Vikings @ Saints in NFL Kickoff 2010 (1 Viewer)

[vikingdave]

Here's New Orleans' 2010 Home opponents:

Carolina, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Seattle and St. Louis.

So that's the Vikings... and 7 non-playoff teams. New Orleans automatically gets the NFL Kickoff based on winning the title...what are the odds this ISNT the game the NFL chooses to open next season?

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Minnesota can turn it down

Pitt and Atlanta look good as well

Carolina wouldnt be bad either

 

[32 Counter Pass]

Good call. I give the Steeler a chance as well. (Probably depends on if Farve retires before the schedule comes out.)

 

[vikingdave]

Minnesota can turn it downPitt and Atlanta look good as wellCarolina wouldnt be bad either

I figure it is between Minnesota and Atlanta, with Carolina a slight longshot...Pittsburgh opened the season last year and Im pretty sure the NFL has kept it in conference every year...I didnt know teams could turn that down...but I cant imagine the Vikings would want to?

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Minnesota can turn it downPitt and Atlanta look good as wellCarolina wouldnt be bad either

I figure it is between Minnesota and Atlanta, with Carolina a slight longshot...Pittsburgh opened the season last year and Im pretty sure the NFL has kept it in conference every year...I didnt know teams could turn that down...but I cant imagine the Vikings would want to?

Baltimore turned down the season opener vs Pitt last year

 

[vikingdave]

Minnesota can turn it downPitt and Atlanta look good as wellCarolina wouldnt be bad either

I figure it is between Minnesota and Atlanta, with Carolina a slight longshot...Pittsburgh opened the season last year and Im pretty sure the NFL has kept it in conference every year...I didnt know teams could turn that down...but I cant imagine the Vikings would want to?

Baltimore turned down the season opener vs Pitt last year

Interesting, I didnt realize that...assuming Favre comes back I cant imagine the NFL would want any other game...

 

[Cripster]

Vikings will not turn it down. The players will be exicted to play in the game.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Steelers vs Saints. Battle of last 2 champs.

 

[Pnishthm]

Minnesota can turn it downPitt and Atlanta look good as wellCarolina wouldnt be bad either

I figure it is between Minnesota and Atlanta, with Carolina a slight longshot...Pittsburgh opened the season last year and Im pretty sure the NFL has kept it in conference every year...I didnt know teams could turn that down...but I cant imagine the Vikings would want to?

Baltimore turned down the season opener vs Pitt last year

Interesting, I didnt realize that...assuming Favre comes back I cant imagine the NFL would want any other game...

What a great way to kick off the new season! Getting pumped for this one already!

 

[eagleshot]

This should be a great game to open up the season as long as Favre returns.

 

[Football Critic]

Vikings will not turn it down. The players will be exicted to play in the game.

I'm sure the Vikings wont want an early loss, so they'll turn it down! Prob why the Ravens turned it down, as well.Unless Favre is still there, then he will ask for every game to be Primetime Thursday Night as he craves the attention.

 

[Football Critic]

Steelers vs Saints. Battle of last 2 champs.

I see this as a reasonable scenerio!What is network priority in selecting games on this issue, or does Kickoff classic get first priority?

 

[LadyBeBop]

Kickoff classic is always announced before the rest of the NFL schedule.

Saints/Vikings might be too good for the Kickoff Classic which doesn't get as high of ratings as Sunday Night Football or even a late Sunday afternoon game. Same with Saints/Steelers. And despite the broad appeal of showcasing the last two Super Bowl winners, I don't see this game going to prime time. CBS has a maximum of two games featuring the Saints (Steelers @ Saints and Browns @ Saints). I don't see the league taking one of the two games away. Saints/Steelers will be the sole late doubleheader game one week (probably during the November sweeps).

Kickoff classic...Saints/Falcons.

 

[Football Critic]

Kickoff classic is always announced before the rest of the NFL schedule.Saints/Vikings might be too good for the Kickoff Classic which doesn't get as high of ratings as Sunday Night Football or even a late Sunday afternoon game. Same with Saints/Steelers. And despite the broad appeal of showcasing the last two Super Bowl winners, I don't see this game going to prime time. CBS has a maximum of two games featuring the Saints (Steelers @ Saints and Browns @ Saints). I don't see the league taking one of the two games away. Saints/Steelers will be the sole late doubleheader game one week (probably during the November sweeps).Kickoff classic...Saints/Falcons.

I know its announced first, but that dont mean that they get first pick at games! I think ESPN gets first pick for thier MNF game, no? Then NBC for the TNF game then, the the other MNF game, then SNF. Rotate networks in picks, is how I understood it.

 

[rzrback77]

Kickoff classic is always announced before the rest of the NFL schedule.Saints/Vikings might be too good for the Kickoff Classic which doesn't get as high of ratings as Sunday Night Football or even a late Sunday afternoon game. Same with Saints/Steelers. And despite the broad appeal of showcasing the last two Super Bowl winners, I don't see this game going to prime time. CBS has a maximum of two games featuring the Saints (Steelers @ Saints and Browns @ Saints). I don't see the league taking one of the two games away. Saints/Steelers will be the sole late doubleheader game one week (probably during the November sweeps).Kickoff classic...Saints/Falcons.

Atlanta was the opponent when they re-opened the Dome post Katrina, so that one would also make sense. Definitely one of Minnesota, Pittsburg, or Atlanta in my opinion.edit for spelling

 

[IDrinkyourMilkshake]

Minnesota can turn it down

Pitt and Atlanta look good as well

Carolina wouldnt be bad either

I figure it is between Minnesota and Atlanta, with Carolina a slight longshot...Pittsburgh opened the season last year and Im pretty sure the NFL has kept it in conference every year...I didnt know teams could turn that down...but I cant imagine the Vikings would want to?

Colts hosted the Saints a few years ago after they won the SB. Vikings/Saints on opening night is a real juicy matchup and will bring in huge ratings. The NFL knows that's the game everyone wants to see and will try to set it up.

 

[Doug B]

Haven't they been trying to get AFC-NFC matchups in this Thursday-night kickoff game? I recall Saints at Indy in 2007, and Steelers at Giants one year.

EDIT: looks like I was wrong. Here's the NFL Kickoff games since it started in 2002:

2002 San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants

2003 New York Jets @ Washington Redskins

2004 Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

2005 Oakland Raiders @ New England Patriots

2006 Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers

2007 New Orleans Saints @ Indianapolis Colts

2008 Washington Redskins @ New York Giants

2009 Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

2010 TBD @ New Orleans Saints

 

[Breesisdaman]

Good call. I give the Steeler a chance as well. (Probably depends on if Farve retires before the schedule comes out.)

The NFL is not going to wait for Farve to make up his mind about retirement. I think it will be the last two Super Bowl Champs: Steelers vs Saints

 

[Zigg]

0% chance of Saints/Steelers. As stated above, CBS won't lose their only good game involving the defending champs.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

This should be a great game to open up the season as long as Favre returns.

He'll show up at least a week before the game.

 

[Football Critic]

0% chance of Saints/Steelers. As stated above, CBS won't lose their only good game involving the defending champs.

To say 0% is insane!CBS probably have no say on this one, its the first game of the year, NBC would get priority on this...I could be wrong!

 

[Floyd The Barber]

Vikings will not turn it down. The players will be exicted to play in the game.

I'm sure the Vikings wont want an early loss, so they'll turn it down! Prob why the Ravens turned it down, as well.Unless Favre is still there, then he will ask for every game to be Primetime Thursday Night as he craves the attention.

Funny. I was thinking the same thing about the Saints. The Vikings will come in ready to give Brees the Cheap Shot treatment and end their season early.

 

[Godsbrother]

I found this, FWIW:

Steelers or Vikings likely will face Saints on opening night

Posted by Mike Florio on February 9, 2010 10:04 AM ET

We concluded our item regarding the Super Bowl parade with a reference to the season-opening Thursday night game that will be hosted by the Saints.

And so to one of eight teams will fall the unenviable task of facing the Saints in their first regular-season home game as Super Bowl champions.

For the 2010 season, the choices are: the Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Rams, Seahawks, Browns, Steelers, and Vikings.

The most likely choices are, in our view, the last two -- the Steelers and the Vikings

If the league wants to lure quarterback Brett Favre for another season, the better choice would be Minnesota. Guys who can't make up their own minds often look for external signs, and an out-of-the-gates shot at wiping the bad taste out of his mouth by wiping up the Superdome floor with the Saints probably would be viewed by Favre as a message that he should lace up his orthopedic shoes for one more season.

Over the past few years, the prime-time games to be played during Week One are unveiled in conjunction with the league meetings in late March. So Favre will have five months or so to ponder whether returning right away to the Superdome will draw him back to the Metrodome.

Both the Steelers and Vikings games likely will be televised at some point in prime time, given that the Saints have now arrived as a major television attraction, and given that the rest of their home schedule (with the exception of the Falcons game) is roughly as intriguing as a bowl of unflavored gelatin.

link

 

[Zigg]

0% chance of Saints/Steelers. As stated above, CBS won't lose their only good game involving the defending champs.

To say 0% is insane!CBS probably have no say on this one, its the first game of the year, NBC would get priority on this...I could be wrong!

You're right I shouldn't have said 0%, but I still believe it's unlikely. I'm also quite sure CBS has a loud voice in deciding which of their OOC games they lose.

 

[Football Critic]

0% chance of Saints/Steelers. As stated above, CBS won't lose their only good game involving the defending champs.

To say 0% is insane!CBS probably have no say on this one, its the first game of the year, NBC would get priority on this...I could be wrong!

You're right I shouldn't have said 0%, but I still believe it's unlikely. I'm also quite sure CBS has a loud voice in deciding which of their OOC games they lose.

Even though, the reports are down to 2 teams, one being the Steelers and the other the Vikings.so that at least puts it at 50%...far cry form 0% lol

 

[tbglog]

I believe this would be very appealling to Favre, he can tell the Vikes "I'll just me you guys in NO week 1 its a short drive from the farm , let me know how camp is going"

Brett