NFL blockbuster
Bucs’ Brady will face Saints’ Brees in first week of 2020 season
LOS ANGELES: Tom Brady’s first game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be on Sept 13 in New Orleans as the NFL released its much-anticipated schedule, indicating it plans to start the season on time despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Brady will face Drew Brees and the Saints on the road three days after the Kansas City Chiefs open defence of their Super Bowl title against the Houston Texans in two can’t-miss encounters revealed on Thursday during the announcement of the league’s full schedule.
The Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, beat the 49ers 31-20 in the Super Bowl last season.
Kansas City’ first game will be the rematch of a divisional play-off contest from January, when the Chiefs overcame a 24-0 deficit to stun the Texans 51-31.
NFL vice-president Troy Vincent said they are hoping to open on time despite the Covid-19 outbreak, which has shut down the NHL and NBA and delayed the start of the MLB season.
The 17-week regular season is due to conclude on Jan 3, and the play-offs will culminate with the Super Bowl on Feb 7 in Tampa.
“The plan is to move forward as normal, play a full schedule until the medical community tells us otherwise,” Vincent told the NFL Network.
“Our approach is to make sure we are responsible with a proper plan. We want to make sure we are following any guidelines as it pertains to governors’ stay-at-home orders and policies. Let’s make sure we are following those guidelines. We are preparing to play a full season.”
The Los Angeles Rams will play their inaugural game in the new SoFi Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept 13.
The stadium, located in the south central Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, is also home to the Los Angeles
Chargers, who kick off their home schedule against Kansas City on Sept 20.
Brady joined Tampa Bay in March, signing a two-year, US$50-million contract after an all-star career with the New England Patriots.
The six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback will be reunited in Florida with one of his favourite targets, tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Gronkowski retired in March 2019
after he had suffered about 20 concussion in his career, but came out of retirement to follow Brady to Tampa.
New England, who will be quarterbacked this season by Brady’s 2019 understudy Jarrett Stidham, will open at home against the Miami Dolphins on Sept 13.
“Stid worked hard last year. He was our backup quarterback, and he made a lot of progress in offseason,” said New England coach Bill Belichick on Thursday.
“He will get out there and be ready to go. We will see where it takes us.”
The Patriots also have a match-up against another of Brady’s former backups, Jimmy Garoppolo, when they host the San Francisco 49ers on Oct 25.
The inaugural home game for the Las Vegas Raiders will be on Monday, Sept 21 against the Saints.
The NFL will play one game on Christmas Day, which falls on a Friday, with the Minnesota Vikings visiting the Saints. The last time the league scheduled a game on a Friday was 11 years ago.
The three-game Thanksgiving Day schedule features the Texans at the Detroit Lions, the Washington Redskins at the Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens battling the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers will make his Indianapolis Colts’ debut on Sept 13 at Jacksonville.