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Three members of the Bristol braintrust give us the top five games they'd pay to watch this season.
Merril Hoge's five AFC matchups he'd pay to watch
San Diego at New England (Sept. 16): This is a plain ol' revenge game. The Chargers are still steaming over what could have been had they gotten a more consistent performance from Philip Rivers and held on to a few passes in their secondary. One turbulent offseason later, nobody really knows what is going on in San Diego. While the players from last year's team are largely back, the coaching staff has been completely redone with a new head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.
Jacksonville at Kansas City (Oct. 7): The Jaguars have a really good shot at being a contender this season. One of the keys is their ability to stop the run. This week they will face Larry Johnson, who looks like he'll be a threat to break the 2,000-yard barrier for a few more seasons.
Pittsburgh at Denver (Oct. 21): This has the potential to be a great game because the Broncos' Jay Cutler should be settled in at quarterback and he'll be facing a ferocious Steelers defense that will hopefully be healthy. On the flip side, we'll get to see just how well Mike Tomlin is doing as a head coach as he faces Mike Shanahan, one of the best in the business.
Indianapolis at Jacksonville (Oct. 22): This is always a great game to watch because the Jaguars know how to control Peyton Manning's tempo and force him to dink and dump instead of hitting the big play downfield. There is a great deal of intensity between these two divisional rivals as the Jaguars know the only way they can lay claim to being the best is by beating the Colts.
New England at Indianapolis (Nov. 4): Of course this game is on the list. Indianapolis has switched roles with the Patriots the past couple seasons, culminating in the Colts' stunning comeback in the AFC Championship Game. This is a prideful Patriots team that will want to exert some of that old dominance over its longtime rival and former whipping boy.
Joe Theismann's five NFC matchups he'd pay to watch
Dallas at Chicago (Sept. 23): Lovie Smith and Wade Phillips are two old-school Texas defensive guys, and this game will reflect that mind-set. Watch for a dogfight in the trenches as each team will try its best to stop the other from establishing the run. Also, this game will be an opportunity to see the Bears actually play a good team because they have one of the easier schedules in football.
Chicago at Seattle (Nov. 18): This is a playoff rematch, and the Seahawks know that last season's meeting was a game that they could have and probably should have won. They will be looking for retribution and this could be their shot at getting it on a much smaller stage.
Seattle at Philadelphia (Dec. 2): I think these are the front-runners for the Super Bowl. Watch out for a great matchup and some dynamic offensive plays.
New Orleans at Atlanta (Dec. 10): This is another matchup that will be fun to watch because it's a huge rivalry game. People travel to this game and there's a circus-like atmosphere surrounding it. It's going to be a fun game, especially since it's on "Monday Night Football," when even more people are going to be able to go because they can make it a true three-day weekend.
Dallas at Washington (Dec. 30): This game will always be one that I'd pay to watch. It's the closest the NFL gets to a collegiate atmosphere in terms of rivalry games. Both teams immediately circle this game on their calendars because the players and coaches know they are going to be asked every day by somebody: "Can you beat the Commanders/Cowboys?" Spicing it up this season is the fact that both teams have realistic playoff aspirations.
Eric Allen's five interconference matchups he'd pay to watch
New Orleans at Indianapolis (Sept. 6): This is like watching the Colts play the Colts team of a few seasons ago because of the sheer offensive firepower of the Saints. This is going to be a great check for both teams to see where they stand. For the Saints, it's an opportunity to measure themselves against the defending champions. For the Colts, it's an opportunity to see how they fare against a great offense and a young team that still has something to prove.
Cincinnati at Seattle (Sept. 23): This matchup is intriguing to me because of the potential for offensive fireworks. Yeah, I know I'm a defensive guy, but I still like seeing the ball getting flung around and points being put on the board.
New England at Dallas (Oct. 14): This is one of my early picks for the Super Bowl. Neither of these teams will outwardly show how much this game means to them, but they know it will be an excellent barometer of where each team is at this point in the season.
Denver at Chicago (Nov. 25): Two great coaches going at it. The Bears are going to have to get more consistent production from quarterback. They seem to be switching to a single-back system instead of the dual system they rode to the Super Bowl last season. Meanwhile, Denver is coming off an offseason littered with tragedy. I think the Broncos are going to play inspired football this season and will be led by a very good quarterback in Jay Cutler.
Philadelphia at New England (Nov. 25): The big question for the Eagles is if they are able to maintain the offensive balance that they used at the end of last season so effectively. It's going to be tougher with Donovan McNabb in the backfield, but they have to do it to maintain that level of success. Too often this team is too reliant on the passing game, and the Patriots will take advantage of that. It will be fun to watch the chess match between Brian Dawkins and Tom Brady. These two are among the best at their respective positions.
