Five primetime games, including three Monday night contests and a preseason battle with the New York Giants (8/19), highlight the Baltimore Ravens 2007 schedule. It is the first time in Ravens history that the NFL scheduled three Monday night games featuring the Ravens. (Baltimore played two Monday night games in both 2001, when it was the defending Super Bowl champion, and two in 2005.)
The Ravens open the regular season with a Monday night special at the Cincinnati Bengals on 9/10 (7 p.m.). Baltimore plays at Pittsburgh (11/5) and hosts New England (12/3) in the other two Monday night features.
The Ravens earned a franchise-best 13-3 regular season mark a year ago, when they won the AFC North by 5 games. Baltimore then dropped a 15-6 decision to the eventual Super Bowl winning Colts in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Those Colts come to Baltimore for a Sunday night game on 12/9, currently scheduled to be aired nationally on NBC-TV. (There is a possibility that the NFL could change that game under its flex schedule rules.)
“There is good spacing on the schedule in terms of the west coast trips and the bye. It’s a very fair schedule,†head coach Brian Billick said. “It’s exciting to open the season on national television against a division rival, and it’s nice the league is featuring us often. We earned that with the way we played last season. Based on last season’s production, the last third of the season is challenging. Our season will be defined on how we handle this stretch. But, the reality is that every game is challenging. That’s what makes the NFL competition so compelling.â€
The Ravens will battle the four teams in the AFC East, including a first-ever trip to Ralph Wilson Stadium to play the Bills on 10/21. The Jets, who earned a Wild Card playoff spot in 2006, come to M&T Bank Stadium for the regular season home opener on Sept. 16. Baltimore is at Miami on 12/16.
The Ravens also match up with the four teams from the NFC West. For the first time, Baltimore will play at Seattle with a Dec. 23 game at Qwest Field. The Cardinals (9/23) and the Rams (10/14) come to M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens visit San Francisco and former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s 49ers on 10/7.
Indeed, the last third of the season appears very challenging with games against four 2006 playoff teams (at San Diego and Seattle and home versus the Patriots and Colts), plus a battle in Miami and a season finale in Baltimore against the rival Steelers. Along with the back-to-back December road trips (12/16 at Miami and 12/23 at Seattle), the Ravens also play consecutive road games at Cleveland (9/3) and at San Francisco (10/7).
“I think the league made a concerted effort to give us a fair and balanced schedule,†Ravens president Dick Cass said. “Our trips to the West Coast are spread out with one each in October, November and December. The bye comes at a good time. And, our fans, I think, will be excited to see the league thinks so highly of us with the nationally-televised games.†Cass also noted that the first weekend in December will be a busy one at M&T Bank Stadium with the 12/1 Navy/Army spectacular that Saturday and the Monday night special between the Ravens and Patriots. Six nights later, the Colts are in Baltimore. “That’s three times in eight days that the nation’s eyes will be on downtown Baltimore,†Cass added.
The Ravens’ preseason schedule is now set, and it is listed below along with the full 2007 regular season slate.
2007 BALTIMORE RAVENS SCHEDULE
PRESEASON
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Time
|
Place
|
|
8/13
|
7:00PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
|
8/19
|
8:00PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
|
8/25
|
Redskins 13 Ravens 7 *
|
8:00PM
|
Fedex Field
|
|
8/31
|
Atlanta Falcons
|
7:30PM
|
Georgia Dome
|
* Game suspended at the 11:38 mark of the 3rd quarter due to severe lightning.
REGULAR SEASON
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
Time
|
Place
|
|
9/10
(MNF)
|
Cincinnati Bengals
|
7:00PM
|
Paul Brown Stadium
|
|
9/16
|
NEW YORK JETS
|
4:15PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
9/23
|
ARIZONA CARDINALS
|
1:00PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
9/30
|
Cleveland Browns
|
1:00PM
|
Cleveland Browns Stadium
|
|
10/7
|
San Francisco 49ers
|
4:15PM
|
Monster Park
|
|
10/14
|
ST. LOUIS RAMS
|
1:00PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
10/21
|
Buffalo Bills
|
1:00PM
|
Ralph Wilson Stadium
|
|
10/28
|
BYE
|
|
|
|
11/5
(MNF)
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
8:30PM
|
Heinz Field
|
|
11/11
|
CINCINNATI BENGALS
|
4:05PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
11/18
|
CLEVELAND BROWNS
|
1:00PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
11/25
|
San Diego Chargers
|
4:15PM
|
Qualcomm Stadium
|
|
12/3
(MNF)
|
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
|
8:30PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
12/9
|
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
|
8:15PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
|
12/16
|
Miami Dolphins
|
1:00PM
|
Dolphin Stadium
|
|
12/23
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
4:15PM
|
Qwest Field
|
|
12/30
|
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
|
1:00PM
|
M&T BANK STADIUM
|
Home Games in CAPS All Times Eastern
