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By YanksWS96, Section NFL
by Matt Wells Baseball season is upon us, and it's not even a week old. Every team has started 0-0, and the march to the playoffs is on. So, why am I talking football??!! Well, today the NFL announced the schedules for all 32 teams for all 17 weeks of the 2006 NFL season. There are some games that you can just leave the television off for (think 49ers, Cardinals, etc.). There are also those games that you just...can't...miss. So, to echo the words of ESPN's Woody Paige, "YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE, GUYS!!!!"
My list will have 17 games to watch overall. Yes, there are some weeks where you have more than one EXCELLENT game; however, I'm going to keep it as simple as possible. WEEK 1 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at NEW YORK GIANTS Finally, it's the long awaited "Manning Bowl." Quarterback Peyton Manning will take his high-flying Colts to the Meadowlands to take on his brother Eli on Sunday Night Football. Now, there are other reasons that this game is a must-watch. Both the Colts and the Giants are defending division champions meaning that, obviously, we're looking at two of the playoff teams from a year ago. In addition, it will be interesting to see how Dominick Rhodes fills the hole left by Edgerrin James and how the Giants new and improved defense (anchored by the signing of Sam Madison) will perform against the best quarterback of the game. WEEK 2 WASHINGTON REDSKINS at DALLAS COWBOYS A Sunday Night Football battle between two heated division rivals as future-Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells battle it out once again. In addition, this will be the first time we see Terrell Owens playing in Dallas (the first Cowboys game is a road game). The key additions of Antwaan Randel El at wideout and Adam Archuleta, Kenny Wright, and Andre Carter on defense will get their first tastes of the national spotlight in Washington uniforms. WEEK 3 NEW YORK GIANTS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Last year in Seattle, the Giants gave the eventual conference champion Seahawks a run for their money. Jay Feely sealed a Giants loss (and a 'Hawks victory) by missing all of those field goals. In addition, both teams are playoff teams from a year ago, and I expect to see both teams back in the playoffs in 2006. This could be a potential playoff preview many, many weeks before it happens. WEEK 4 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at CINCINNATI BENGALS The Patriots are coming off a mediocre 2005 season in which they did NOT win a title (imagine that!), but did make the playoffs. The Bengals are coming off a shocking 2005 campaign that saw them win the division, only to lose in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual-champion Steelers. While the focus may be on the quarterbacks (if Carson Palmer is healthy), the main storyline will be the return of ex-Bengal running back Corey Dillon to Cincinnati, where he racked up nearly 10,000 yards in 7 seasons. It will most likely be an unhappy return, for I expect the fans to boo Dillon relentlessly. However, it IS a return to Cincinnati, and one I will watch. WEEK 5 DALLAS COWBOYS at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Yes, yes, you are all sick of him, I know. But this is Terrell Owens's much anticipated return to Philadelphia, the city he alienated. He angered Donovan McNabb, he angered Andy Reid, and he angered the whole city. Now, in Week 5, Owens will be back in Philly. If the Eagles fans have booed Santa Claus in the past, imagine the reception T.O. will get. I can't wait. WEEK 6 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at PITTSBURGH STEELERS This might not be the most intriguing matchup ever, but Week 6 doesn't jump off of my computer screen with a dynamite game. The Chiefs, under new head coach Herman Edwards, are a trendy pick to improve their mediocre records of seasons past and make the playoffs. They will face a big challenge traveling to Pittsburgh, home of Big Ben and the defending champion Steelers. This game has a chance to be a shootout: the Chiefs are known for their high-flying offense and their sub-par defense. The Steelers will most likely find holes in Kansas City's defense to exploit, and this could be a high-scoring affair. This could also be a potential playoff preview. WEEK 7 MINNESOTA VIKINGS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Much like the Chiefs in the AFC, the Vikings are a trendy pick to reach the playoffs in the NFC. The Seahawks are the repeating NFC champs. Though this story may be under the radar, this will be the return of prized guard Steve Hutchinson to Seattle. Hutchinson spent the first 5 years of his career in Seattle, and went to the Pro Bowl twice. This could be another possible playoff preview, especially if the Vikings live up to their expectations. WEEK 8 DALLAS COWBOYS at CAROLINA PANTHERS This is new Panther Keyshawn Johnson's first game against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Johnson and Steve Smith should give headaches to opposing defenses all season, and Dallas should be no exception. Terrell Owens will try to show Keyshawn Johnson that he isn't really missed in Dallas by