17 games we can't wait to watch from the coming NFL season
Tyler Lauletta
- The 2020 NFL schedule is officially set.
- Looking at the calendar, there's already plenty of games we can't wait to watch, starting with a stellar rematch from the AFC playoffs between the Chiefs and Texans to open the season.
- We went through the schedule week by week to highlight the matchups we're most excited to watch when the season gets started this fall.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The schedule for the 2020 NFL season was released in full on Thursday night.
While fans already knew which opponents their team would play in the coming season, we now have a clear look at what exactly the league will look like through 17 weeks of action.
Given the current state of the sports world due to the coronavirus pandemic, it's possible the schedule could change significantly before the start of the year. That said, the NFL is currently planning to host the season as scheduled until further action is required.
As it stands, the schedule features a slew of can't-miss games, from reunions between players and their former teams, to Tom Brady's first season navigating the NFC South, and plenty of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs playing in primetime.
Take a look below at the games we're most looking forward to for each week of the coming NFL season.
Read the original article on InsiderWeek 17: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Why we're excited: A matchup so nice it made the list twice! Last year, this game ended in jaw-dropping fashion, with the 49ers defense pulling off a red zone stand in the closing seconds to seal the game, the division, and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Football can't get more dramatic. Here's to hoping this year's rematch offers a similar thrilling finale to the year.
Honorable mentions: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Week 16: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Why we're excited: The NFC East always seems to come down to a late game between the Eagles and Cowboys, and it looks like 2020 will be no different. Last year, the Eagles dispatched the Cowboys in Week 16 as a part of a four-game win streak to close the season and take the division. Can Dallas get their revenge this year?
Honorable mentions: Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints
Why we're excited: Kansas City vs. New Orleans is likely a popular pick for this year's Super Bowl, so it's quite a treat that we'll get to see the two teams face off so late in the season. This will be the first time Mahomes has ever taken on Brees and could represent a passing of the torch of sorts should this be the latter's last season.
Honorable mentions: San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Week 14: Washington Redskins at San Francisco 49ers
Why we're excited: While offenses have been the highlight of this list so far, there's plenty of great defense you won't want to miss this season as well. In Week 14, Nick Bosa and rookie Chase Young will meet in a battle of Ohio State pass rushers. With two of the best young groups of pass rushers in the league, no backfield will be safe this Sunday.
Honorable mentions: New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Week 13: Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens (Thursday Night Football)
Why we're excited: Again, two high-powered offenses facing off in primetime. There's a chance that at this point in the season, both teams are looking like playoff contenders, giving this one the vibe of a potential Super Bowl preview.
Honorable mentions: Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
Week 12: Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Why we're excited: Speaking of teams that have the firepower to keep up with the Chiefs, Tom Brady and the new-look Buccaneers should be one of them. Mahomes has been brilliant when facing off against Brady in his first two seasons — can he maintain that high level of play against Bruce Arians and the Bucs?
Honorable mentions: Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders (Sunday Night Football)
Why we're excited: Patrick Mahomes under the lights in Las Vegas. What a time to be alive. And with the Raiders adding offensive weapons like Henry Ruggs III, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Bryan Edwards in the draft this year, Jon Gruden may have enough firepower to keep pace with their divisional foes this time around.
Honorable mentions: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens
Week 10: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (Sunday Night Football)
Why we're excited: The Patriots may have lost Tom Brady, but Bill Belichick is still the best defensive game planner in the NFL. Watching how he decides to scheme against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense should be nirvana for football nerds.
Honorable mentions: San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams
Week 9: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday Night Football)
Why we're excited: The matchup between Brady and Brees will headline this game, as it could be the final time the two veterans face off in their storied careers. That said, the receiving battle might be the most compelling aspect this Sunday night. With Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin all in play, there will be no shortage of fantasy football games one and lost on this one.
Honorable mentions: Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
Week 8: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Why we're excited: The Seahawks and 49ers played two mind-boggling games last year, and the battle for supremacy in the NFC West should be just as tight in the coming season.
Honorable mentions: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears
Week 7: Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins
Why we're excited: Should everything go according to plan, this game should be a showdown of rookie quarterbacks, with Justin Herbert and the Chargers taking on Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. It's always fun to watch two new quarterbacks duke it out, and with both teams looking like they're on the upswing, this should be a thrilling battle.
Honorable mentions: Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders
Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys (Monday Night Football)
Why we're excited: Between the Cardinals' acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins and the Cowboys picking up CeeDee Lamb in the 2020 draft, this game should be an offensive explosion that can't be missed. While the Chiefs have carried the torch of what a dominant offense can look like in the modern NFL for the past two years, don't be surprised if one of these two teams gives them a run for their money early in the season.
Honorable mentions: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears (Thursday Night Football)
Why we're excited: By this point, we'll have a pretty good idea how Tom Brady is getting along in his first season in Tampa Bay. But even if the Buccaneers get off to a hot start, Brady should have his hands full with Khalil Mack and the Bears defense coming at him all game.
Honorable mentions: Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday Night Football)
Why we're excited: Two perennial NFC powerhouses face off in primetime in Week 4. There's a good chance that both teams will be undefeated heading into this matchup, with the winner potentially being declared the early team to beat in the conference.
Honorable mentions: Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears, New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers
Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (Monday Night Football)
Why we're excited: The past two NFL MVPs face off in what is likely the most highly anticipated game of the year. We were robbed of an AFC title game between these two teams in the 2019 postseason, but it feels like the Chiefs and Ravens will both be ready to put on a show this time around.
Honorable mentions: Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
Week 2: New Orleans Saints at Las Vegas Raiders (Monday Night Football)
Why we're excited: The Raiders' first home game in Las Vegas is happening in primetime and will come against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Brees tends to show out on national television — will the energy of the new stadium be enough for the Raiders to overcome him?
Honorable mentions: Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans
Week 1: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs (Thursday Night Football)
Why we're excited: The last time these two teams met, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs erased a 24-0 deficit to come back dominantly against Texans to keep their playoff hopes alive. A few weeks later, they were Super Bowl champions. This rematch will be the first game of the 2020 season, and we simply cannot wait to watch.
Honorable mentions: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
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