Kickoff is right around the corner. The preseason action has reached its climax, the roster cuts have been made and the 53-man rosters are finalized. Every team will put their best foot forward and make their run toward the playoffs. Unfortunately, when that football is kicked off on September 6, there will already be a hierarchy of good, bad and ugly teams. Some of those teams are rebuilding and need a few years to get their club back up to snuff, while others have all the chess pieces they need to make a legitimate playoff run. So when not all games are created equal, how do you know which ones are worth the watch and which are better left not talking about? Don’t fret; I’ll count down the top 10 matchups of the 2018 season to find out which games will give you the most bang for your buck.
Cowboys at Giants: Week 17
It’s not unreasonable to think that both these teams will be in the hunt for a wild-card spot, especially in the last week of the season. The NFC East will be an exciting division to keep tabs on. It’ll be tough for either team to win the division with the Eagles still in the prime of their Super-Bowl window, but they could still make some noise.
The Cowboys will finally have the Ezekiel Elliot suspension drama behind them and should have the star running back available for all 16 games this year. The offensive line, which has been one of the biggest boons for the team in recent history, has suddenly become muddled with Tyron Smith and Zack Martin’s injuries and Travis Frederick’s diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Elliott is talented enough to still have a major impact though. Promising rookies like wide receiver Michael Gallup, offensive guard Connor Williams and tight end Dalton Schultz could see opportunities for playing time. Dak Prescott is a dynamic QB that has the potential to lead the Cowboys to a playoff berth.
The Giants, on the other hand, do not have the dynamic QB, so a shootout might not be likely, but everything else is in place for them. Rookie Will Hernandez and free-agent acquisition Nate Solder will help shore up an improved O-line. Getting those ducks in a row will, of course, allow 2nd overall pick, physical-freak RB Saquon Barkley to have more success. The return of Odell Beckham this season might be the most exciting factor leading up to this matchup. When healthy and on the field, he’s arguably the best receiver in the league (spare me the Antonio Brown rebuttals). We can’t discount Evan Engram either. I look for him to continue his NFL growth during his second season and lay claim as one of the most exciting TEs in the sport.
Browns at Ravens: Week 17
This is a choice off the beaten path, but that’s because the excitement level of this game is contingent on some bold predictions: Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson will be the starters at this point in the season and there will be playoff hopes on the line.
The Browns amassed an impressive group of talented pass-catchers over the past couple seasons: Jarvis Landry via trade from Miami, Antonio Callaway in the 4th round of the 2018 Draft out of Florida, the return of the prodigal son Josh Gordon, rising tight end star David Njoku going into his second year, and third-year receiver Rashard Higgins. That group could potentially include Dez Bryant before the season starts, as well. The running backs could make some waves, too, as Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson and rookie Nick Chubb will all make some sort of contribution.
The defense could really turn a corner this season. Myles Garrett will dominate. A linebacking group of Christian Kirksey, Jamie Collins and 2017 Pro-Bowler Joe Schobert will make up a strong second level. After consulting my local Browns expert, rookies Gernard Avery at LB and Denzel Ward as CB1 are also two exciting names to keep an eye on. This should be a pretty good defense.
The Ravens have gotten a lot of heartache lately for the lame duck Joe Flacco being under center. The pressure will be on Flacco as the electric Jackson waits in the wings. I think after a disappointing start to the season, Jackson will take over and take the league by storm and make the most of his downfield threat John Brown and first- and third-round tight ends Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews once they both get back to 100%. As I mentioned above, this matchup is conducive on mostly the two rookie QBS. If they are both starting, expect an exciting game.
Falcons at Eagles: Week 1
No Top 10 game list is complete without the opening kickoff. This is a marquee matchup featuring the defending Super Bowl (LII) champs and the losers from Super Bowl LI. Both teams could be considered powerhouses and will likely duke it out in a Thursday night thriller.
