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As soon as the National Football League released its 2008 week-by-week schedule, PFW editors Eric Edholm, Mike Wilkening, Dan Parr and Michael Blunda analyzed it and picked one contest for each week (17 in all) that presented the most intriguing storyline.
Here are the games they believe stood out above the others (for reasons explained below) for each week of the season:
Week One
Vikings at Packers
Monday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m. ET
Packers fans will be watching — and hoping they can bear to watch — Aaron Rodgers’ debut as Green Bay’s starting quarterback against a defense that stops the run like none other and will force Brett Favre’s replacement to beat it through the air. Vikings fans will be watching because Adrian Peterson is 23 years old and could be even stronger and faster in 2008, if you stop and think about it. The really optimistic will hold out hope for Tarvaris Jackson, too. You will watch, too — it’s Week One, and no one’s fantasy team is toast just yet.
Week Two
Patriots at Jets
Sunday, Sept. 14, 4:15 p.m. ET
You won’t have to wait long for the “Spygate” rivalry to resume. The new-look Jets spent a yacht-load of money to revamp their offensive line in the offseason with the hopes it would be better able to compete with dominant defensive lines, such as that of the Patriots. Eric Mangini’s club will get an early read on the bang for their buck in this tense battle vs. Bill Belichick’s AFC champs.
Week Three
Jaguars at Colts
Sunday, Sept. 21, 4:15 p.m. ET
The Jaguars will get their first taste of Lucas Oil Stadium as the top two teams from the AFC South go head-to-head. Games have been decided by seven points or less the past four times these two squads have met in Indy, with the Colts winning the last three. Can Jack Del Rio and QB David Garrard, who both recently received contract extensions, get the momentum on their side as they look to finally unseat the kings of the division?
Week Four
Redskins at Cowboys
Sunday, Sept. 28, 4:15 p.m. ET
New Redskins head coach Jim Zorn gets his first taste of Cowboys-Redskins rivalry in Dallas, and it will be the final time the Redskins ever play in the regular season at Cowboys Stadium before Dallas unveils its new digs in 2009. The Cowboys had a surprisingly tough time with the Redskins in 2007, narrowly winning at home and losing in Washington, and their opening slate — at Cleveland, vs. Philly and at Green Bay — is no joke.
Week Five
Seahawks at Giants
Sunday, Oct. 5, 1 p.m. ET
The defending-champion Giants play host to perennial NFC power Seattle , with each team coming off a bye. Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren would love nothing more than to make a run at the Super Bowl in his final year as a head coach, and a win over the Giants would be a huge step in that direction. This will also be a good test for Seattle’s new backfield of Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett as they go against the Giants’ tough D-line.
Week Six
Patriots at Chargers
Sunday, Oct. 12, 8:15 p.m. ET
The Patriots will get their first serious test of the season when they travel to San Diego for a rematch of last year’s AFC championship. The last time New England played at Qualcomm Stadium, during the ’06 playoffs, they mounted a memorable comeback victory over the favored Chargers and proceeded to mock Shawne Merriman’s “Lights Out” dance in their postgame celebration. This Sunday-night clash very well could be another playoff preview.
Week Seven
Colts at Packers
Sunday, Oct. 19, 4:15 p.m. ET
In his only regular-season game at Lambeau Field, played on Nov. 19, 2000, Peyton Manning won the individual battle with Brett Favre, tossing one more TD pass than the Packers’ legend, but lost the war, dropping a 26-24 decision. This time, Manning won’t have the legend looming on the opposite sideline … we think. The tables have turned and the Colts’ Pro Bowler will play the elder statesman to Green Bay’s first-year starter at quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
Week Eight
Giants at Steelers
Sunday, Oct. 26, 4:15 p.m. ET
All of the focus in this matchup will be on QBs Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, who were selected first and 11th, respectively, in the 2004 draft. Each signalcaller has already led his team to a Super Bowl victory, but which one will have more success the rest of his career? Also, this will mark Plaxico Burress’ first trip back to Pittsburgh since leaving the Steelers for New York in 2005.
