NFL Schedule 2012: Ten Must See Games

The NFL released the 2012 regular season schedule on Tuesday evening. I, like most football fans, have been waiting for this since the conclusion of the 2011 season.

Of course, setting aside time to watch your favorite team is a must. But there are many other intriguing games throughout the season that a fan should also make time for. Why, you ask? Who cares? It’s football. More of a reason to be glued to our TV’s.

Below is a list of 10 must-see games in the 2012 NFL season that will get you, well, at least should get you all sorts of pumped up.

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (Week 1).
Why it’s must-see TV: Umm, the defending NFL champions will face their hated rival, and sparks fly when rivals face off. Last time these two teams met was in Week 17, and it had major playoff implications—the winner would go on to the playoffs and the loser would go home. How did that turn out? Oh, and here’s this gem from new Cowboy Brandon Carr that should make things more interesting, per ESPN:

"I’m six-foot, 200 pounds. I know he’s got to run through me to get wherever he’s running, so I’m going to be patient at the line. All that salsa dancing, that’s fine, but you’ve got to come through me.I don’t plan on seeing no dancing."

Boom. What a way to kick off the season.

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers (Week 2).
Why it’s must-see TV: These two teams battled it out all afternoon when they met last season. And 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and Lions head coach Jim Schwartz almost battled it out after the game. That’s how intense this game was. It should be no different this season. 49ers also have a new offensive weapon in Randy Moss. Remember him? Oh, and, one of the best defenses in the league will go up against Matt Stafford and Megatron. That should be fun.

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens (Week 3).
Why it’s must-see TV: Rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game. The Ravens were a field goal away from pulling off a huge upset and going to the Super Bowl—Billy Cundiff might still be having nightmares about this; same goes for Lee Evans who “dropped” an endzone catch—but that didn’t happen, obviously. The Ravens defense managed to keep the Patriots offense at bay, and Joe Flacco outperformed Tom Brady, but still couldn’t pull off the upset. The Ravens must be itching to play this game for a little pay back.

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers (Week 4).
Why it’s must-see TV: Drew Brees vs. Aaron Rodgers. These two put up Madden-like numbers last season, so it’s definitely going to be a shoot out. They proved that when they faced off in Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season. The final score was 42-34, Packers. We all know these two teams have great offenses, but what should be interesting is how the Saints defense and their key acquisitions will look this upcoming season. With a new defensive coordinator and possible player suspensions, this Saints defense is a whole new unit.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (Week 6).
Why it’s must-see TV: Rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game that went into overtime. What a game that was. The defense on both teams played excellent. What looked to be a 49ers win, turned out to be the opposite. The Giants ended up winning, no, I’m sorry, surviving the game. Reason? Turnovers. I’m looking at you Kyle Williams.

New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos (Week 8).
Why it’s must-see TV: It’s Peyton Manning’s season back after not playing the 2011 season due to his neck injury. Any Broncos game should be good to see because of this reason. But this game in particular should be even more interesting. Brees vs. Manning! Enough said.

St Louis Rams at Washing Redskins (Week 2).
Why it’s must-see TV: The Redskins will use their No. 2 pick to draft either Andrew Luck or RG3. The Rams traded their No. 2 pick to the Redskins. It should be interesting to see how this works out. Maybe it will come back to haunt the Rams, maybe not.

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints (Week 12).
Why it’s must-see TV: Rematch of last season’s NFC Divisional Round. What an amazing game, and an even greater ending. Alex Smith torched the Saints defense. Yes, Alex Smith. That was in San Francisco. This time it will be in New Orleans, so you know Saints fans will go crazy and make it extra hard for the 49ers to hear anything. Let’s not forget this is the game where Gregg Williams delivered his now-infamous speech. Both sides will be looking forward to this game to get some revenge. The 49ers won’t forget the Williams speech, and the Saints won’t forget how Smith lit them up. Fireworks.

New England Patriots at New York Jets (Week 12).
Why it’s must-see TV: Thanksgiving Day. Forget the food! Look at this great game! Thanksgiving Day football games are usually bore-snore. Not this time around. C’mon! This is a no-brainer. These two teams and their fans hate each other. Last season, the Pats’ spanked and embarrassed the Jets at Foxborough and in their own home. Rex Ryan and co. are definitely looking for some pay back. I wonder who the starting quarterback will be by the time this game rolls around.

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants (Week12).
Why it’s must-see TV: The Green Bay Packers finished the 2011 season 15-1. They were heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl again! But the 9-7 New York Giants ruined that. The Giants’ defense was dominant and completely walked all over Aaron Rodgers and the offense. I’m sure Rodgers and co. weren’t too happy about that. Their will be a lot of lead changes in this game, and it will come down to the wire, again. Question is, who can pull off the win, Rodgers or Manning?

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