The New England Patriots are reportedly kicking off the 2021 regular season in a home game against the Miami Dolphins, but the more notable detail is the TV time slot.
As announced on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday and corroborated by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots will play their home opener in Week 1 against the Dolphins with a start time of 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS. The network also announced that the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cleveland Browns in a battle of 2020 AFC playoff teams.
The Patriots-Dolphins start time is notable, because the 4:00 broadcast window is typically only a small handful of games. So the matchup should draw added attention outside of New England and Miami, particularly in the eastern half of the United States.
New England and Miami split their 2020 season series, as the Dolphins went 10-6 and the Patriots 7-9. The Pats finished lower than second place in the AFC East for the first time since the 2000 season. Entering minicamps, the starting quarterback matchup will project as Cam Newton vs Tua Tagovailoa.
The NFL will officially reveal the full 2021 regular season schedule for all 32 teams in a TV special on the NFL Network Wednesday night beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
