49ers Open Season on MNF against Cards

On Monday at the NFL Annual Meetings in Phoenix, Arizona, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the NFL's 2007 Kickoff Weekend national television schedule – including a Monday night doubleheader that will feature the San Francisco 49ers – and its Thanksgiving Day national TV tripleheader. In a tradition that began in 2004, the Super Bowl champion annually hosts the NFL Thursday night season kickoff the following year. This September 6 at 8:30 PM ET on NBC, the Super Bowl XLI champion Colts will welcome the New Orleans Saints to Indianapolis. The game will have an “All-Star” flavor, featuring the starting quarterbacks from the 2007 Pro Bowl – Indianapolis’ PEYTON MANNING and the Saints’ DREW BREES. On Sunday, September 9, the FOX national doubleheader game at 4:15 PM ET will send the defending NFC champion Chicago Bears to visit the AFC West champion San Diego Chargers, led by reigning NFL MVP LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON and new head coach NORV TURNER. San Diego (14-2) and Chicago (13-3) led their respective conferences in regular-season wins in ’06.

The Sunday night primetime game (8:15 PM ET) on NBC will feature the NFC Wild Card Playoff teams of last season, as the New York Giants visit the Dallas Cowboys, led by new head coach WADE PHILLIPS. Monday night, September 10, ESPN will host a Monday Night Football doubleheader featuring two critical division matchups. The first game (7:00 PM ET) will send the AFC North titlist Baltimore Ravens to Cincinnati to battle the Bengals. The MNF nightcap (10:15 PM ET) will be an NFC West matchup, as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The game will showcase talented young quarterbacks – Arizona’s MATT LEINART ,left,(No. 10 overall selection in last year’s draft) and the 49ers’ ALEX SMITH ,above,(No. 1 overall pick in ’05).

"There is always excitement on opening day, but when it is at home on Monday Night Football in front of a national-televised audience it is magnified even more," said head coach Mike Nolan. "Every team knows that the key to winning begins in your division. The opportunity to open against NFC-West rival Arizona speaks for itself."On Sunday, September 9, CBS, which has U.S. Open tennis in the late afternoon slot, will carry a lineup of early regional NFL games. CBS will televise the NFL national doubleheader late game in Week 2.

Continuing an innovation introduced last season, the NFL will serve up three nationally-televised games on Thanksgiving Day, including the first of NFL Network’s late-season primetime offerings of 2007. The early game (FOX, 12:30 PM ET) will be an NFC North meeting of the Green Bay Packers at the Detroit Lions. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the second game (CBS, 4:15 PM ET) will be a family affair when the New York Jets travel to the Dallas Cowboys. It will be a matchup of running back brothers – 28-year-old THOMAS JONES, recently acquired by the Jets in a trade, against his sibling, 25-year-old JULIUS of the Cowboys. This will be the second meeting of their professional careers – Julius (150 yards, two touchdowns) got the better of Thomas’ Bears on Thanksgiving Day in 2004 in a 21-7 Cowboys’ victory.

The Thanksgiving tripleheader continues at 8:15 PM ET on NFL Network when the Colts visit the Atlanta Falcons, led by new head coach BOBBY PETRINO. The rest of the 2007 regular-season schedule will be completed and announced in April.