2011 NFL Schedule Released In Full: Packers-Saints To Open Season

KC Chiefs Have Brutal Five-Game Stretch On 2011 NFL Schedule

Every team in the NFL has at least one difficult stretch in their 2011 NFL schedule. For some, it's back-to-back games against playoff teams and for others it's six or seven straight hard games. Though I can't say for sure, it looks like the Kansas City Chiefs may have the hardest five-game stretch in the league.

It all starts in Week 11 when they head to New England to play the Patriots on Monday Night Football. The Pats had the best record in the NFL last year at 14-2. From there, the Chiefs play the AFC's representative in the Super Bowl -- Pittsburgh Steelers -- on Sunday Night Football. They go on the road for two games against the Chicago Bears and New York Jets before wrapping up their difficult five-game stretch with a home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. 

So they have the best team in the regular season last year in the Patriots, along with the four participants in the AFC and NFC championship game last year. 

The Chiefs play one playoff team in their first nine games (Indianapolis Colts) before hitting this brutal stretch against 2010's best teams.

2011 NFL Schedule: Five Games To Watch Highlighted By Packers Vs. Saints

With a plethora of games to sort through, it may be difficult to decipher which games truly stand out from the rest in the 2011 NFL schedule. Sure, the hardcore NFL fan will want to watch them all, but which games are simply can't miss. From intriguing sub-plots to high-stakes games, we've sorted through the schedule to give you a few must-watch games this coming season.

Here are the top-five games to watch:

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers, Thurs. Sept. 8 at 8:30 p.m. on NBC
The season gets started right as the previous two Super Bowl Champions square-off on Thursday night. There's nothing quite like the opening of another NFL season, with the pomp and pageantry that goes with the first game of the year and an intriguing matchup to boot. Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, two of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL, hit the field in a "super" showdown between teams that have seen plenty of success in recent history. Can the Packers work their way back to the Super Bowl? Can the Saints get back on the right track in 2011? We'll start to find out as the season gets underway.

San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens, Thurs. Nov. 24 at 8:20 p.m. on NFL Network
What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day than with a good 'ole fashioned brother vs. brother matchup. Jim and John Harbaugh take the field for some football on a day typically filled with family, friends and food. The matchup may not be the greatest on paper, but the subplot is among the best you'll see in the NFL this year. John Harbaugh has seen plenty of success in the NFL, but brother Jim is ready to make a splash after joining the 49ers following a successful tenure at Stanford.

New York Jets at New York Giants, Sat., Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. on FOX
It's another holiday matchup with the added bonus of an age-old rivalry. In the battle of the Meadowlands, the New York Jets and New York Giants take the field in a Christmas appetizer on FOX. Rex Ryan is the off-the-wall, brash coach on one sideline while Tom Coughlin is stoic and disciplined on the other, providing a matchup of polar opposites on Christmas Eve.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, Sun., Dec. 25 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC
Not only does this game cap the holiday schedule, it also has plenty of division implications. The Packers and Bears ruled the NFC North last season, with Green Bay coming out of the wildcard spot to run the table and win the Super Bowl, defeating Chicago in the NFC Championship to get there. In week 16, these two continue the rivalry in a game that could decide the division again. The high stakes and the Christmas date make this one to watch.

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots, Sun., Dec. 4 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady go at it again in a week 13 matchup at Gillette Stadium in a matchup of two marquee quarterbacks in the NFL. While the game may not hold as much mystique as years past, the Patriots and Colts are sure to provide plenty of entertainment. Mix-in the late-season date and potential playoff implications for each team and you've got a must-see Decemeber matchup.

What are your must-watch games this season? What did we miss, what should be taken out and which games interest you the most?

For more NFL football, visit SB Nation's NFL hub. For a community devoted to your team, browse our list of 32 NFL team blogs. And for more analysis, check out SB Nation's team-by-team 2011 NFL schedule breakdown.

NFL Schedule 2011: Six Teams, Including Cowboys, Have Five Primetime Games

There were six teams that received five primetime games with the NFL's 2011 schedule release on Tuesday night. Those teams are the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

And the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys were a 6-10 team last year, which doesn't usually lead to a maximum number of primetime games but they also dominate the ratings. Plus, Qb Tony Romo is returning and they're better than a six-win team.

The Cowboys best primetime game is tough to choose but I'll say it's Week 14 against the Giants. I'm assuming that will have fairly significant playoff implications.

