The Green Bay Packers will open the season in prime time, hosting the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field, and play in Detroit against the Lions on Thanksgiving, the National Football League announced today.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football will kick off the season with the Bears–Packers rivalry at Lambeau Field on Sept. 13. No two NFL clubs have met on the gridiron more than Green Bay and Chicago, and the season opener will mark game number 178 in the rivalry.
The Packers have opened the season in prime time on four separate occasions, all of which have come on Monday Night Football, including last year’s 24–19 victory over Minnesota. Green Bay is 4–0 in those games.
The Lions contest will mark the 33rd Thanksgiving NFL game in Packers history and the franchise’s 19th holiday matchup against Detroit. The two division rivals played for 13 consecutive seasons on Thanksgiving, from 1951 to 1963, before the league began rotating opponents for the Lions.
It will be the second Thanksgiving game for the Packers under Head Coach Mike McCarthy. Green Bay defeated the Lions 37–26 in Detroit in 2007.
The Thanksgiving game will be televised nationally on Fox.
Thanks to Marketplace Magazine's Steve Prestegard for the initial blog on this development.
Monday, March 23, 2009
PACKERS OPEN ON SUNDAY NIGHT, PLAY ON TURKEY DAY
Posted by Aaron Kramer at 3/23/2009 03:50:00 PM