NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans open the 2014 season at Kansas City on September 7, and they will be featured on Monday Night Football against long-time rival Pittsburgh at LP Field on November 17. Tennessee opens its home schedule on September 14 against Dallas. The Titans also will appear in a Thursday night primetime contest at Jacksonville on December 18.
“As always with an NFL schedule, you never know what you are going to get. There are a number of things to like, but obviously we have a tough start with three of the first four on the road and three of them playoff teams from last year. It will give us a chance to find out a lot about our football team. The good thing is that maybe it will create a sense of urgency with our team in the offseason workouts and training camp. We know what faces us and we must come together as a team and create those bonds,” said head coach Ken Whisenhunt.
“It is interesting how the schedule is put together with three of four on the road and three of four at home, alternating through the year. The bye falls at a good point to get some guys healthy and having enough game tape during the first eight games to sort through and study before the final eight games.
“I like the Thursday night game late in the season. The goal is to have that last game in the season mean something and the Thursday night game gives you a chance to heal up a bit and get in extra work before the finale and hopefully going into the playoffs. All of the noon starts will give us a chance to get into a routine and I like routines.
“Lastly, I am excited for our fans to get a Monday Night game. Those games create a great deal of energy and excitement in a town and I am looking forward to seeing the atmosphere for that game.”
The Titans schedule features home games against Dallas, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, the New York Giants, the New York Jets, Jacksonville, Houston and Indianapolis.
Tennessee will travel to Kansas City, Cincinnati, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Houston, Jacksonville and Indianapolis.
For the first time, flexible scheduling may be applied in Weeks 5-10. During that period, flexible scheduling can be used by the NFL in no more than two weeks by shifting a Sunday afternoon game into primetime and moving the Sunday night game to an afternoon start time.
Also, for the first time, a select number of games are being “cross-flexed,” moving between CBS and FOX to bring potentially under-distributed games to wider audiences.
“Flexible scheduling” will be used in Weeks 11-17 as it has been in recent years. In Weeks 11-16, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights. A flexible scheduling move would be announced at least 12 days before the game. For Week 17, the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to December 28. The NFL schedule does not list a Sunday night game in Week 17, but an afternoon game with playoff implications will be moved to that time slot. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives “surprise” teams a chance to play their way into primetime.
