Week 1 of the NFL season is always hotly anticipated, and 2021 will be no different following seven months without professional football on television screens. When is the NFL’s opening weekend, what are the matchups, and what schedule do the 16 games follow across the weekend?
When is Week 1 of the 2021 NFL Season?
The 2021 NFL season will begin on Thursday, September 9, with the remainder of Week 1 taking place across the opening weekend on September 12 and 13.
What is the first game in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season?
The opening game of Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season will follow the tradition of the previous year’s Super Bowl champion hosting the first game of the year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Dallas Cowboys at 8:20 PM on Thursday, September 9, with coverage on NBC.
How does the rest of NFL Opening Weekend shape up?
The remaining 15 games of NFL Opening Weekend will occur on Sunday, September 12, and Monday, September 13. Sunday will see 14 games take place, with 13 spread over the early and late afternoon windows. The weekend’s final two games will be played in the Sunday and Monday Night Football prime time slots.
Week 1 matchups and schedule
Here are the matchups and full schedule for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season.
NFL Kickoff Game | 8:20 PM ET
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NBC
Sunday Early Kickoff | 1 PM ET
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills | CBS
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers | CBS
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans | CBS
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans | CBS
Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team | CBS
Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals | FOX
San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions | FOX
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons | FOX
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts | FOX
Sunday Late Afternoon | 4:25 PM ET
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs | CBS
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots | CBS
Denver Broncos at New York Giants | FOX
Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints | FOX
Sunday Night Football | 8:20 PM ET
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams | NBC
Monday Night Football | 8:15 PM ET
Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders | ESPN
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