(Ed. Note: This is the NFL’s official release about what it deems New England’s “Path to Perfection.” The NFL Network will feature in amazing 65.5 hours of coverage this week, including a six-hour pregame before its broadcast of the Patriots-Giants game Saturday night. Here’s the release, including a complete schedule of NFL Network programming related to the game.)
The New England Patriots visit the New York Giants in a game teeming with historical significance Saturday at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network with live “look-ins” on NFL.com Live. Cris Collinsworth and Bryant Gumbel call the action as the Patriots can become the first team to complete a perfect 16-0 regular season while the 10-5 New York Giants look to upend a perfect season on their home turf for the second time in a decade (defeated 13-0 Denver Broncos 20-16 at Giants Stadium on Dec. 13, 1998).
In addition, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady needs two touchdown passes to break Peyton Manning’s NFL record for scoring passes in a season (49 in 2004) and New England wide receiver Randy Moss needs two touchdown receptions to break Jerry Rice’s NFL record for scoring catches in a season (22 in 1987).
NFL Network will be there with wall-to-wall coverage featuring a record 65.5 hours of Patriots and Giants specific programming (60.5 hours in high definition) – compared to the 36.5 hours on NFL Network prior to Patriots-Colts on Nov. 4. Highlighting the coverage will be a six-hour live pregame show beginning Saturday at 2:00 PM ET – which matches the longest NFL pregame show, including for a Super Bowl, on a single network.
“Our game plan is to cover this unlike any regular season game,” said Charles Coplin, NFL vice president of programming. ”From the historical footage in our vault to extensive X’s and O’s chalkboard breakdowns, we will give Patriots-Giants the blanket coverage no one else can.”
NFL.com’s extensive coverage features a comparison between the 2007 Patriots and the 1972 Miami Dolphins team which won Super Bowl VII after a perfect 14-0 regular season. Highlights include a position-by-position look at the two teams, a series of “Can’t Miss” Patriots video clips from 2007, a photo gallery linking corresponding members of the teams, and a “Moment in Time” capsule offering a pop culture-themed look at 1972 vs. 2007.
Following are highlights of NFL Network’s Patriots-Giants coverage:
- A record six-hour Total Access pregame show, beginning Saturday at 2:00 PM ET.
- Pregame talent includes Rich Eisen, Steve Mariucci, Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Adam Schefter and Scott Hanson on location with Fran Charles, Jamie Dukes, Rod Woodson, Jim Mora and Terrell Davis from NFL Network studios. Sterling Sharpe and Brian Baldinger host Playbook segments and Mike Mayock has a sit-down interview with Bill Belichick.
- NFL Classics encore showings of six of the team’s victories – complete games featuring the original network telecast.
- NFL Replay shows seven of the team’s victories – including late-season close calls against Baltimore and Philadelphia and the three most-watched games of the NFL season against Dallas, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.
- A special one-hour Who Is… discussing Who Is Perfect?
- A special one-hour edition of Playbook featuring Patriots-Giants matchups.
- Live coverage of Patriots press conferences all week
- A special countdown clock popping up in all NFL Network programming, counting down to the game kickoff – will appear approximately 1,200 times prior to kickoff.
The 65.5 hours of coverage is in addition to game previews, analysis and interviews on NFL Total Access, Point After, and Put Up Your Dukes.
The schedule of programming is as follows (all times ET):
Tuesday, December 25
1:30 AM -- NFL Replay: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Week 16 (HD)
10:30 AM -- NFL Replay: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Week 16 (HD)
12:00 Noon -- NFL Replay: Philadelphia Eagles at N.E. Patriots – Week 12 (HD)
1:30 PM -- NFL Replay: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots – Week 16 (HD)
3:00 PM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys – Week 6 (HD)
8:00 PM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys – Week 6 (HD)
Wednesday, December 26
2:00 AM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys – Week 6 (HD)
11:00 AM -- NFL Replay: Washing Redskins at New England Patriots – Week 8 (HD)
1:00 PM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at New York Jets – Week 1 (HD)
8:00 PM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – Week 9 (HD)
Thursday, December 27
2:00 AM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – Week 9 (HD)
11:00 AM -- NFL Replay: New York Jets at New England Patriots – Week 15 (HD)
1:00 PM -- NFL Classics: Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots – Week 14 (HD)
8:00 PM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens – Week 13 (HD)
Friday, December 28
2:00 AM -- NFL Classics: New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens – Week 13 (HD)
9:00 AM – America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions 1972 Miami Dolphins (HD)
10:00 AM -- NFL Replay: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys – Week 6 (HD)
11:30 AM -- NFL Replay: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – Week 9 (HD)
1:00 PM -- NFL Classics: Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots – Week 12 (HD)
12 Midnight -- NFL Classics: Philadelphia Eagles at N.E. Patriots -- Week 12 (HD)
Saturday, December 29
6:00 AM -- NFL Replay: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys – Week 6 (HD)
7:30 AM -- NFL Replay: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts – Week 9 (HD)
9:00 AM – NFL Replay: Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots – Week 12 (HD)
10:30 AM – NFL Replay: New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens – Week 13 (HD)
12 Noon -- Playbook: Special – New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
1:00 PM -- Who Is…: Special -- Who is Perfect?
2:00 PM – Total Access on Location: Path To Perfection – Pregame (LIVE)
5:00 PM – Total Access on Location Presented by Sears – Pregame (LIVE, HD)
8:00 PM – Saturday Night Football: New England at New York Giants (LIVE, HD)
11:30 PM – The Home Depot Postgame Show: Live from Giants Stadium (HD)
NFL.com and NFL Mobile on Sprint offer fans live online and wireless video coverage of NFL Network games. NFL.com Live: Saturday Night Football presented by Sprint coverage, features live “look-ins” at :15 and :45 of each hour, select “red zone” possessions and other key moments, during the game broadcast. NFL.com Live is anchored by a live, originally produced video program, complimented by various interactive applications, giving fans a look at NFL Network games and programming.
Patriots-Giants is the second of three live games in a four-day span on NFL Network. The 2007 Texas Bowl (Houston vs. TCU) airs at 8:00 PM ET on Friday, Dec. 28 on NFL Network and the 2007 Insight Bowl (Indiana vs. Oklahoma State) at 6:00 PM ET on Monday, December 31.
In 2007, NFL Network will air 200 football games, including eight regular season NFL games, 52 preseason games, 98 game replays,
Super Bowl and
NFL Classics, plus the Insight Bowl, Texas Bowl and Senior Bowl. NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the first television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football. For more information, log onto
www.nfl.com/nflnetwork.
