Seahawks open ’16 season at home vs. Miami, play 5 prime-time games

A Week-7 matchup with the Cardinals in Arizona is the first of five prime-time games on Seattle's schedule. (AP)

The Seahawks will open the 2016 season at home against Miami, beginning a schedule that is highlighted by five prime-time games and one on Christmas Eve.

The NFL released the schedules for all 32 teams Thursday night, revealing the dates and times for each game as opponents and locations have been known for several months.

O’Neil: Seahawks’ schedule sets up for a fast start | By the numbers

After their opener against Miami, Seattle will play the Rams in a game that will have a homecoming feel for both sides. With the Rams opening on the road, this will be their first game back in Los Angeles since relocating earlier this offseason from St. Louis. The Rams are playing in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum while awaiting completion of their new stadium, which means Pete Carroll will return to the field he called home for nearly a decade as USC’s head coach. Several Seahawks players are from the Los Angeles area as well.

The Seahawks have a bye in Week 5 then play their first of five prime-time games in Week 7, a Sunday night matchup with the division-rival Cardinals in Arizona. The other prime-time games: Week 9 vs. Buffalo on Monday night, Week 10 at New England on Sunday night, Week 13 vs. Carolina on Sunday night and Week 15 vs. Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Seattle plays the Packers in Green Bay in between the Carolina and Los Angeles games. That’s late enough in the year – Dec. 11 – that the Upper Midwest weather could make for some challenging conditions.

The Seahawks host Arizona in Week 16 on Christmas Eve – a Saturday – and then close out the regular season at San Francisco on New Year’s Day.

The five prime-time games ties a franchise record. The Seahawks played that many in 2006 and were scheduled to do so last year, but their matchup with Baltimore late in the season was flexed out after losing its prime-time appeal.

Seattle’s schedule includes only two road games that begin at 10 a.m. PST, an undesirable start time for West Coast teams given the travel and time change. Seattle had four such games last year.

Week 1: Sept. 11, vs. Miami, 1:05 p.m. on CBS
Week 2: Sept. 18, at Los Angeles, 1:05 p.m. on FOX
Week 3: Sept. 25, vs. San Francisco, 1:05 p.m. on FOX
Week 4: Oct. 2, at New York Jets, 10 a.m. on FOX
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Oct. 16, vs. Atlanta, 1:25 p.m. on FOX
Week 7: Oct. 23, at Arizona, 5:30 p.m. on NBC (Sunday Night Football)
Week 8: Oct. 30, at New Orleans, 10 a.m. on FOX
Week 9: Nov. 7, vs. Buffalo, 5:30 p.m. on ESPN (Monday Night Football)
Week 10: Nov. 13, at New England, 5:30 p.m. on NBC (Sunday Night Football)
Week 11: Nov. 20, vs. Philadelphia, 1:25 p.m. on CBS
Week 12: Nov. 27, at Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m. on FOX
Week 13: Dec. 4, vs. Carolina, 5:30 p.m. on NBC (Sunday Night Football)
Week 14: Dec. 11, at Green Bay, 1:25 p.m. on FOX
Week 15: Dec. 15, vs. Los Angeles, 5:25 p.m. on NBC/NFLN (Thursday Night Football)
Week 16: Saturday, Dec. 24, vs. Arizona, 1:25 p.m. on FOX
Week 17: Jan. 1, at San Francisco, 1:25 p.m. on FOX

Here’s the Seahawks’ preseason schedule, with the just-announced dates and times:

Saturday, Aug. 13, at Kansas City, 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 18, vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 25, vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 1, at Oakland, TBD

Q13 FOX will televise all of the Seahawks’ preseason games. All preseason and regular-season games can be heard on 710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM.