12 NFL Games We Can’t Wait To Watch In The 2020 NFL Season
Whenever the schedule for the upcoming NFL Season is released, one of the biggest talking points for fans is all of the NFL Games that they cannot wait to watch.
Each season, there are many NFL Games that highly anticipated by fans across all 32 of the league’s teams. There are a variety of reasons why a lot of the NFL Games are highly anticipated. These reasons include historical team rivalries, individual player rivalries, dramatic or controversial events that occurred the last time two teams played each other, and/or players returning to the teams that originally drafted them or made them star players, to name a few.
Assuming that the coronavirus doesn’t delay the season, Please note that all of the dates listed for the NFL Games featured in this article will be played on those scheduled dates.
Now, with all of that being said, take a look down and below and check out the following 12 NFL Games That Fans Can’t Wait To Watch In The 2020 NFL Season:
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints – Week 1 (9/13):
Due to them being the first games of the season, all Week 1 NFL Games generate lots of hype. Of all the Week 1 NFL Games, the one that will produce the most ratings and get fans (even ones who don’t root for the two teams featured in this matchup) extremely excited for is the Buccaneers vs Saints Game. This game will take place at the Superdome, the home stadium of The Saints.
This matchup will also be the Week 1 NFL Game that the majority of NFL Fans will watch because it features two future NFL Hall Fame Quarterbacks in their early-40s: Tom Brady (on the left) for The Buccaneers and Drew Brees (on the right) for The New Orleans Saints. This game will be the former’s first game as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. As both of these teams are in the same division (The NFC South), they will also play each again on November 8 at Raymond James Stadium, the home stadium of The Buccaneers.
2. Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – Week 6 (10/18) & Week 17 (1/3):
Given the fact that the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers play in the same division (AFC North), the two teams share a historic rivalry with each other. Both NFL Games between the two teams each season draw tons of interest.
This season, the two times that the division rivals play each other will draw plenty of hype and ratings after the infamous brawl the previous season where Cleveland Browns Defensive End Myles Garrett hit Pittsburgh Steelers Backup Quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with the latter’ helmet. The video below depicts the entire incident.
3. San Francisco 49ers vs. New England Patriots – Week 7 (10/25):
The 49ers-Patriots game will not only be San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s first game against his former team (who drafted him in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft), but also his first game back at Gillette Stadium. After spending the first four years of his NFL Career (and winning two Super Bowls) as Tom Brady’s backup, Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers in October 2017 and lead the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV this past February, which they lost 31-20 to The Kansas City Chiefs.
4. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens – Week 3 (9/28):
One of the NFL Games that all football fans should put in their calendars is the Week 3 Game between the Chiefs (the current Super Bowl Champions) and the Ravens on September 28. It will take place at M&T Stadium, the latter team’s home stadium.
This game will also produce one of the juiciest quarterback battles of the 2020 NFL Season between Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson. Mahomes, who won the NFL MVP Award for the 2018 NFL Season, is the reigning Super Bowl MVP and recently signed the richest contract in sports history. Meanwhile, Jackson is the reigning NFL MVP. This matchup is definitely one of the NFL Games this season to watch as it could also be a potential preview of the AFC Championship Game in January.
5. Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens – Week 11 (11/21):
In the playoffs of the previous season, The Titans upset The Ravens 28-12 in The AFC Divisional Round. The video below is of highlights from that playoff match. For sure, the rematch between the two teams in Week 11 will be one of the most highly anticipated NFL Games of the 2020 Regular Season.
Here’s a fun fact about the rosters of both teams: Assuming that each of the teams’ current rosters remains the same by the time they play each other on November 21st, there are a total of four former Heisman Trophy winners on both teams combined. The Titans’ roster features Running Back Derrick Henry, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2015. Meanwhile, the Ravens’ roster features Running Back Mark Ingram Jr., who won the Heisman Trophy in 2009; Backup Quarterback Robert Griffin III, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2011; and Starting Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2016.
6. San Fransisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints – Week 10 (11/15):
Last year, these two teams produced one of the best NFL Games of the 2019 NFL Season, which ended in 48-46 win for the 49ers. The video below features highlights from that thrilling game.
Like with last year’s game, the rematch will also be held in The Mercedes Benz Superdome, The Saint’s home stadium. Get your popcorn ready to see two of the NFL’s best offenses duke it out.
7. Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots – Week 1 (9/13) & Week 15 (12/20):
As I said earlier, NFL Teams in the same division tend to have historic rivalries and play each other twice (One time at home and one time away for both teams). The Miami Dolphins and The New England Patriots are both members of the AFC East and will play each other twice.
The first game between the two AFC East Teams will take place at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots’ home stadium and the second game will take place at Hard Rock Stadium, the Dolphins’ home stadium. From the last two seasons, we have seen some pretty exciting NFL Games between the two teams like the Miracle in Miami (see the video below) in 2018 and the Dolphins’ upset win over the Patriots during the final week of the 2019 NFL Season. Even though Tom Brady left The New England Patriots for The Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March, both Dolphins vs. Patriots Games will still be worth watching this season.
8. Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints – Week 16 (12/25):
Whenever NFL Games fall on a holiday, they are definitely worth the time to watch. This season, NFL Fans will be getting the ultimate Christmas present as the Vikings take on the Saints on Christmas Day. Another reason why this Christmas Day matchup will be one of the NFL Games to watch this season is that it will be a rematch of when the two teams met in the playoffs last season. During the NFC Wildcard Round, The Vikings beat The Saints 26-20 in overtime.
9. Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Week 1 (9/10):
As I said earlier, all Week 1 NFL Games generate lots of hype due to them being the first week of the new NFL Season. Besides the Buccaneers vs. Saints Game, another Week 1 Matchup that will produce tons of hype is the Texans vs. Chiefs Game.
The quarterback duel between Texans Quarterback Deshawn Watson and Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be worth watching, assuming that the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t delay the start of the 2020 NFL Season.
10. Cincinnatti Bengals vs. Miami Dolphins – Week 13 (12/6):
This NFL Matchup will be all about the quarterback duel between Joe Burrow (on the right) and Tua Tagovailoa (on the left). Both were the first two Quarterbacks taken in the 2020 NFL Draft: Burrow (also the reigning Heisman Trophy winner) was drafted first overall by The Bengals while Tagovailoa was drafted fifth overall by the Dolphins.
11. Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers – Week 9 (11/5):
These two teams played each other twice last year and the 49ers won both NFL Games in epic blowouts: 37-8 during Week 12 of the 2019 NFL Season and 37-20 in the 2020 NFC Championship Game.
The rematch will take place in Levi Stadium, the 49er’s home stadium, and where the two meetings between the 49ers and the Packers were held last season. Will this season’s rematch be another blowout win for the 49ers or will the result be different?
12. New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams – Week 14 (12/10):
This Week 14 Game between the Patriots and the Rams will be the first time that the two teams will play each other since Super Bowl LIII, which the Patriots won 13-3. The photo below is from Super Bowl LIII.
Since Super Bowl LIII, both teams’ rosters have significantly changed, with the likes of Tom Brady, Todd Gurley, Rob Gronkowski, among others, now on different teams. Despite these roster changes, this Super LIII rematch is definitely one of the NFL Games to watch this season and mark in your calendars.
Which NFL games are you the most excited to watch? Let us know down below in the comments section!
Featured Image Source: https://ninernoise.com/2020/04/09/jimmy-garoppolo-49ers-quarterbacks-best-games-binge-watch/4/
I am currently a senior at The University of Miami. I will graduate in December 2021 with a major in Journalism and minor in Sports Administration.