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I want to preface this by saying that, at this point, it’s all hearsay. However, John Clayton is a pretty connected source, so this story could very well have some merit.
Clayton spoke with 93.7 FM in Pittsburgh about the upcoming NFL schedule release (which is coming tomorrow night, as Sarita informed everyone earlier), and dropped this interesting revelation:
.@JohnClaytonNFL tells @937theFan that the NFL schedule will be NFC vs AFC for the 1st 4 weeks of the season. Steelers play the NFC East. So 1st 4 games would be Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins, and Giants.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) May 6, 2020
If what Clayton is saying is true, then the first four weeks of the schedule for 2020 will feature all of the interconference games between AFC and NFC opponents.
Given the current situation, this does make a decent amount of sense. When one looks at the various tiebreakers concerning playoff position and things of that nature, the AFC vs NFC games carry the least amount of weight. Divisional records and conference records all carry significantly more weight than records against the other conference. With offseason workouts and Training Camp potentially being altered by the COVID-19 situation, the NFL could decide to put what are, ultimately, the least impactful games at the beginning of the schedule.
If this holds true, then the Minnesota Vikings will open the 2020 season with road games at the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, and home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans, as they are matched up against the AFC South this season.
Is this actually going to be the case? Well, again, at this point it’s just a rumor, but it does make some sense. In about 24 hours or so, we’re all going to find out for sure.