NFL Schedule 2012: Five Games That Should Have Been Put In Primetime
By Jason Peters
With the emergence of Thursday night games as a constant throughout the season, there have never been more opportunities for teams to be seen on Primetime football. Unfortunately, many of the matchups, especially the Thursday night games, leave little to get excited about. I understand wanting to give as many teams Primetime exposure as possible, but the fans still want to see the best games possible on television. With that being said, Let’s look at five match-ups currently not scheduled for Primetime that should be, as well as which games they should replace.
Week 1
49ers at Packers instead of Chargers at Raiders
I live in Los Angeles and could care less about the Raiders/Chargers match-up. Neither team seems destined for the playoffs, and with Vincent Jackson signing with the Bucs, San Diego football just got a whole lot less interesting to watch. 49ers/Packers could be a match-up we see again at the end of the season for the NFC Championship.
Week 4
Saints at Packers instead of Browns at Ravens
I know I just put the Packers on here twice in a row, but watching a Rodgers-Brees shootout is just too good to pass up on; I’m surprised the league didn’t agree with me on this one. Goodel & Co. have never put more emphasis on 500 yard passing games and scores of 62-57, and it would seem this game will provide just that. There may be a bit of interesting history between the Ravens and the Browns, but as far as football games go, it will make for an excruciatingly painful ordeal watching Flacco try to pass for fewer yards than McCoy.
Week 7
Jets at Patriots instead of Seahawks at 49ers
Jets/Patriots games should always be broadcast, and always in Primetime. There is so much bad blood as of late between these two, and the tension only seems to increase with each passing year. There may not be too many seasons in which we get to see Tom Brady go up against a tenacious Jets D, so we should embrace it and relish in it while we can. With the Seahawks strength being Marshawn Lynch, and the 49er’s strength being there run defense, this game will be the equivalent of watching someone repeatedly ramming themselves into a brick wall.
Week 8
Falcons at Eagles instead of Buccaneers at Vikings
I don’t care if the Bucs and the Vikings are in the same conference; I don’t anticipate either of them being very good next year, nor do I see either of them winning the division next year. Throw in the fact that this game comes in the middle of the season, and won’t carry much urgency, and you have a recipe for quite the unexciting game. The Eagles and Falcons are two of the premiere franchises in the NFC, and both of them have a lot to prove this season. I imagine Falcons/Eagles being a much more intense matchup.
Week 9
Panthers at Redskins over Chief at Chargers
The Steelers also play the Giants and are not scheduled for Primetime. I was very tempted to put them in this spot, as they are both traditionally strong, proud franchises. The fact that I put Panthers/Redskins here is based solely on the idea of watching Cam Newton and RG3 take the same field. One or the other will be on the field for approximately 95% of the game; That should be enough to keep anyone glued to their TV sets. The Chiefs/Charger game gives you the opportunity to watch Rivers battle Cassel, a slightly to significantly less interesting match-up.
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