The National Football League does a tremendous job of keeping itself relevant throughout the calendar year. Part of this ability lies in how they package “hope.” The NFL draft gives each fan base the idea that with the right few picks, next year could really be the year for their favorite team. Television ratings reflect that, and this year – as the only “game” in town – ratings were through the roof.
Another bit of news the league uses each year to stay in the global conversation is the release of the upcoming schedule. Normally, logistics do not move the needle for most people, but somehow the release of the NFL schedule creates hours of conversation and endless topics on predicted win/loss records, games to watch, and the like. (Believe me, we will be doing all of that here at Touchdown Wire).
But with the current global climate and concerns over a season starting on time – if at all – the schedule release is taking on a bit more importance. To that end, what might the 2020 NFL schedule look like when it’s released Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST?
Here are some predictions.
The Season Opener | Thanksgiving Traditions | Primetime Heroes | Strongest Schedules | Weakest Schedules | The Impact of COVID-19
The Season Opener
Traditionally, the NFL opens each season with the defending Super Bowl Champions hosting a Thursday-night affair. Banners are raised, trophies are shown off and the team and its fans come together one final time to toast the success of the previous season. (One exception to this tradition was last year, when the league opened the NFL100 season by having two of the oldest franchises square off, the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears).
So in all likelihood the league turns back to the Super Bowl winners this year, with the Kansas City Chiefs opening the season up at Arrowhead Stadium. Some obvious choices for their opponent from their slate of home games stand out immediately. This year the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans are scheduled to visit Kansas City, and either a rematch of the Divisional Round last season or a contest between two teams with a growing rivalry makes a great deal of sense. The Patriots and the Chiefs opened up the season a few years back when the Patriots were coming off a Super Bowl, so we could expect New England to make the trip to Kansas City this year.
There might be a potential catch to this, as we will discuss in a moment, so a dark horse selection might be one of their NFC South opponents this year. In 2020 the NFC South and the AFC West are the teams slated to play each other in non-conference games, so you could see either the Carolina Panthers or the Atlanta Falcons scheduled to open the season in Kansas City.
The Season Opener | Thanksgiving Traditions | Primetime Heroes | Strongest Schedules | Weakest Schedules | The Impact of COVID-19