Must-Watch Matchups of the 2021 NFL Season

Collaborating Writers: Jay Christenen & Charlie Friar

Let the games begin. The offseason is nearly complete with the release of the NFL’s 2021 schedule, and there are plenty of must-see games. The regular season will kick off on Thursday, September 9th, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys. The matchups only go up from there. 

Here are some of the top games to watch for in 2021:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots

Week 4

Date: 10/3

Time: SNF- 8:20p EST

Football fans have to be beyond excited for this game. There could be an argument made that Tom Brady’s return to New England is the biggest regular-season game of this century.

Hyperbole aside, Brady’s week four homecoming is 21 years in the making. Bill Belichick drafted Brady in 2000, and they led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins in 20 years. The prospect of them facing each other seemed unimaginable. That was until Brady took his talents to Tampa Bay before last season. 

In Tampa, Brady proved he could win without Belichick, leading the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title. 

On October 3rd, Belichick has his chance to one-up Brady and claim a win in what will likely be their only head-to-head contest. For Brady, a victory would complete another career milestone, wins over every team in the NFL. 

If Brady versus Belichick isn’t enough for you, there are several exciting subplots: Will Brady be cheered or booed? How long will the Brady tribute video be? Will the Mac Jones Era in New England be underway? 

We can’t forget Rob Gronkowski will also be returning to New England. So much excitement in one evening. This matchup is truly the must-see game of the year.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 9

Date: 11/7

Time: Sunday – 4:25pm EST

This is the ‘State Farm Showdown,’ and Aaron Rodgers better not take this moment away from us. Fans have been waiting for this matchup since Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes appeared in commercials together in 2019. If Rodgers isn’t traded out of Green Bay or retires, this will be the first-ever matchup between the two great quarterbacks. When the Packers played Kansas City in 2019, Mahomes was hurt. 

This game will be pure entertainment in 2021.

LA Rams vs. Detroit Lions

Week 7

Date: 10/24

Time: Sunday – 4:05pm EST

It seems destiny played a role in arguably the most significant trade of the offseason. The Rams and Lions will meet this year after trading franchise quarterbacks in January. Matthew Stafford and the Lions mutually agreed to part ways, but there’s some bad blood between Jared Goff and the Rams. The interaction between Goff and McVay will be fun to see.

The only downer in this scenario: the Lions are traveling to LA. We can expect some tribute to Goff, but it won’t be what the Lions would’ve done for Stafford. We’ll have to keep waiting to see the massive ovation and tribute video Detroit has in store for the greatest QB in franchise history.

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 5

Date: 10/10

Time: SNF – 8:20pm EST

#BillsMafia will be excited for this one. The Bills and Chiefs will meet again in Kansas City just nine months after the AFC Championship game. It was a tough 38-24 loss for Buffalo back in January. Now, the Bills can be looking for a little bit of revenge.

This game could also provide another glimpse at the future of the AFC. For years we saw the Colts and Patriots battle it out for a trip to the Super Bowl, and the next major rivalry could be the Bills and Chiefs. Both teams are well-rounded and led by exciting, young quarterbacks.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 4

Date: 9/30

Time: TNF – 8:20pm EST

Promoting this game should be a simple task for the Thursday night football marketing team. A quarterback battle between the previous two number one draft picks. Week 4, Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow will square off for the first time since the College Football Championship game in early 2020. A game that saw Burrow and the LSU Tigers defeat Lawrence and Clemson 44 to 25. 

On paper, this Week 4 game should be an offensive shootout. The Jaguars and Bengals ranked bottom 10 in the league on defense last year, and there are new offensive weapons in the mix for both teams. The Bengals added Burrow’s college teammate and standout wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the 2021 Draft. Cincinnati’s receiving corp now features an impressive trio of Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. Add in Joe Mixon, and the Bengals’ offense could be lethal in 2021. 

The Jaguars followed the college reunion trend and paired Lawrence with his Clemson running back, Travis Etienne. On the outside, the Jaguars feature an emerging set of speedy receivers, including D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault. The team’s offense should reach new heights with Lawrence and Urban Meyer.

An interesting wrinkle to this game is the connection between Meyer and Burrow. Burrow started his college career under Meyer at Ohio State. That ultimately didn’t work out and led to Burrow transferring to LSU.

Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 8

Date: 10/31 

Time: Sunday – 1:00pm EST

If I told you last year that a week eight Bears versus 49ers game would be a marquee matchup in 2021, you probably wouldn’t have believed me. In 2020, the same pairing could very well have featured Nick Foles versus Nick Mullens. Things change quickly in the NFL offseason. 

On March 26th, the 49ers traded up to the number three overall pick in the NFL draft. There were many smoke screens, but the 49ers ended up grabbing North Dakota State product Trey Lance as their quarterback of the future.

The Chicago Bears did something similar. They also traded up to grab their future of the franchise, Justin Fields. Assuming Lance and Fields are both week-eight starters, we will see two of the draft’s most exciting players together on the same field. 

Furthermore, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will get an up-close look at the quarterback he passed on in Fields. 

Lance and Fields, along with Kyler Murray, represent a new era of quarterback in the NFC. This could be our first glimpse at a future rivalry. This game may not seem like an obvious choice to highlight on the calendar, but with Fields and Lance in the mix, I am intrigued.

New York Jets at Carolina Panthers 

Week 1

Date: 9/12

Time: 1:00pm EST

The NFL season kicks off with a compelling matchup of Sam Darnold versus his old team. In week one, the Darnold-led Carolina Panthers battle the New York Jets. Both teams should be far more competitive in 2021. The Panthers are hoping they have their quarterback in Darnold and that a change of scenery was all he needed. At the skill positions, the Panthers have surrounded Darnold with an array of talent. At receiver, D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and the rookie, Terrace Marshall, should make Darnold’s life easy. Additionally, a returning Christian McCaffery at running back should bolster an offense that was inconsistent last season. 

The Jets gave their offense a complete overhaul. After trading Darnold to the Panthers, the Jets selected BYU quarterback Zach Wilson second overall. From there, they drafted the speedy wideout Elijah Moore and UNC running back Michael Carter. The former Titan, Corey Davis, was added in free agency as well. 

There is plenty to entertain in this one, including our first look at some promising rookies. Who will start 2021 with a win?

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