The Eagles best primetime game is, in my opinion, Week 11 against the Giants on Sunday Night Football. Remember the DeSean Jackson walk-off punt return last year? I'd hope for a rematch like that.

The Colts best primetime game is a rematch of the 2010 Super Bowl against the Saints in Week 7 on Sunday Night Football. These teams haven't changed that much so I figure it'll be a great game again. Coming in a close second would be the Colts vs. Patriots in Week 13.

The Ravens best primetime game will come against the Steelers (and likewise for Pittsburgh). This game is always a classic. They'll open the season against each other and then meet on Sunday Night Football in Week 9.

The Jets vs. Patriots game last year was hyped to the max so expect more of the same this year when the two meet on Sunday Night Football in Week 10. 

2012 Super Bowl Odds After NFL Schedule Release

The 2011 NFL schedule has been released in its entirety so we know which teams will play and when they'll play. What we don't know is who is going to win each game, and who will eventually roll through the playoffs to become the next Super Bowl champion.

There are, however, odds on the next Super Bowl champ. Bodog.com has a set of Super Bowl odds and we figured with the NFL schedule released it would be a good time to revisit those.

Sitting at the top are the Packers and Patriots who are at 7/1. The Steelers, Chargers, Ravens, Colts, Saints and Jets follow them. All those teams have a legitimate and reasonable shot to win the Super Bowl. Of course, with the way things change in the NFL from year to year, it wouldn't surprise me if none of those teams won the Super Bowl.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Panthers have 125/1 odds against winning the 2012 Super Bowl. At the bottom with them are the Bills, Seahawks and Cardinals.

I'm still trying to figure out how the Jaguars, who are 65/1 Super Bowl favorites, managed to get two Monday Night Football home games on their schedule. That seems like quite the primetime hook-up for a team that the NFL odds say is in the middle of the pack. 

2011 NFL Schedule Set Up For Divisional Rivalries To Decide Playoffs

After loading up latter end of the 2010 schedule with divisional rivalry games produced plenty of pre-playoffs drama, the NFL has decided to keep the practice going in its 2011 schedule. Every team plays a divisional opponent in Week 17, meaning we could get to enjoy another NFC West championship game between two sub-.500 teams. 

While some are likely to end up as duds (Bills-Patriots, Steelers-Browns, Lions-Packers) based on 2010 and common sense, there are still a few that any NFL fan should go ahead and circle.

The Atlanta Falcons may need a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to defend their 2010 NFC South crown. The Bucs, you'll recall, should've also made the playoffs last season, but were forced out due to that aforementioned NFC West.

The potentially wide-open AFC West could see its champ crowned in the game between the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, while the equally unpredictable NFC East could come down to the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.

Keep an eye on the Indianapolis Colts' game against the Jacksonville Jaguars as well. You'll recall that until late in the 2010 season, it looked like the Jags might be able to hang on and end the Colts reign of terror in the AFC South. 

Of course this is the NFL, so the biggest game will probably end up being Titans-Texans somehow.

For more NFL football, visit SB Nation's NFL hub. For a community devoted to your team, browse our list of 32 NFL team blogs. And for more analysis, check out SB Nation's team-by-team 2011 NFL schedule breakdown Wednesday at 8 am ET.

Top Week 1 Games On NFL Schedule Includes Steelers-Ravens

The 2011 NFL schedule has been released. We've looked at the Monday Night Football schedule, Thursday Night Football schedule and the Sunday Night Football schedule. But what we're concerned with now is the Week 1 schedule. 

Assuming the NFL lockout is lifted, here are my top three games of Week 1:

1. Steelers vs. Ravens: The easy pick would be to say the Saints vs. Packers is the top game but over the course of the entire season the Steelers and Ravens game means more. They're in the same division, they have a similar style of play and they historically play very close games. This is the best Week 1 game for me. I love watching these two teams play.

2. Saints vs. Packers: This will be our first look at the Super Bowl champs. The defending champs traditionally host the first game of the season on Thursday night and this time it will be the last two Super Bowl champions facing each other. Lambeau Field on Thursday night to open the season? That's a game I need to attend.

3. Cowboys vs. Jets: This game comes on Sunday Night Football and it will feature Jets head coach Rex Ryan against his brother Rob Ryan, who is the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys. If you follow the NFL, then you know how entertaining these two guys are. It doesn't hurt, either, that these are two of the better teams in the league. The Cowboys should be back to a playoff caliber team with QB Tony Romo back in the fold. 

2011 NFL Strength Of Schedule Shows Tough Road For Jets, Colts

Now that the 2011 NFL schedule has been released it's a good time to look back at strength of schedule. We knew each team's 2011 opponents the day the 2010 season ended so strength of schedule has been known for some time but with the actual schedule out now it's relevant again.

Ironically enough, the Carolina Panthers, who hold the top pick in the 2011 NFL draft, have the hardest schedule heading into 2011. That's likely because they'll play six games against the Falcons, Saints and Bucs. Atlanta had 13 wins last year, New Orleans had 11 wins and the Bucs had 10 wins. That's a heck of a division.

The Jets and Colts are third and fourth among those with the toughest schedules so if they make the playoffs, they'll have earned it. 

At the other end of the spectrum, the Ravens have the second easiest schedule behind the Cardinals if the 2010 season is our comparison. That bodes well for them returning to the playoffs once again.

Here's a full look at the 2011 strength of schedule for every team: 

2011 Sunday Night Football Schedule Is Loaded With Great Games

The entire 2011 NFL schedule has been released and we've seen the Monday Night Football schedule and the Thursday Night Football schedule. In my opinion, neither of those two compare to the Sunday Night Football Schedule which is absolutely loaded this year. 

It seems that every week has a major story line. Week 1 will be the Cowboys vs. Jets on the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks while Week 2 will be the return of Michael Vick to Atlanta. The Steelers and Colts is a classic matchup of two excellent teams and then those of you who love hard-nosed football will like to see the Jets vs. Ravens, Ravens vs. Steelers and Steelers vs. Chiefs. 

The Colts and Saints will meet on SNF this year with a rematch of the 2010 Super Bowl and the Patriots will meet the Jets in what will likely be the most hyped game of the year. The schedule rounds out with the Bears vs. Packers.

Overall, the SNF schedule is completely packed full of great games. NBC sure got hooked up this year. All SNF games will start at 8:20 p.m. (ET).

Here's the full Sunday Night Football schedule: 

Week 1: Cowboys vs. Jets

Week 2: Eagles vs. Falcons

Week 3: Steelers vs. Colts

Week 4: Jets vs. Ravens

Week 5: Packers vs. Falcons

Week 6: Vikings vs. Bears

Week 7: Colts vs. Saints

Week 8: Cowboys vs. Eagles

Week 9: Ravens vs. Steelers

Week 10: Patriots vs. Jets

Week 11: Eagles vs. Giants

Week 12: Steelers vs. Chiefs

Week 13: Colts vs. Patriots

Week 14: Giants vs. Cowboys

Week 15: Ravens vs. Chargers

Week 16: Bears vs. Packers

Thursday Night Football Schedule Starts With Raiders Vs. Chargers

Assuming we have football next season, we know now the entire 2011 NFL regular season schedule. We've looked at the Monday Night Football schedule so now it's time to take a look at the Thursday Night Football schedule.

The Thursday night schedule starts in Week 10 with the Raiders visiting the Chargers. The Thanksgiving games will include the Packers vs. Lions, Dolphins vs. Cowboys and 49ers vs. Ravens. The latter will be dubbed the "Harbaugh Bowl" with Jim and John Harbaugh facing each other.

The Thursday night schedule ends in Week 16 with the Texans vs. Colts, which is a game that could have playoff implications.

The Thursday night games will be on NFL Network (and in the local markets).

Here's the entire Thursday Night Football schedule:

Week 10: Raiders vs. Chargers

Week 11: Jets vs. Broncos

Week 12 (Thanksgiving): Packers vs. Lions, Dolphins vs. Cowboys, 49ers vs. Ravens

Week 13: Eagles vs. Seahawks

Week 14: Browns vs. Steelers

Week 15: Jaguars vs. Falcons

Week 16: Texans vs. Colts

2011 Monday Night Football Schedule Starts With Patriots-Dolphins

The 2011 NFL schedule has been released which means we now know the dates of all the regular season games. It also means we know the Monday Night Football schedule. 

The MNF schedule will kick off in style with a double header: Patriots vs. Dolphins and Raiders vs. Broncos. The Redskins will play the Cowboys in Week 3 reviving an old-school rivalry while the Chargers will once again face the Chiefs on MNF in Week 8. The Jaguars have two MNF games which is a bit of a surprise considering they're not considered one of the NFL's elite teams and don't reside in one of the largest markets.

Here's the complete Monday Night Football schedule:

Preseason

Week 1: New York Jets vs. Houston Texans

Week 2: Chicago Bears vs. New York Giants

Week 3: New Orleans Saints vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 4: Oakland Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks

Regular season

Week 1: Patriots vs. Dolphins, Raiders vs. Broncos

Week 2: Rams vs. Giants

Week 3: Redskins vs. Cowboys

Week 4: Colts vs. Buccaneers

Week 5: Bears vs. Lions

Week 6: Dolphins vs. Jets

Week 7: Ravens vs. Jaguars

Week 8: Chargers vs. Chiefs

Week 9: Bears vs. Eagles

Week 10: Vikings vs. Packers

Week 11: Chiefs vs. Patriots

Week 12: Giants vs. Saints

Week 13: Chargers vs. Jaguars

Week 14: Rams vs. Seahawks

Week 15: Steelers vs. 49ers

Week 16: Falcons vs. Saints

Complete 2011 NFL Schedule Released

The 2011 NFL schedule is here!

Check out NFL.com for the full schedule. SB Nation will be posting a team-by-team schedule here. 

The early highlights include the Packers hosting the Saints on Thursday, Sept, 8 to officially kick off the season as well as the Jets and Cowboys to play in New York on the first Sunday night game of the year.

Most of the games on opening weekend will take place on Sept. 11, which happens to be the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks. You can expect the NFL to acknowledge that in some manner.

The NFL schedule release is usually an exciting day and, while many fans are still excited, the NFL lockout has put a damper on everything. The schedule is being released but at the moment there is no 2011 season. The two sides need to come to some sort of agreement in order to get the 2011 season in.

2011 NFL Schedule Released In Full: Packers-Saints Opens Season On Thursday Night

The 2011 NFL schedule was unveiled Tuesday night during a 7 pm ET special on ESPN and the NFL Network, with complete 17-week schedules for all 32 teams presenting themselves. While quite a few matchups leaked out ahead of the official release, there are still plenty of interesting meetings left to sort through.

Click here for the complete 2011 NFL schedule in PDF form, and here for NFL.com's interactive version.

As expected, the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers will open the year on Thusday, Sept. 8 against the previous season's winner, the New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets will face the Dallas Cowboys in prime time on Sept. 11, and so forth.

Plenty more to come throughout the rest of the night on the 2011 NFL schedule. Wednesday morning we'll have a detailed walkthrough of each team's schedule.

For more NFL football, visit SB Nation's NFL hub. For a community devoted to your team, browse our list of 32 NFL team blogs. And for more analysis, check out SB Nation's team-by-team 2011 NFL schedule breakdown Wednesday at 8 am ET.

49ers, Ravens Scheduled To Play On Thanksgiving, According To Report

If the twitter feed of reporter Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area is to be believed, the Harbaugh brothers could be linking up in a Thanksgiving game between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Fransisco 49ers. We'll find out for sure in a short while when the schedule is announced, but it's still fun to speculate about rumors, even up until the last minute. Here are the tweets sent out by Maiocco.

Followed by:

Maiocco also made mention of a possible Monday night game between the 49ers and the Steelers. SB Nation Bay Area chimed in with their thoughts on the potential Thanksgiving matchup:

Can you get more perfect scheduling than two family members squaring off against each other on Thanksgiving, a holiday predicated on spending time with people you (at least pretend to) care about? That just screams awesome on so many levels.

Indeed. I can't wait for the food coma! It's going to be the best food coma ever.

Bears Vs. Lions On Monday Night Football, Vs. Packers On Christmas According To Reports

The 2011 NFL Schedule continues to filter out in advance of its 7 pm ET reveal. A few Chicago Bears items have been reported by way of ESPN Chicago’s Carmen DeFalco.

According to the report, the Bears will open their 2011 season at home against the Atlanta Falcons, play on the road against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day in Week 16, and travel to play the Minnesota Vikings to close the regular season.

That opener against Atlanta is a potential Monday Night Football matchup, as it pairs two 2010 playoff teams. One MNF game is already being reported, but the league likes to schedule two for the opening weekend.

The Bears might not get multiple Monday night games, however, and Fox Sports Detroit is reporting they’ll play the Detroit Lions on Oct. 10. Yes, the Detroit Lions! Never thought you’d see the day!

For more on the Bears, join Windy City Gridiron and SB Nation Chicago.

NFL Schedule: Week 1 Primetime Games Include Saints-Packers, Raiders-Broncos

The 2011 NFL schedule will be released in just over an hour but the primetime schedule for the first week of the season is starting to take shape. Keep in mind, these games aren't official until the NFL makes the announcement at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday evening.

The Thursday night opener will reportedly feature the Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans Saints. Per tradition, the Super Bowl champions host the first Thursday night game of the year.

The Sunday Night Football game in Week 1 will reportedly be the New York Jets hosting the Dallas Cowboys. This game will fall on Sept. 11 so some were speculating that the league would schedule the Jets vs. Giants.

There will be two Monday Night Football games. One report says the Oakland Raiders will visit the Denver Broncos in the late game. We're still not sure who will play in the early game but I would propose the New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Just over an hour until we know the entire NFL schedule....

NFL Schedule Will Open With Saints Vs. Packers, According To Report

The 2011 NFL schedule will officially be released at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday evening but a few leaks are starting to come out. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Green Bay Packers will open the season against the New Orleans Saints.

The game will be played in Green Bay on Thursday, Sept. 8, as it's tradition for the Super Bowl champion to host the first game of the season. It will feature the last two Super Bowl champions. The other popular guess for the Packes season opener was the Chicago Bears but that reportedly won't be happening.

The rest of the season will start on Sunday, Sept. 11. 

Of course the caveat to all of this is that the 2011 NFL schedule currently won't be happening with the NFL lockout. We'll need some sort of resolution to the lockout in order for the season to go on as scheduled. The league would likely need to have as solution by sometime in August, at the latest, in order for the season to go off without a hitch.

Check out Acme Packing Company for more on the Packers 2011 schedule. 

Report: Giants Vs. Redskins Week 1; Giants Vs. Jets On Christmas Eve

More leaks of the 2011 NFL schedule are starting to come out. In fact, Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger has the entire New York Giants 2011 schedule (and if I'm not mistaken, he had the entire thing a few hours early last year as well).

Highlights include the Giants playing the Redskins in Washington in Week 1. Assuming the lockout is lifted, that game will take place on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The obvious story line is New York and Washington D.C. as two sites of the terrorist attacks.

The report says the Giants will play the Rams in New York on Monday Night Football in Week 2. That seems like an odd matchup, especially early in the season. It's possible they want to highlight an up and coming team like the Rams. 

The much anticipated Giants and Jets matchup will reportedly occur on Christmas eve. That game will obviously be played in New York since they share a stadium.

Check out the entire Giants schedule at the Star-Ledger. 

2011 NFL Schedule: Cowboys And Jets Open On Sunday Night, According To Report

The 2011 NFL schedule has yet to be released but a few leaks are starting to come out and one of the big ones comes from Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News. According to Mehta, the New York Jets will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in the first week of the season. That game would be on Sept. 11.

There was some talk that the league would schedule the Jets and Giants on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 but apparently that's not the case.

Mehta also has some other nuggets on the Jets 2011 schedule. They'll play the Broncos on Thanksgiving, which would be the NFL Network's night game. [Update: Mehta issued a correction and reports the two teams do not play on Thanksgiving night.] In Week 2, they'll play the Jaguars at home followed by road game against the Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots. They will end the season against the Dolphins.

The Jets are in the NFL's largest market so including them in one of the primetime games in the first weekend makes a lot of sense. The Cowboys are the NFL's most popular team so including them in a big game the first weekend will bring in solid ratings.

Of course, this is all unconfirmed until 7:00 p.m. (ET) when the schedule will be released.

Check out Gang Green Nation for more on the Jets 2011 schedule. 

2011 NFL Schedule: Eagles, Bills In Toronto, According To Report

The 2011 NFL regular season schedule will be released in its entirety on Tuesday night but there are bound to be plenty of reports ahead of time involving schedule leaks. The first of those leaks involves the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills.

According to Greg Brady of The Fan 590 in Toronto the Bills will be hosting the Eagles in Toronto. The Bills have an agreement to host one regular season game a year there and, according to the report, that team will be the Eagles. Brady didn't have the date but said it would likely be Nov. 13 or Nov. 20.

The Bills haven't had much luck in Toronto. They're 0-3 so far losing to the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Chicago Bears. If 2010 records are any indication, they won't fare much better against the Eagles.

The largest attraction of the Eagles going to Toronto will of course be QB Michael Vick. The Eagles seemed to draw a pretty good crowd wherever they went because of Vick's star power. 

For more on this game, check out Buffalo Rumblings and Bleeding Green Nation.

2011 NFL Schedule: Who Will Packers Play On Thursday Night Opener?

2011 NFL Regular Season Schedule Release Coming Tuesday

The NFL has confirmed the 2011 regular season schedule will be released on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. (ET). NFL Network (and ESPN) will carry a schedule release special.

