The schedule’s release is always an exciting day on the NFL calendar. Yes, we knew the opponents and sites of the games after the final regular season game last year, but the upcoming season becomes more real when the dates are released, and the primetime games are revealed.
But I learned early in my NFL career from Vikings Hall of Fame Coach Bud Grant not to assume any game is an easy win or a likely defeat. Bud always said, “It’s not who you play but when you play them.” In other words, the critical factors are how healthy a team is, how well they’re playing, and the weather conditions when you face them.