Fail Mary Rematch as NFL Opener for 2014 - Season Schedule Released

NFL releases 2014 season schedule; Seahawks begin season vs. Packers at home

By Clinton Haws

Russell Wilson (3) and the Seahawks will kick off their title defense against the Packers in Seattle. 
(John Biever/SI)

The Super Bowl champion +Seattle Seahawks will begin their title defense at home against the +Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Sept. 4, the +NFL announced Wednesday as it released the full schedule for its 95th season.

The last time these two teams played in the regular season was Sept. 24, 2012, when the Seahawks beat the Packers 14-12 on the controversial “Fail Mary” touchdown at the end of the game.

The Seahawks also have a Super Bowl XLVIII rematch with the Denver Broncos in Week 3 in Seattle.

Other games on the opening weekend include the Indianapolis Colts visiting the +Denver Broncos on Sunday night Sept. 7, and the Monday night doubleheader featuring the +Detroit Lions at the +New York Giants and the San Diego +Chargers traveling to Arizona to face the +Cardinals.

The almost-annual Tom Brady-Peyton Manning matchup will take place Week 9 in +New England.

This season, the schedule can be flexed as early as Week 5. Before, “flex scheduling” did not start until Week 11, with the announcement of the change coming no more than 12 days prior to the Sunday night contest.

The +San Francisco 49ers will open their new venue, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., against the +Chicago Bulls in Week 2. Levi’s Stadium will also be the site of Super Bowl L in 2016.

The three London games on the slate feature the +Miami Dolphins against the Oakland Raiders at 1 p.m. ET in Week 4, the Lions taking on the Atlanta Falcons at 9:30 a.m. ET in Week 8 and the Cowboys playing the +Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. ET in Week 10.

MORE: 2014 NFL Mock Draft | Top QBs | Top WRs | SI64: Our definitive Big Board

Thanksgiving’s tripleheader will pit the Lions against the Bears at 12:30 p.m. ET, the +Dallas Cowboys versus the +Philadelphia Eagles at 4:30, and a late game NFC Championship rematch between the Seahawks and the 49ers at 8:30 p.m. ET.

According to the combined 2013 record of their opponents, the +Indianapolis Colts have the league’s easiest schedule. Their 16 foes went 110-146 (.430) last season. The +Oakland Raiders have the toughest schedule, with their opponents winning 58 percent of their games in 2013.

The playoffs are scheduled to start on Sat. Jan. 3, 2015 and Super Bowl XLIX will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium, in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 1, 2015.

Regular Season Schedule to be Released

The @nfl schedule will be released today at 5 p.m. PT. #NinersDaily headlines: http://t.co/zEAVs5QlDi pic.twitter.com/HvU9qijUSk

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 23, 2014

Regular Season Schedule to be Released, Davis Wants Super Bowl Ring, Rolando McClain Retires

Taylor Price 

Senior Reporter

+San Francisco 49ers.com

@TaylorPrice49

Each weekday morning, 49ers.com reviews the most newsworthy and engaging content from around the web involving the 49ers and the NFL. We seek it out, so you don't have to.

Feedback in the comment section is HIGHLY encouraged. Enjoy.

1. Big News On the Way

The wait is over. The 2014 regular season schedule is coming out today at 5 p.m. PT.

49ers.com will have you covered on the schedule release, but before the news gets out, take a look at the most anticipated games of 2014.

The 49ers will also have a 1/8 chance of visiting the Seattle Seahawks to open the 2014 season on Thursday, Sept. 4. We'll also know the team's first opponent at Levi's® Stadium. The options for the big game at the billion-dollar stadium include: St. Louis, Arizona, Seattle, Chicago, Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Diego and Washington.

Who do you want to see the 49ers play first at home? Leave YOUR thoughts in the comments section of this post.

2. Davis Wants New Jewelry

+Vernon Davis has stocks for sale, and he has a deep desire to win a Super Bowl ring.

"We must win a Super Bowl title," Davis recently told NBC Sports Network. "You play this game, that's what you play this game for. You play the game to go to the Super Bowl and that's the only reason why we play to win and make it to the Super Bowl. So anything short of that would not be acceptable and I think my teammates know that as well."

>>Pro Bowl outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks is confident in the new-look secondary helping the +San Francisco 49ers win a ring in 2014.

>>Fourth-year offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore explained how he's progressing in the competition to be the team's starting center.

3. Around the League

>> +Mizzou defensive end Kony Ealy told the USA Today that he's the best player at his position in the 2014 NFL Draft. Jadeveon Clowney surely disagrees.

>>Oakland Raiders linebacker LaMarr Woodley appeared on 95.7 The Game and said that his new team will be in the playoffs in 2014.

>>Former Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain told +ESPN that he's officially retiring from football.

NFL OFFSEASON WORKOUT PROGRAM DATES ANNOUNCED

+NFL OFFSEASON WORKOUT PROGRAM DATES ANNOUNCED

from NFL Media Office

Following is the NFL Offseason Workout Program calendar for 2014. Voluntary offseason workout programs are intended to provide training, teaching and physical conditioning for players.

As per Article 21 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each club’s official, voluntary nine-week offseason program is conducted in three phases:

Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.

Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills as well as team practice conducted on a “separates” basis. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.

Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

Article 22 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulates that clubs may hold one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. This minicamp, noted below, must occur during Phase Three of the offseason program. Head coaches hired after the end of the 2013 season are also entitled to conduct an additional voluntary veteran minicamp.

Each club may hold a rookie football development program for a period of seven weeks, which in 2014 may begin on May

12. During this period, no activities may be held on weekends, with the exception of one post-NFL Draft rookie minicamp, which may be conducted on either the first or second weekend following the draft. The dates of the post-draft rookie minicamps will be circulated at a later date.

For specific information and detailed offseason program rules, please see Articles 21 and 22 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (beginning on page 131), available on nflmedia.com and nflcommunications.com.

The NFL Offseason Workout Program calendar (dates are tentative and subject to change): 

+Arizona Cardinals

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 27-29, June 2-5

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12




+Atlanta Falcons 

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 10-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19

+Baltimore Ravens 

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 3-5, June 9-10, June 12-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19




+Buffalo Bills  

First Day: April 22

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 2, June 4-5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19




+Carolina Panthers  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 9-12 

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Chicago Bears 

First Day: April 22

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Cincinnati Bengals  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 16-18

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12



+Cleveland Browns  

First Day: April 7

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-21, May 23, May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5-6

Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12



+Dallas Cowboys  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2, June 4-5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Denver Broncos  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 2-4, June 16-19

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12



+Detroit Lions  

First Day: April 7

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 27-29, June 2-5

Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12



+Green Bay Packers  

First Day: April 22

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 3-5, June 10-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Houston Texans 

First Day: April 7

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13

Voluntary Minicamp: May 6-8

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19

+Indianapolis Colts  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Jacksonville Jaguars  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Kansas City Chiefs  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 10-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Miami Dolphins

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19




+Minnesota Vikings 

First Day: April 7

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 3-5, June 9-12

Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+New England Patriots 

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27, May 29-30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+New Orleans Saints 

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 16-19

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12 

 

+New York Giants 

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 28-30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+New York Jets 

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2, June 4-5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Oakland Raiders 

First Day: April 22

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Philadelphia Eagles  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Pittsburgh Steelers  

First Day: April 22

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+St. Louis Rams  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: June 3, June 5-6, June 9-10, June 12, June 16-17, June 19-20

Mandatory Minicamp: None



+Chargers  

First Day: April 22

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+San Francisco 49ers  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Seattle Seahawks  

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

First Day: April 7

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 20-22, May 27-29, June 2-5

Voluntary Minicamp: April 22-24

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12



+Tennessee Titans  

First Day: April 7

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-12

Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19



+Washington Redskins 

First Day: April 7

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 2-4, June 9-12

Voluntary Minicamp: April 29-May 1

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19

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