The NFL has evolved to the point where the mere release of the regular season schedule is worthy of primetime television and headlines.
A part of that revolves around the need to satisfy the insatiable appetite of fans for all things NFL.
Another big part is how the schedule affects team’s chances of making the playoffs. No team wants to play too many roads games at the end of December, and they prefer to have their bye week around the mid-point of the season.
With that in mind it is time to take a look at some of the teams who will benefit, and some who will struggle with their 2012 schedule.
The schedule from hell
The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants didn’t get any favours from the schedule makers. Between Sept. 16-30, the Giants will play three games (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at Carolina Panthers and at Philadelphia Eagles) in a 14-day span.
Jeff Fisher and the St. Louis Rams didn’t catch a break with four of their last six games on the road — and one of their home games is against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Dallas Cowboys have a grueling schedule with six of their first nine games on the road.
The soft-as-butter schedule
The Houston Texans caught a big break from the schedule makers this year. Houston’s last three games of the regular season are: vs. Indianapolis Colts, vs. Minnesota Vikings, at the Colts. Those three relatively easy games might be the reason the Texans repeat at AFC South champions.
The No. 18 watch
The next chapter in the Peyton Manning saga will officially get underway on the season’s first episode of Sunday Night Football when the Denver Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rematch of last season’s thrilling overtime playoff game will mark the first of at least five primetime games for the Broncos. And though the game isn’t in primetime, Manning and his new squad will be in New England to take on his archrival Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Oct 7.
The Canadian connection
The Buffalo Bills will host the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 16 in their annual regular season game at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
At first glance it doesn’t appear to be much of a matchup, but the Seahawks actually feature some players that are worth watching live. Former Bills running back Marshawn Lynch has become a local legend in Seattle with his love of Skittles and his "Beast Mode" running style. Assuming he’s healthy, football fans will also get a chance to see new Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn.
The Bills hope this game will help them pave the way for their first playoff appearance since 1999. The way their schedule is structured in the second half of the season, there’s an opportunity for them to go at least 5-2 down the stretch.
The bye-week screw job:
Every year, some poor team is forced to take their bye week early in the season when they need it least. This year’s victims are the Steelers and Colts, who will be off for Week 4 at the end of September. For a team like the Steelers with so many older players on defence, a bye-week in mid-November would have been far more preferable.
The Tim Tebow watch
I am setting the over/under at Week 6 — when the New York Jets host the Colts — as the game that Tebow will have taken over from Mark Sanchez as the starting quarterback.
Road-trip games
Theres nothing like getting a few buddies together, piling into the family mini-van and taking a much-needed road trip to an NFL game. Most married men work way too hard around the house and deserve a good road trip with the lads. There are a couple of games this season that would make for a good roadie.
The first is Oct. 28 when the Steelers host the Washington Redskins at Heinz Field. It is a 1 p.m. ET game, so assuming nobody gets busted at the border, everyone should be able to make into work on Monday.
The other game that jumps out is Nov. 18 when the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. This is another 1 p.m. ET game so making it into work on time Monday shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Bucket-list games
If money wasn’t an issue and assuming I could get the green light from my wife, there are two games high on my bucket list.
I am still waiting to make a pilgrimage to the Black Hole, home of the Oakland Raiders. A perfect game would be Dec. 16 when the Raiders host their long-time rivals Kansas City Chiefs.
Lambeau Field is another stadium I haven’t been to yet and is high on my list of sporting priorities. In Week 2, the Packers host the Chicago Bears in the first Thursday Night Football game on Sept. 13 (live on Sportsnet). I can’t imagine there are better things in this world than watching a game on a late summer’s night at Lambeau between two old rivals.
The season kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 5 when the Giants host the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.