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Now that we know the "when" in the who-what-when-where equation of the 2016 NFL regular-season schedule, here's a look at the top 10 games we can't wait to watch (all times listed are Eastern).
10. Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, Week 8 (Oct. 30, 4:25 p.m.)
The NFC championship game got out of hand early, with the Panthers up 17-0 before the first quarter was* over. Carolina rolled to a 49-15 home win for a spot in Super Bowl 50. Both of these teams should be strong again, and jockeying for the top seeds in the conference. One thing to look for: Will Carson Palmer be haunted by his four-interception performance?
9. Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins, Week 4 (Oct. 2, 1 p.m.)
Could we see Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins start for their respective teams? Drafted No. 2 by Washington in 2012, Griffin lost the starter’s job last season to Cousins, whom the team drafted 100 spots after him that year. Signed with the Browns after he was released by Washington, Griffin is hoping to revive his career under the tutelage of Hue Jackson. Washington designated Cousins as its franchise player after he led the organization to the playoffs.
8. New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, Week 5 (Oct. 9, 8:30 p.m.)
The Giants have spent a ton of money in free agency, loading up their defense with DE Olivier Vernon, CB Janoris Jenkins and DT Damon Harrison, at a whopping price tag of nearly $194 million. Is it money well spent? Playing against one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, New York will get a sense of whether it was worth it. The game in Green Bay is the second of back-to-back, prime-time road games; the week before, the Giants are at Minnesota.
*7. New England Patriots at Denver Broncos, Week 15 (Dec. 18, 4:25 p.m.)
These teams met twice last season, with Denver winning both; the first meeting, in November, marked the Patriots’ first loss of the season. The second, in the AFC title game, sent the Broncos to the Super Bowl. Denver looks quite different now, the biggest difference being at quarterback – Peyton Manning retired, Osweiler took Houston’s money and ran, and Colin Kaepernick rightfully told John Elway he wasn’t taking a $5 million pay cut to leave San Francisco. At the moment, Denver is starting its championship defense with Mark Sanchez at quarterback.
6. Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks, Week 1 (Sept. 11, 4:05 p.m.)
The Dolphins scooped up the hottest head-coaching name in the game in January, signing former Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase to a five-year deal. It’s the first head-coaching gig Gase has held at any level, and his tenure is starting off on the road – because of stadium construction, the Dolphins asked for their opening games to be away, and the NFL gave them Seattle and New England. Yikes.
5. Brock Osweiler’s first game as quarterback of the Houston Texans, vs. Chicago Bears, Week 1 (Sept. 11, 1 p.m. EST)
Osweiler has exactly seven NFL starts to his name, but that didn’t stop the Texans from giving him about $5 million per start in guaranteed money in his four-year, $72 million contract. He’s being paid like a franchise quarterback but will Osweiler play like one? His first two games in Texans blue are at home, starting with the Bears, and the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that shut out Houston in the wild-card round in January.
*4. Patriots at San Francisco 49ers, Week 11 (Nov. 20, 4:25 p.m. EST)
If we assume the Patriots are still playing like the Patriots have for over a decade and the 49ers are still struggling as they’ve done in recent years, this game doesn’t look like an interesting one. But it piques the interest because it will be the first – and possibly only – time in his storied career that Tom Brady plays at “home”; when New England played in old Candlestick Park during the 2008 season, Brady was on injured reserve with a torn ACL. Brady played his high school ball about 18 miles from Candlestick (the Niners now play at Levi’s Stadium), and as a preschooler was in the stands for “The Catch” in the 1982 NFC championship game.
*3. Los Angeles Rams’ first game in Los Angeles, vs. Seattle Seahawks, Week 2 (Sept. 18, 4:05 p.m.)
The Rams got their hype machine going on Thursday morning when they announced they’d acquired the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft from the Tennessee Titans. It remains to be seen who they’ll take with that selection, but it might not matter – at long last, the NFL is back in Los Angeles.
*2. Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 2 (Sept. 18, 1 p.m.)
These two teams already hated one another, and that was before their wild wild-card round playoff meeting in January. In general we’re all in favor of the officials letting the players play, but this one might need famed boxing ref Mills Lane to come out of retirement to keep things from getting out of hand.
1. Panthers at Denver, Week 1 (Sept. 8, 8:30 p.m. EST)
Does this need an explanation? Cam Newton, Von Miller, and a rematch of Super Bowl 50 for the now-traditional Thursday night regular-season kickoff extravaganza. Oh, and the Broncos will likely be unveiling their championship banner with the Panthers looking on. Throw in the dog-riding monkeys and it's a perfect night.
10. Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, Week 8 (Oct. 30, 4:25 p.m.)
The NFC championship game got out of hand early, with the Panthers up 17-0 before the first quarter was* over. Carolina rolled to a 49-15 home win for a spot in Super Bowl 50. Both of these teams should be strong again, and jockeying for the top seeds in the conference. One thing to look for: Will Carson Palmer be haunted by his four-interception performance?
9. Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins, Week 4 (Oct. 2, 1 p.m.)
Could we see Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins start for their respective teams? Drafted No. 2 by Washington in 2012, Griffin lost the starter’s job last season to Cousins, whom the team drafted 100 spots after him that year. Signed with the Browns after he was released by Washington, Griffin is hoping to revive his career under the tutelage of Hue Jackson. Washington designated Cousins as its franchise player after he led the organization to the playoffs.
8. New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, Week 5 (Oct. 9, 8:30 p.m.)
The Giants have spent a ton of money in free agency, loading up their defense with DE Olivier Vernon, CB Janoris Jenkins and DT Damon Harrison, at a whopping price tag of nearly $194 million. Is it money well spent? Playing against one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, New York will get a sense of whether it was worth it. The game in Green Bay is the second of back-to-back, prime-time road games; the week before, the Giants are at Minnesota.
*7. New England Patriots at Denver Broncos, Week 15 (Dec. 18, 4:25 p.m.)
These teams met twice last season, with Denver winning both; the first meeting, in November, marked the Patriots’ first loss of the season. The second, in the AFC title game, sent the Broncos to the Super Bowl. Denver looks quite different now, the biggest difference being at quarterback – Peyton Manning retired, Osweiler took Houston’s money and ran, and Colin Kaepernick rightfully told John Elway he wasn’t taking a $5 million pay cut to leave San Francisco. At the moment, Denver is starting its championship defense with Mark Sanchez at quarterback.
6. Miami Dolphins at Seattle Seahawks, Week 1 (Sept. 11, 4:05 p.m.)
The Dolphins scooped up the hottest head-coaching name in the game in January, signing former Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase to a five-year deal. It’s the first head-coaching gig Gase has held at any level, and his tenure is starting off on the road – because of stadium construction, the Dolphins asked for their opening games to be away, and the NFL gave them Seattle and New England. Yikes.
5. Brock Osweiler’s first game as quarterback of the Houston Texans, vs. Chicago Bears, Week 1 (Sept. 11, 1 p.m. EST)
Osweiler has exactly seven NFL starts to his name, but that didn’t stop the Texans from giving him about $5 million per start in guaranteed money in his four-year, $72 million contract. He’s being paid like a franchise quarterback but will Osweiler play like one? His first two games in Texans blue are at home, starting with the Bears, and the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that shut out Houston in the wild-card round in January.
*4. Patriots at San Francisco 49ers, Week 11 (Nov. 20, 4:25 p.m. EST)
If we assume the Patriots are still playing like the Patriots have for over a decade and the 49ers are still struggling as they’ve done in recent years, this game doesn’t look like an interesting one. But it piques the interest because it will be the first – and possibly only – time in his storied career that Tom Brady plays at “home”; when New England played in old Candlestick Park during the 2008 season, Brady was on injured reserve with a torn ACL. Brady played his high school ball about 18 miles from Candlestick (the Niners now play at Levi’s Stadium), and as a preschooler was in the stands for “The Catch” in the 1982 NFC championship game.
*3. Los Angeles Rams’ first game in Los Angeles, vs. Seattle Seahawks, Week 2 (Sept. 18, 4:05 p.m.)
The Rams got their hype machine going on Thursday morning when they announced they’d acquired the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft from the Tennessee Titans. It remains to be seen who they’ll take with that selection, but it might not matter – at long last, the NFL is back in Los Angeles.
*2. Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 2 (Sept. 18, 1 p.m.)
These two teams already hated one another, and that was before their wild wild-card round playoff meeting in January. In general we’re all in favor of the officials letting the players play, but this one might need famed boxing ref Mills Lane to come out of retirement to keep things from getting out of hand.
1. Panthers at Denver, Week 1 (Sept. 8, 8:30 p.m. EST)
Does this need an explanation? Cam Newton, Von Miller, and a rematch of Super Bowl 50 for the now-traditional Thursday night regular-season kickoff extravaganza. Oh, and the Broncos will likely be unveiling their championship banner with the Panthers looking on. Throw in the dog-riding monkeys and it's a perfect night.