text:
NFL Kickoff Game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The NFL Kickoff game logo used for 2016; the year is updated annually, with the new NFL Shield logo being used for the first time in 2009. In 2015, an alternate black and gold version of the logo was used.
The National Football League Kickoff game, along with related festivities, marks the official start of the National Football League (NFL) regular season. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. This first game of the season is usually scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day and since 2004, it was hosted by the most recent Super Bowl champions. However, in 2012, the game was moved to Wednesday to prevent conflicts with the acceptance speech of the Democratic National Convention.[1] The remainder of the league plays their opening weekend games the following Sunday and Monday.
The Kickoff Game was introduced in the 2002 season. From 2004 onward, the most recent Super Bowl champion has played in the kickoff game every year, and hosted the game in all but one year (2013 being the lone exception, in which the champion played on the road because of a parking conflict).[2]
Contents
[hide]
1 History
1.1 Selected details
2 Results
3 Standings
4 Pre-game concerts
5 Television ratings
6 References
History[edit]
The logo for the 2002 concert event before the Kickoff game.
The Kickoff Game was introduced in the 2002 season, under the leadership of then–NFL marketing executive John Collins and then–NFL Senior Vice President of Special Events Jim Steeg. It was conceived as an effort to boost economic recovery in the New York and Washington areas in the wake of 9/11. It was considered a success, increasing NFL sponsorships by $1.9 billion over the next 14 months.[3]
ESPN televised the first game. In order to do so, ESPN eliminated its traditional late-October Thursday night game (held the weekend of Games 1 and 2 of the World Series), and replaced it with the opening night kickoff game. Because of the success of the first game, the rights to televise both the Kickoff Game and the pregame concert were transferred immediately after the season to ABC as part of their Monday Night Football package. In 2006, NBC acquired the television rights to the Kickoff Game as part of their Sunday Night Football package.
The concept of the NFL champion playing in an opening game was not altogether new, however. From 1934 to 1976, the first game of the pre-season was the Chicago All-Star Game, an exhibition match featuring the previous season's NFL champions against an all-rookie team of college all-stars held annually in Soldier Field in Chicago.
After the merger of the NFL with the All-America Football Conference in 1949, the opening game of the 1950 NFL season was a Saturday night showcase game between the NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles and the AAFC champion Cleveland Browns. Billed as the "World Series of Pro Football" the game matched the four-time champion Browns against the two-time champion Eagles and with an attendance of 71,000 was one of the largest pro football crowds to that date.[citation needed]
With the advent of Monday Night Football in 1970 it became common for the Super Bowl champion to appear in a "showcase" game the first weekend of the season. This was the case in 1978–1979, 1983, 1987–1988, 1990–1993, 1996–2000, and 2002–2003.[citation needed]
Defending Super Bowl champions are 11–2 in the Kickoff Game. The New York Giants and New England Patriots are the only two defending Super Bowl champions to have lost. The Giants are also the only home team to have lost in the Kickoff Game twice—once in the very first edition of the contest, when the defending Super Bowl winner was not yet a regular participant, and again in 2012.
Selected details[edit]
2003: The game's popularity and success saw it move to ABC as part of the Monday Night Football package. In order for the kickoff game to fit into the schedule, ABC dropped the Monday Night Football game held in the last week of the NFL season. This game had become increasingly unpopular because it often lacked playoff significance, and because of the (undesirable) possibility that a team playing on Monday night in week 17 might have to play a playoff game the following Saturday. In return, ESPN (which, like ABC, is owned by Disney) received a week 17 Saturday night game. While defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay were not selected for the Thursday night game, they did play a nationally-televised game at Philadelphia four nights later on MNF. Instead, the Washington Redskins defeated the New York Jets 16–13.
