There’s no easing into the 2011 schedule for the New Orleans Saints as they open the season against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Sept. 8 on NBC. The game serves as the kickoff for the 2011 NFL season, lockout permitting, and pits the previous two Super Bowl winners against each other in front of what’s sure to be a rowdy Lambeau Field crowd. For the Saints, it’s fresh out of the frying pan and into the fire.
New Orleans Saints 2011 Schedule: Green Bay Packers Await In Season Opener
The Saints’ schedule is full of pitfalls, including an opening stretch that features two playoff teams -- the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears -- who made a deep run in 2010. Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts await in week seven, providing another tough matchup for Drew Brees and the Saints.
New Orleans plays two Monday Night Football games, the first of which has the Saints hosting the New York Giants at the Superdome coming out of a bye in week 12. The Atlanta Falcons and Saints have a late-season date on Monday Night Football as they take center-stage in week 17 in a matchup that could decide the NFC South.
Here’s a full look at the schedule, courtesy of NFL.com:
| 1 | Thu, Sept. 8 | at Green Bay Packers | NBC | 8:30 p.m. |
| 2 | Sun, Sept. 18 | vs. Chicago Bears | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 3 | Sun, Sept. 25 | vs. Houston Texans | CBS | 1 p.m. |
| 4 | Sun, Oct. 2 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 5 | Sun, Oct. 9 | at Carolina Panthers | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 6 | Sun, Oct. 16 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FOX | 4:15 p.m. |
| 7 | Sun, Oct. 23 | vs. Indianapolis Colts | NBC | 8:20 p.m. |
| 8 | Sun, Oct. 30 | at St. Louis Rams | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 9 | Sun, Nov. 6 | vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 10 | Sun, Nov. 13 | at Atlanta Falcons | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 11 | Bye | |||
| 12 | Mon, Nov. 28 | vs. New York Giants | ESPN | 8:30 p.m. |
| 13 | Sun, Dec. 4 | vs. Detroit Lions | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 14 | Sun, Dec. 11 | at Tennessee Titans | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 15 | Sun, Dec. 18 | at Minnesota Vikings | FOX | 1 p.m. |
| 16 | Mon, Dec. 26 | vs. Atlanta Falcons | ESPN | 8:30 p.m. |
| 17 | Sun, Jan. 1 | vs. Carolina Panthers | FOX | 1 p.m. |
Visit SBNation.com for every 2011 NFL schedule. For more coverage of the New Orleans Saints, visit Canal Street Chronicles, our Saints blog.
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