The NFL gave sports fans the live content they have been craving on Thursday, May 7, when the league released its regular season schedule for all 32 teams. Though a schedule release does not have the same drama and intensity as April’s draft, it is still something that can get fans excited for the upcoming season.      

The first interesting matchup of this season will take place on opening night when the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, take on the Houston Texans on Thursday, September 10, at 8:25 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium. This matchup is a rematch of last season’s AFC Divisional Round, and the Texans will be looking to get their revenge. The Texans had a 24-0 lead in the first half until the Chiefs came out in the second half and made an unbelievable comeback, winning the game 51-31 and advancing to the AFC Championship game. This matchup also features two young and exciting superstar quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson of the Texans and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs.

Another notable Week One matchup features two NFC South teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints, who will play on Sunday, September 13, in the Superdome. This matchup is notable because Tom Brady will be making his long-awaited debut with the Buccaneers after signing with the team in the offseason, with New England Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski by his side. They will be going up against Drew Brees and the high-powering Saints offense. Brady and Brees have only faced each other five times in their careers, but during this season, they will play against each other twice. Both games should be very entertaining, and fans can expect each of them to be a shootout.

The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams’ matchup on Sunday, September 13, is also notable as it will be the first regular season game played in the new SoFi Stadium. The game will be nationally televised, which will give fans from across the country a first look at the stadium. The Rams will be sharing the stadium with the Los Angeles Chargers during the season. Another team playing in a new stadium – as well as in a new city – is the Las Vegas Raiders. After spending decades in Oakland, the Raiders will be calling Allegiant Stadium their new home. Fans can watch the first ever professional football game played in Las Vegas on Monday, September 21, when the Raiders take on the Saints.

Another notable matchup is the Cincinnati Bengals versus the Cleveland Browns, which will feature a quarterback matchup of No. 1 overall picks and Heisman trophy winners, Joe Burrow of the Bengals and Baker Mayfield of the Browns. They will face each other twice this season, and both teams hope that will be the quarterback matchup for the next decade. The Browns will also have a game against the New York Giants on Sunday, December 12. This game is notable because Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will be going up against the team that drafted him. Beckham was moved last offseason in a shocking trade to Cleveland. Fans will be eager to see the reception Beckham gets from the MetLife Stadium crowd.

The Thanksgiving games this season should be entertaining as well. The day will begin with the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions at 12:30 p.m. at Ford Field. Following that will be the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. at AT&T Stadium. The last game will be the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8:20 p.m. at Heinz Field. A historic rivalry is a great way to end a jam-packed day full of football and many helpings of food. The following week, the Cowboys and Ravens will face off on Thursday Night Football in what will be a highly-anticipated matchup.Christmas Day lands on a Friday this year, meaning that there will be an NFL game on a Friday for the first time in 11 years. The game features a playoff rematch from last season between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. Like the Texans, the Saints will be looking to get revenge after the Vikings eliminated them from last season’s playoffs after a controversial game-winning touchdown in overtime. That game will start at 4:30 p.m. in the Superdome.

Along with team matchups, there are some very notable quarterback matchups this season, including Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers), Mahomes vs. Brady and Jackson vs. Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans). These matchups feature some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and they will get fans excited to tune into each one of those games.

As it stands right now, the NFL plans to start the season on time, though the league is carefully monitoring the coronavirus situation. Teams are prepared to play games in empty stadiums or in front of limited crowds, and all of the international games that were supposed to be played in London and Mexico City have been canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing we know for sure is that there will be football this season, and fans can be excited about that.

Photo Courtesy of Brett Coomer