The 2016 NFL season is set to kick off Thursday night when the Denver Broncos host the Carolina Panthers. It is always extremely exciting when a new NFL season begins, but with 32 teams in action this week, which matchups should be the best Week 1 NFL games of 2016? The three best Week 1 games, in no particular order, are listed below.
Best Week 1 NFL Games of 2016
Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos
Thurs., Sept. 8 at 8:30 PM ET on NBC
This is a rematch of Super Bowl 50 which the Broncos won 24-10 and Super Bowl rematches simply do not happen that often. They almost never happen in Week 1. Plus, it’s the first regular season game of the season and the only NFL game on Thursday night.
With future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning now retired and Brock Osweiler now under center for the Houston Texans, the Broncos have named Trevor Siemian as their starting quarterback. It will be very interesting to see how the former Northwestern quarterback does against the Panthers defense. Carolina’s defense should still be one of the best in the NFL, but fans will want to see just how good the Panthers defense is this season with cornerback Josh Norman now with the Washington Redskins. After missing all of the 2015 season with an ACL tear it will be fun to see Kelvin Benjamin back on the field in a regular season game. Will the Broncos defense be as dominant as it was last season with the losses of Danny Trevathan and Malik Jackson? How will reigning MVP Cam Newton kick off the 2016 season when he plays against the same team that stifled him in the Super Bowl?
There is a lot to look forward to in this game.
New England Patriots at Arizona Cardinals
Sun., Sept. 11 at 8:30 PM ET on NBC
This is another standalone game since it’s the Sunday night game, but that is far from the only reason to tune in. For starters, both the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals were the runner up in their respective conference last season.
Patriots signal caller Tom Brady will be serving the first game of his four game suspension as the Pats travel west to take on the Cardinals. Fans are anxiously waiting to see what Jimmy Garoppolo will do in Brady’s stead. Brady suffered a season ending ACL tear in the first drive of the 2007, but since being back under center for the Pats in Week 1 of the 2008 season Brady has not missed a start.
Garoppolo has shown he has talent, but he’s not Brady and the Cardinals defense is extremely talented. With players like Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu Arizona should have one of the better defenses yet again this season. It will be interesting to see how Garoppolo fairs in his first NFL start. Also, keep an eye on the individual matchup of Mathieu and Rob Gronkowski. Those two going toe to toe much of the game should be plenty entertaining by itself.
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets
Sun., Sept. 11 at 1:00 PM ET on CBS
This game is highly intriguing for two reasons. The expectations for each team and the possible playoff implications of this Week 1 game and the individual matchups.
Both of these teams went 10-6 in 2015, with the Cincinnati Bengals making the playoffs and the New York Jets missing out after a Week 17 loss. Both the Bengals and Jets have their sights set on the postseason in 2016. But both teams will have a tough time winning their division with the Bengals most likely having to contend with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North crown. The Jets will have to try to pry the AFC East title from the grip of the Patriots which, even with Brady’s four game suspension, will be extremely difficult.
While it’s possible that both teams win their division what happens if both are two of a handful of teams that are vying for the two wild card spots? This head-to-head matchup in Week 1 could actually mean far more than just a normal Week 1 game. This is particularly true for the Jets who have to contend with the Patriots, as opposed to the Steelers, for the division crown. Plus, the Jets schedule is difficult, particular to the start the season. After hosting Cincy, the Jets have road games against the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. They then host the Seattle Seahawks before going on the road once more to play the Steelers and Cardinals. That’s a brutal stretch and it would be very beneficial for the Jets to get off to a fast start with a win in Week 1.
Viewers will also be treated to a matchup of Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (if the talented wide receiver’s injury is indeed not serious) and Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. Green and Revis will probably end up going one-on-one for most of the day and both players are one of the best in the league at their respective positions.
Fans will have to tune in to the Week 1 games to see which provide quality entertainment, but the three listed above should be on every fan’s watch list for Week 1.
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