The 17 Best Matchups of the 2020 NFL Season

When the NFL season commences, fans will be treated to an extensive slate of exciting matchups.

Week 1: Buccaneers @ Saints

Tom Brady’s Buccaneers’ debut coming in the Superdome? Against another first ballot hall of fame quarterback that also happens to have quite possibly the NFC’s best all-around roster? Absolutely, sign me up. This might be one of the games of the season.

Week 2: Ravens @ Texans

Bill O’Brien thinks he is going to redefine the NFL with his general managing moves. He’s built himself a competitive roster. However, can they stop the reigning MVP? Fantastic early season matchup here.

Week 3: Chiefs @ Ravens

We didn’t get a chance to see this matchup in the playoffs last season, which was a loss to everyone (besides Titans fans, of course). The reigning MVP takes on the NFL’s best quarterback. Both offenses are built like track meets. This is the best Monday Night Football matchup scheduled since at least Chiefs-Rams, and probably even earlier.

Week 4: Cardinals @ Panthers

Neither of these teams might be all that good. However, this pits Kliff Kingsbury, one of the league’s most underrated coaches, against Joe Brady, whose offense lit the college football world on fire last year. It pits Kyler Murray against a dynamic defense full of a plethora of young talent. It may not be the cleanest game ever, but it’s going to be very fun to watch.

Week 5: Bills @ Titans

Are you ready for a bruising football game? Well, here you go! The Titans weren’t a fluke last year, this is a very good football team that’s also incredibly well-coached. They host one of football’s great defenses which sports an offense more unpredictable than anything we’ve seen in a while.

Week 6: Ravens @ Eagles

Speed.. This Eagles receiving corps added not only an elite rookie WR in Jalen Reagor, but also Marquise Goodwin and Quez Watkins, to go along with DeSean Jackson. The Ravens have a dynamo QB in Lamar Jackson and an Olympic level sprinter in Hollywood Brown. Lovers of high-flying football are going to be infatuated by this matchup.

Week 7: Chiefs @ Broncos

Just pencil in Patrick Mahomes at altitude on this list every year for the next two decades. Now, throw in the fact that Drew Lock is the opposing quarterback, and he has Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler to throw to. The only thing that would make this matchup better is if it was somehow in Mexico City.

Week 8: 49ers @ Seahawks

Both matchups between these two teams last season were some of the best football we saw in 2019. Both of these teams are slated to be just as good, if not better, in 2020. Let’s hope that the games follow suit.

Week 9: Steelers @ Cowboys

The Cowboys had to find their way onto this list in some capacity. Adding CeeDee Lamb and Mike McCarthy to an already potent offense could spell disaster for the rest of the league. However, Big Ben is back to poke holes in a shotty secondary. It should be a very high scoring game in Jerryworld.

Week 10: 49ers @ Saints

The Saints are going to be so much fun this year. In week 10, they invite the defending NFC champions to their place in a game that not only has obvious division implications for both but also might settle first-round byes or home field in the playoffs. Oh, and both offenses are a ton of fun to watch too.

Week 11: Bengals @ Redskins

Dwayne Haskins beat out Joe Burrow for the job at Ohio State, forcing Joe Burrow to LSU. Needless to say, that worked out for Burrow. Now, Burrow has to knock off the one guy who has held him down in his career. Oh, there’s also that Chase Young kid that is apparently pretty good.

Week 12: Chiefs @ Buccaneers

Patrick Mahomes vs. Tom Brady. Need I say more?

Week 13: Bengals @ Dolphins

Joe Burrow vs. (probably) Tua Tagovailoa. Need I say more?

Week 14: Texans @ Bears

Let’s just say that Deshaun Watson has a serious gripe with the Bears organization regarding a certain draft pick from a few years ago. The Bears have also never beaten the Texans in the history of the franchise, the only organization to hold that dubious honor. If that’s going to change, it’ll be the dynamic Bears defense suppressing the star quarterback.

Week 15: Chiefs @ Saints

A potential Super Bowl preview. Patrick Mahomes hasn’t yet faced a hostile environment as crazed a playoff-like Superdome. This is probably Drew Brees’s last year; can he tranquilize the man who is, one day, going to be gunning for his all-time records?

Week 16: Vikings @ Saints

Christmas Day NFL football is something I’ve been waiting for a long time. Finally, they give it to us. Look for Kyle Rudolph to have a big game, I heard Rudolphs tend to show up on Christmas.

Week 17: Titans @ Texans

This is hard to predict without knowing the potential division implications, but of the matchups slated for the final week, this feels like the one with the best chance of deciding the division.

As we wait for the NFL’s clearer vision of what the season will look like, fans need to start getting excited.