CBS ANNOUNCES NFL SCHEDULE

Posted Apr 13, 2007 by Walt Belcher

Updated Apr 13, 2007 at 01:31 PM

This just in:

CBS SPORTS MARKS 48TH YEAR OF NFL COVERAGE AS

NETWORK ANNOUNCES 2007 “NFL ON CBS” BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, along with other AFC Powers New England and Baltimore, as well as Denver and Cincinnati to Appear 10 Times Each; San Diego Featured 11 Times; Traditional AFC Rivalries, Key AFC-NFC Match-Ups and Thanksgiving Day Game Highlight CBS Television Network’s NFL Schedule

The CBS Television Network, marking its 48th year of coverage of the NFL, will broadcast a total of 108 games during its 17 weeks of regular-season coverage of the NFL’s American Football Conference.  The regular-season schedule is followed by a full post-season slate including an AFC Wild Card playoff game on January 6, 2008, two divisional playoff games on January 12 and January 13 and the AFC Championship Game on January 20.

► OPENING KICK-OFF

THE NFL ON CBS kicks off Week 1 with singleheader coverage on Sunday, Sept. 9 (12:00 Noon-4:00 PM, ET) beginning with THE NFL TODAY, the Network’s pre-game studio show.

The day’s NFL action is highlighted by New England taking on the New York Jets and Miami hosting Washington.  Other regional action that day on THE NFL ON CBS includes Denver-Buffalo, Pittsburgh-Cleveland, Kansas City-Houston and Tennessee-Jacksonville, live on the CBS Television Network.

► NINE CBS DOUBLEHEADER WEEKENDS

The Network’s 2007 broadcast schedule, which includes nine doubleheader weekends, features several of last year’s powerhouse teams in the AFC and key AFC-NFC match-ups including New England-Dallas (10/14), New England-Indianapolis (11/4), Denver-Chicago (11/25), Denver-Indianapolis (9/30), Pittsburgh-New England (12/9), New York Jets-New York Giants and San Diego-Denver (10/7), Pittsburgh-Baltimore and Buffalo-Philadelphia (12/30), Kansas City-Chicago and Indianapolis-Tennessee (9/16), Kansas City-San Diego (9/30), San Diego-Minnesota (11/4), Baltimore-San Diego (11/25), Kansas City-Denver (12/9), Baltimore-Seattle and New York Jets-Tennessee (12/23). 

► AFC DIVISIONAL RIVALRIES

        Along with near-weekly AFC Eastern Division battles with New England, Miami, Buffalo and the New York Jets, and AFC Western Division clashes between San Diego, Denver, Kansas City and Oakland, other AFC games highlighted include interdivision rivalries such as Cincinnati-Kansas City (10/14), New York Jets-Cincinnati (10/21), New York Jets-Baltimore (9/16), as well as North Division tilts between Pittsburgh-Cincinnati (10/28) and Cincinnati-Baltimore (11/11). 

► AFC-NFC MATCH-UPS

Other notable AFC-NFC match-ups include Indianapolis-Carolina (10/28), Jacksonville-New Orleans (11/4), Miami-Philadelphia (11/18), San Diego-Green Bay (9/23), Miami-Washington (9/9), Cincinnati-Seattle (9/23), Houston-Atlanta (9/30), Pittsburgh-Arizona (9/30), Baltimore-San Francisco (10/7) and Cleveland-St. Louis (10/28).

► THANKSGIVING DAY GAME

Thanksgiving Day (11/22) will feature the New York Jets at Dallas.

►SUPER BOWL CHAMPS APPEAR 10 TIMES

Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, as well as the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals appear 10 times each; the San Diego Chargers 11 times and the Pittsburgh Steelers nine times; the Tennessee Titans 12 times; the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans 13 times each; as well as the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders 14 times each.

► PRESEASON

CBS Sports’ NFL pre-season schedule begins Friday, Aug. 10 (8:00 PM, ET) live in prime time with the Buffalo Bills taking on the New Orleans Saints.  The Network’s second pre-season game sees the San Diego Chargers visiting the St. Louis Rams live in prime time on Saturday, Aug. 18 (8:00 PM, ET).  And the third and final pre-season game pits the New England Patriots against the Carolina Panthers live in prime time on Saturday, Aug. 24 (8:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network.

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms are the lead announce team for the Network’s coverage of the NFL.

THE NFL TODAY, CBS Sports’ NFL pre-game, halftime and post-game studio show, begins on Sunday, Sept. 9 (12:00 Noon-1:00 PM, ET) with host James Brown, along with analysts Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher.