NFL set to unveil 2009 schedule

by Rexx on Apr 10, 2009 10:31 AM EDT Comment 11 comments

The NFL will be releasing the 2009 season schedule on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. For the first time, it will be announced on the NFL Network, as part of a a schedule-specific show on the NFL Network and NFL.com. NFL Network's Total Access, airing at 7pm on April 14th, will release and analyze each team's schedule as part of a two hour special called, NFL Total Access: 2009 Schedule Release Presented by GMC Sierra.

Of course we already know who the Baltimore Ravens 2009 opponents will be, but not the specific dates of each game. So far, we know we play each team in the AFC North twice each year (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland), which covers six of the 16 games. The other ten are equally divided between home and away games and are:

Home: Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis

Away: Oakland, San Diego, Green Bay, Minnesota, New England

(Note: I can't wait for another crack at Indy, and who wants to join me for a roadtrip to the "Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field?")

Each year we rotate playing another division in each conference. This year you can see it is the NFC North and the AFC West. In addition, we play the other two 2nd place teams in the remaining divisions ofthe AFC that we are not already playing, which is based on the Ravens finishing in second place in the AFC North last year.

I believe the NFL is the only major sport that bases its schedule on a specific formula and rotation, based on what place the team finished the year before. I realize that MLB rotates the inter-league play by division, but that is a strict rotation and not based in any way on where a team finished the prior season. Therefore, if you really wanted to, you could actually figure out a majority of the Ravens schedue for whatever future years you wanted to, based on understanding the formula and rotation schedule.

Check out the NFL's entire exclusive announcement of the 2009 season schedule release here.

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hmmm

looks like Green Bay or Minnesota this year. Maybe throw in a Patriots road trip, my brother in law lives up there. Of course you could get stiffed on any of these three trips – hell, you can’t even count on the planes getting you there that time of year.

It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.

by Allroof on Apr 10, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm down for Green Bay

If we can take the Catered Living Bus

by DT711 on Apr 10, 2009 1:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Unlucky

That the Dolphins won the AFC Least over the Pats, and now the Steeler’s get that gimme. Who wouldn’t rather play the Dolphins then the Tom Brady led Pats?

Oh well, we have unfinished business against Brady and NE from 2007.

by DT711 on Apr 10, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I live out in Arizona, so I’m actually considering the 6-hour trek over to San Diego to see the Ravens whoop them.

I was going to go to the playoff game last year had the Chargers beat the Steelers…

by estrogenacide on Apr 10, 2009 3:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If San Diego DID beat the Steelers

we might be Super Bowl Champs now! Unfortunately, the Chargers rolled over real quickly for Pittsburgh, just like the rest of the non-physical teams did last year to both them and us.

Rexx

by Rexx on Apr 11, 2009 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I completely agree.

However if it was the Ravens vs Cardinals in the Super Bowl, I would have lost my mind with all the local sports media nit-picking Baltimore. I can only imagine hearing every homer calling in and talking about their “rookie quarterback” and how many times they would have talked about how underwhelming the Ravens offense was.

And when we would have won because Ed Reed would have more receptions than Fitz and Boldin combined I would have felt awkward celebrating in a town of sad losers haha

by estrogenacide on Apr 12, 2009 6:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't forget

how “tired” the Ravens would have been, after playing 97 straight weeks without a break!

Rexx

by Rexx on Apr 12, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

After last years Hurricane Ike fiasco

I think the NFL should really try to schedule a majority of home games for cities in hurricane zones for later in the year, after hurricane season is over or at least towards the end of the hurricane season. Each team should have an alternate location for a game, in case of any natural disaster anywhere, so there will be no loss or reshuffling of bye weeks. I can’t be certain of the Ravens being anymore successfull last year than they were, but having the original week 10 bye rather than an unexpected week 2 bye forced upon the team would have at least helped out Derrick Mason and a number of other injured Ravens. I still don’t understand why after hurricane Katrina it was acceptable for the Saints to play the rest of their home schedule (540 miles from New Orleans) at the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas, but the Texans couldn’t play one home game (200 miles from Houston) at the Alamodome.

by strangebru on Apr 11, 2009 12:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Unrealistic expectations

The Hurricane season goes from something like May through November, so you can’t put a team like Houston on the road for most of the first half of the season. Besides, it was a freak thing and although it was a tough stretch, I’m not making any excuses for our team that made it to the AFC Championship Game.

Rexx

by Rexx on Apr 11, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs