No one does reality TV quite like the NFL does. Not MTV, not Bravo TV, not ABC and The Bachelor series, not the Kardashians, not even Survivor comes close to providing the drama and anxiety that the NFL does on a yearly basis. Those shows are often times scripted and staged to create excitement and controversy to draw in an audience, but the NFL doesn’t have to purposefully write a script, since the stories write themselves. The drama begins in January, after the last day of the regular season, where Coaches and General Managers are fired after disappointing campaigns and/or years of misery and no progress. Fans of teams waiting to see who is being replaced always have anxiety, because they want their franchises to get it right this time around. Then, the rumors with free agency begin leading up to March, when the free agency madness officially begins and we get a look at where players are signing to represent everyone’s respective teams. Before you even got a chance to catch your breath, the draft creeps up at the end of April and, let me tell you, when the commissioner (and others who are there) is announcing the pick, your heart rate starts speeding up! Finally, once the dust settles on the draft, ESPN and the NFL Network have their own regular season schedule release show for the following season to add even more drama to the mix. Again, no one does reality TV like the NFL does. So, with that being said, I will list out by top 10 favorite prime time games for the upcoming season. I will rank them from 10 to 1, with the last one being my most favorite, and you will see which game I’m giving my final rose to (see what I did there?). Which of these is your favorite?
10. Jaguars at Bengals (Week 4)
The battle of the back-to-back number one overall picks, Trevor Lawrence vs. Joe Burrow. This is part two of a rematch of the 2020 CFP National Title game, although the stakes this time are certainly lower early on in the season. I fully expect these teams to be picking in the top ten next year, and I expect to see a high scoring game due to young and inexperienced defenses on both sides. If these teams continue to be built the right way, I can see a Brady vs. Manning kind of rivalry shaping up in the next decade.
9. Giants at Buccaneers (Week 11)
Last year’s battle on Monday Night came down to the wire, with the Buccaneers coming out as the winners by a score of 25 to 23. While Tom Brady is 4 and 1 against the Giants in his career in the regular season, he is 0-2 against them in the biggest game in the NFL: the Super Bowl. Even though his success against them has been relatively good since their last post season meeting, the two losses in the Super Bowl still haunt him to this day. This bothers him so much so that he is seeking revenge against the Giants in the postseason, which unfortunately might not just happen yet for him. Giants fans (myself included) always seem to emphasize any matchup against Brady due to the history between him and the franchise. That is why I think this matchup should be a good one.
8. Browns at Steelers (Week 17)
It was 28 to 0 in the first quarter before the Steelers realized they were hosting, and losing, a wildcard playoff game to the Browns! The Browns walked onto Heinz Field and flat out embarrassed the Steelers to get their first playoff win in 25 years and, in the process, got better through free agency and the draft. This divisional clash late in the season more than likely presents the Browns with division title aspirations, as well as potential home-field advantage through out the playoffs. I expect this game to be just as hard hitting but at least a bit more even on the scoreboard, compared to their playoff game this past January.
7. Rams at 49ers (Week 10)
This is an intriguing matchup between the two best teams in the NFC West, in my opinion, and young talented offensive minds at the Head Coaching position, with Sean McVay of the Rams and Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers. At this point in the season, we should know if the 49ers will be rolling out with Jimmy Garoppolo or the number three overall pick, Trey Lance. The Stafford-led Rams will be looking for a little revenge of their own, as they haven’t beat the 49ers since Week 17 of the 2018 season.
6. Browns at Packers (Week 16)
If the Packers don’t have Aaron Rodgers (starting Jordan Love instead), then this matchup isn’t nearly as intriguing and this blurb never happened. However, if Rodgers does ultimately stay in Green Bay, then get your popcorn ready, especially with the playoff implications this late in the season. I truly expect both teams to be around the top of their Divisions and Conferences so, even though the head-to-head matchup doesn’t effect them directly, they still have plenty to play for. Is this a potential Super Bowl preview?
5. Chiefs at Ravens (Week 2)
This is another rematch of the 2020 season, where the Chiefs walked into Baltimore and put up 34 points on their own turf. We saw some flaws in the Ravens offense when it had to come from behind, as Lamar Jackson lacked legitimate options in the passing game to make any kind of threat. The Ravens front office took note of this and went out and drafted Wide Receiver Rashod Bateman, out of the University of Minnesota, in the First Round and then took speedster Tylan Wallace, out of Oklahoma State University, in the Fourth Round. Jackson finally got his first career playoff win last year, but he is still seeking to get his first win against Kansas City in what will be their fourth matchup in four seasons.
4. Chiefs at Chargers (Week 15)
This is another divisional game that came down to the wire last season with some of the weirdest circumstances we’ve seen. Presumed starting QB Tyrod Taylor was expected to start for the Chargers in Week 2 until a team doctor accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung while trying to administer a pain-killing injection right before kickoff. This, in turn, prompted rookie QB Justin Herbert to start in place of Taylor. It’s safe to say the rest was history, as Herbert went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and performed admirably in this game, given the circumstances. The Chargers, ultimately, fell to the Chiefs by a score of 23 to 20, but this is shaping out to be a tough rivalry between the two teams for the foreseeable future in the AFC West.
3. Browns at Ravens (Week 12)
By now, you should be noticing a trend if you’ve seen me mention the Browns on here for the third time. I think they are just that good, and certainly deserve high praise to be mentioned frequently for this upcoming season. Another infamous moment occurred last season, when Lamar Jackson was taken to the locker room in the 4th quarter due to some “leg cramps” but came back to lead his team to victory (on the road, nonetheless) to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was one of the best games of the season, with the final score being 47 to 42. I can’t see a high scoring game like that happening again, but I do see the Browns pulling off a road upset against this well-coached Ravens team. We could see these foes clash again come playoff time.
2. Buccaneers at Patriots (Week 4)
I’m willing to bet that most fans and analysts have this as their number one prime time game this season, and rightfully so. The headlines, the emotions, and the drama between long time duo Bill Belichick and Tom Brady certainly commands a ton of attention. It’ll be the first time they go against each other, and fans are going to want to see who gets the best of whom. However, I am going to go against the consensus and put this as my number two game instead, because I personally don’t think it will be highly competitive. This Tampa Bay team is stacked, and I mean STACKED! Brady has always played with a chip on his shoulder, and I can just picture him walking into Foxborough and just do everything he can to embarrass his former team on live TV. The week leading up to the game, and postgame interactions, will be certainly interesting to watch, so that alone makes it must see TV. How about the game itself? I think it has the potential to be a blow out in favor of the Bucs, which is why this matchup is number two on my list.
1. Bills at Chiefs (Week 5)
Number one on my list is the Bills at Kansas City. This is a rematch of the AFC Championship game, where Pat Mahomes and company continued to show their dominance in the AFC and booked their second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl. The Bills, under GM Brandon Beane and Head Coach Sean McDermott, have built a highly competitive roster that is in a winning window. The evolution of QB Josh Allen has accelerated this rebuild, and they are now posing as a threat to the Chiefs as top dogs of the AFC. The Bills saw the blueprint to neutralizing Pat Mahomes in the Super Bowl, which was to have a strong Defensive Line, so they went and grabbed two Defensive Ends with their first two picks: Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr. This matchup features two of the more explosive offenses in the league, and it’s quite possible that you are looking at another AFC Championship preview for the rights to go to the Super Bowl and, for that reason, this game gets my final rose!
I hope you enjoyed reading that list, and I know that I can’t wait for this season to get underway already! Stay tuned for my top 10 non-prime time games.
