Time to make plans - Panthers reveal 2017 schedule

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The Carolina Panthers revealed their 2017 schedule on Thursday, and as you might expect for a team that went 6-10, it's a little light on primetime appearances.

The Panthers, looking to regain the form that took them to a Super Bowl just two seasons ago, open the season with a road trip out west to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Sept. 10, in a 4:25 p.m. matchup.

The home opener is the following week, against the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m.

"Our coaching staff has already been hard at work preparing for our opponents, but it is always intriguing to find out when we're playing the games," head coach Ron Rivera told the team's website. "It will certainly be a challenge for us, and I'm looking forward to it."

Things heat up from there, with a home game against the rival New Orleans Saints followed by a tough two-game stretch at the New England Patriots and then at the Detroit Lions.

Other games to watch include a primetime Thursday night matchup on Oct. 12 at home against the Philadelphia Eagles and the team's only Monday Night Football appearance, on Nov. 13 at home against the Miami Dolphins.

Two tough non-division foes from the NFC North visit Charlotte in back-to-back weeks, with the Minnesota Vikings coming to town on Sunday, Dec. 10, followed the next week by the Green Bay Packers.

The Panthers close the regular season on Dec. 31 with a visit to bitter division rival and NFC champion Atlanta.

As the team's website notes, the Panthers could end up making more Sunday primetime appearances under the league's flex scheduling policy, which allows a time change for a total of two NFL games between Weeks 5-9 and for many more games from Weeks 10-15 and 17. Flex scheduling doesn't affect games already scheduled for Thursday, Saturday and Monday nights.

FULL REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE (home games in bold)

Sun. Sept. 10 at San Francisco 49ers 4:25 p.m. on FOX
Sun. Sept. 17 vs. Buffalo Bills 1:00 p.m. CBS
Sun. Sept. 24 vs. New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Oct. 1 at New England Patriots 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Oct. 8 at Detroit Lions 1:00 p.m. FOX
Thu. Oct. 12 vs. Philadelphia Eagles 8:25 p.m. CBS/NFLN/Amazon
Sun. Oct. 22 at Chicago Bears 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Oct. 29 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Nov. 5 vs. Atlanta Falcons 1:00 p.m. FOX
Mon. Nov. 13 vs. Miami Dolphins 8:30 p.m. ESPN
BYE
Sun. Nov. 26 at New York Jets 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Dec. 3 at New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Dec. 10 vs. Minnesota Vikings 1:00 p.m. CBS
Sun. Dec. 17 vs. Green Bay Packers 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Dec. 24 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. FOX
Sun. Dec. 31 at Atlanta Falcons 1:00 p.m. FOX


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