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When the league released its full schedule Tuesday, the Packers learned they’ll play three more prime-time games highlighted by a Sunday night showdown with the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 21 at Lambeau Field in addition to their nationally televised Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, which was announced earlier this month at the NFL meetings.
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Brett Favre celebrartes a 24-14 win agianst the Carolina Panthers in 2004 on Monday NIght Football. Despite Favre's retirement, the Packers will play four times in prime time next season. |
Now led by 2005 first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers, following the March 4 retirement of legendary quarterback Brett Favre, the Packers will appear on ESPN’s Monday night series the maximum three times in 2008: The opener against the Vikings; a Nov. 24 game at New Orleans; and a Dec. 22 Soldier Field showdown with the Chicago Bears, who handed Green Bay two of its three regular-season losses last year.
“If you look at it from the kind of season we had last year, I think obviously the Packers are a very attractive team to be on TV,” new Packers president Mark Murphy said. “And, I think there’s a lot of interest in, What are the Packers going to look like without Brett Favre?’ Having two games early in the season in prime time is going to be exciting. I’m excited for our fans.”
For “weather reasons,” Murphy said the team would like to retire Favre’s No. 4 at a ceremony during one of the first four home games: Sept. 8 against the Vikings; Sept. 21 against the Cowboys; Oct. 5 against the Atlanta Falcons; or Oct. 19 against the Indianapolis Colts. The only non-nationally televised game among those four is the game against the Falcons, Favre’s former team that traded him to Green Bay in 1992.
Murphy said he would talk with general manager Ted Thompson and Favre to determine the best game for the ceremony. Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy were in draft meetings and unavailable for comment Tuesday, a team spokesman said.
“That’s going to be a decision we reach with Brett,” said Murphy, adding that the game would “not necessarily” have to be a national TV game. “I think we need to look at a number of different factors. And ultimately, we have to make sure Brett’s not boar hunting that weekend. It’s really going to work around his schedule.”
The Packers are one of only two teams (the Cleveland Browns are the other) to receive three “MNF” games, while the Vikings, Saints, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers received two “MNF” games apiece. Green Bay last played in four prime-time games in 2005, when it also played three Monday Night Football games in addition to one Sunday night contest.
Then there’s the Packers’ Sunday night game against the Cowboys. Dallas beat the Packers nine straight times (including playoffs) with Favre at quarterback in Big D including last season’s 37-27 loss on Nov. 29, when Rodgers relieved an injured Favre and nearly rallied the Packers to victory but has never won in Green Bay (0-5).
This marks the third straight season the Packers have played a Sunday night game in 2006, their New Year’s Eve finale at Chicago became a prime-time game as part of the NFL’s flexible scheduling and the second consecutive year the Packers have faced the Cowboys in prime time.
Last year, the teams met in a Thursday night game on the NFL Network.
The game against the Cowboys is part of the “gold” season ticket package, along with the Nov. 16 game against Chicago. That package is for former Milwaukee County Stadium season ticket-holders, who arguably are getting two of the three most attractive home games on the schedule.
In addition to their four prime-time games, the Packers also have two late-afternoon games: Oct. 12 at the Seattle Seahawks, whose coach, ex-Packers coach Mike Holmgren, is entering his final season; and Oct. 19 against the Peyton Manning-led Colts at Lambeau Field.
The Packers’ other 10 games are scheduled for noon starts, although the final five noon games are subject to flex scheduling and are eligible to be moved by NBC to Sunday nights.
For the second straight year, the Packers face six teams that made the playoffs the previous season. Their opponents went a combined 136-120 (.531) last season, compared to the 2007 opponents, who were 126-130 (.492) the previous year. Four of their first seven games are against teams which made the playoffs last year.
The reigning NFC North champions begin and end the season with back-to-back games against division opponents (Minnesota and Detroit to start the year, Chicago and Detroit to end it) and will have their bye the weekend of Oct. 26, after seven games.
“The beginning of the season is certainly challenging (when) you look at the number of playoff teams early in the year,” Murphy said. “(And) those (division) games mean so much. You never know how the division’s going to play itself out, but having those games at the end of the year really lends itself to some excitement.”
