We are less than three weeks away from the start of the NFL regular season, so it’s about time to take a look at the opening week and see what’s on the schedule.
For the first time ever, the NFL season will open up on a Wednesday. And it’s great match up right out of the gate.
The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants will host NFC East rival Dallas to kick things off. It’s a heated rivalry, combined with a division game, with the winner of this one getting the early edge in the NFC East.
Then on Sunday, we have a full slate of games.
Some of these notable match ups include Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Chicago Bears. Luck’s season is highly anticipated by Colts fans, as the No.1 draft pick looks to replace one of the best quarterbacks in history.
As many might notice this season, the late afternoon wave of games will kick off 10 minutes later than in years past, beginning at 4:25 pm ET.
In Week 1 of the NFL Season, two NFC favorites collide with the Green Bay Packers hosting the San Francisco 49ers. Together, these two teams combined for 28 regular season wins in 2011. The 49ers were definitely the surprise of the conference though, winning 13 games and reaching the NFC championship game. And really, that should have gone to the Super Bowl had they not made some critical mistakes.
Entering 2012, both Green Bay and San Francisco have lofty expectations. This is a real treat for NFL fans in Week 1, as this could be an early season preview of a playoff match up well down the line.
Then on Sunday night, Peyton Manning will take the field at home for his first regular season game as a Bronco. Denver will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a battle between to AFC favorites. A lot is expected of the Broncos with Manning, while Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers always seem to be a playoff contender. You can be there will be plenty of fans glued to their TVs for this one.
The Monday Night Football tradition with two games will continue in 2012. Cincinnati will take on Baltimore in the first match up at 7pm ET. Then in the late game, it’s a battle in the AFC West between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders.
There are definitely some games to look forward to in Week 1, as teams begin their quest towards New Orleans for the 2013 Super Bowl.