Atlanta Falcons 2020 Schedule

ATLANTA, GA — The National Football League isn’t changing its plans for the 2020 season, despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis and uncertainty regarding when existing health restrictions might be lifted.

The NFL released its full 2020 season schedule Thursday night, including the dates for all the Falcons' matchups in the upcoming season.

Highlights of the Falcons' anticipated schedule include three matchups in the first four weeks with teams that made it to the playoffs last year. On Sept. 13, the Falcons would host the Seattle Seahawks to open the season; in week two, the Falcons would visit the Dallas Cowboys; and in week 4, the Falcons would visit the Green Bay Packers in a nationally televised game on Monday Night Football. The Falcons also are scheduled to be on national television in week 8 against the Carolina Panthers for Thursday Night Football.

The Falcons' two NFC South games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — now led by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Tom Brady — are both scheduled near season's end, in weeks 15 and 17.

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The league unveiled its 2020 schedule without any major changes to its timeline, even though play in every major sports league in the United States is still suspended. Even Major League Baseball, which, unlike football, naturally incorporates social distancing, has not been able to settle on a return date. And even their tentative plans for returns do not involve any fans in stadiums any time soon.

Regardless of when, or if, the season begins, the Falcons will look to improve on last year's 7-9 record, good enough for second place in the NFC South but not good enough to make the playoffs even as a wild card.

Here is the full 2020 schedule for the Falcons. All games are Sunday unless indicated otherwise.

• Week 1, Sept. 13, 1 p.m.: home vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Week 2, Sept. 20, 1 p.m.: away at Dallas Cowboys
• Week 3, Sept. 27, 1 p.m.: home vs. Chicago Bears
• Week 4, Oct. 5 (Monday night), 8:15 p.m.: away at Green Bay Packers
• Week 5, Oct. 11, 1 p.m.: away at Carolina Panthers
• Week 6, Oct. 18, 1 p.m.: away at Minnesota Vikings
• Week 7, Oct. 25, 8:20 p.m.: home vs. Detroit Lions
• Week 8, Oct. 29 (Thursday night), 8:20 p.m.: away at Carolina Panthers
• Week 9, Nov. 8, 1 p.m.: home vs. Denver Broncos
• Week 10: Bye week
• Week 11, Nov. 22, 1 p.m.: away at New Orleans Saints
• Week 12, Nov. 29, 8:15 p.m.: home vs. Oakland Raiders
• Week 13, Dec. 6, 1 p.m.: home vs. New Orleans Saints
• Week 14, Dec. 13, 4:25 p.m.: away at San Diego Chargers
• Week 15, Dec. 20, 1 p.m.: home vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 16, Dec. 27, 1 p.m.:away vs. Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 17, Jan. 3, 1 p.m.: away at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL preseason games are set to start in August. Training camps open in July. The regular-season opener is slated for Sept. 10, and the Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida.

“We plan to start on time,” NFL League spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN. “If we have to make adjustments, we will be prepared to do so based on the latest guidance from our medical experts and public health officials and current and future government regulations.”

The NFL is also moving forward with the assumption that fans will be in stadiums for the first game, even as gatherings as large as school classrooms remain in doubt.

Even with Thursday’s schedule release, the NFL has been considering a number of contingency plans if it needs to adjust the schedule.

The league has put together a plan that would schedule regular-season games starting in mid-October, would include no bye weeks, and would have the Super Bowl on Feb. 28, according to multiple reports.

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