Carson Wentz will be returning to his quarterbacking duties for the Eagles after suffering ACL and LCL injuries last season. Assuming he is cleared to play in this game, the QB duel between him and Matt Ryan could prove to be an exciting kick-start to the season. Wentz, when healthy, has checked all the boxes so far to earn the title of “franchise quarterback. Nick Foles might have gotten the unofficial Week 1 nod to start, but there shouldn’t be much FUD for the former Super Bowl MVP steering the ship in Wentz’s stead for a week or two.
While Ryan’s “franchise QB” label could be argued, the wealth of other weapons on the roster add another dimension to this offense. Julio Jones is still on the team; nothing else needs to be said about that. The Falcons’ first-round pick this past April, Calvin Ridley, could provide some breathing room for Jones while also niching out a role as the second receiver. The one-two punch that is Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman has been a dynamic RB coupling to watch in the past few seasons, so there’s no reason to think they’d be any less fun to watch this year. These are both playoff caliber teams that could even potentially play each other in the NFC Championship.
Patriots at Steelers: Week 15
These are two of the most consistently good AFC teams and they are each the frontrunners to win their respective divisions by week 15, but I believe it will be a good game as long as there are some playoff byes and/or home-field advantage worth playing for. When these two teams are healthy and go all-out, they are the best of what the NFL has to offer.
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Tom Brady needs no introduction. He’s an era-defining quarterback and it doesn’t matter who his weapons are, but it just so happens that he has the best tight end in the league, Rob Gronkowski. Fan favorites, Rex Burkhead and James White, are also talented and have made significant contributions so far in their Patriots tenure. I would also expect Jeremy Hill to have a sneaky good season in his first year with the Patriots.
The Steelers have one of the best, if not THE best, running backs in the game right now in Le’Veon Bell. The Steelers also have one of the best, if not THE best, wide receivers right now in Antonio Brown. Ben Roethlisberger is a future Hall of Fame inductee, but that gets overshadowed with how good Brown and Bell are. Look for second-year WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie WR James Washington to play a role, as well.
Saints at Panthers: Week 15
Here’s another clash of football titans. They both have Hall-of-Fame worthy QBs: Drew Brees and Cam Newton, young, talented, pass-catching RBs: Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram and Christian McCaffrey and promising WRs: Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, DJ Moore and Devin Funchess. The NFC South should be one of the more exciting divisions to watch and is, in no small part, because of these two teams. They both have the talent and depth to go deep into the playoffs and have the potential to even win a Super Bowl.
The Saints have both the 2017 Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year in Kamara and cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Kamara and Lattimore topped off an elite draft class, which included other 2017 rookie contributions from Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams and Alex Anzalone. I look for them to take the next step in their second seasons.
The Panthers should continue to maintain a fast, stout defense and also have a myriad of offensive weapons that feature the aforementioned Moore, Funchess and McCaffrey but also Greg Olsen, Curtis Samuel, Torrey Smith and Ian Thomas. The NFC South is a tough division, but Newton can lead this team to at least a wild-card spot.
Lions at Vikings: Week 9
Matt Stafford is one of the most underrated QBs in the league and, when he has help, the Lions have the ability to make some waves in the playoffs. The running back position for the Lions has been a problem for almost this entire decade, but the team looks to buck that trend with the second-round rookie out of Auburn, Kerryon Johnson. Stafford’s WRs are extremely productive; the likes of Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, and the second-year Kenny Golladay make up an underrated position group and should be fun to watch this season.
The Vikings are one of the most talented and exciting teams in the league. The Kirk Cousins signing was the final piece of the puzzle. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen lead the way for the WRs and Dalvin Cook should be the bell-cow back, even though he’s returning from an ACL injury. The defense is suffocating and built around powerhouses Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr and Everson Griffin.
Patriots at Jaguars: Week 2
The Patriots don’t need another elevator pitch. They’re the Patriots. The Jaguars, on the other hand, have an embarrassment of riches on their roster and have quickly become an upstart playoff contender in the past couple of years. Love him or hate him, Blake Bortles is still at the helm this season and, despite his apparent shortcomings in seasons prior, is capable of managing a game in the best case scenario. He at least has the receiving corps—Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, Rashad Greene, DJ Chark and Donte Moncrief–to help him. Leonard Fournette is a human wrecking ball and will be fun to watch as he rumbles his way to at least 1,000 yards.
