2012 Sunday Night Football Schedule Analysis

Free Agency is long gone, the draft is a distant memory, OTAs are over, and minicamps are wrapping up. The Broncos have sent their players off on a five week summer vacation. The coaches, executives, and support staff will all leave Dove Valley and head on vacations as a way to recharge the batteries before training camp starts at the end of July. This time of the year is truly a period of downtime for the Broncos and the entire NFL. It is their summer break, and with little news to discuss, it is a great time to look at other aspects of the upcoming NFL season. I broke down the Broncos and their schedule back when the schedules were released in April, but it is fun to look at the particular primetime games that are slated to take place next season. The primetime packages now consist of the Monday Night Football package on ESPN, the Sunday Night Football Package on NBC, and the NFL Network's Thursday Night Package. Today, I'll start with the SNF package on NBC. This has become the elite package of games on the NFL primetime schedule, and with the flex-scheduling option available, the NFL sets up NBC to show the best possible games each Sunday Night down the backstretch of the season. Here we go with the 2012 Sunday Night Football schedule and analysis:

Week 1- Wednesday 9/5/12
Dallas at New York Giants
Analysis: NBC always gets the first kickoff game of the new season for a Thursday Night opener, but this year the game will be played on a Wednesday because of NBC's coverage of the Democratic National Convention. I thought all along that the Packers would head to New York to take on the Giants, but the NFL put the Cowboys up first for the G-Men. Dallas-Giants will always get a huge rating, and this game will put up a huge number.

Week 1- Sunday 9/9/12
Pittsburgh at Denver
Analysis: Appartently, NBC was targeting this game before Peyton Manning signed with Denver. Once Manning signed with the Broncos, this was a no brainer. You have a playoff rematch from last year, and Manning making his debut with the Broncos. This game will provide a great setting for NBC in their first official Sunday night game.

Week 2- 9/16/12
Detroit at San Francisco
Analysis: Two surprise playoff teams from 2011 meet up early in the season. Great matchup because the game is in Week 2, and if these two teams fail to live up to expectations, it won't show up the second week of the season. Plus, the sideshow of this game features Jim Harbaugh vs. Jim Schwartz meeting up for the first time since last season's handshake "throwdown" at the end of the game. This game will feature about 1,200 side-by-side camera shots of both games thoughout the game.

Week 3- 9/23/12
New England at Baltimore
Analysis: This is a classic game in early September. Two AFC heavyweights going at it in a rematch of last year's AFC Championship. Great game and great selection for NBC. A must watch for early September.

Week 4- 9/30/12
New York Giants at Philadelphia
Analysis: You can bet on a tremendous amount of NFC East games on the SNF package, and this year is no different. The reason for all of those NFC East games: Marquee teams and marquee matchups. The Giants at Eagles should be a big game for late September. You can't go wrong with this pick by NBC. Another great game to a great opening month for Sunday Night Football.

Week 5- 10/7/12
San Diego at New Orleans
Analysis: A really interesting game featuring Drew Brees against Philip Rivers and his former team. The key for this game is going to be how much the bounty scandal has affected the Saints. Good thing this game is early in the season, but NBC could run the risk of getting a 1-3 New Orleans team that is clearly negatively affected by NFL's penalites sanctioned against them.

Week 6- 10/14/12
Green Bay at Houston
Analysis: The Texans have never been featured on SNF before this game. On paper this looks like a really intriguing game, but I would be a little concerned about the Texans living up to expectations this year. Otherwise, this game matches two powerhouses in an interconference battle. Should be a great scene that night from Houston.

Week 7- 10/21/12
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
Analysis: I'm not a big fan of this matchup. I know the Bengals made the playoffs last year, and this game matches up two playoff teams from the same division. Regardless, this game doesn't seem to be deserving of a SNF game.

Week 8- 10/28/12
New Orleans at Denver
Analysis: NBC goes for some starpower as it goes head to head with FOX and the World Series. As great as this game looks on paper, there are some possible risks involved. First, the Saints and the effects of the bounty scandal could send them for a down year. Secondly, Peyton Manning's health and his ability to be healthy will be a key factor in determining if this game is a five star matchup. Hopefully, Manning is healthy and the Saints are the Saints, and this will be a big time AFC-NFC showdown from Mile High.

Week 9- 11/4/12
Dallas at Atlanta
Analysis: Usually, you get the Cowboys in some type of NFC East matchup on SNF, but NBC throws a curveball and pits the Falcons against the Cowboys. A good matchup on paper, but it is not the sexiest game for an early November game on NBC. By the time the NFL season hits November, the games and the stakes get larger. As a result, the SNF package should reflect that. This game, particularly the Falcons addition to it, lacks that big time national appeal.

Week 10- 11/11/12
Houston at Chicago
Analysis: NBC is banking on two teams that have high preseason hopes to fulfill those expectations and provide a big time matchup in November. That might be a lot to ask. I think that the Bears and the Texans will be very competitive this year, but this might not the Super Bowl preview that a lot of analysts are predicting.

Week 11- 11/18/12
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Analysis: One of the top rivalries in the NFL gets a showcase matchup on SNF. These two teams are always in the hunt in the AFC, and their games are usually classic games. Perfect spot for this game as well. Great selection by NBC.

Week 12- Thursday 11/22/12
New England at New York Jets (Thanksgiving Night)
Analysis: When the networks signed on with the NFL to continue their television contracts last fall, one of the big points that came across was that NBC was going to get the Thanksgiving Night game instead of NFL Network. This was a great move by NBC and the NFL. What a great way to start the new tradition with a classic rivalry game between the Jets and the Pats. This game always adds interest, and there is no better way to finish off Thanksgiving.

Week 12- Sunday 11/25/12
Green Bay at New York Giants
Analysis: The NBC crew can stay the whole weekend in New York because they get this classic NFC matchup. You knew that NBC would be getting Packers-Giants this year, and by putting it in late November, it is setting up the possibility of this game having huge implications on the NFC playoff picture. Packers, Giants, and Thanksgiving weekend are all factors that will lead to a big rating for NBC.

Week 13- 12/2/12
Philadelphia at Dallas
Analysis: NBC can do no wrong by scheduling these two teams in this spot. History has shown that even if one team is down that year, the ratings will still be very strong. Both teams should be in the playoff hunt at this point; therefore, look for some big ratings and big appeal heading into this game.

Week 14- 12/9/12
Detroit at Green Bay
Analysis: The flex scheduling starts back in Week 11. This is the first game that looks like it could get flexed out. Here's why: If Detroit is struggling at this point in the season, then there is no way that NBC will stick with the Lions in this spot. NBC will have no qualms about losing the Packers this week because Detroit is a smaller market team. If the Lions are good again, then this matchuo is another big time game late in the season.

Week 15- 12/16/12
San Francisco at New England
Analysis: This game looks like it could be a real candidate for a flex game. It will be very tough for the 49ers to exceed the expectations they have going into this season. It is hard for me to believe that the Niners will go 13-3 again this year. With that said, expect a dropoff in the Niners performance, and that could end up getting this game flexed. Also, NBC won't get too upset with dropping the Pats because they know they can get them later on in the season or in the playoffs.

Week 16- 12/23/12
San Diego at New York Jets
Analysis: I could see this game getting flexed out very easily. Who knows what the Chargers are going to do this year? They seem to be up and down every year. The Jets look like a team on the decline, so they could very well be playing out the string come Week 16. I'm not so sure about this game sticking this late in the year.

Week 17- 12/30/12
FLEX GAME BASED ON PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS
Possible Choices:
Chicago at Detroit
Philadelphia at NY Giants
Dallas at Washington
NY Jets at Buffalo