NFL Week 8 Television: Cowboys again broadcast nationwide in late afternoon game

For the second week in a row FOX will jam the Dallas Cowboys down the collective throats of NFL fans, broadcasting the ‘Boys in their exclusive late afternoon game in week 8. The 2-4 Cowboys (last in the NFC East) host the 3-4 Seattle Seahawks in a game that will be broadcast by every FOX affiliate in the U.S., with the exception of one station in the Bay area due to NFL television restrictions (i.e., Oakland is playing at home at the same time).

CBS will again broadcast only a single game this week. Most of the country (including the New England area) will get their best game available: 4-3 Pittsburgh at 6-0 Cincinnati. It is interesting to note that many markets will be airing this matchup rather than a game that involves the a division rival of the team from that area. In the Patriots’ home markets for example, the decision was made to go with the better teams (Steelers-Bengals) rather than a game involving another team in the AFC East (Jets-Raiders). It was not long ago that in a scenario such as this one that the decision would be to automatically opt for a game with a division rival over any other game. The reason for that change is probably due to the influence of fantasy football and daily fantasy gambling sites; many viewers have become far more interested in individual players than with rivals of their favorite team.

In the other early game Fox will broadcast the Giants at New Orleans in the New England area. Normally this would elicit a snarky remark from me about the fact that this is 2015 and not 1959, and the reality that New England residents who were Giant fans are all either in their nineties or six feet under; the notion that the Giants are the Boston area’s regional team is ludicrous. However, in this instance none of those other games are particularly compelling; this may be the best of five rather uninspiring matchups.

Happy 65th birthday to Chuck Foreman. The 12th overall selection of the 1973 draft by Minnesota finished his NFL career in 1980 with the 10-6 New England Patriots. Foreman didn’t see much action that season (23 carries and 14 receptions). By that time the wear from being hit after nearly 2,200 touches had taken its toll, and Foreman was buried on the depth chart behind Vagas Ferguson, Don Calhoun, Horace Ivory and Mosi Tatupu. His final NFL touchdown came in the 4th quarter of a week seven game at Baltimore. The one-yard plunge sealed the victory for New England and gave the Pats a 37-21 victory over the Colts as the Patriots advanced to 6-1. Foreman was named to five Pro Bowls in his eight-year career, and ranks 59th all-time with 53 career rushing touchdowns.

3-3 Miami Dolphins at 6-0 New England Patriots (-10½), Thursday October 29 on CBS; Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

Available in all U.S. television markets.

1-6 Detroit Lions vs 2-5 Kansas City Chiefs (-2½) in London, 9:30 am (ET) Sunday November 1 on FOX; Sam Rosen, John Lynch

Available in all U.S. television markets.

4-2 Minnesota Vikings (-2½) at 2-4 Chicago Bears, early (1:00 pm ET, Nov 1) game on FOX; Chris Myers, Ronde Barber

Scheduled to be broadcast in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

2-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 6-1 Atlanta Falcons (-8), early game on FOX; Justin Kutcher, Charles Davis

Scheduled to be broadcast in Alabama, Florida (except Miami/West Palm Beach), Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee and western Virginia.

4-3 New York Giants at 3-4 New Orleans Saints (-2), early game on FOX; Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston

Scheduled to be broadcast in Arkansas, southern California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania (except Pittsburgh), Rhode Island, western Tennessee, Texas (except Houston), Utah, Vermont, eastern Virginia, Wyoming, DC, Las Vegas, Miami and West Palm Beach.

2-5 San Francisco 49ers at 3-3 St. Louis Rams (-6), early game on FOX; announcers TBD

Scheduled to be broadcast in northern California, Idaho, southern Illinois, Missouri, Oregon, Washington and Reno.

4-2 Arizona Cardinals (-4) at 2-5 Cleveland Browns, early game on FOX; announcers TBD

Scheduled to be broadcast in Arizona, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.

6-0 Cincinnati Bengals at 4-3 Pittsburgh Steelers, early game on CBS; Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

Scheduled to be broadcast in Alaska, Arizona, northern California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, southern Oregon, Utah, Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Reno, Springfield MA, St. Louis and Tampa.

2-5 San Diego Chargers at 1-5 Baltimore Ravens (-2), early game on CBS; Greg Gumbel, Trent Green

Scheduled to be broadcast in southern California, Maryland, northern Virginia, DC and Yuma AZ

1-5 Tennessee Titans at 2-5 Houston Texans, early game on CBS; Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots

Scheduled to be broadcast in northern Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Bowling Green KY and Shreveport LA

4-2 New York Jets (-3) at 3-3 Oakland Raiders, late (4:05 pm ET) game on CBS; Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

Scheduled to be broadcast in Arizona, northern California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, southern Oregon, Utah, Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Fargo, New Orleans, Springfield MA, St. Louis, Reno and Tampa

3-4 Seattle Seahawks (-5½) at 2-4 Dallas Cowboys, late (4:25 pm ET) game on FOX; Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman

Available in all U.S. television markets except San Francisco/Oakland.

6-0 Green Bay Packers (-3) at 6-0 Denver Broncos, Sunday night (8:30 pm ET) game on NBC; Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth

Available in all U.S. television markets.

3-4 Indianapolis Colts at 6-0 Carolina Panthers (-3½), Monday night (8:30 pm ET, Nov 2) game on ESPN; Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden

Available in all U.S. television markets.

Bye Week: 3-4 Buffalo Bills, 2-5 Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-4 Philadelphia Eagles, 3-4 Washington Redskins