New Meadowlands openers: Panthers-Giants, Ravens-Jets
The team that embarrassed the Giants in their finale at Giants Stadium will be the first to play them in the New Meadowlands Stadium. And Rex Ryan's old team, the Ravens, will be the first to visit the Jets the following day.
VOTE: What Giants game are you looking forward to the most?
The NFL announced its 2010 regular-season schedule last night, and it included several intriguing matchups for the Giants and the Jets, a combined nine prime-time games for the local teams, as well as some fascinating meetings around the league.
VOTE: What Jets game are you looking forward to the most?
Both the Giants and the Jets will play at home on opening weekend. The Giants will host the Panthers at 1 p.m. Sept. 12. The Jets will host the Ravens a day later in the first Monday Night Football game, which Ryan called a "triple chinstrap game.''
The Giants play three of their first four at home. Their Week 2 road game against the Colts will be on Sunday night and match Eli and Peyton Manning for only the second time. On the other end of the schedule, the Giants will play three of their final four on the road, including at Green Bay on Dec. 26 and at Washington on Jan. 2 to wrap up the regular season. The NFL, in an effort to make the final week more meaningful, has all of its teams playing division rivals in Week 17.
The Giants play three prime-time games in the first seven weeks; besides the Colts, they'll host the Bears on Sunday night in Week 4 and visit Dallas for Monday Night Football in Week 7. That will be the latest they've played their first division game since the 1970 merger, when the NFC East was formed. Then they'll receive their bye in Week 8.
"I think the bye is in a very good place, after our seventh game," Tom Coughlin said. "I like the fact that we do have an opportunity to regroup before heading out to Seattle, which is a long trip out and a long trip back. Then three of the next four are in the division."
The Giants' final scheduled prime-time game will be a Sunday night in Philadelphia in Week 11. They could have one of their final five games flexed to prime time.
The Jets' schedule features prime-time games at Miami on Sunday night in Week 3; a Monday night visit from (presumably) Brett Favre and the Vikings in Week 5; a Thanksgiving night home game against the Bengals, and a Monday night game at New England in Week 13.
"This is not a surprise to us,'' Ryan said. "We expected a lot of prime-time games because we're a team that people want to watch.''
The Jets have a Week 7 bye. Unlike the Giants, the Jets will play division rivals early, facing the Patriots, Dolphins and Bills in Weeks 2, 3 and 4. They end the season at home against the Bills.
Other notable games include a rematch of the NFC Championship Game to open the season, with the Vikings at New Orleans on Sept. 9; Donovan McNabb's return to Philadelphia with the Redskins in Week 4 before the Eagles are at the Redskins on a Monday night in Week 10; the Bears against the Bills in Toronto in Week 9; and the annual game in London that this year pits the Broncos against the 49ers in Week 8.
