The National Football League finally announced its 2013 regular season schedule and the Washington Redskins’ features a team-record five national television appearances. The nationwide exposure starts with a Monday Night Football appearance on Sept. 9 at 7:10 p.m. ET against the Philadelphia Eagles on ESPN. The five prime-time games snap the Redskins’ previous team record of four, set most recently in 2008.
The season will be one of many parallels for Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan. This season, Shanahan will face all three of the other professional teams for which he has coached in some capacity: the Denver Broncos (1984-87, 1989-91, 1995-2008), the Oakland Raiders (1988-89) and the San Francisco 49ers (1992-94). In addition, every opponent Shanahan has faced in the Super Bowl is represented on the 2013 schedule, including the New York Giants (1986 season), the Redskins (1987), the 49ers (1989), the San Diego Chargers (1994), the Green Bay Packers (1997) and the Atlanta Falcons (1998).
After kicking off the 2013 campaign against the Eagles on Sept. 9, the Redskins hit the road to face the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 15. They will seek to earn their first win at Lambeau Field since 1988 in a game scheduled to air on FOX at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Washington returns home in Week 3 to host the Detroit Lions on Sept. 22 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX, a game in which Washington will attempt to extend a home winning streak against the Lions that dates back to 1939. A week later, the team will travel to face the Oakland Raiders at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sept. 29 on FOX.
The Redskins will have their bye in Week 5, marking the second time in three seasons (2011 and 2013) the Redskins will break after only four games. After the bye, they will face the Dallas Cowboys in a nationally-televised road tilt on Oct. 13 on NBC’s Sunday Night Football at 8:30 p.m. ET.
A week later on Oct. 20, the Redskins will host the Chicago Bears at FedExField in a 1:00 p.m. ET game on FOX. The following week, they travel for a 4:25 p.m. ET game against the Denver Broncos on Oct. 27, as FOX will air Shanahan’s return to the city in which he became the fifth head coach in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
After facing the San Diego Chargers in a 1:00 p.m. ET game on CBS on Nov. 3, the burgundy and gold will quickly turn around for a Thursday night game against the Minnesota Vikings at 8:20 p.m. ET on NFL Network on Nov. 7. The Redskins have faced the Vikings in each of Shanahan’s previous three seasons in Washington, including a 38-26 win against Minnesota at FedExField last season.
On Nov. 17, the Redskins will face the Eagles at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX and, after a 27-20 road win against the Eagles last season, Washington will seek to earn wins in Philadelphia in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2007-08. A week later, the Redskins will host the San Francisco 49ers on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Nov. 25 in a battle of reigning division champions. The Monday night game kicks off the Redskins’ first three-game home stand since 2006.
The Redskins will host the New York Giants for an 8:30 p.m. ET game on NBC on Dec. 1 the following week. Washington will attempt to earn its third consecutive home victory against the Giants, whom the Redskins beat in the season opener of the 2011 season and in a 17-16 Monday night win in December 2012. The Redskins conclude their time as host with a 1:00 p.m. ET game against the Kansas City Chiefs on CBS on Dec. 8.
After traveling to face the Atlanta Falcons at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX on Dec. 15, Washington will face divisional opponents in consecutive weeks for the first time all season in Weeks 16 and 17. At 1:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 22, the Redskins will host the Cowboys in a rematch of the teams’ memorable Week 17 division title fight from a season ago. One week later on Dec. 29, the Redskins will conclude the 2013 regular season against the Giants at MetLife Stadium, site of Super Bowl XLVIII at 1:00 p.m.
Hail.
Diane Chesebrough is Chief Editor, writer and photographer for SportsJourney Broadcast Network. Accredited media with the NFL, she has been a feature writer for several national magazines/periodicals. Follower her on Twitter: @DiChesebrough