The full NFL schedule will be released at 8 p.m. ET tonight, but several games have already been announced. I spoke to Jim Nantz on Thursday morning about some of the matchups and how he feels about CBS’s upcoming season.
SI: How bummed were you that the NFL gave the Chiefs-Bills game to NBC on Thanksgiving night this season?
JN: That’s the rivalry of its time. But, you know, you’re not gonna get it every year. So, I’m O.K. with it. I have faith we’re going to get a very good schedule. I kind of had a sinking feeling that one of these years somebody else was gonna get the chance to have that great matchup. It’s O.K.
SI: With Chiefs-Bills off the board, is there a game you want the most for CBS?
JN: I’ve looked at the opponents’ schedule so many times to know the matchups that are out there, and I still play it kind of by the old rules of the AFC network travels with the AFC team. But all bets are off on that now because there’s so many crossflexes.
I know, for example, that Denver is gonna have a very, very attractive schedule. There's a game that, again, going on the old basis of traveling with the AFC team, I know there's a Denver game at San Francisco. I'd love to have that. I haven't done a game in that stadium.
SI: Were you surprised at all that the NFL gave you an all-NFC Thanksgiving matchup in Bears-Lions?
JN: Not at all. I think we’ve had that matchup either the last two times we’ve been in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. It’s become kind of a stock game. It’s become kind of the game that I really thought would be the game again. We had it two years ago. That’s the game where the end was mismanaged by the Bears. I love the matchup. Bears and Lions is a really super game to have on Thanksgiving Day. We had a lot of years where that was the matchup and it wasn’t attractive. It’s all different now.
SI: Do you think Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will call a Raiders game this season?
JN: I would guess not, but I don’t know. I think it’s just, again, when the schedule gets released, you kind of see what the league is thinking about. Do I think that the Raiders will be in a 4:25 p.m. window for us? No. But it could change. Nothing is locked in, but I would be surprised if we had a Raiders game.
I would love to have a Raiders game. I'm excited to see them, the way they stocked up on defense, with all these free agents they signed, and of course, with Fernando Mendoza. I met Mendoza at the Masters this year, watched his college career, watched last year very closely at Indiana, and I’m excited over the fact that the Raiders actually have something to hang their hats on.
SI: Is it accurate to say the amount of Steelers games you and Romo call hinges on whether Aaron Rogers comes back?
JN: We did a ton of them last year. We knew on schedule release date that we were gonna have the Steelers a lot on the back end of our season, and they needed to be good for us to make our schedule work. And it ended, of course, being a record-breaking season. We set records for our ratings, and individual games, like Thanksgiving Day, and overall, we won the 4:25 window. If you just took the CBS 4:25 window, we won the season for the biggest-rated window of all by a fraction over Fox and ahead of Sunday Night Football.
So, we rode the Steelers hard last year, but the Steelers are a national team. If they didn’t have Aaron, and they were good, they’re gonna be playing in front of us. We’re gonna have the chance to see them play. But at this juncture, you know, it’s an interesting dilemma for the league, because what are they thinking? What are they thinking about Pittsburgh? And, you know, last year, they gave us a heavy dose of Pittsburgh in May, and it held up in December. Yeah. I’m anxious to see that, too.
I’m still pondering your question about what game I would really like to get. I saw Denver and Kansas City, of course, went to Monday Night Football in Week 1. When a divisional game is taken away from either CBS or Fox, we’re guaranteed to get the other game. CBS will get the Kansas City at Denver game. I would love to think that that will be an A game for us. I would think it would be on our network but we’ll find out when the release comes.
SI: Were you surprised the NFL would put the Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 1 when we don’t know the status of Patrick Mahomes?
JN: There’s gonna be a lot of interest in what Kansas City does without him if he doesn’t play. Obviously, it’s a far better story with Patrick’s return. And I guess that’s probably why they did put the game in Kansas City [on national TV]. They’re thinking he’s going to be back. I believe he’ll be back, but I have nothing to base that on other than just knowing Patrick’s work ethic, and the fact that he’ll be aiming for that after all these months. It’s all about being back for September the 13th.
SI: How do you feel about doing the Cowboys-Ravens game in Brazil game?
JN: I’ve been fortunate to travel the world, particularly early in my career, when we were involved in the Winter Olympics, and running around and interviewing and putting pieces together on Olympic athletes, and all that. I’m a curious-minded guy that wants to see the world, but I have not been to Brazil. I’m really thrilled about going to Rio. I love the matchup.
SI: The NFL took what would’ve been a regional Sunday game in Week 16 and moved it into prime time on a Saturday night for CBS. That had to make you happy.
JN: I’m super anxious to see what that game is. You would imagine that’s gonna be a good one if they’re putting it on Saturday night, prime time. That’s got to be a sexy matchup.
SI: I think that could be your Kansas City-Denver matchup. Late in the season, AFC West could be on the line.
JN: I can see that. Sign me up for that right now.
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JIMMY TRAINA
Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.
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