2004: The tradition began that the kickoff game would be hosted by the defending Super Bowl champions. After the "wardrobe malfunction" incident at Super Bowl XXXVIII, the NFL initially canceled future plans for concerts in conjunction with the NFL Kickoff game.[4] Later in the year, however, the decision was reversed, and instead a 10-second broadcast delay was put in place.[5]
2006: With the change in television contracts, the Kickoff Game was moved to NBC, who held the rights to Sunday Night Football. The game opposite the first weekend of World Series games was once again removed to compensate. (The Monday night game at the end of the season, however, was not revived. Instead, after an impromptu experiment in 2005, a Monday night doubleheader was scheduled for the same weekend as the kickoff game.)
2008: The league and NBC agreed to move up the opening kickoff of the kickoff game, to 7:00 p.m., in order for coverage of the Republican National Convention to not compete with the game. That game featured the Redskins and Giants. The game was also be the first to be carried by Internet television in the United States, as were all Sunday Night Football games in the 2008 season.[6]
2010: The Saints, winners of Super Bowl XLIV, hosted the kickoff game at the Superdome against the Vikings, a rematch of the previous season's NFC Championship Game. There was consideration of a match-up against the Steelers (to create a contest between the last two Super Bowl champions) but it did not come to fruition due to various logistical reasons.[7]
2011: The Packers hosted the 2011 Kickoff Game after winning Super Bowl XLV. They defeated the New Orleans Saints, a match-up of the winners of the two previous Super Bowls, the first time this has occurred. The Saints are only the second team to have played in two consecutive kickoff games, and the first to do so not by winning two consecutive Super Bowls. In the third quarter, the Packers' Randall Cobb returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, tying the NFL record for the longest such return.
2012: Similar to the situation in 2008, the NFL was faced with the prospect of having to compete with a national political convention, this time the Democratic National Convention. Instead of moving the kickoff to 7:00 p.m. like in 2008, or even opening up the season on a Thursday like in past years, the league instead decided to move the 2012 Kickoff Game one day earlier to Wednesday, September 5. The New York Giants, winner of Super Bowl XLVI, hosted their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.[8]
2013: After winning Super Bowl XLVII, the Baltimore Ravens were to have hosted the 2013 Kickoff Game on September 5. However, this was on the same day as a home game for the Baltimore Orioles, whose stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, shares parking with the Ravens' M&T Bank Stadium. (The Orioles could not move their game to the afternoon, because they and their opponent were playing night games in other cities the preceding day.) The Ravens instead played on the road against the Denver Broncos.[9] The 2013 Kickoff game was a rematch of the previous season's AFC Divisional Playoff game. During this game, Peyton Manning became one of only six players to have thrown seven touchdowns in a single game. He added to this feat by doing it without throwing an interception, something that has only been done once before by Y. A. Tittle during the 1962 NFL season. The Ravens also had the most points scored against them in franchise history. They also suffered the biggest margin of defeat by a defending Super Bowl champion on opening day in NFL history.
2015: The New England Patriots, after winning Super Bowl XLIX, hosted the 2015 Kickoff Game on September 10 at Gillette Stadium, with the Pittsburgh Steelers as their opponent. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was originally not going to play due to his four-game suspension as a result of his involvement in the Deflategate scandal, but a court threw out the suspension on September 3, 2015 and ordered the league to let him play.[10] It also marked the first time NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not attend a Kickoff Game, stating that he did not want to be a distraction.
