The NFL has a lot of television network partners to keep happy, and that job got more difficult when CBS was given a package of Thursday night games this season. The league for years used "Monday Night Football" to show its highlight game each week, but when NBC landed "Sunday Night Football" and ESPN went to Monday night, the league puts its best games on Sunday night. This year NFL needs to make sure CBS and FOX were happy with their regular Sunday schedules, give CBS some good games for Thursday night, and still make "Sunday Night Football" and "Monday Night Football" must-watch events. That's not easy. The NFL placated NBC and ESPN this week, a day before the schedule was released. ESPN was given a wild-card playoff game. A divisional playoff game was added to NBC's schedule through 2022. That move made it seem like the Monday and Sunday night schedule in 2014 might be watered down a bit. Shutdown Corner's Anwar Richardson and Frank Schwab will take a look at the Sunday and Monday night games, week by week, and see how entertaining the prime-time schedule will be this season: WEEK 1 Sunday: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos Monday: N.Y. Giants at Detroit Lions; San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals Frank’s take: Very nice Sunday night game. The Giants have improved and the Lions are entertaining. I wouldn't have thought this a year ago, but Chargers-Cardinals isn't bad at all for the second part of the doubleheader. Anwar’s take: NFL fans have been craving football for months. It really does not matter what games are rolled out on in Week 1. We will watch every minute of each game. Verdict: Stay up, call in sick on Monday ... and then again on Tuesday. WEEK 2 Sunday: Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers Monday: Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts Frank’s take:* That Sunday game is interesting; pretty good test for Marc Trestman's Bears offense. And two up-and-coming teams on Monday night. Two thumbs up. Anwar’s take: Nick Foles vs. Andrew Luck? First team to 50 points wins. Do not go to bed early. Verdict: The boss may be getting upset, but it's time to call in sick on Monday and Tuesday again because you're staying up late for these games. WEEK 3 Sunday: Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers Monday: Chicago Bears at N.J. Jets Frank’s take:* Always fun to watch Cam Newton. Not as fun to watch Geno Smith. Anwar’s take: Make sure you soak up all of the offense in Week 2 because these matchups are all about defense. First team to 21 points wins. Verdict: Catch up on your sleep, get to work early, assuming you still have that job.

More...