Eight must-watch games in the 2020 season.
This article is pretty self-explanatory but this is the 8 games you need to watch and look out for as the season progresses.
Both Saints vs Buccaneers games
Brady vs Brees for the Division. The Buccaneers and Saints are favourites for the NFC South. These are two veteran Quarterbacks who might be in their last seasons in the NFL. With the new seven-team playoff format winning the division and getting that number one spot in the conference is more vital than ever.
The Panthers have a new head coach in Matt Rhule who is promising but untested. Teddy Bridgewater has a very low ceiling and isn’t taking the Panthers anywhere. Meanwhile, the Falcons will probably go 8–8 like most years. Matt Ryan has the potential to take the team to the promised land and Julio Jones is the most underused player in the league in my opinion. Jones should be the best receiver in the league but he is stuck with the Falcons who are criminally underutilising him. It’s a two-horse race in the NFC South (Sorry Panthers and Falcons fans) but it’s true. These two games will decide who wins the division and who has to play away in the Wildcard game.
Week 9 Packers @ 49ers
Aaron’s revenge. Last season in the NFC Championship the Packers were blown out. Rodgers was shut out in the first half in January and he will not have forgotten about this. He will have been fixating on this game since the schedule was announced and he will be until this game is played. Rodgers threw two touchdowns and two picks. The Packers QB had 31 completions out of 39 attempts. Asides from what happened last year this game could be crucial in the final standings in the NFC. Rodgers will be even more motivated this year with Jordan Love breathing down his neck. Also way back in 2005, the 49ers passed on Aaron in the draft. Even though he was born and raised in San Francisco and he was a 49ers fan all his life.
Both Seahawks vs 49ers games
The battle for the NFC West. This is the best division in football this year. Three Superbowl contenders in the Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals. Ironically the team that was in the Superbowl two years ago in the Rams who will always be competitive with Sean McVay. The Seahawks and 49ers are the favourites by far though so these two games will decide the division. Similar to the NFC South if one team sweeps the other they will win the division and potentially the NFC.
Week 16 Vikings @ Saints
Brees’ worst nightmare. In back to back years the Saints have been beaten by Kirk Cousins and the Vikings. Drew Brees has nightmares about the Minnesota Vikings. Drew is the better Quarterback. He has a better offence. He has a better defence. So why has he got two loses in the playoffs? Who knows. This could determine wildcard seeding this year. The Packers will win the NFC North (hold me to it). This means like most years the Vikings will be fighting for a Wildcard spot. With Brady in the NFC South this year the Saints can’t just walk into the playoffs like they did last year. This game could have serious playoff implications too though. Neither of these teams will have playoff spots locked up by week 16 so the winner could reap some serious benefits. This is a crucial one. This is a Christmas Day game too so there will be even more eyes on the Saints’ revenge game. However, it could be pretty dull if both teams are locked in seeding.
Week 7 49ers @ Patriots
Jimmy comes home. In 2018 the Patriots traded Garoppolo to the 49ers for the 43rd pick in the 2018 Draft. Garoppolo has been good but not elite in his time in San Francisco. Yes, he did lead them to a Superbowl unexpectedly but he did that while only passing for 20 completions a game. The real reason they made it to the Superbowl was the pieces around him. Jimmy was good enough though. This game doesn’t have many actual implications for the playoffs and will probably be a blowout but its an interesting narrative if it turns out to be a close game.
Week 3 Chiefs @ Ravens
The AFC Championship game we all wanted (apart from the Titans fans). Mahomes vs Lamar. Kelce vs Andrews. Jones vs Peirce. Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs JK Dobbins. There are so many narratives to this game. But that is not the only reason this is the biggest game of the season. With the new seven-team playoff format, only one team will get a bye out of the wildcard round. This game will probably decide it. Providing Mahomes and Jackson stay with their respective teams for the majority of their careers, they will form a rivalry not unlike that of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady had in the AFC. With dynamic QBs like Desean Watson and Josh Allen also in the conference, the future of the AFC looks bright but tough for any team trying to rise.
Week 13 Bengals @ Dolphins
Burrow vs Tua. This is where we find out who should have been the first overall pick. Burrow went number one only because of his final season at LSU and the fact that he is an Ohio-native. So did Burrow only go 1 because of the narrative. In week 13 we will see who crumbles and who thrives under the bright lights. Tua might not start so we could all be a bit dull. But hopefully, we will get to see Tua vs Burrow.
Week 12 Chiefs @ Buccaneers
A week 12 pre-Superbowl? Mahomes vs Brady. Kelce vs Gronk. The new vs the old. The best team in the AFC vs the best team in the NFC? Are the Chiefs the best team in the AFC? Is it the Ravens, the Bills or even the Titans. It probably the Chiefs but we won’t know until the end of the season. As for the Buccaneers, they are unproven. Can Brady and Gronk give them the extra push they need to put them over the top and put them from an 8–8 team to a 12 or 13 win team? The best team in the NFC is a very hotly contested position. The Saints, the Packers, the Seahawks, the 49ers, the Eagles, the Cowboys, the Vikings even? This game has more questions than answers but it could be a crucial one in the grand scheme of things in the team’s record and psychologically.
Which game are you most excited to watch? Drop a comment and tell me. I am excited about the Chiefs@Ravens game. Lamar and Mahomes are the most exciting young players in the league and maybe the most exciting young sportspeople in the world. This will be one of the best rivalries in NFL history. Watch out in week 3 for this game. Set your alarms.
