The NFL is set to reveal all of the schedule details for 2020 on Thursday night, but some information is starting to trickle out. During a segment on 93.7 The Fan, ESPN’s John Clayton revealed that the first four games of the season will be NFC teams versus AFC teams. Clayton has been covering the NFL for decades, so there’s reason to believe he isn’t right. There was talk of the NFL front-loading the schedule with less important games in case they had to be canceled so the decision makes sense.
However, there’s been another layer added to the rumors as reports are now coming out that the Saints and Buccaneers could be the playing to start the season.
Source: Saints to open season against Bucs, and some other highlights from the 2020 schedule t.co/Dc0arCpQdV via @NOdotFootball
That would certainly cut against the idea of teams playing less important games early in the season. Matchups between division rivals are always important. If Tom Brady and Drew Brees do play in Week 1, that could be an indication that the NFL would delay games over the idea of canceling them outright. Regardless, we will know for sure by the end of the day Thursday.
Tom Brady in Las Vegas for Week 1?
With the reported news that the Buccaneers are one of the Raiders’ first opponents in 2020, the door is now wide open for Tom Brady to help open up Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Brady was linked to the silver and black for much of the offseason and while that didn’t end up happening, the future Hall of Famer could still have a chance to play in Las Vegas.
The NFL has a lot of reasons to want the Raiders’ move to Sin City to work out, so they’re going to do what they can to get the first game in Allegiant Stadium a ton of coverage. Nothing would probably bring better ratings to the opener than Brady’s first game not in Patriots uniform. It seems like a win-win situation for all parties. The Raiders get to show off their new stadium to a huge audience and Brady gets to play the first professional regular season football game in Las Vegas.
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Will Allegiant Stadium Be Done in Time?
The biggest concern facing the Raiders in trying to host teams early in the season is that Allegiant Stadium is not done with construction. By all accounts, it’s supposed to be finished by July 31st, but there have 16 works who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. They have yet to shut down construction yet, but more and more workers are testing positive for the disease by the week.
If there is any substantial delay in construction, the Raiders will have to look at alternative locations to play in. That’s not ideal considering the team is very eager to play in the new stadium, but it might be out of their control. The COVID-19 situation at Allegiant Stadium is something to keep an eye on.
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Raiders 2020 NFL Schedule Leaks: Conflicting Rumors on First 4 Games