Top 10 Juicy Matchups on the NFL Schedule That Everyone Will Be Watching

Pondering the intense anticipation surrounding tonight’s NFL regular-season schedule release conjures comparisons to a rollout that’s far more mundane. 

Imagine if learning your high school classes were this exciting. At my alma mater, one showed up at orientation to receive marching orders on a piece of paper slightly larger than an index card. Sophomores took biology and geometry. Juniors studied U.S. history. No one ever crowed about it, best I could tell. Even the relative autonomy of choosing an elective might drown in the dread of tougher subject material looming the following period. 

Isn’t fandom a lot like that, though? Let’s say you back the Denver Broncos. You’d likely rather take on the middling New Orleans Saints before the two-time defending world champion Kansas City Chiefs, right? Fans know the next season’s batch of opponents in January. Tonight, they learn the dates, locations and order of all 256 regular-season games. 

While we wait for the majority of game dates to become official, here are 10 games with subplots juicier than the best cafeteria gossip -- and at least as savory as that Salisbury steak.

Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers, Oct. 20

Kansas City rallied past San Francisco in February in a Super Bowl LVIII thriller, winning 25-22 in overtime to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champs in 19 years. This rematch of the Big Game comes in Santa Clara, Calif., where the Niners went 7-3 last season, including a pair of three-point victories in the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers. (Date TBD)

An appetite-whetting announcement from “The Shield” revealed that the Ravens will visit the Chiefs in the season opener Sept. 5 in an AFC Championship game rematch. Another road trip takes Baltimore to Los Angeles in the latest coaching Har-Bowl. New Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, back in the NFL for the first time since 2014, matches Xs and Os with big brother John, who defeated him in Super Bowl XLVII.

Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles, Sept. 6

The NFL International Games don’t head to Ireland this season, but they do travel to Brazil for the first time, where there figures to be plenty of green just the same. Just look at the color scheme of the combatants at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo on Sept. 6. Not to mention the Brazilian flag.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (Date TBD)

There couldn’t be an anticipatory schedule dispatch without Aaron Rodgers. It’s as inevitable as a pop quiz. Rodgers ran four plays against the Bills in his Jets debut last season before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. The Bills made the playoffs but are aiming to move past heartache of their own.

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears (Date TBD)

Chicago selected quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick in April. One year earlier, Carolina picked signal-caller Bryce Young with the top pick after swapping with the Bears.

Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions (Date TBD)

Detroit’s breakthrough season included a wild-card triumph against the Rams in the franchise’s first home playoff game since 1993. It’s the latest meeting of Lions signal-caller Jared Goff and Rams counterpart Matthew Stafford, who once were traded for one another.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos. (Date TBD)

New Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson gets a chance at revenge against his former boss, Broncos coach Sean Payton, who no doubt will be prepared to cover the checkdown routes.

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (Date TBD)

New Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins takes on his old team, which could be led by rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Cousins, coming back from a ruptured Achilles in Week 8 of last season, has No. 8 pick Michael Penix Jr. (drafted ahead of McCarthy) looking over his shoulder.

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (Date TBD)

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who missed last season’s meeting with KC’s Patrick Mahomes due to injury, is 3-1 in his career against the Chiefs. Mahomes beat the Bengals (25-17) last season but Burrow’s wrist was in a cast. Two seasons ago, they split two games, each decided by a field goal. KC got the playoff win on the path to the Super Bowl.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Philadelphia Eagles (Date TBD)

In a meeting of playoff hopefuls, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson – perhaps happiest not to be in London – returns to what is virtually his second home. He’s back in Philly, where he played in 1999, spent four years as an offensive assistant and then established himself as a head coach for five seasons. How will fans greet the man who guided the franchise to its lone Super Bowl title?