By Mike Cranston
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE ó A year after winning the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers were rewarded with up to three nationally televised games in 2009. They also have the second toughest schedule in the league based on last year’s standings.
The 16-game schedule released on Tuesday night has the Panthers opening at home against Philadelphia, getting an early bye in Week 4 and playing on a Monday night (Sept. 28 at Dallas), a Thursday (Nov. 19 vs. Miami) and possibly a Sunday night (Dec. 20 vs. Minnesota) before closing at home against New Orleans on Jan. 3.
“It is a challenging schedule, as we knew it would be when we saw who we were playing,” coach John Fox said.
Carolina’s opponents had a combined winning percentage of .592, second only to Miami’s .594. More than half the league has a schedule with a combined winning percentage less than .500.
The reason is all NFC South teams will play the difficult AFC East this season. Plus, by winning the division last season, the Panthers will play three other division winners.
The Panthers open against the Eagles on Sept. 13 at Bank of America Stadium, then visit NFC South rival Atlanta before traveling to Dallas for a Monday night game on ESPN.
While the Panthers will welcome a bye after the Monday game, it comes a lot earlier than most coaches would like. The Panthers’ bye last year came in Week 9.
The Panthers will return on Oct. 11 to play host to Washington, then visit Tampa Bay and host Buffalo before a two-game road trip to Arizona and New Orleans ends a stretch in which five of the first eight games are on the road.
Carolina will play the next two games at home ó over a span of four days. After hosting Atlanta on Nov. 15, the Panthers will play a Thursday home game against Miami on Nov. 19 on NFL Network.
The Panthers will visit the New York Jets on Nov. 29, followed by a home game against Tampa Bay and a visit to New England. After facing the Vikings in a game that could be later changed to the afternoon by NBC, the Panthers will visit the New York Giants.
The season-finale against the Saints marks the first time since 2004 the Panthers will close at home. The Panthers had been on the road the past four years due to the Meineke Bowl. That event will likely have an earlier date this year.
“Things can change a great deal during the course of a season,” Fox said. “Our challenge is to put the best team we can on the field.”