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PACKERS FACE HOLMGREN'S SEAHAWKS AT HOME ON 'MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' NOV. 1; OPEN 1999 SCHEDULE IN LAMBEAU FIELD AGAINST RAIDERS SEPT. 12
posted 04/01/99
Four appearances on prime-time television, punctuated by a home, Monday Night Football matchup against Mike Holmgren's Seattle Seahawks, highlight the Green Bay Packers' 1999 National Football League regular season schedule, announced today by Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
The Packers will launch their 79th NFL season at home against the Oakland Raiders, who will provide their opening day opposition for the first time since 1987, on Sunday, September 12.
For the fourth consecutive year, they will find themselves on ABC's Monday night Football agenda three times, with the first such assignment coming the night of November 1 against the Seahawks and Holmgren, who led the Packers to six playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory (in 1996) during a seven-year tenure as Green Bay's head coach (1992-98).
The other two 'MNF' appearances will be on the road - at San Francisco November 29 and at Minnesota against the defending NFC Central Division champion Vikings December 20.
In addition to the Monday night contests, the Packers will make an earlier prime time showing on Sunday night, October 10, when they entertain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Overall, they will be performing on prime time TV six times - including two preseason appearances, on CBS against the New York Jets in their opening non-league venture in Lambeau Field Friday night, August 14, and against the reigning world champion Denver Broncos in an ABC Monday night Football assignment at the University of Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium August 23.
In addition to the prime-time appearances, the Packers' schedule will be further highlighted by three second-game of doubleheader contests - 3:15 (Central Time) kickoffs against Minnesota in Lambeau Field Sunday, October 26, at Dallas Sunday, November 14, and at Tampa Bay Sunday, December 26.
The schedule also will include these other noteworthy features:
-Three of the Packers' first four games will be against NFC Central Division opponents - at Detroit September 19 and at home against Minnesota Sunday, September 26, and against Tampa Bay Sunday night, October 10.
-A second "package" of three games against NFC Central foes in a four-game span late in the season - at Chicago Sunday, December 5, at Minnesota Monday, December 20, and at Tampa Bay Sunday, December 26.
-Three consecutive games against AFC Central Division opposition - at Denver Sunday, October 17, at San Diego Sunday, October 24, and at home against Seattle Monday night, November 1.
-An early bye week (Sunday, October 3).
-The latest regular-season finale since 1993, a Sunday, January 2 date against the Arizona Cardinals in Lambeau Field.
- For the first time in four years, the Packers not be making a three-game "road trip." They will, however, have three two-game "away" situations - at Denver October 17 and at San Diego October 24; at San Francisco November 29 and at Chicago December 5; and at Minnesota December 20 and at Tampa Bay December 26.
- Packers "Gold Package" season ticket holders, under the Games 2 and 5 formula, will draw the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, September 26, and the Chicago Bears Sunday, November 7, in addition to the August 14 Midwest Shrine Game against the New York Jets.
- Five of the Packers' eight regular-season home games will have 12 noon kickoffs, the exceptions being the 3:15 contest against Minnesota September 26, the 7:20 start against Tampa Bay Sunday night, October 10, and the Monday night matchup against Seattle November 1.
-The kickoff time for Monday night Football games is returning to 9 p.m., Eastern Time, following a one-year experiment in 1998 with an 8:20 (Eastern) kickoff.
SCHEDULE SHORTS:
-Seattle's Seahawks will be making their first trip to Green Bay since 1981 - and only their second to Lambeau Field - when they visit the Packers' storied venue under Holmgren's leadership the night of November 1. The Packers lead the regular season series, 4-3, by virtue of a 31-10 victory over the Seahawks in their most recent encounter, at Seattle in 1996 when Holmgren was mentoring the Green and Gold.
-The Cardinals will be making their first Green Bay appearance since 1984 - and their first ever showing in Lambeau Field under the Arizona banner - the Big Red having moved from St. Louis to Phoenix in 1988. Their 1984 visit coincided with Forrest Gregg's regular season debut as Green Bay's head coach and the Packers presented their new field leader with a 24-23 victory.
-Carolina's Panthers will be making their first regular season visit to Green Bay. They have been in Lambeau Field before - on January 12, 1997 - but on that occasion they were facing the Packers in the NFC Championship game, one in which the Packers prevailed, 30-13, to qualify for Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans.
-Since the Raiders will be appearing In Lambeau Field on opening day, they can expect weather conditions to be somewhat balmier than the last time they were there. That was on December 26, 1993, when the wind chill reading was a frigid 22 degrees below zero and the Packers emerged with a 28-0 victory while clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 1982.
-The Raiders will be led into "Lambeau" by Jon Gruden, a former Packers assistant coach (1992-94) who is in his second year as Oakland's head coach.
-The Packers' "rematch" with the Super Bowl champion Broncos will find them making a regular season excursion to Denver for the first time since 1990. They will be looking for their first victory over the Broncos on Denver soil - and to square accounts for a 31-24 misadventure against the Coloradans in Super Bowl XXXII at San Diego.
-The Monday night Football appearance at San Francisco will have the Packers meeting the 49ers for the seventh time in the past five seasons, four of those encounters having come in postseason play - consecutive playoff showdowns in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
-The Packers' regular season series with the Chargers dates back to 1970 but their October 24 contest in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium will be only the seventh meeting in their mutual history.
-Twice-annual visitors to Dallas not too long ago - for a combination of regular season and playoff appearances - the Packers will be making their first visit to "Big D" since 1996 when they invade Texas Stadium November 14.
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