2016: The Denver Broncos hosted the 2016 Kickoff Game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High against the Carolina Panthers on September 8, in a Super Bowl 50 rematch. (As the Republican and Democratic conventions were both scheduled for July 2016, there was no scheduling conflict with them as there was in 2008 and 2012, nor were there conflicts with any other sports team in Denver that night.) The Broncos debuted Trevor Siemian as their new starting quarterback after both quarterbacks who started games in 2015 left the team; Peyton Manning (who played the entirety of Super Bowl 50) retired and Brock Osweiler left as a free agent.
2017: The defending Super Bowl LI champions, the New England Patriots, hosted the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2017 Kickoff Game at Gillette Stadium. Goodell visited Gillette Stadium for the Kickoff Game, having been absent from the venue since the 2014 season.
Results[edit]
Season
Date
Visitors
Score
Home
Location
Network
2002* September 5 San Francisco 49ers 16–13 New York Giants Giants Stadium ESPN
2003* September 4 New York Jets 13–16 Washington Redskins FedExField ABC
2004 September 9 Indianapolis Colts 24–27 New England Patriots Gillette Stadium ABC
2005 September 8 Oakland Raiders 20–30 New England Patriots Gillette Stadium ABC
2006 September 7 Miami Dolphins 17–28 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field NBC
2007 September 6 New Orleans Saints 10–41 Indianapolis Colts RCA Dome NBC
2008 September 4 Washington Redskins 7–16 New York Giants Giants Stadium NBC
2009 September 10 Tennessee Titans 10–13 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field NBC
2010 September 9 Minnesota Vikings 9–14 New Orleans Saints Louisiana Superdome NBC
2011 September 8 New Orleans Saints 34–42 Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field NBC
2012** September 5 Dallas Cowboys 24–17 New York Giants MetLife Stadium NBC
2013*** September 5 Baltimore Ravens 27-49 Denver Broncos Sports Authority Field at Mile High CBS
2014 September 4 Green Bay Packers 16–36 Seattle Seahawks CenturyLink Field NBC
2015 September 10 Pittsburgh Steelers 21–28 New England Patriots Gillette Stadium NBC
2016 September 8 Carolina Panthers 20–21 Denver Broncos Sports Authority Field at Mile High NBC
2017 September 7 Kansas City Chiefs 42–27 New England Patriots Gillette Stadium NBC
Winning team labeled in bold.
* – Game was not yet hosted by the defending Super Bowl champions.
** – Game played on a Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday.
*** - Defending Super Bowl champions played on the road because of parking conflicts with the MLB
Overtime Result
Standings[edit]
Team
GP
W
L
T
Pct.
PF
PA
Denver Broncos 1 1 0 0 1.000 21 20
Dallas Cowboys 1 1 0 0 1.000 24 17
Kansas City Chiefs 1 1 0 0 1.000 42 27
Seattle Seahawks 1 1 0 0 1.000 36 16
San Francisco 49ers 1 1 0 0 1.000 16 13
New England Patriots 4 3 1 0 .750 112 107
Pittsburgh Steelers 3 2 1 0 .667 62 55
Indianapolis Colts 2 1 1 0 .500 65 37
Green Bay Packers 2 1 1 0 .500 58 70
Washington Redskins 2 1 1 0 .500 23 29
New Orleans Saints 3 1 2 0 .333 58 92
New York Giants 3 1 2 0 .333 46 47
Baltimore Ravens 1 1 0 0 1.000 14 6
Carolina Panthers 1 0 1 0 .000 20 21
Miami Dolphins 1 0 1 0 .000 17 28
Minnesota Vikings 1 0 1 0 .000 9 14
New York Jets 1 0 1 0 .000 13 16
Oakland Raiders 1 0 1 0 .000 20 30
Tennessee Titans 1 0 1 0 .000 10 13
Pre-game concerts[edit]
Britney Spears performs on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., September 4, 2003
2002: "NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square" started at 4:30 p.m. and led up to kickoff of the game at the Meadowlands. The concert was headlined by Bon Jovi (who also performed at halftime), and also featured Enrique Iglesias, Eve and Alicia Keys. The event included recognition and support of New York City's 9/11 memorial events.
2003: The event moved to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and was billed as "NFL Kickoff Live From The National Mall Presented By Pepsi Vanilla." Britney Spears, who was introduced by Air Force Staff Sergeant Richard W. Duken II from Leesville LA, stationed at Tinker AFB, Aerosmith and Mary J. Blige headlined the concert. The activities started at 6 p.m. and featured a tribute to troops active in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was attended by thousands of American military personnel. ABC televised the concert live from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. eastern. Aretha Franklin concluded the concert by singing the national anthem from the National Mall leading up to kickoff. Three weeks later, the United States Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation that, when enacted into law, limited displays of commercial sponsorship on the Mall.[11]
