NFL Schedule 2015: ESPN, NFL Network Coverage and Pre-Release Reaction

The NFL announces the 2015 game-by-game schedule Tuesday in a release special sure to alight fans around the globe in debate and conversation. 

After months of preparation, bye weeks, broadcast rights and making sure each franchise gets a fair shake, each team's 16-game schedule becomes available. Of course, anticipated prime-time games are also ready to go.

Below, let's take a look at Tuesday's release spectacle.

2015 NFL Schedule Release Viewing Info 

When: Tuesday, April 21, at 8 p.m. ET

TV: NFL Network and ESPN beginning at 8 p.m.

Pre-Release Reaction and What to Expect 

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Chaos, for the most part.

NFL Network's coverage will run for three hours as the analysts run down each team's 16-game slate. ESPN begins a two-hour special edition of SportsCenter to do the same.

While new to the public, it seems owners have had the schedule in hand for a bit now, as ProFootballTalk revealed:

In a way, so too have fans considering the full list of each team's home and away opponents is available at NFL.com.

Within the list is where things get interesting. The who, where, in what order and why of each team's schedule makes for quite the festivities.

NFL.com's Kimberly Jones put it best:

In fact, the intrigue of such a release figures to overshadow other sporting events, as Rotoworld's Adam Levitan offers:

The first item on the list of Tuesday events figures to address who the defending champion New England Patriots will face on the season's Thursday night kickoff game on Sept. 10.

A division tilt for Tom Brady and Co. would be fun, but going down the list of New England's opponents, it wouldn't be a disappointment to see the Patriots encounter the Pittsburgh Steelers or the new-look Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of those Eagles, Chip Kelly's wild roster overhaul makes them perhaps the most intriguing team of all to watch Tuesday. 

Kelly moved on this season from LeSean McCoy, who now suits up for the Buffalo Bills—a team the Eagles host next season. He also brought on former Dallas Cowboys back DeMarco Murray, an NFC East rival the team will of course play twice.

Of course, Kelly's shenanigans don't end there considering the Eagles just signed Tim Tebow, per ESPN.com's Adam Schefter. Everyone will want a piece of the Tebow action Tuesday night, with some even willing to overlook the schedule release in favor of a preseason encounter, as Kevin Bowen of Colts.com jokes:

Other interesting storylines to watch surrounding the schedule release include teams near the top of the 2015 draft.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers clutch the No. 1 pick and figure to select either Oregon's Marcus Mariota or Florida State's Jameis Winston, barring a trade. In other words, it will be quite interesting to see where the Buccaneers' duel with the Colts lands on the schedule—setting up perhaps a Winston or Mariota vs. Andrew Luck showdown.

The Tennessee Titans, owners of the No. 2 pick for now, may also feature a welcome-to-the-league-rookie moment if they scoop up the other quarterback considering they will encounter Luck and the Colts twice.

Best of all, Winston and Mariota could square off in a rookie showdown if they both come off the board in the top two—the Titans will visit the Buccaneers in 2015.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

A few important nuggets of the impending release are already available. For instance, onlookers know Brady and Peyton Manning are set for another duel. NFL on ESPN breaks down a few more key points:

"

Get ready NFL fans. The 2015 schedule is releasing tonight at 8pm ET on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SYkpYAJR7W

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 21, 2015"

Other than the New York Jets-Miami Dolphins showdown at Wembley Stadium in October, also scheduled is Buffalo vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars later in the month and a meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions at the start of November.

Tuesday night's event reveals the rest of the schedule's positioning. Expect plenty of debate to emerge over which teams have the easiest and toughest paths to the playoffs, which teams scored the dreaded early bye weeks and which teams might as well start constructing the 2016 draft board.

While it's easy to scoff at the hype of a schedule release, the NFL is a league in which each contest matters. Each game, the opponent, the surrounding contests and where it slots into the overarching season presents a huge impact on a team's ability to contend for a title.

Viewed in such a light, it's easy to understand why Tuesday night is so important for teams and fans alike.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of April 20. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.