Green Bay Packers go prime time five times in 2014
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will lead his team to Seattle in the 2014 NFL Season Opener, one of five prime time games this season for Green Bay. Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports photograph
Barring being bumped by flex scheduling like the Green Bay Packers were in 2013, the Team 94 unit will be featured in five regular season prime time tilts in 2014.
It all starts Thursday, Sept. 4, when the Packers travel to Seattle to take on the NFL Champion Seahawks.
In addition to the opener, the Packers host Minnesota in another Thursday night affair Oct. 2; they play at New Orleans in a Sunday night game Oct. 26; after a week nine bye, the Packers will host the Chicago Bears in week 10, Sunday, Nov. 9; and they finish out in prime time when they host Atlanta Monday, Dec. 8.
That gives the Packers two Thursday night games, two Sunday-nighters, and one on Monday night.
And these just aren’t your average games, beginning with the opener at Seattle. While it’s important to win every game, this is one game that could be pivotal for the Packers in 2014. If the Packers beat the world champs in their own stadium in the season opener with the entire world watching – WOW! What a statement that would be by this organization.
Hosting the Vikings on the second night of October will challenge the Packers’ preparations with the quick turnaround from the Sept. 28 game at Chicago.
And if you want challenges, especially for the defense, then the Packers will certainly face it when they have to travel to The Big Easy and try to stop a future Hall-of-Famer Drew Brees Oct. 26. This is one game to circle on the calendar.
It doesn’t get any easier on Nov. 9 when the Chicago Bears pay a visit to Lambeau Field … remember the last time these two teams met? For 94 years these two teams never cease to amaze. I suspect 2014 will provide more highlights.
To finish off their prime time appearances, the Packers will host the Atlanta Falcons in a Monday night game Dec. 8. If you remember, it was the Atlanta game in 2013 that was flexed out of a Sunday night game and moved to noon. My guess is that Atlanta will be better this year and the game stays in prime time.
Here is the full schedule courtesy of NFL.com …
2014 prime-time schedule
Thursday (CBS/NFLN)
Sunday (NBC)
Monday (ESPN)
Week 1
Green Bay at Seattle 1
Indianapolis at Denver
N.Y. Giants at Detroit
San Diego at Arizona
Week 2
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
Chicago at San Francisco
Philadelphia at Indianapolis
Week 3
Tampa Bay at Atlanta
Pittsburgh at Carolina
Chicago at N.Y.Jets
Week 4
N.Y. Giants at Washington
New Orleans at Dallas
New England at Kansas City
Week 5
Minnesota at Green Bay
Cincinnati at New England 2
Seattle at Washington
Week 6
Indianapolis at Houston
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia
San Francisco at St. Louis
Week 7
N.Y. Jets at New England
San Francisco at Denver
Houston at Pittsburgh
Week 8
San Diego at Denver
Green Bay at New Orleans
Washington at Dallas
Week 9
New Orleans at Carolina
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Indianapolis at N.Y. Giants
Week 10
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Chicago at Green Bay
Carolina at Philadelphia
Week 11
Buffalo at Miami
New England at Indianapolis
Pittsburgh at Tennessee
Week 12
Kansas City at Oakland
Dallas at N.Y.Giants
Baltimore at New Orleans
Week 13
Seattle at San Francisco 3
Denver at Kansas City
Miami at N.Y.Jets
Week 14
Dallas at Chicago
New England at San Diego
Atlanta at Green Bay
Week 15
Arizona at St. Louis
Dallas at Philadelphia
New Orleans at Chicago
Week 16
Tennessee at Jacksonville
Seattle at Arizona
Denver at Cincinnati
Week 17
No game
TBD (flex scheduling)
No game
1 Kickoff game is on NBC