2004: After initially being cancelled, the event was reinstated, and the 2004 "NFL Opening Kickoff" took place in two locations. At Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the New England Patriots were honored as Super Bowl XXXVIII champions. Performers at the stadium included Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child, Elton John, Toby Keith and Lenny Kravitz. Jessica Simpson performed from Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville, Florida, site of the upcoming Super Bowl. The concert aired live on ABC from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., just prior to gametime. The 2004 festivities firmly established the tradition of holding the game and concert at the home of the defending Super Bowl champion, and also linking the event to the location of the upcoming Super Bowl.
2005: The fourth annual "NFL Opening Kickoff" featured concert activities from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Detroit (host of the upcoming Super Bowl XL), and Los Angeles. The Super Bowl XXXIX champion New England Patriots again were honored at the event, hosted by Freddie Prinze, Jr., and broadcast live on ABC. Performers at the stadium included Green Day, Carlos Santana, Michelle Branch, and a surprise appearance by Ozzy Osbourne, who emerged from a giant-sized helmet. The Rolling Stones were shown on video from a taped broadcast in Detroit. Kanye West, Maroon 5, Good Charlotte and Rihanna performed from a red-white-and-blue stage in Los Angeles. Trisha Yearwood concluded the hour-long concert by singing the national anthem back at Gillette Stadium.
2006: The Thursday night concert and game switched to NBC for 2006, and was billed as "NFL Opening Kickoff 2006 Presented by Sprint." The 30-minute concert broadcast live from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, and from a special stage in South Beach in Miami Beach, near the home of the upcoming Super Bowl XLI. Diddy and Cassie entertained from Miami Beach, while Rascal Flatts were in Pittsburgh, along with Martina McBride, who sang the national anthem.
2007: "NFL Opening Kickoff 2007 Presented by Sprint" was aired on NBC as a thirty-minute special hosted by NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen. Kelly Clarkson was the first performer, singing on a sloped, outdoor stage at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. The concert moved indoors to the RCA Dome with Indiana native John Mellencamp singing his classic hit "Small Town". Faith Hill followed, back outside at Monument Circle. Hinder also performed. Back inside the RCA Dome, Colts owner Jim Irsay unveiled the Super Bowl XLI championship banner. The event was marred by the death of a man who fell or jumped off the ninth-floor pool deck of the Sheraton City Center overlooking Monument Circle.[12] Keyshia Cole wrapped up the show singing the national anthem with the Voices of Unity Youth Choir of Fort Wayne. Unlike in past years, there were no performances in the host area of the Super Bowl, in this case the Phoenix, Arizona area (Super Bowl XLII was held at University of Phoenix Stadium in suburban Glendale).
2008: Keith Urban and Usher were the featured performers at an afternoon concert at Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan in New York City on September 4. The concert was officially called "NFL Opening Kickoff 2008 Presented by EA Sports." Media coverage included NFL Network, NFL.com, and streaming on Sprint-branded mobile phones. NBC intercut portions of the concert into a broadcast of their 2008–09 season fall preview show the next night, September 5 at 9 pm ET/PT, 8 pm CT. (Unlike in past years, there was no live broadcast on NBC because of the early kickoff and later coverage of the 2008 Republican National Convention.)[13]
2009: "NFL Opening Kickoff 2009 Presented by EA Sports" featured Tim McGraw and The Black Eyed Peas performing at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.[14] Nancy O'Dell hosted the 30-minute concert on NBC. The Tim McGraw part of the concert was a part of the Music Video for song Southern Voice.
2010: "NFL Opening Kickoff 2010 Presented by EA Sports Madden NFL 11" featured Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift performing at Jackson Square in New Orleans.[15] The network telecast – which for the second straight year was simulcast by NBC and NFL Network – was expanded to one hour. Pregame events ended inside the Superdome, where Harry Connick, Jr. rode in a Mardi Gras-style parade float into the stadium with team owner Tom Benson and introduced the unveiling of the Saints' championship banner from Super Bowl XLIV.