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Merril Hoge's five AFC matchups he'd pay to watch
San Diego at New England (Sept. 16): This is a plain ol' revenge game. The Chargers are still steaming over what could have been had they gotten a more consistent performance from Philip Rivers and held on to a few passes in their secondary. One turbulent offseason later, nobody really knows what is going on in San Diego. While the players from last year's team are largely back, the coaching staff has been completely redone with a new head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.
Jacksonville at Kansas City (Oct. 7): The Jaguars have a really good shot at being a contender this season. One of the keys is their ability to stop the run. This week they will face Larry Johnson, who looks like he'll be a threat to break the 2,000-yard barrier for a few more seasons.
Pittsburgh at Denver (Oct. 21): This has the potential to be a great game because the Broncos' Jay Cutler should be settled in at quarterback and he'll be facing a ferocious Steelers defense that will hopefully be healthy. On the flip side, we'll get to see just how well Mike Tomlin is doing as a head coach as he faces Mike Shanahan, one of the best in the business.
Indianapolis at Jacksonville (Oct. 22): This is always a great game to watch because the Jaguars know how to control Peyton Manning's tempo and force him to dink and dump instead of hitting the big play downfield. There is a great deal of intensity between these two divisional rivals as the Jaguars know the only way they can lay claim to being the best is by beating the Colts.
New England at Indianapolis (Nov. 4): Of course this game is on the list. Indianapolis has switched roles with the Patriots the past couple seasons, culminating in the Colts' stunning comeback in the AFC Championship Game. This is a prideful Patriots team that will want to exert some of that old dominance over its longtime rival and former whipping boy.
Joe Theismann's five NFC matchups he'd pay to watch
Dallas at Chicago (Sept. 23): Lovie Smith and Wade Phillips are two old-school Texas defensive guys, and this game will reflect that mind-set. Watch for a dogfight in the trenches as each team will try its best to stop the other from establishing the run. Also, this game will be an opportunity to see the Bears actually play a good team because they have one of the easier schedules in football.
Chicago at Seattle (Nov. 18): This is a playoff rematch, and the Seahawks know that last season's meeting was a game that they could have and probably should have won. They will be looking for retribution and this could be their shot at getting it on a much smaller stage.
Seattle at Philadelphia (Dec. 2): I think these are the front-runners for the Super Bowl. Watch out for a great matchup and some dynamic offensive plays.
New Orleans at Atlanta (Dec. 10): This is another matchup that will be fun to watch because it's a huge rivalry game. People travel to this game and there's a circus-like atmosphere surrounding it. It's going to be a fun game, especially since it's on "Monday Night Football," when even more people are going to be able to go because they can make it a true three-day weekend.
Dallas at Washington (Dec. 30): This game will always be one that I'd pay to watch. It's the closest the NFL gets to a collegiate atmosphere in terms of rivalry games. Both teams immediately circle this game on their calendars because the players and coaches know they are going to be asked every day by somebody: "Can you beat the Commanders/Cowboys?" Spicing it up this season is the fact that both teams have realistic playoff aspirations.
Eric Allen's five interconference matchups he'd pay to watch
New Orleans at Indianapolis (Sept. 6): This is like watching the Colts play the Colts team of a few seasons ago because of the sheer offensive firepower of the Saints. This is going to be a great check for both teams to see where they stand. For the Saints, it's an opportunity to measure themselves against the defending champions. For the Colts, it's an opportunity to see how they fare against a great offense and a young team that still has something to prove.
Cincinnati at Seattle (Sept. 23): This matchup is intriguing to me because of the potential for offensive fireworks. Yeah, I know I'm a defensive guy, but I still like seeing the ball getting flung around and points being put on the board.
New England at Dallas (Oct. 14): This is one of my early picks for the Super Bowl. Neither of these teams will outwardly show how much this game means to them, but they know it will be an excellent barometer of where each team is at this point in the season.
Denver at Chicago (Nov. 25): Two great coaches going at it. The Bears are going to have to get more consistent production from quarterback. They seem to be switching to a single-back system instead of the dual system they rode to the Super Bowl last season. Meanwhile, Denver is coming off an offseason littered with tragedy. I think the Broncos are going to play inspired football this season and will be led by a very good quarterback in Jay Cutler.
Philadelphia at New England (Nov. 25): The big question for the Eagles is if they are able to maintain the offensive balance that they used at the end of last season so effectively. It's going to be tougher with Donovan McNabb in the backfield, but they have to do it to maintain that level of success. Too often this team is too reliant on the passing game, and the Patriots will take advantage of that. It will be fun to watch the chess match between Brian Dawkins and Tom Brady. These two are among the best at their respective positions.
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