UPDATE: Per profootballtalk.com, the NFL is disputing this “leaked” schedule. They claim it is bogus.
Reader beware, the following information very well could be fake. However, someone has claimed to have hacked into the NFL computers and obtained the 2012 NFL Schedule. Thanks to our friends at riggosrag.com, who came across this “leaked” schedule. If it is anything close to the truth and not really a fake, as some of us suspect, then the Arizona Cardinals are going to be slated for a couple of national television games. They will open on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. There are some questions raised with the schedule that was “leaked” though. Like, four of the first five games on the road for the Cardinals? Not beyond the realm of reality, but not very likely either.
As for the two national television games, one has a home game on NFL Network against the Seattle Seahawks. The other is a tilt on ESPN Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins. Interesting to say the least. I saw the so-called schedule for the week of that MNF game and I”ve got to believe there are better games on the schedule that week. Then again, ESPN though a Seattle Seahawks-St. Louis Rams December game last season would be cool too. So, anything is possible.
Here is a breakdown of the schedule as it was leaked:
Sun 9/9 – @Falcons 10:00am
Sun 9/16 – Buffalo Bills 1:15pm
Sun 9/23 – @San Francisco 49’ers 1:05pm
Sun 9/30 – @Minnesota Vikings 10:00am
Sun 10/7 – @Green Bay Packers 1:05pm
Sun 10/14 – Rams 1:05pm
Sun 10/21 – @New York Jets 1:05pm
Sun 10/28 – 49’ers 1:05pm
Thurs 11/1 – Seattle Seahawks 5:20pm – NFL Network
Sun 11/11 – BYE
Sun 11/18 – Detroit Lions 2:05pm
Sun 11/25 – @Seattle Seahawks 2:05pm
Mon 12/3 – Miami Dolphins 6:30pm – ESPN
Sun 12/9 – Philadelphia Eagles (schedule has game at 1pm ET, which we know wouldn’t happen)
Sun 12/16 – @New England Patriots 11:00am
Sun 12/23 – Chicago Bears 2:05pm
Sun 12/30 – @Rams 2:05pm
As you see, the schedule is plausible, but not likely. There are a couple of holes in it. First, as mentioned above, four of five on the road to start the season is brutal, but not unheard of. However, one of the reasons for building University of Phoenix Stadium was to allow for more games at home earlier in the season. Stranger things have happened though.
Secondly, there is no way the Cards will play a 11am game at home against the Eagles. Just not happening. Not saying the game won’t happen that day, but having the incorrect start time for a home game clearly shows what was leaked, if true, was just a preliminary draft.
If it is true, then the Cards will have a nice 17-day break between games to start off November. They would play on the 1st and not again until the 18th thanks to their bye.
This may end up being close to the truth, but there are holes. Other teams have holes in their schedules too, such as times of games, conflicts with other events, etc. Don’t count on this as a final draft. Then again, maybe the NFL wanted us to find this? Now that would be a story. However, please take this as pure fiction until something official is released.