burnet44
04-11-2007, 01:57 PM
Ten games not to be missed
By Adam Schefter
NFL Analyst
(April 11, 2007) -- Even worse than waiting for the release of the 2007 regular-season schedule is the wait for the games themselves. There are almost five full months until the New Orleans Saints open at the world champion Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, Sept 6 (quick, somebody get me the phone number to the Oceanaire Seafood Room in Indianapolis, my and Reggie Wayne's go-to place).
Players' bodies might welcome the rest, but anyone who gets a glimpse of this year's matchups won't.
The Patriots seemingly have a grudge match every week.
Revenge matches dot the rest of the scheduling landscape.
NFL Network has a slate of games -- Indianapolis at Atlanta; Green Bay at Dallas; New England at the New York Giants -- that is going to make the fans that don't have the Network miserable.
And the April 28 NFL draft, which will add only more intrigue the way last year's did, hasn't even taken place yet, and there are matchups that need to be entered in daybooks and circled on calendars.
Of all the great ones, these are the 10 that should not be missed.
Sept. 16, Sunday night, San Diego at New England: The Chargers get the chance to finish off the team they couldn't last season. It still doesn't change the fact that San Diego safety Marlon McCree fumbled, kicker Nate Kaeding missed, and cornerback Drayton Florence incurred an awful and unnecessary penalty. But a San Diego win would take away some of the sting.
Sept. 24, Monday night, Tennessee at New Orleans: This is the game that Texans owner Bob McNair should avoid at all costs. He won't want to see the two players he passed up in last year's draft -- New Orleans running back Reggie Bush and Titans quarterback Vince Young -- but everyone else will.
Vince Young (right) got the better of Reggie Bush in Rookie of the Year voting.
Sept. 30, Sunday, Houston at Atlanta: Let the hype of the former Falcons quarterback, Matt Schaub, versus the current Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick, begin. As if that weren't entertaining enough, offensive-minded head coaches Gary Kubiak and Bobby Petrino should make it an explosive and fun afternoon.
Oct. 21, Sunday, Baltimore at Buffalo: "I couldn't wait to get out of there," former Bills running back Willis McGahee said this offseason, after being traded to Baltimore. Now McGahee is back in Buffalo. And Buffalo is not going to let McGahee forget that remark, nor the one that the Bills should be moved to Toronto. One word, Willis: earplugs.
Nov. 4, Sunday, New England at Indianapolis: Last season's AFC Championship Game is going to be relived and replayed so much, the Patriots are going to be as sick of hearing about it as the Colts once were of hearing about their playoff losses in New England.
Nov. 19, Monday night, Tennessee at Denver: Running back Travis Henry gets to face the Titans team that was unwilling to pay him as much as the Broncos. But more notable is the fact that, for the first time in their NFL careers, Young and Denver quarterback Jay Cutler square off. Interesting in that Young now plays in Nashville, not far from where Cutler played in college at Vanderbilt.
Nov. 26, Monday night, Miami at Pittsburgh: As if the great Thanksgiving Day matchups weren't enough, the NFL closes out the football week with linebacker Joey Porter returning to Pittsburgh. Think Porter's going to be woofing at all that night? But Porter better save something. On Dec. 30, he's got Cincinnati left tackle Levi Jones coming to Miami.
Nov. 29, Thursday night, Green Bay at Dallas: A huge thank you from all the fine folks at NFL Network to the league's schedule-maker. Two of the NFL's most storied franchises, Brett Favre versus Tony Romo, and Terrell Owens in any primetime game. Last time T.O. was on the Network, spit happened.
Dec. 9, Sunday night, Indianapolis at Baltimore: Just like San Diego gets its rematch at New England, and New England gets its rematch at Indianapolis, Baltimore gets its rematch against the Colts, the team that eliminated it from the playoffs last season. Playoffs officially start in January. But fair to say they unofficially start in December.
Dec. 23, Sunday, Philadelphia at New Orleans: Don't want to say the schedule-maker's job was easy this season, but sheesh! It set up for him the way last offseason set up for the Saints, when the Dolphins picked Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees. And this is one of the last rematches from last season's playoffs. Until a new round of playoffs begin Saturday, Jan. 5.
