4 weeks until Rams scheduled SoFi opener vs Cowboys

We are now just four weeks away from the opening Sunday of the 2020 NFL season, optimistically speaking, and the capper of September 13th will be the Rams hosting the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. So long as the NFL is able to play their games, just as many other major American sports leagues have mostly been able to do throughout August, then Los Angeles will take center stage on NBC only 28 days from tonight.

And it would certainly appear that were it not for the coronavirus pandemic, the league would love to be able to feature the Rams as much as possible this year.

Given that the NFL is covering both the Chargers and Rams for Hard Knocks: Los Angeles, and that they also have the Rams hosting Dallas on Sunday Night Football in Week 1, it’s clear that the league is intent on making football in Los Angeles work this time. More than $5 billion has been spent on SoFi Stadium and the surrounding Hollywood Park and it was meant to be an attractive travel destination for away fans (or St. Louis and San Diego fans), just as Las Vegas is to be for the Raiders.

That won’t be the case near to the degree that they expected, but if things remain on schedule, then at least they’ll be able to show SoFi Stadium on NBC in four weeks. And so on: the Rams are also hosting the Chicago Bears in Week 7 on Monday Night Football and hosting the New England Patriots in Week 14 on Thursday Night Football.

The Chargers, coming off of a 5-11 season and now without Philip Rivers, couldn’t get so lucky as to host a scheduled primetime game this season. They will appear on Monday Night Football in Week 5 at New Orleans and travel to face the Raiders in Week 15 on Thursday Night Football. The NFL makes three more primetime trips to Las Vegas this season: Week 2 is hosting the Saints on Monday Night, while the Raiders also host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11 of the Sunday Night Football schedule.

Between the Rams and Raiders, that’s seven scheduled primetime games this season at SoFi or Allegiant Stadium, though we know that the Sunday Night games can be flexed beginning in Week 5.

There won’t be any flexing in Week 1 though and that may come at us even faster without a preseason schedule.

Dallas Cowboys at LA Rams

Sunday, September 13, 5:20 PM PT

Where: SoFi Stadium

Channel: NBC