A Sept.12 debut for coach Joe Gibbs, an early season Monday nighter against the hated Dallas Cowboys and a generally modest level of out-of-division difficulty highlight the Washington Redskins’ 2004 schedule.
The schedule, released yesterday by the NFL amid much hoopla, begins with a home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and contains three prime-time contests, starting with a Sept.27 “Monday Night Football” game against the Cowboys.
Thanks to a rotational format that has Washington this year facing the NFC North and AFC North, the schedule isn’t as difficult as it might be. Neither division was considered among the NFL’s best last season, and the AFC North generally was viewed as the weakest.
The other two nationally televised night games also are at FedEx Field, where the Redskins will play the Baltimore Ravens on Oct.10 and Philadelphia Eagles on Dec.12. Both games are Sunday night affairs on ESPN.
To maximize attention, the NFL released its schedule at 5 p.m., simultaneously on its Web site, www.nfl.com, and its television station, the NFL Network. The latter employed a two-hour special version of “NFL Total Access” to introduce the schedule, with current and former stars providing analysis.
It’s no surprise that Washington, coming off a 5-11 season under Steve Spurrier, has three prime-time games and only two 1 p.m. starts in the season’s second half. Gibbs’ return not only has energized the Redskins’ fan base but has provided a major story line for the league this season.
Although the Redskins have a lot to prove before they can be considered playoff contenders, the modest schedule — with four opponents that made the playoffs last season and no more than two consecutive home games — could provide a needed edge.
In addition to playing the usual home-and-home format with NFC East rivals Dallas, Philadelphia and the New York Giants, the Redskins play each member of the NFC North and AFC North, as well as the Bucs and San Francisco 49ers. The Tampa Bay and San Francisco games are based on the teams’ third-place finishes in their divisions last season.
The revamped Bucs, two seasons removed from a Super Bowl title, will provide Gibbs an immediate test, as will the Cowboys in Week3. Sandwiched between the two contests is one at the Meadowlands, where Washington will face a Giants team that went 4-12 last year but hired respected coach Tom Coughlin this offseason.
Next up are six games against members of the NFC North or AFC North, starting with a trip to Cleveland to play the Browns on Oct.3. The Ravens night game, a contest at Chicago (Oct.17) and Washington’s open date follow.
The Redskins resume play on Halloween against the Green Bay Packers, before traveling to Detroit (Nov.7) and playing host to the Cincinnati Bengals (Nov.14), who are coached by Marvin Lewis, Washington’s defensive coordinator in 2002.
Four NFC East games, including both Eagles contests, highlight the season’s stretch run. Washington finishes November with games at Philadelphia (Nov.21) and Pittsburgh (Nov.28), then plays the Giants (Dec.5), Eagles (Dec.12) and at San Francisco (Dec.19).
The second Cowboys game, this one at Texas Stadium, comes the day after Christmas, and the season concludes with a Jan.2 home game against the Minnesota Vikings.
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