Superbowl 50 Rematch Jumps Off 2016 NFL Season

14 Apr, 2016

The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos won’t have to wait long for a rematch of Super Bowl 50.

The teams will meet Sept. 8 in a nationally televised Thursday night opener in Denver.

“We’re glad that it’s out,” said John Elway, Broncos executive vice president of football operations. “We knew who we were going to play and now we know when we’re going to play them. It’s always exciting to take that next step and look at the 2016 season. With the schedule coming out, that’s kind of the first step. With the draft coming up in the next couple of weeks, we’re on to 2016.”

The game highlights the 2016 NFL schedule, which was released Thursday night. It included the slate for the 47th season of Monday Night Football.

Denver defeated Carolina 24-10 in Super Bowl 50 in February. Linebacker Von Miller was named the game’s most valuable player after collecting 2.5 sacks against quarterback Cam Newton. Two of those resulted in fumbles that led to touchdowns.

“It’s exciting for our players to compete on a national stage,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “We have earned the right to be in the spotlight and we have to take advantage of it.”

The 2016 opener will be the first Super Bowl rematch on opening weekend since 1970, when Minnesota beat champion Kansas City 27-10.

The Panthers, who went 15-1 in the regular season, return most of the team that has won the NFC South the past three years. The Broncos have lost several key players this offseason, including quarterback Peyton Manning, who retired last month.

Among the other highlights for opening weekend: The Rams return to represent Los Angeles as they visit the San Francisco 49ers in the nightcap of a Monday night doubleheader. Pittsburgh is at Washington in the first game on Monday.

Another notable matchup in Week 1: The Patriots and Cardinals will meet in Arizona on Sunday night, Sept. 11.

“It is truly an honor to open the season at home, at MetLife Stadium, on the 15th anniversary of 9/11,” Jets center Nick Mangold said of a matchup with the Bengals. “I know that will be an emotional time for everyone, as it was in 2011.”

The Rams get their first home game in the L.A. Coliseum in Week 2, hosting Seattle. That night, the Vikings open their new stadium in Minneapolis against Green Bay.

Week 3’s Monday nighter has Atlanta at New Orleans to mark the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.

Week 16 will feature most games on a Saturday because Sunday is Christmas. There will be two games on Christmas Day: Baltimore at Pittsburgh in late afternoon, Denver at Kansas City at night. Houston hosts Cincinnati in a Christmas Eve night game.

“I don’t know how much my wife will think of that,” a chuckling Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said of playing on Christmas, “but that’s part of it. I’ve done that many times before. It will be a tough place to play. We always have great games there.”

A tripleheader on the other major holiday, Thanksgiving, will have the traditional home games for Detroit (vs. Minnesota) and Dallas (against Washington). The prime-time matchup is Pittsburgh at Indianapolis.

The regular season ends on New Year’s Day 2017 with 16 divisional matchups.

Four games will be played abroad. Jacksonville will host Indianapolis in London on Oct. 2, at Wembley Stadium. On Oct. 23, the first NFL game at Twickenham Stadium will have the Rams hosting the Giants. And the following Sunday, Cincinnati will host Washington at Wembley.

The NFL returns to Mexico City for the first time in 11 years when Oakland hosts Houston on Nov. 21.

Byes begin in Week 4 when Green Bay and Philadelphia are off. They end in Week 13 with Cleveland and Tennessee idle.

The playoffs start on the weekend of Jan. 7-8. Houston hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

Only one team, Green Bay, has three straight road games: Nov. 13 at Tennessee, Nov. 20 at Washington and Nov. 28 at Philadelphia. Strangely, the Packers also have a string of five weeks without leaving Wisconsin. They have four straight games at Lambeau Field, with a bye after the first game.

Miami also has four consecutive home matches, from Oct. 9 to Nov. 6, with a bye in there, too.

Overall, including the Packers and Dolphins, 11 teams have at least three straight home contests: Titans, Giants, Lions, Buccaneers, Bills (in December, no less), Patriots (Weeks 2-4), Jets, Browns and Chiefs (also in December).

Oakland has a similar home stay — sort of. The Raiders host Denver on Nov. 6, then have a bye before being the home team in that game in Mexico City. They follow with games in Oakland against Carolina and Buffalo.

ESPN

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