2011: "NFL Kickoff 2011 presented by EA Sports" was held at the parking lot of Lambeau Field near the Veterans Memorial.[16] Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, and Maroon 5 performed.[17] The hour-long concert was to begin at 7:30 p.m., and was to be simulcast by NBC and NFL Network. However, for most of the nation, the pre-game coverage was switched to a simulcast at 7:00 p.m. on NFL Network, Syfy, Versus, USA, and G4 due to President Obama's primetime address to Congress.[18] In contrast, the pregame coverage aired live as scheduled in New Orleans and most television markets in Wisconsin.
During the pregame, 32 legendary NFL players held team flags representing each of the 32 franchises.[19] Bart Starr entered the stadium to represent the Packers. The other participants included:[20] Ron Wolfley, Steve Bartkowski, Matt Stover, Andre Reed, Muhsin Muhammad, Richard Dent, Ken Anderson, Kevin Mack, Jay Novacek, Randy Gradishar, Charlie Sanders, N. D. Kalu, Bill Brooks, Don Davey, Willie Lanier, Dwight Stephenson, John Randle, John Hannah, Deuce McAllister, Harry Carson, Al Toon, Ted Hendricks, Eric Allen, Dermontti Dawson, Aeneas Williams, Junior Seau, Dwight Clark, Cortez Kennedy, Mike Alstott, Eddie George, Larry Brown.
2012: "NFL Kickoff 2012 presented by EA Sports" was held in New York City with a concert held by Mariah Carey, No Doubt and Cee Lo Green.
2013: "NFL Kickoff 2013 presented by Pepsi" featured a concert at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, with performances by Danielle Bradbery and Keith Urban. The introduction to the game was done on the field by Ryan Seacrest, and culminated with a "countdown" to the start of the season starring 32 legendary NFL players (one from each franchise).[21] A 34-minute weather delay due to lightning occurred immediately after the concert and delayed the kickoff of the game.
2014: "NFL Kickoff 2014 presented by Xbox" was held outside Seattle's CenturyLink Field, with Pharrell Williams and Soundgarden performing. Ariana Grande performed the national anthem.[22]
2015: "Kickoff to 50 presented by Hyundai" was held at the Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, California, the home of Super Bowl 50, with Ellie Goulding and Train performing.[23] Dropkick Murphys, T-Pain, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra performed at Gillette Stadium. Grace Potter sang the National Anthem.
2016: "NFL Kickoff 2016 presented by Hyundai" was held at Civic Center Park, with Dierks Bentley and OneRepublic performing live. Andra Day sang the National Anthem.[24]
2017: "NFL Kickoff 2017 presented by Hyundai" was held at the Christopher Columbus Park at Boston Harborwalk, with the Boston-based Guster performing in place of Miguel, who was unable to perform due to an illness.[25] The concert took place after a special screening of America's Game: The 2016 New England Patriots. Maren Morris performed the National Anthem.[26]
Television ratings[edit]
Year
Network
Household rating/share
Viewers (live plus same day)
Ref.
2002 ESPN 7.6 10.8 million [27]
2003 ABC 12.9/22 19.2 million [27]
2004 ABC 11.4/20 16.9 million [27]
2005 ABC 11.7/21 18.0 million [27]
2006 NBC 12.6/21 19.2 million [27]
2007 NBC 11.5/20 17.8 million [27]
2008 NBC 8.6/15 13.5 million [27]
2009 NBC 12.8/22 20.9 million [27]
2010 NBC 16.5/28 27.5 million [27]
2011 NBC 16.0 27.2 million [27]
2012 NBC 14.7 23.9 million [27]
2013 NBC 14.9 25.1 million [27]
2014 NBC 15.5 26.9 million [27]
2015 NBC 16.2 27.4 million [27]
2016 NBC 14.6/27 25.2 million [28]
2017 NBC 12.6/23 22.2 million [29]
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "NFL season-opener to be held Wednesday, Sept. 5". National Football League. February 28, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
Jump up ^ Maske, Mike (March 22, 2013). "Ravens to play NFL’s season-opening game on the road". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
Jump up ^ Bloomberg: "NHL Borrows From NFL as It Pursues Bigger TV Contract"
Jump up ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/7158058
Jump up ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/quickie?date=040908
Jump up ^ Sunday Night Football to be streamed LIVE. NBCSports.com. 28 July 2008.
Jump up ^ Bouchette, Ed (March 19, 2010). "Rooney: Steelers won't open in New Orleans". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Jump up ^ "Giants to host NFC East rival Cowboys in 2012 season opener". NFL.com. 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2012-09-05.
