2014 NBC 'Sunday Night Football' schedule announced

22-game slate features 19 primetime regular season games and 3 postseason games, including Super Bowl XLIX; NFL season begins on NBC with Russell Wilson and Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks hosting Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers

America's No. 1 primetime television show gets "Back to Football" as NBC broadcasts 19 NFL games during the 2014 regular season, featuring Russell Wilson and the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in "NFL Kickoff 2014" on Thursday, Sept. 4; Andrew Luck and Indianapolis visiting Peyton Manning and the AFC Champion Denver Broncos in the opening "Sunday Night Football" game Sept. 7; and NBC's annual Thanksgiving night game, featuring a San Francisco rematch of the down-to-the wire NFC Championship Game between the NFC West rivals Seahawks and 49ers.

In addition to kicking off the 2014 NFL season, NBC will crown the Super Bowl XLIX champion in Arizona Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015. NBC will also broadcast a Divisional Playoff game on the weekend of Jan. 10-11, and a Wild Card Playoff game on the Jan. 3-4 weekend.

NBC's "Sunday Night Football" averaged 21.7 million viewers in 2013, putting it on pace to rank as the No. 1 show for the entire primetime television season (September-May, based on Nielsen live plus same day data) for the third consecutive year. In addition, for the full TV season to date (through April 20), "Sunday Night Football" ranks as the No. 1 program across the key demographics of Adults 18-34, 18-49, 25-54, as well as Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, and Women 18-34 and 18-49, based on Nielsen live plus same day data.

2014 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Thurs. Sept. 4

NFL Kickoff

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

Sun. Sept. 7

Week 1

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos

Sun. Sept. 14

Week 2

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers

Sun. Sept. 21

Week 3

Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers

Sun. Sept. 28

Week 4

New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys

*Sun. Oct. 5

Week 5

Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots

*Sun. Oct. 12

Week 6

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

*Sun. Oct. 19

Week 7

San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos

*Sun. Oct. 26

Week 8

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints

*Sun. Nov. 2

Week 9

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

*Sun. Nov. 9

Week 10

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

*Sun. Nov. 16

Week 11

New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts

*Sun. Nov. 23

Week 12

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

**Thurs. Nov. 27

Week 13

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

*Sun. Nov. 30

Week 13

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

*Sun. Dec. 7

Week 14

New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers

*Sun. Dec. 14

Week 15

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

*Sun. Dec. 21

Week 16

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

*Sun. Dec. 28

Week 17

TBA

*Flex Week

** Thanksgiving night game

Following is a month-by-month look at the 2014 "Sunday Night Football" schedule:

SEPTEMBER

Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks raise the banner for their Super Bowl XLVIII title prior to hosting Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers and the 2013 NFC North champion Green Bay Packers in "NFL Kickoff 2014" Thursday, Sept. 4. Five-time MVP Peyton Manning and the AFC champion Denver Broncos close out "NFL Kickoff Sunday" Sept. 7 hosting Andrew Luck and the defending AFC South winner Indianapolis Colts. On Sept. 14, the San Francisco 49ers open Levi's Stadium against the Chicago Bears. "Sunday Night Football's" first interconference matchup is Sept. 21 as Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Cam Newton and the defending NFC South champion Carolina Panthers. "SNF" wraps up its opening month as Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints visit Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys Sept. 28.

OCTOBER

Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals, aiming to make their fourth consecutive playoff appearance, visit Tom Brady and the five-time defending AFC East champion New England Patriots Oct. 5. "SNF's" first matchup of NFC East rivals comes in Week 6, as Eli Manning and the New York Giants visit LeSean McCoy and the defending division champion Philadelphia Eagles Oct. 12. Colin Kaepernick faces Peyton Manning for the first time Oct. 19 as the 49ers visit the Broncos. Prolific passers and former Super Bowl MVPs Rodgers and Brees face off Oct. 26 when the Packers visit the Saints.

NOVEMBER

Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens visit bitter divisional rival Pittsburgh on Nov. 2 continuing a closely contested AFC North rivalry in which the last five games have been decided by a field goal or less. On Nov. 9, "SNF" features the NFL-record 190th edition of the storied Bears-Packers matchup from Lambeau Field. The Bears and Packers have combined to win the past four NFC North titles. In an AFC Divisional Playoff rematch, quarterbacks Brady and Luck meet again as the Patriots visit the Colts Nov. 16. "SNF" closes November with three games in eight days beginning with a classic NFC East rivalry as the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Giants Nov. 23. On Thanksgiving night (Nov. 27), the Seattle Seahawks visit the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of the thrilling 2013 NFC Championship Game. AFC West rivals Denver and Kansas City, who combined for 24 regular season victories last season, conclude the month Nov. 30 at Arrowhead Stadium.

DECEMBER

The San Diego Chargers and Philip Rivers, who passed for 4,000-plus yards in five of the past six seasons, host the Patriots Dec. 7. The Cowboys visit the Eagles Dec. 14 in a rematch of last season's "win-and-in" Week 17 "SNF" matchup (a 24-22 Philadelphia win), which was the most-watched primetime game of 2013 (27.4 million viewers). The Arizona Cardinals, the last team to defeat the Seahawks before last season's Super Bowl run (17-10 on Dec. 22, 2013), and the winners of 10 games in the ultra-competitive NFC West, host Seattle Dec. 21. For Week 17, the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to Dec. 28. The 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

For the first time, flexible scheduling may be applied in weeks 5-10. During that period, flexible scheduling can be used 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.

"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 Dec. 28. The 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.