Week Nine
Patriots at Colts
Sunday, Nov. 2, 8:15 p.m. ET
Anytime these two titans meet, it’s billed as the “real” Super Bowl, in a not-so-subtle dig at the NFC, but the Giants stuck a knife in the theory of AFC supremacy last year. This slightly tarnished matchup may not get the same level of hype it did in 2007, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although it could very well offer a preview to the conference championship game. This could be the last time the two starkly contrasting giants of the coaching profession, Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy face off, if Dungy steps down following the season.
Week 10
Giants at Eagles
Sunday, Nov. 9,8:15 p.m. ET
The champs make the short trip to Philly and most certainly will receive a warm, fuzzy response from the locals. More seriously, this could be a critical game for the NFC East race, which featured four teams at 8-8 or better and three playoff clubs in ’07. The Eagles lost to the Giants both times last season, 16-3 at the Meadowlands and 16-13 at Philly. The Giants' fans surely will be mouthing off about their title game in advance of — and probably long after — this game.
Week 11
Chargers at Steelers
Sunday, Nov. 16, 4:15 p.m. ET
This very likely will be a defensive struggle between two of the league’s most bruising defenses. The Chargers could have an advantage here as they come off a game against the rebuilding Chiefs while the Steelers will have played a bruising, ultracompetitive game against the AFC title-contending Colts in Week 10.
Week 12
Colts at Chargers
Sunday, Nov. 23, 8:15 p.m. ET
Peyton Manning returns to the scene of possibly his worst career outing — a six-interception debacle in San Diego last year. The Colts also will have some serious revenge in mind here, as they lost two tight games to the Chargers in 2007, one being in the playoffs. Philip Rivers played great in that contest, so expect Indy to be fired up to stop him. On the other side, Manning consistently struggles against the Bolts’ talented defense.
Week 13
Seahawks at Cowboys
Thursday, Nov. 27, 4:15 p.m. ET
Retiring head coach Mike Holmgren gets a proper stage in his swan-song season here with a Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas. More than that, though, this could be a very interesting matchup with two of the NFC’s better teams. The Seahawks quietly could be putting together a nice season at this point, and the Cowboys will enter the season as the NFC’s top dogs.
Week 14
Dolphins vs. Bills (at Toronto)
Sunday, Dec. 7, 1 p.m. ET
This is the first of five regular-season games the Bills will play in Toronto in the next five years. Buffalo residents can’t be happy about losing a game against their hated rivals from South Florida, and the Canadian Football League can’t be all that happy, either. But how will the city of Toronto respond to the NFL? This game, which will be played at Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) will give us something of an idea. Here’s another idea: If the Bills are so concerned about expanding their reach into Canada, why not play a game at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton?
Week 15
Giants at Cowboys
Sunday, Dec. 14, 8:15 p.m. ET
They will have met once already in New York (in Week Nine), but the Giants return to Dallas — the scene of their thrilling comeback and upset in the playoffs to advance to the NFC title game. The Cowboys’ season ended that day, marred by talk of Terrell Owens’ injury, Tony Romo’s girlfriend and the defense’s inability to stop Eli Manning on a couple of key possessions. High drama indeed, as it always is with these two teams.
Week 16
49ers at Rams
Sunday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m. ET
With Niners head coach Mike Nolan and Rams head coach Scott Linehan perhaps facing playoffs-or-else seasons, will this game have postseason implications? Or will it just be grist for the rumor mill, which is always churning around Christmas time in this business?
Week 17
Browns at Steelers
Sunday, Dec. 28, 1 p.m. ET
We will learn a lot about the Browns this season. Many will make them the favorites to win the AFC North after their 10-win campaign in ’07 and productive offseason, but if they are going to win the AFC North, they probably are going to have to play the Steelers tougher than they have of late. Cleveland has not won in Pittsburgh since 2003; and that was the last time the Browns beat the Steelers — a losing streak that is nine games long entering this season.
Related Articles:
2008 NFL week-by-week schedule
AFC team schedules
NFC team schedules
Preseason schedule
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