Jump up ^ McIntyre, Brian (April 18, 2013). "Broncos, Ravens to kick off NFL's 2013 regular season". Retrieved April 18, 2013.
Jump up ^ Orr, Conor (September 3, 2015). "Judge nullifies Tom Brady's four-game suspension". National Football League. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
Jump up ^ (1) "Message concerning passage of Senate amendment to HR2691, 108th United States Congress". National Coalition to Save Our Mall Inc. 2003-09-24. Archived from the original on 2012-12-29. Retrieved 2012-12-29. External link in |publisher= (help)
(2) "Sec. 145" (PDF). Public Law 108-108: Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 (pdf)|format= requires |url= (help). Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 2003-11-10. pp. 117 Stat. 1280 – 117 Stat. 1281. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Thousands pack Downtown to start NFL in style". IndyStar.com. 2007-09-07. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
Jump up ^ National Football League (2008-08-12). "Keith Urban and Usher to headline NFL's Kickoff celebration from NYC". NFL.com. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
Jump up ^ National Football League (2009-09-10). "Kickoff Concert - Tim Mcgraw and The Black Eyed Peas Concert". NFL.com. Retrieved 2012-09-05.
Jump up ^ "Dave Matthews, Taylor Swift to Play at NFL Kickoff Concert". WGRZ.com. 2010-08-09. Retrieved 2012-09-05.
Jump up ^ "Party in the works for NFL Kickoff at Lambeau Field". WFRV-TV. 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
Jump up ^ "NFL Kickoff concert preps underway". WLUK-TV. 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
Jump up ^ Hiestand, Michael (September 7, 2011). "Obama speech shifts NBC NFL pregame". USA Today. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
Jump up ^ "'NFL Kickoff 2011 presented by EA Sports' to celebrate Packers". National Football League. August 30, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
Jump up ^ "NFL legends participating in pregame". Fox 11. September 7, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
Jump up ^ Chase, Chris (2013-09-06). "Ryan Seacrest and the NFL did their best to ruin opening night". USA Today. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
Jump up ^ "'2014 NFL Kickoff presented by Xbox' to start NFL Season". National Football League. August 3, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
Jump up ^ "Kick the season off right in San Francisco". National Football League. August 10, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
Jump up ^ NFL Communications: NFL Kickoff 2016 Press Release. Retrieved on 15 August 2016.
Jump up ^ "2017 NFL Kickoff Concert Driven By Hyundai". NFL.com. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
Jump up ^ ".@MarenMorris: Grammy winner. CMA New Artist of the Year. Kickoff National Anthem singer.". New England Patriots Twitter. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "NFL Kickoff Finals: Patriots Generate Near-Record Rating For Opener". SportsMediaWatch. 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
Jump up ^ "NBC's "NFL Kickoff" Game Tops 25 Million Viewers For Fourth Consecutive Year". NBC Sports Pressbox. 2016-09-09. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
Jump up ^ "NBC’S “NFL Kickoff” Game is Most-Watched Show in Three Months With More Than 22 Million Viewers". NBC Sports Pressbox. 8 September 2017.
[show]
v
t
e
National Football League (2017)
AFC
East North South West
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Oakland Raiders
NFC
East North South West
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Seasons
Seasons (by team)
Preseason
Hall of Fame Game
American Bowl
Regular season
Kickoff game
Monday Night Football
International Series
Thanksgiving games
Christmas games
Playoffs
Streaks
Droughts
AFC Championship
NFC Championship
Super Bowl
champions
quarterbacks
Pro Bowl
History
League history
Executive history
Championship history
AFL Championship (1960–1969)
NFL Championship (1920–1969)
Playoff Bowl
Other
Owners
Officials
Properties
Stadiums (chronology)
Timeline
Defunct franchises
Franchise moves and mergers
Los Angeles team history
Records
individual
team
Super Bowl
All time win–loss
Last undefeated
Awards
All-Pro
Numbers (retired)
Hall of Fame
Lore
Nicknames
AFL
Merger
International
Foreign players
London
Toronto
Bills Series
List of games played outside the U.S.
Media
TV
NFL Network
Radio
Management Council
Competition Committee
