Week 13 matchup against the Packers will be one of the top games on Green Bay’s home schedule in 2023.

If nothing else, the contest will provide Love and the Packers with a chance to prove they are up to the challenge of facing a Super Bowl champion, especially on a nationally televised stage.

Love made his first career start against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 9 of 2021. He threw a late touchdown to Allen Lazard but the Packers turned the ball over twice and missed two field goals in a 13-7 defeat. Love started the game on short notice and in place of Aaron Rodgers, who was out after testing positive for COVID-19.

Former Packers on the Chiefs roster include receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who signed with Kansas City before the 2022 season.

The official schedule will be released later Thursday night.

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Here are the Packers’ 5 primetime games on 2023 schedule

In Year 1 of the Jordan Love era, the Packers will once again play five primetime games. Here’s a quick look at the five in 2023.

Aaron Rodgers might be playing in New York, but the Green Bay Packers will once again have five primetime games on the initial 2023 regular season schedule, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

The Packers remain a massive national draw for viewers, and while there’s no guarantee Matt LaFleur’s team is a contender in the first year without Rodgers, the opening of the Jordan Love era is nothing if not intriguing given the team’s history of quarterbacks (and quarterback transitions).

Of course, flex scheduling is in play this year. The final three primetime games could get flexed out of primetime slot if the matchups are no longer intriguing late in the year.

Here’s a quick look at the primetime slate for the Packers in 2023:

Packers 2023 schedule features feast of primetime, holiday games

Jordan Love’s Packers will be featured in primetime viewing slots throughout the 2023 season.

Jordan Love’s Green Bay Packers will be playing in primetime and featured in holiday games during the 2023 NFL season.

According to the schedule released by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers have five primetime games scheduled and will play on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve night during the regular season.

The Packers have played the maximum five primetime games every year for over a decade under quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Now, it’s Love’s turn in the spotlight.

The Packers will get primetime games against the Detroit Lions in Week 4 (Thursday night), Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 (Monday night), Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 (Sunday night), New York Giants in Week 14 (Monday night) and Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 (Sunday night). Matt LaFleur’s team will also play the Lions on Thanksgiving in Week 12, the Carolina Panthers on Christmas Eve in Week 16 and the Vikings on New Year’s Eve in Week 17.

Overall, the Packers have only eight noon kickoff games scheduled, although flex scheduling could change the look of the schedule later in the season. The final three primetime games can be flexed to other times of the week depending on the team’s performance and standing in the playoff hunt.

The team’s bye week comes in Week 6 after a stretch of two primetime games (vs. Lions, at Raiders). During a stretch spanning the end of November and start of December, the Packers will play three consecutive nationally televised games, beginning with the early timeslot game on Thanksgiving in Detroit.

Only two of the seven primetime or holiday games will be played at Lambeau Field.

The Packers open the season at the Bears and finish the season with a trip from the Bears, and the Week 18 game could be a primetime game based on the importance of the matchup.

The NFL and Packers will officially release the team’s schedule later Thursday night.