Opening Day 2007

[PatsFan24]

Anyone else expect that Thursday game to be the Pats at Colts next year?

 

[richpats]

About 75% chance - a Colts/Saints matchup would draw a pretty big audience as well.

 

[Willie55]

About 75% chance - a Colts/Saints matchup would draw a pretty big audience as well.

Colts and Saints dont have a history, and the Pats and Colts played in a barn burner in the conference championship game. I say its a 95% chance they play.

 

[RyanTheColtsFan]

My guess?

Tennessee @ Indianapolis.

 

[everlong]

My guess?

Tennessee @ Indianapolis.

I totally agree with this.

To start the 2004 season we played the Colts but to start the 2005 season we played the Raiders because they had acquired Moss and they were the buzz team. I believe SI or CBS Sportsline were touting them as the dark horse that would make the Super Bowl.

This year the Steelers played Miami who was SI's pick for the Super Bowl and the buzz team.

I think the Titans will be the buzz team this year and they beat Indy last year and lost to them by a point the other game.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

I think we will open up on Sept 6th ,but Mr Kraft could be deciding that the overseas trip to China would not be fare to open at Indy, after the whole China experience, it would not be a good to play a game that decides playoff home field on the first week of the season...

 

[Isaac]

No chance, I say. They'll hold the Patriots-Colts for later in the season. They stopped doing championship game rematches a couple years ago and I doubt they'll go back. Why use up the best matchups when the game will get great ratings regardless?

Tennessee makes a lot of sense. Also Denver or New Orleans.

 

[SVN]

i see chargers@pats on sunday night

 

[patriotsblood]

I think there will be Indy-Denver.

 

[Willie55]

Polian will petition the league for the Pats on opening night so he can rub the banner raising in the Pats face. The guy despises the Pats. You know he wants it.

 

[upstater1]

I think a Thursday game is a big advantage for both teams. Start the season early get extra days to rest up for week 2.

 

[SVN]

actually i argued in other threads that kraft will pull some strings and try not to let that happen but guess what ..
BB always says we will play when they ask us to play . So i dont think the pats will do any effort to effect the schedule.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Anyone else expect that Thursday game to be the Pats at Colts next year?

The NFL might as well announce it today. Brady vs. Manning to open the season? Pats have to watch the Colts raise their SB41 banner? Of course the NFL will set this up.

For those who point to last year and go, "Well, the NFL didn't have the Broncos open in Pittsburgh", come on...we're talking Jake Plummer. Pats/Colts AFCCG rematch >>> Broncos/Steelers AFCCG rematch.

Regards,
Chris

P.S. I heard the Pats/Colts AFCCG was the highest rated non-Super Bowl game in 20 years. Is that true?

 

[Aldogg]

If they want to raise the banner in front of us, go ahead and schedule it, I could care less since we need to play them anyway. But, they might lean towards something else, they know Indy/New England is a ratings gold mine and they can hype that for a Monday or Sunday night, and if anything, putting Tennessee in that slot might give the NFL a chance to showcase a player they can hopefully bank on for the next decade, Vince Young.

There are a lot of options, depending on who Indy's home schedule is. San Diego would be a good match-up too if they play.

 

[nescott]

No chance the league now schedules these type of games in week 9 and 10 that is why we ended up playing the Raiders in 05 instead of the steelers and the steelers played the dolphins not the Broncos.

 

[Haterproof]

No chance the league now schedules these type of games in week 9 and 10 that is why we ended up playing the Raiders in 05 instead of the steelers and the steelers played the dolphins not the Broncos.

We couldn't play the Steelers in our opening game of 2005 (Which was @ Pittsburgh).The Steelers was suppose to host the Broncos in their 1st game of 06.Denver got scared and didn't do it.

 

[Seymour93]

No chance, I say. They'll hold the Patriots-Colts for later in the season. They stopped doing championship game rematches a couple years ago and I doubt they'll go back. Why use up the best matchups when the game will get great ratings regardless?

Tennessee makes a lot of sense. Also Denver or New Orleans.

I agree. Pats-Colts is going to get huge ratings any week of the season. They don't need to boost opening night either. Denver would be a good team to host, as they have a large fanbase and a decent team.

Chargers-Pats is another tasty matchup that I think NBC will want to save for later in the season. I too, think we'll start on the road. Maybe at Baltimore or Miami. We'll be CBS's lead game for the week. Just a hunch.

P.S. I heard the Pats/Colts AFCCG was the highest rated non-Super Bowl game in 20 years. Is that true?

Close.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/television/article_1552558.php

With 46.7 million viewers, it was the most-watched AFC championship since 1986, and the best in either conference since Dallas took on Green Bay in the January 1996 National Football Conference title game, Nielsen said.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Im going to guess something 2 months in advance so here goes

Sept 6th at Indy NBC
Sept 16th at NYG
Sept 23 San Diego NBC
Sept 30th at Buffalo
Oct 7th Miami
Oct 14th Philly
Oct 22nd at NYJ MNF
Oct 28th bye
Nov 4th Wash
Nov 11th at Miami
Nov 18th Cleveland
Nov 22nd at Dallas Thanksgivin
Dec 2nd Pitt
Dec 9th at Cincy
Dec 16th NYJ
Dec 23rd At Balt
Dec 30th Buffalo

That is just a guess granted the last 7 weeks are flex weeks.. I know its all speculation,but this was craps and giggles.. 4 scheduled national tv games, plus we should end the season at home.. We shall see it will fun to look back on it in april...

 

[Haterproof]

Im going to guess something 2 months in advance so here goes

Sept 6th at Indy NBC
Sept 16th at NYG
Sept 23 San Diego NBC
Sept 30th at Buffalo
Oct 7th Miami
Oct 14th Philly
Oct 22nd at NYJ MNF
Oct 28th bye
Nov 4th Wash
Nov 11th at Miami
Nov 18th Cleveland
Nov 22nd at Dallas Thanksgivin
Dec 2nd Pitt
Dec 9th at Cincy
Dec 16th NYJ
Dec 23rd At Balt
Dec 30th Buffalo

That is just a guess granted the last 7 weeks are flex weeks.. I know its all speculation,but this was craps and giggles.. 4 scheduled national tv games, plus we should end the season at home.. We shall see it will fun to look back on it in april...

I pray to God that this isn't the order of those games next season.

 

[richpats]

Now that I think about the NFL and its marketing machine, I believe the NFL will make the opener Pats/Colts so it can be advertised for a FULL MONTH prior to the contest. NBC has the China Bowl on August 8th (featuring the Pats) so naturally they would talk their first regular season broadcast on Sept 6th.

If it were in November, there would only be a week's worth of hype. Plus, there's less guarantee the 2 marquee QB's would be healthy and playing during the middle of the season.