Collective Bargaining Agreement
NFLPA
Player conduct
Suspensions
Player misconduct
Combine
Draft
Training camp
Rivalries
NFL Foundation
Tied games
Canceled games
Lockouts
Controversies
Cheerleading
Mascots
Color Rush
[show]
v
t
e
NFL on ABC
Related programs
Monday Night Football
ESPN Sunday Night Football
American Football League on ABC
Pro Football Highlights
Non-NFL programs
College Football on ABC
USFL on ABC
World League of American Football on ABC
Related articles
History of Monday Night Football
NFL on television (history)
Monday Night Mayhem (film)
ABC Monday Night Football (video game)
Super Bowl TV ratings (lead-out programs)
Chicago Bears (home games)
1953
1954
1955
Chicago Cardinals (home games)
1953
1954
1955
Los Angeles Rams (Pacific Time Zone affiliates)
1955
San Francisco 49ers (Pacific Time Zone affiliates)
1955
Washington Redskins (home games)
1954
Commentators
AFL All-Star Game
American Bowl
Pro Bowl
World Bowl
Postseason commentators
AFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game
Super Bowl
Lore televised by ABC
"Body Bag Game"
Death of John Lennon
Brett Favre wins one for his father
"Monday Night Miracle"
Montana outduels Elway
"Snowball Game"
Joe Theismann's career-ending sack
"The Night That Courage Wore Orange"
World Bowl '91
Postseason lore
"Music City Miracle"
"One Yard Short"
"Wide Right"
Music
Charles Fox
Edd Kalehoff
Johnny Pearson
Hank Williams, Jr.
Songs
"All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night"
"Heavy Action"
"The Party's Over"
NFL Championship
1948
1950
Super Bowl
XIX (1984)
XXII (1987)
XXV (1990)
XXIX (1994)
XXXIV (1999)
XXXVII (2002)
XL (2005)
Pro Bowl
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2018
AFL Championship
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
Results and standings
Yearly results
Monday night NFL games prior to 1970
1970–1989
1990–2009
2010–present
[show]
v
t
e
NFL on NBC
Related programs
The NFL on NBC pregame show (Football Night in America)
NBC Sunday Night Football
NFL on NBC Radio
Thursday Night Football (2016–present)
College football programs
College Football on NBC (Notre Dame)
College Football on USA
Other pro football programs
Arena Football League on NBC
Canadian Football League
World League of American Football on USA
XFL on NBC
Related articles
NFL on television (history)
Primary television stations
Super Bowl TV ratings (lead-out programs)
American Football League
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
Baltimore Colts
1960
1961
Pittsburgh Steelers
1960
1961
Prime-time results
Monday night NFL games prior to 1970
Sunday Night Football results (2006-present)
Commentators
AFC Championship Game
Commentator pairings
Pro Bowl
Pregame show panelists
Super Bowl
Pre-AFL–NFL merger
AFL Championship Game
AFL All-Star Game
NFL Championship Game
Preseason games
American Bowl
Lore
1982 CFL season
Announcerless Game
"The Clock Play"
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
"The Holy Roller"
"Snowplow Game"
"Leon Lett Blunder II"
Postseason lore
"The Epic in Miami"
"Ghost to the Post"
"Immaculate Reception"
"Red Right 88"
"The Freezer Bowl"
"The Drive"
"The Fumble"
"Beast Quake"
"The Comeback"
"The Interception"
Pre-AFL–NFL merger lore
"The Greatest Game Ever Played"
"Heidi Game"
Sunday Night Football lore
"4th and 2"
16–0
"Butt fumble"
Music
John Colby
Randy Edelman
John Tesh
Sunday Night Football
John Williams
"I Hate Myself for Loving You"
"Somethin' Bad"
Faith Hill
Pink
Carrie Underwood
NFL Championship
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
AFL Championship
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
Super Bowl
Pre-AFL–NFL merger
I (1966)
III (1968)
AFC package carrier (1970–1997)
V (1970)
VII (1972)
IX (1974)
XI (1976)
XIII (1978)
XV (1980)
XVII (1982)
XX (1985)
XXIII (1988)
XXVII (1992)
XXVIII (1993)
XXX (1995)
XXXII (1997)
Sunday Night Football era (2006–present)
XLIII (2008)
XLVI (2011)
XLIX (2014)
LII (2017)
LV (2020)
Pro Bowl
1952
1953
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1972
1974
2009
2012
2013
2014
Website: NBC Sports - NFL News
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NFL_Kickoff_Game&oldid=805179278"
Categories:
National Football League competitions
Recurring sporting events established in 2002
2002 establishments in the United States
Hidden categories:
CS1 errors: external links
Pages using citations with format and no URL
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Add links
This page was last edited on 13 October 2017, at 16:09.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: img

