NFL schedule 2021: Week 1 fixtures released, Buccaneers vs Cowboys confirmed as season-opener
The 2021 NFL season doesn't get underway until Sep 9, but the NFL has today (May 12) announced fixtures for Week 1, with the rest of the season's crunch encounters to follow later this evening at 8 pm EST.
After winning the Super Bowl last season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have the honor of getting things underway on home turf as they host a resurgent Dallas Cowboys team that's expected to feature a fit-again QB, Dak Prescott, in his first game back since that horrifying ankle injury sustained last season.
So that's the Super Bowl champions vs America's team on the opening day! What a spectacular way to get the new campaign started!
There will be two other prime-time games over the course of the first weekend: the Chicago Bears vs. the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, followed by Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens vs. the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.
On top of that, there are several other absolutely HUGE encounters set to take place in Week 1: In the NFC, the New Orleans Saints will host the Green Bay Packers, and over in the AFC, the Cleveland Browns will be looking to take revenge on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for their playoff defeat in the divisional round last year.
The complete set of fixtures for Week 1 is listed below.
2021 NFL schedule: Week 1
Thursday, September 09, 2021
Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Sunday, September 12, 2021
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Seattle Seahawks vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Arizona Cardinals vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Washington Football Team, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET CBS
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants, 4:25 p.m ET, FOX
Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Monday, September 13, 2021
Baltimore Ravens vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
I don't know about you, but I cannot wait!