We continue our “What We Know” series about the NFL TV partners for 2014. This year marks a new television contract for the National Football League and a few changes for each partner. Although the networks have not changed, there are some new features like Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFL Network and crossover games on the NFL on CBS which we reviewed earlier this week.

Now it’s Sunday Night Football’s turn and while it remains on NBC, there are a few adjustments to the NFL’s premier primetime package. Let’s review.

What’s new

Not much is new here. As usual, NBC will air 17 Sunday night games throughout the season plus two Thursday night games, the season opener on September 4 has defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle hosting the Green Bay Packers and the Thanksgiving Night game between Seattle and San Francisco from the new Levi’s Stadium.

Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya return as the game crew.

There are a couple of changes for Football Night in America. Josh Elliott who joined NBC earlier this year becomes a features reporter and interviewer. He won’t take Bob Costas’ role, but expect NBC to feature him extensively especially as Football Night in America gets closer to Sunday Night Football kickoff. Kathryn Tappen replaces Alex Flanagan as a reporter on the featured game of the day. Dan Patrick, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Costas, Mike Florio and Peter King all return to FNIA this season.

You Didn’t Mention the Flex. What About the Flex?

Hold your horses, I was about to mention that. The NFL can flex earlier this season. Bad games can be flexed out of Sunday Night Football as early as Week 5, but it can only be done twice through Week 10. Between Weeks 11 and 17, the NFL can flex as many times as it wants, but to have the ability to flex earlier in Weeks 5 through 10 means that CBS and Fox could lose as many as two marquee games, but to offset that, the NFL will flex attractive games from the 1 p.m. or 4:05 ET window to 4:25 p.m. to keep CBS and Fox happy.

NBC will not get stuck with too many dog games this season should teams falter earlier than expected.

Do We Get the Saturday Wild Card Playoff Doubleheader on NBC Again?

Not any more. The 2013-14 campaign marked the final season of the Saturday Wild Card doubleheader. NBC wanted in on the Divisional Round so it will split up its playoff till with one Wild Card Playoff game and one Divisional Playoff game. It’s expected that both of these games will be aired on Sunday night, although we have not received official word from the NFL on this. It means that with NBC in the Divisional Round, CBS will lose one AFC playoff game this season. Expect NBC to have an NFC playoff game in 2016.

What else does NBC have?

The Super Bowl. Al, Cris and Michele will call the NFL’s final game of the season from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015.

What about the Pro Bowl?

After airing the Pro Bowl the last two seasons, NBC will not air it this season. The Pro Bowl returns to ESPN for the life of the new TV contract.

Anything else?

Why not provide the entire Sunday Night Football schedule? It’s all listed below.

2014 NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Thurs. Sept. 4 NFL Kickoff Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
Sun. Sept. 7 Week 1 Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos
Sun. Sept. 14 Week 2 Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers
Sun. Sept. 21 Week 3 Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers
Sun. Sept. 28 Week 4 New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys
*Sun. Oct. 5 Week 5 Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots
*Sun. Oct. 12 Week 6 New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
*Sun. Oct. 19 Week 7 San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos
*Sun. Oct. 26 Week 8 Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
*Sun. Nov. 2 Week 9 Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Nov. 9 Week 10 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Nov. 16 Week 11 New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
*Sun. Nov. 23 Week 12 Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
**Thurs. Nov. 27 Week 13 Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
*Sun. Nov. 30 Week 13 Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
*Sun. Dec. 7 Week 14 New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers
*Sun. Dec. 14 Week 15 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
*Sun. Dec. 21 Week 16 Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
*Sun. Dec. 28 Week 17 TBA

*Flex Week
** Thanksgiving Night Game

That will wrap up this look at NBC’s Sunday Night Football. In our next installment, we’ll take a look at what we know about ESPN’s Monday Night Football. There are a few changes for MNF in 2014.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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