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

attrs: href class title

value: b

attrs: href title

value: sup

value: p

attrs: alt src width height class data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/John_Collins_(football)
mw-redirect
John Collins (football)

values: National Football League exhibition season

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2016)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy

values:
/wiki/Louisiana_Superdome
mw-redirect
Louisiana Superdome

values:
/wiki/2012-13_NFL_playoffs
mw-redirect
2012-13 NFL playoffs

values:
/wiki/Eve_(entertainer)
mw-redirect
Eve (entertainer)

values:
/wiki/Pepsi_Vanilla
mw-redirect
Pepsi Vanilla

values:
/wiki/Freddie_Prinze,_Jr.
mw-redirect
Freddie Prinze, Jr.

values:
/wiki/Sprint_Nextel
mw-redirect
Sprint Nextel

values:
/wiki/Cassie_(singer)
mw-redirect
Cassie (singer)

values: Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)

values:
/wiki/Usher_(entertainer)
mw-redirect
Usher (entertainer)

values: 2008-09 United States network television schedule

values:
/wiki/Central_Time_Zone_(North_America)
mw-redirect
Central Time Zone (North America)

values:
/wiki/Jackson_Square,_New_Orleans
mw-redirect
Jackson Square, New Orleans

values:
/wiki/Harry_Connick,_Jr.
mw-redirect
Harry Connick, Jr.

values:
/wiki/Versus_(TV_channel)
mw-redirect
Versus (TV channel)

values: Barack Obama speech to joint session of Congress, September 2011

values:
/wiki/Cee_Lo_Green
mw-redirect
Cee Lo Green

values: America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions

values:
nofollow
external free
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/7158058

values:
nofollow
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25885336/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.webcitation.org/6DHOdd4uA

values:
nofollow
http://www.savethemall.org/
external text

values: United States Government Printing Office

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values:
row
navbox-group
width:1%;background-color: #FFA7A7;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;font-weight:bold;background-color: #FFA7A7;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;padding:0px;background-color: #FFCCCC; text-align: center;;;;width:25%;

values:
row
navbox-group
width:1%;background-color: #B7D0FF;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;font-weight:bold;background-color: #B7D0FF;

values: border-left:2px solid #fdfdfd;padding:0px;background-color: #D0E7FF; text-align: center;;;;width:25%;

values: List of National Football League seasons

values: Lists of National Football League team seasons

values: National Football League Christmas games

values: List of NFL franchise post-season streaks

values: List of NFL franchise post-season droughts

values: List of quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl starts

values: History of the National Football League championship

values: List of National Football League officials

values: List of current National Football League stadiums

values: Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams

values: Timeline of the National Football League

values: List of defunct National Football League franchises

values: National Football League franchise moves and mergers

values: History of the National Football League in Los Angeles

values: List of National Football League records (individual)

values: List of National Football League records (team)

values: List of last undefeated NFL teams by season

values: National Football League uniform numbers

values: List of National Football League retired numbers

values: List of foreign players in the National Football League

values: List of National Football League games played outside the United States

values: Category:National Football League on the radio

values: National Football League Management Council

values: National Football League Players Association

values: List of suspensions in the National Football League

values: National Football League player conduct policy

values: Training camp (National Football League)

values: List of National Football League mascots

values: nowraplinks collapsible collapsed navbox-inner

values: United States Football League on television

values: History of the National Football League on television

values: List of ABC television affiliates (by U.S. state)

values: List of San Francisco 49ers broadcasters

values: List of Washington Redskins broadcasters

values: List of Monday Night Football commentators

values: List of AFL Championship Game broadcasters

values: List of NFL Championship Game broadcasters

values:
/wiki/Death_of_John_Lennon
mw-redirect
Death of John Lennon

values: Monday Night Miracle (American football)

values:
/wiki/Hank_Williams,_Jr.
mw-redirect
Hank Williams, Jr.

values: All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight

values: 1960 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1961 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1962 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1963 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1964 American Football League Championship Game

values: List of Monday night National Football League games prior to 1970

values: List of Monday Night Football results (1970–89)

values: List of Monday Night Football results (1990–2009)

values: List of Monday Night Football results (2010–present)

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: List of Pittsburgh Steelers broadcasters

values: NBC Sunday Night Football results (2006–present)

values: List of AFC Championship Game broadcasters

values: List of NFL on NBC pregame show panelists

values:
/wiki/The_Epic_in_Miami
mw-redirect
The Epic in Miami

values: 2007 New England Patriots–New York Giants game

values: 1965 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1966 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1967 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1968 American Football League Championship Game

values: 1969 American Football League Championship Game

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.nbcsports.com/nfl

values: Category:National Football League competitions

values: Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2002

values: Category:2002 establishments in the United States

values: Category:Pages using citations with format and no URL

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/NFL_Kickoff_Game
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-NFL_Kickoff_Game rootpage-NFL_Kickoff_Game vector-experimental-print-styles vector-nav-directionality skin-vector action-view