You Cannot Miss These 10 games of the 2020-2021 NFL Season (Part 1)

Thanks to this Coronavirus pandemic, the release of the 2020-2021 NFL schedule marks the most exciting and anticipated sports event of May (apart from the ongoing Last Dance series). To commemorate the occasion, I have formed a list of the ten most compelling matchups of the upcoming season with a few honorable mentions. I hope to provide some enthusiasm for all the sportsaholics that have lately fallen into an abyss of misery with the current drought of live sports. Here is the list!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (Week 1)

When: Sunday, September 9th at 4:25 pm ET

Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana

Two quarterbacks whose names will eventually be etched into the halls of Canton, Ohio, yet still want to prove so much more. The nation’s first glance at an ageless Tom Brady, the G.O.A.T, in a new uniform and completely different offensive scheme. This game marks the beginning of Brady’s quest to separate his legacy from Belichick’s and reach a milestone that only bears the name of Peyton Manning: win a Super Bowl on two different teams. On the other side we have Drew Brees and the Saints who have appropriately become the “what could have been” team. Three consecutive gut-wrenching playoff defeats have left the organization at a loss for answers. It seems like an eternity since Brees got his solo Super Bowl ring, but that will again be the motivator behind this year’s season. And what better way to start the season with a win against a six-time SB champ.

These two teams also boast a collection of talented offensive skill players. Despite missing five games combined, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were the league’s leading wide receiver duo, accumulating 2,490 yards together (the next closest being Cooper and Gallup of the Cowboys at 2,296 yards). Returning for the Saints are Michael Thomas, who led the league last year in receptions and yards, and three-time Pro-Bowler Alvin Kamara, one of the most versatile running backs in today’s game. The Saints also made one of the best off-season moves when they acquired Emmanuel Sanders, the leading wide receiver of last year’s 49ers.

So get your celebrations ready because this game will have no shortage of flashy touchdown plays. Oh, and did I mention: WHO DAT!

Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (Week 3)

When: Monday, September 28th at 8:15 pm ET

Where: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

The NFL gives us an early gem in Week 3. This is the best AFC matchup of the year. The Ravens went a league-best 14-2 last year which helped them obtain the AFC’s #1 seed, while the Chiefs followed closely behind with a 12-4 record and the AFC’s #2 seed. But as we know, the playoffs were a completely different story. Another way to sum it up: a matchup between 2019-2020 Regular Season MVP (Lamar Jackson) and 2019-2020 SB MVP (Patrick Mahomes). The rivalry between these two star QBs is something that NFL fans should become accustomed to seeing in the upcoming years.

But this game will be Chapter III. Mahomes is 2-0 in the rivalry, however both contests were nail-biters. In 2018, the Chiefs won an OT game 27-24, while last year the final score was 33-28 in favor of Kansas City. So Mahomes not only has the edge in postseason play but also in their H2H matchup. The expectation is that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will be fired up to get a road win against the Chiefs on national television.

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (Week 17)

When: Scheduled for Sunday, January 3rd at 4:25 pm ET

Where: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California

This game is scheduled to kickoff at 4:25 pm ET, but my instincts tell me that the NFL will flex it to the SNF spot. This is one of only two games on the Week 17 slate that features two playoff teams from last year (the other game is Titans at Texans). It’s also a rematch of last year’s epic regular-season finale, 26-21 in favor of the 49ers. But the Seahawks were within one yard of pulling off the upset and securing their 9th first-place finish in the NFC West. And there’s little reason to believe that these two teams won’t be fighting for another NFC West Crown in this year’s Week 17 matchup.

The break-up of the Legion of Boom didn’t prevent Pete Carrol and the Seahawks coaching staff from constructing two consecutive playoff runs and neither should the loss of key defensive player Jadeveon Clowney. Today, the Seahawks’ success depends upon the magic of quarterback Russell Wilson and that’s not going anywhere. With the addition of 3x Pro-Bowler Greg Olsen, Russell Wilson has three reliable targets (a blooming D.K. Metcalf and the consistent pass-catcher Tyler Lockett). Taking the law of “regression to the mean”, the 49ers should experience a slight dip from last year’s success. But I don’t believe this will stop them from contending for another NFC West chip. 4th-year Coach Kyle Shanahan has created a heavy-run offensive scheme that will continue to succeed as long as lead blockers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and tight end George Kittle stay healthy.

Expect this to be another game that comes down to the wire.

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (Week 16)

When: Sunday, December 27th at 4:25 pm ET

Where: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

The NFC East is a two-team division. The December matchup between the Eagles and the Cowboys has become a marquee game as it has proved pivotal in determining the NFC East champ for the last two years. I have no faith in either first-year head coach on the New York Giants or Washington Redskins to flip this script. It’s far from a reflection on their coaching skills and more a result of the lack of talent that pervades the locker rooms of those two franchises.

So it’s not difficult to conclude that this December contest in Arlington, Texas will have profound implications for the NFC East race. It’s a game that will be watched by Eagles fans, Cowboys fans, and all supporters of a contending NFC team. Just look at the statistics. Last year’s December game between the two organizations was the 5th most-watched game of the season with 25.3 million viewers tuning in. Expect a similar turnout for this year’s game.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys (Week 15)

When: Sunday, December 20th at 8:20 pm ET

Where: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

History, SB rings, and Hall-of-Famers. The three things that these two franchises stand for. Each club has produced five Super Bowl teams which makes them tied for third place; Steelers and Brady’s Pats each have six rings. Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin are just a few of the stalwarts that have donned the Cowboy’s navy blue stars. Prowess that can only be matched by this group of notable 49ers: Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Terrell Owens, and many more.

But perhaps you should watch this game solely to hear Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, legends of the commentating field, reminisce during intermittent cuts to highlights of older 49ers-Cowboys moments. It’s considered to be one of the greatest inter-division rivalries of all time. They’ve met thirty-six times, with the Cowboys holding a slight 18-17-1 advantage. In the 1990s, these two teams met in the NFC Championship game for three consecutive years with the Cowboys winning twice.

Aside from the history, this will be an action-packed matchup in Week 15. The Cowboys had one of the best offseasons replacing “The Clapper” with capable HC Mike McCarthy and bringing in one of the stronger draft classes. With the addition of flashy rookie CeeDee Lamb and the return of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, quarterback Dak Prescott has three receiving weapons to work with. The Cowboys’ defense has always been talented, but hopefully Coach McCarthy can turn that talent into concrete results on the field.

We’ll see if their defense is up to the task of taking on the 49ers offense, the lead rushing team from last year’s season.