putting up a huge game. Keyshawn Johnson will be out to show the Cowboys what they're missing. Should be a good one on a Sunday night. WEEK 9 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS This will be the return of prized kicker Adam Vinatieri to New England, a place where he made history with his game-winning kicks in the clutch. Vinatieri, as you may know, signed with the Colts in the offseason, and here's hoping he gets a standing ovation when he returns, even if he did sign with the enemy. The Colts and Patriots have had this rivalry for quite some time, and they'll showcase it this year on Sunday Night Football. Peyton Manning beat the Patriots in New England last year on Monday night; let's see if he can do it on a Sunday. Another possible playoff preview? You betcha. WEEK 10 NEW YORK JETS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS The Jets and Pats will already have played each other earlier in the year; however, this will be new Jets coach Eric Mangini's first trip to New England since leaving the Pats this offseason. We'll get to see if Mangini can out-fox his mentor, Bill Belichick. In addition, the Jets/Patriots rivalry is always a good one to watch and the fans in New England will be hyped for this game, even if the Jets are as bad as they were last year. WEEK 11 MINNESOTA VIKINGS at MIAMI DOLPHINS Both teams have a good shot at making the playoffs, in my opinion, since both have made significant impacts in the free agent market this offseason. The biggest move? The Dolphins acquiring Daunte Culpepper to be their new quarterback. Where did they get him from? Yeah, you know...Minnesota. Daunte Culpepper will be facing his former team for the first time, and all eyes will be on this game to see how much emotion Culpepper will have (if any). I love games that feature players playing against their former teams (see T.O. and the Cowboys/Eagles game above). WEEK 12 DENVER BRONCOS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Not only is this a heated battle between division rivals late in the season, but it's also the first Thanksgiving game in Kansas City since the Chiefs were part of the AFL. Broncos/Chiefs games are always good, hard-played games, and with the national football audience watching following a filling Thanksgiving dinner, this game should be more intense than it usually is. WEEK 13 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at DENVER BRONCOS This game will feature two of last year's teams in the championship games - the Seahawks beat the Panthers, while the Broncos lost to the Steelers. This game also features two teams that used to be rivals in the old AFC West, before the 'Hawks moved to the NFC. Will old battle wounds be re-opened? WEEK 14 NEW YORK GIANTS at CAROLINA PANTHERS The Giants and Panthers met in the NFC playoffs last year, with the Panthers pitching a shutout in the Meadowlands. You can bet that the Giants will be out to avenge that humiliating loss. In addition, Keyshawn Johnson, now a Panther, will go up against a Giants team that showed interest in him this offseason. He turned them down, only to sign with Carolina. Is this extra motivation for the Giants to show Keyshawn what he's missing? WEEK 15 CINCINNATI BENGALS at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS This Monday Night Football game should be a classic. Remember when these two teams met in Cincinnati last year? Colts 45, Bengals 37. Now, the two teams will be playing under the dome in Indy, and I would hope that the offensive outputs mimic the ones of last year. I'm hoping for another shootout. Carson Palmer (if 100%) and Peyton Manning should once again put up explosive numbers in this one. WEEK 16 CAROLINA PANTHERS at ATLANTA FALCONS I would have chosen the Eagles at Cowboys game on Christmas night, but I already have them as a game of the week in Week 5. I would have chosen the Vikings at Packers, seeing as how it might be Brett Favre's final game, but it's still up in the air whether he'll play AT ALL this season. Therefore, I'm going with the Panthers and Falcons meeting in the Georgia Dome on Christmas Eve. This Week 16 game could be very important if the NFC South crown is on the line. I expect both teams to be fighting for the top spot in the division, and everything could be riding on this matchup. WEEK 17 PITTSBURGH STEELERS at CINCINNATI BENGALS Much like my Week 16 pick, this game between the Steelers and Bengals could have the AFC North division on the line. Both teams made the playoffs in 2005, and they met each other in the first round of the playoffs, a Steelers victory. I actually hope this game has the division title on the line; it would be that much more exciting. The two teams split the regular season series last year (1-1), with each team winning on the road, Cincinnati in Pittsburgh and vice versa. ------------------------------------------ NOTE: There are certainly other big games to watch during the season. I have just picked what are, in my opinion, the best games to watch for each of the 17 weeks. These picks are also well before the time they're played. Injuries and players drafted obviously have no impact on these picks. Sit back. Relax. Get ready for some football.
Are YOU ready?
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