But that's almost nine months away. Better to focus on the long five months ahead instead.
By Adam Schefter
NFL Analyst
(April 11, 2007) -- Even worse than waiting for the release of the 2007 regular-season schedule is the wait for the games themselves. There are almost five full months until the New Orleans Saints open at the world champion Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, Sept 6 (quick, somebody get me the phone number to the Oceanaire Seafood Room in Indianapolis, my and Reggie Wayne's go-to place).
Players' bodies might welcome the rest, but anyone who gets a glimpse of this year's matchups won't.
The Patriots seemingly have a grudge match every week.
Revenge matches dot the rest of the scheduling landscape.
NFL Network has a slate of games -- Indianapolis at Atlanta; Green Bay at Dallas; New England at the New York Giants -- that is going to make the fans that don't have the Network miserable.
And the April 28 NFL draft, which will add only more intrigue the way last year's did, hasn't even taken place yet, and there are matchups that need to be entered in daybooks and circled on calendars.
Of all the great ones, these are the 10 that should not be missed.
Sept. 16, Sunday night, San Diego at New England: The Chargers get the chance to finish off the team they couldn't last season. It still doesn't change the fact that San Diego safety Marlon McCree fumbled, kicker Nate Kaeding missed, and cornerback Drayton Florence incurred an awful and unnecessary penalty. But a San Diego win would take away some of the sting.
Sept. 24, Monday night, Tennessee at New Orleans: This is the game that Texans owner Bob McNair should avoid at all costs. He won't want to see the two players he passed up in last year's draft -- New Orleans running back Reggie Bush and Titans quarterback Vince Young -- but everyone else will.
Vince Young (right) got the better of Reggie Bush in Rookie of the Year voting.
Sept. 30, Sunday, Houston at Atlanta: Let the hype of the former Falcons quarterback, Matt Schaub, versus the current Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick, begin. As if that weren't entertaining enough, offensive-minded head coaches Gary Kubiak and Bobby Petrino should make it an explosive and fun afternoon.
Oct. 21, Sunday, Baltimore at Buffalo: "I couldn't wait to get out of there," former Bills running back Willis McGahee said this offseason, after being traded to Baltimore. Now McGahee is back in Buffalo. And Buffalo is not going to let McGahee forget that remark, nor the one that the Bills should be moved to Toronto. One word, Willis: earplugs.
Nov. 4, Sunday, New England at Indianapolis: Last season's AFC Championship Game is going to be relived and replayed so much, the Patriots are going to be as sick of hearing about it as the Colts once were of hearing about their playoff losses in New England.
Nov. 19, Monday night, Tennessee at Denver: Running back Travis Henry gets to face the Titans team that was unwilling to pay him as much as the Broncos. But more notable is the fact that, for the first time in their NFL careers, Young and Denver quarterback Jay Cutler square off. Interesting in that Young now plays in Nashville, not far from where Cutler played in college at Vanderbilt.
Nov. 26, Monday night, Miami at Pittsburgh: As if the great Thanksgiving Day matchups weren't enough, the NFL closes out the football week with linebacker Joey Porter returning to Pittsburgh. Think Porter's going to be woofing at all that night? But Porter better save something. On Dec. 30, he's got Cincinnati left tackle Levi Jones coming to Miami.
Nov. 29, Thursday night, Green Bay at Dallas: A huge thank you from all the fine folks at NFL Network to the league's schedule-maker. Two of the NFL's most storied franchises, Brett Favre versus Tony Romo, and Terrell Owens in any primetime game. Last time T.O. was on the Network, spit happened.
Dec. 9, Sunday night, Indianapolis at Baltimore: Just like San Diego gets its rematch at New England, and New England gets its rematch at Indianapolis, Baltimore gets its rematch against the Colts, the team that eliminated it from the playoffs last season. Playoffs officially start in January. But fair to say they unofficially start in December.
Dec. 23, Sunday, Philadelphia at New Orleans: Don't want to say the schedule-maker's job was easy this season, but sheesh! It set up for him the way last offseason set up for the Saints, when the Dolphins picked Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees. And this is one of the last rematches from last season's playoffs. Until a new round of playoffs begin Saturday, Jan. 5.
But that's almost nine months away. Better to focus on the long five months ahead instead.