The Sacksonville defensive line will be back in full force and pass-rushing extraordinaire Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue will lead the way up front. Myles Jack, Telvin Smith and former- Badgers, rookie SAM-linebacker Leon Jacobs will make up the second level. Then there is the best cornerback duo in the league: Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye. This “re-matchup” has the making for another classic, much like the 2017 AFC Championship.
Chiefs at Chargers: Week 1
This is the best matchup of the opening week. The Chiefs might have the most exciting group of skill players in the league. Travis Kelce is in the tier-1 of tight ends and one of my personal favorites. Kareem Hunt came out of Toledo and had a gangbusters rookie season and earned a Pro-Bowl nod. Tyreek Hill is the ultimate gadget player in the NFL and has been so successful that other teams have attempted to emulate the position with the lightning-quick, jitterbug players. The big ticket name is Patrick Mahomes though. The Chiefs took him in the first round of the 2017 Draft and was the heir apparent for when Alex Smith was no longer the starter. Well, Smith has long since been traded to the Redskins, so the Mahomes era has begun.
Look for an exciting, gun-slinging shootout between Mahomes and Chargers’ QB Phillip Rivers. Rivers gets overshadowed by the Bradys and Rodgers of the league but has had a prestigious career in his own right. Hunter Henry, the starting tight end, might be out for the season, but 2017 first-rounder Mike Williams is coming back healthy and flashed some of the athleticism in the preseason that caused him to be so highly praised coming out of college. Melvin Gordon is a touchdown machine and Antonio Gates is one of the league’s ageless wonders and probably still has something left in the tank. I wouldn’t be surprised if these teams drop 40 points each.
Vikings at Packers: Week 2
The road to the NFC Championship will go through both these teams at least once. I’ve already sung the Vikings’ praises and they’re only one of three (maybe four, we’ll see about the Bears) NFC North teams that will majorly control the outcome of the NFC playoff picture.
The Packers are always a threat and it goes without saying that it starts with Aaron Rodgers. He just received his big paycheck and rightfully so. Another era-defining QB, he’ll go down in the history books as one of the greatest players in NFL history. His weapons on offense have been a turnstile throughout his career. That’s because he makes all the skill players better. This year’s team does feature some additional talented players, however. A regressing Jimmy Graham might still be a good fit for Rodgers and the Packers, even if he’s in the tail end of his career. There’s still Davante Adams and there are also potential contributors in the first- and second-year players: Aaron Jones, J’Mon Moore, Jamaal Williams, DeAngelo Yancey, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Regardless of the WRs and RBs, expect an exhilarating NFC North bout.
49ers at Rams: Week 17
This is it. This is will be the best game of the season. These are two high-octane, up-swinging teams where the sky is the limit with the next wave of coaching and quarterbacking phenoms. This game will be an exciting conclusion to an awesome season and will have playoff implications hanging in the balance.
Jimmy Garoppolo is San Francisco’s guy. When the 49ers traded for him last season, they were 0-10. They won the last six when Jimmy G was the starting QB. He’s one of the biggest new(ish) names at the quarterback position and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be the face of the franchise for the next 10 years. He has the inherent ability to make the players around him better. Although the ‘9ers have done well in the past two drafts, it will help that Garoppolo is in charge; he will eventually lead the team to the promised land. Marquise Goodwin is a speedy deep threat that will stretch the field, Pierre Garcon has been a solid fixture in the NFL for the past decade, George Kittle showed some improvement over the course of his rookie year and Dante Pettis is a shifty return specialist that will improve kickoff and punt returns.
The Rams have superstars in almost every position group. They have Ndamukong Suh and their $135-million man, Aaron Donald, on the defensive line. They have Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters starting at the corner positions and Lamarcus Joyner at free safety. Speedsters, Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods, safety-blanket Cooper Kupp and athletic tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett will catch the ball from the much-improved starting QB, Jared Goff. Oh, don’t forget about Todd Gurley. This is a marquee matchup and will feature the eventual Super Bowl LIII champions: the Los Angeles Rams.
(Featured image photo credit: USA Today Sports)
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