DANA POINT, Calif.DANA POINT, Calif. — Are you ready for some football with Terrell Owens and Tom Brady?
The Buffalo Bills will visit the New England Patriots on Sept. 14 in the first game of a doubleheader opening the league’s Monday Night Football schedule. The NFL announced a portion of its prime-time schedule Monday at the owners meetings.
The 7 p. m. game plus the nightcap with the Oakland Raiders hosting the San Diego Chargers are part of the NFL’s 50th anniversary celebration of the American Football League as well as the 40th anniversary of Monday Night Football.
The Bills, Patriots, Raiders and Chargers are among the eight original teams in the AFL, which began its first season in 1960. They will wear their throwback uniforms in the Monday Night games, which will be televised by ESPN.
The Bills are 1-1 in Monday Night Football openers.
“It will be a great way to kick off the 50th anniversary of the AFL and a great way to kick off another season,” Bills head coach Dick Jauron said after leaving a meeting at the St. Regis Resort
Hotel. “I was an AFL fan growing up near Boston. I remember those years and I remember those games. I’m very excited to be part of the game.”
In terms of storylines, the NFL could not have picked a better matchup for its Monday Night opener.
The game will mark Owens’ regular- season debut with the Bills, who signed the dynamic receiver earlier this month. If that wasn’t enough, the Patriots expect to have Brady quarterbacking their explosive offense again after he missed virtually all of last season after a knee injury in the opener.
“I think they are great for [the media] and they are great for our fans,” Jauron said of Owens and Brady. “So it’s good for us, too.”
Based on recent history, opening against the Patriots may not be such a good thing for the Bills. New England has won 11 in a row and 16 of the last 17 games in the series since 2000.
The Bills’ lone victory was a 31-0 shutout in the 2003 opener at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The matchup has been lopsided since, with the Bills being outscored, 321-96, in the last 11 meetings, including a 13-0 loss to end the 2008 season.
The Patriots also won their only Monday Night meeting against the Bills (27-14, in Foxborough, Mass., in 1995) and are 4-0 in all prime-time matchups. Buffalo has won four of the seven season openers against New England since 1960, including a 1-1 mark in Foxborough.
“As you know our division is tough, and up to last year the Patriots ruled our division,” Jauron said. “So we’re chasing them and everybody else. We know how talented they are, we know how good they are. It will be a challenge for us. But it’s a good way to start the season.”
Opening with an AFC East opponent is not a rarity for the Bills. They have done it 17 times, winning nine of them. They are 8-5 in openers against division foes on the road.
The Bills didn’t play an AFC East opponent until the middle of last season, but when the division schedule begins is of little consequence to Jauron.
“We know we’re going to play everybody in our division twice and we’re going to play them at some time,” he said. “We’ve got to play them all and we’ve got to play them well. The rest of it is a matter of luck; when you catch them in their schedule, when you catch them in their injury cycle.
“I never really worry about schedules. I do love the fact that it is the year of the 50th anniversary of the AFL celebration, our owner [Ralph Wilson Jr.] is going into the Hall of Fame. I think it’s a great way to start the year.”
The rest of the NFL regular-season schedule will be announced in April.
Below are some of the top games announced Monday.
<BIG>Showcase matchups</BIG>
Thursday, Sept. 10
Tennessee at Pittsburgh, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 2
Sunday, Sept. 13
Chicago at Green Bay, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 2
Monday, Sept. 14
Buffalo at New England, 7 p.m., ESPN
San Diego at Oakland, 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, Nov. 26
Green Bay at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 29
Oakland at Dallas, 4:15 p.m., Ch. 4
N.Y. Giants at Denver, 8:20 p.m., NFL Network
TheBuffaloNews.com
The Buffalo Bills will visit the New England Patriots on Sept. 14 in the first game of a doubleheader opening the league’s Monday Night Football schedule. The NFL announced a portion of its prime-time schedule Monday at the owners meetings.
The 7 p. m. game plus the nightcap with the Oakland Raiders hosting the San Diego Chargers are part of the NFL’s 50th anniversary celebration of the American Football League as well as the 40th anniversary of Monday Night Football.
The Bills, Patriots, Raiders and Chargers are among the eight original teams in the AFL, which began its first season in 1960. They will wear their throwback uniforms in the Monday Night games, which will be televised by ESPN.
The Bills are 1-1 in Monday Night Football openers.
“It will be a great way to kick off the 50th anniversary of the AFL and a great way to kick off another season,” Bills head coach Dick Jauron said after leaving a meeting at the St. Regis Resort
Hotel. “I was an AFL fan growing up near Boston. I remember those years and I remember those games. I’m very excited to be part of the game.”
In terms of storylines, the NFL could not have picked a better matchup for its Monday Night opener.
The game will mark Owens’ regular- season debut with the Bills, who signed the dynamic receiver earlier this month. If that wasn’t enough, the Patriots expect to have Brady quarterbacking their explosive offense again after he missed virtually all of last season after a knee injury in the opener.
“I think they are great for [the media] and they are great for our fans,” Jauron said of Owens and Brady. “So it’s good for us, too.”
Based on recent history, opening against the Patriots may not be such a good thing for the Bills. New England has won 11 in a row and 16 of the last 17 games in the series since 2000.
The Bills’ lone victory was a 31-0 shutout in the 2003 opener at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The matchup has been lopsided since, with the Bills being outscored, 321-96, in the last 11 meetings, including a 13-0 loss to end the 2008 season.
The Patriots also won their only Monday Night meeting against the Bills (27-14, in Foxborough, Mass., in 1995) and are 4-0 in all prime-time matchups. Buffalo has won four of the seven season openers against New England since 1960, including a 1-1 mark in Foxborough.
“As you know our division is tough, and up to last year the Patriots ruled our division,” Jauron said. “So we’re chasing them and everybody else. We know how talented they are, we know how good they are. It will be a challenge for us. But it’s a good way to start the season.”
Opening with an AFC East opponent is not a rarity for the Bills. They have done it 17 times, winning nine of them. They are 8-5 in openers against division foes on the road.
The Bills didn’t play an AFC East opponent until the middle of last season, but when the division schedule begins is of little consequence to Jauron.
“We know we’re going to play everybody in our division twice and we’re going to play them at some time,” he said. “We’ve got to play them all and we’ve got to play them well. The rest of it is a matter of luck; when you catch them in their schedule, when you catch them in their injury cycle.
“I never really worry about schedules. I do love the fact that it is the year of the 50th anniversary of the AFL celebration, our owner [Ralph Wilson Jr.] is going into the Hall of Fame. I think it’s a great way to start the year.”
The rest of the NFL regular-season schedule will be announced in April.
Below are some of the top games announced Monday.
<BIG>Showcase matchups</BIG>
Thursday, Sept. 10
Tennessee at Pittsburgh, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 2
Sunday, Sept. 13
Chicago at Green Bay, 8:30 p.m., Ch. 2
Monday, Sept. 14
Buffalo at New England, 7 p.m., ESPN
San Diego at Oakland, 10:15 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, Nov. 26
Green Bay at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 29
Oakland at Dallas, 4:15 p.m., Ch. 4
N.Y. Giants at Denver, 8:20 p.m., NFL Network
TheBuffaloNews.com