The preseason schedule was released last week and plenty of people have been wondering when the regular season schedule will be released. Despite the NFL lockout, the league will release the scheduled slate of games.

We already know the opponents for each team. The formula is the same every year which has each team playing each division opponent twice, a rotating schedule of one NFC division and one AFC division. It also includes each team playing the teams in their conference that finished in the same spot in their division. For example, the Chiefs, who finished in first place in the AFC West, will also play the Steelers and Colts, who finished in first place in their division.

The schedule release simply tells us when each team will play. We will also find out the primetime games for each team -- Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Thursday Night Football, as well as Thanksgiving.

Of course, all of this means nothing if the NFL lockout isn't lifted. 

2011 NFL Regular Season Schedule Release Coming Before NFL Draft

The 2011 NFL regular season schedule will be here soon even if, as things stand now, there won't be any games. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on a conference call with Cleveland Browns season ticket holders on Thursday that the regular season schedule should be released within the next 10 days. 

There are very few things to look forward to given the state of the NFL with the lockout and all so things like the draft and, yes, the schedule release, are a pretty big deal to me. It's a football topic that doesn't involve lawyers so I, for one, am excited about it.

We already know the opponents for each team in 2011. The schedule release is simply the date and time of each game. The way the schedule breaks down is that each team will play the three other teams in their division twice, a rotating NFC and AFC division each year, as well as the teams who finished in the same spot in the divisional standings in their conference.

So take the Chiefs for example. They're in the AFC West so they'll play the Chargers, Broncos and Raiders twice which is six total games. This year they play the NFC North and AFC East, which is eight more games or a total of 14. They finished in first place in the AFC West so they will play the other first place teams in the AFC -- Steelers and Colts.

NFL Preseason Schedule 2011 Released (Update)

Update: The NFL has changed the preseason schedule. You can find the full schedule here. 

The 2011 NFL preseason schedule has been released! Whether that actually means anything or not remains to be seen. Without a new labor agreement between the NFL owners and players, these games won't be played.

Reports say the league needs a "bare minimum" of three weeks to prepare for the first preseason game so that means by mid-July we should have a beter idea of whether these games will be played.

For now, these games are scheduled to be played. You can find the national TV preseason schedule here. Below is the entire 2011 NFL preseason schedule.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

2011 NFL Preseason Schedule Released

The 2011 NFL preseason schedule has been released and, if we can get this lockout out of the way, things will start with the Chicago Bears vs. St. Louis Rams in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, Aug. 7. The second game will be another nationally televised contest with the Kansas City Chiefs facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday, Aug. 12.

Other notable games include the Philadelphia Eagles visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, Aug. 18 and the Bears visiting the New York Giants on Monday, Aug. 22. 

There will be 11 nationally televised preseason games, according to the NFL's release, the final one being the New Orleans Saints vs. Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Aug. 28.

Here's the full list of nationally televised games: 

NFL Lockout Could Affect 2011 Preseason Schedule

The NFL lockout makes virtually everything in the NFL different this year. Until that's resolved, it's hard to predict what will happen around the league. The 2011 NFL preseason schedule, which is expected to be released on Tuesday, is one of those items that's affected by the lockout. With a lockout, there can't be any games played so that's the most obvious way it's affected.

But at what point do the two sides need to come together and get an agreement done so that preseason games won't be affected (read: canceled)?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the league will need a "bare minimum" of about three weeks to prepare for the preseason so with the preseason scheduled to start the weekend of Aug. 12-14 that would mean July 21 has a big circle around it right now.

Of course, some fans may not mind it if all the preseason games were canceled and we started the season on the second Sunday in September. 

NFL Preseason Schedule To Be Released

The 2011-12 NFL preseason schedule is expected to be released at some point on Tuesday according to various reports.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted that the preseason schedule is coming and Pro Football Talk's Gregg Rosenthal has since confirmed that the preseason schedule, along with the national TV preseason games, will be announced on Tuesday.

This is good news and bad news for football fans.

It's good news because we finally have some actual football-related content to talk about. We've been so wrapped up in the NFL lockout that we forget that talking about the game of football isn't all about the court room.

It's bad news because, well, it reminds us that the game of football is being played in a court room right now. Until the lockout is resolved, there will not be any preseason games, so this is a reminder that football is still on hold.

So it's sort of bittersweet but we'll take it. Check back for the NFL preseason schedule sometime later on Tuesday.