With the NFL schedules having come out, many fans (even casual ones) are looking forward to the primetime games coming in 2019. From divisional rivals looking for supremacy to the matchups that look like postseason previews, there’s something for everyone. Even the people that willingly watch Thursday Night Football.
But it’s important to note the many matchups that are just too big for even primetime. The ones that mean everything for a team trying to scratch their way to the playoffs. Others that showcase a newfound success for the team (i.e., the Cleveland Browns and their FIVE primetime games). Primetime games are the ones that better highlight the best of what the NFL has to offer.
With much of this being said, here are just a few that are that special to watch next season. Here are the ten best NFL Primetime games on the 2019 Schedule.
10. Thursday Night Football: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears Week One
Going away from the usual tradition that started in 2006 of the defending Super Bowl champs opening the season, it will be Packers and the Bears. It’s only appropriate as this will open the 100th season of the NFL, and what better way to open it than with the oldest rivalry in the league?
And it’s not a bad matchup either. Fans will be treated to watching the always entertaining quarterback play of Aaron Rodgers. Many of whom believe he is the greatest quarterback off of skill alone. And he’ll face one of the most opportunistic defenses in the league headed by the likes of Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith.
The last time these two opened the season against each other last season, Rodgers had to briefly leave with a left knee injury that he was carted off for near the start of the second quarter. He would return to a 20-point deficit at halftime and throw three touchdowns to come away with a 24-23 victory.
It was another showcase of how sensational he is, and the fans are hoping for the same with this week one matchup.
It will be an interesting one to see with the new era of the Packers with Matt LaFleur at head coach and some new faces on both sides of the ball as well. Not to mention with Aaron Rodgers having a microscope on him after the news of the Mike McCarthy drama, and this game will be an important one to watch in 2019.
9. Sunday Night Football: Los Angeles Rams at Cleveland Browns week three
Seeing this as a must-watch game on the calendar wouldn’t have been a thing three years ago. But these two teams have changed so much since then.
The Rams made it to the Super Bowl in just their second season with during the Adam McKay regime, and have turned their team into one of the most exciting ones to watch in the league. As for the Browns, they’ve changed a 0-16 team into a team on the rise.
Both have done it with young talent that will continue to reign over the NFL for years to come. Each has their own franchise quarterbacks with Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield coming off as first overall picks. Both have built talent from trades in a “win-now” mindset, that should dominate in the long run.
However, the most interesting part out of all of this is that it will be Odell Beckham Jr.’s first primetime game as a Brown after the shocking trade back in free agency.
This game has everything to be fun to watch.
8. Monday Night Football: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks week 13
A late-season matchup with possible playoff implications for both sides. Each dealing with a competitive division that they play in and a big quarterback matchup on the horizon as well.
Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins goes to the 12th Man, where he will face off against Russell Wilson in a game that could mean a wild-card berth for either of them. And with the amounting circumstances and expectations that come with both signal callers coming into this season, this will be the time in which it shows that they are worth their heavy prices.
It’s these clutch moments and times that show which quarterbacks belong in the top-tier and which are just overrated.
With this brought into the fold, this would be the most important game of Kirk Cousins’ career. Not only did he fail to make the playoffs in his first season as a Viking, but he was also labeled as the league’s most overrated player in the league by his own peers.
This could be a make-or-break near the end of the season.
7. Thursday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans week 12
A divisional matchup between the two best AFC South teams. Tow of the brightest young quarterbacks in the league.
A rematch of last season’s wild-card berth that ended with the Colts coming away with a statement win after a 21-7 victory over Houston. However, Houston is looking to gain an edge over Indianapolis with this primetime matchup with division title implications written all over it.
The Texans have a lot on their plate facing a young and exciting Colts defense led by last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, Darius Leonard. However, the Texans are hoping to counter the Colts offense with a slew of free agent signings in the secondary from Tashaun Gipson at safety to Bradley Roby and Briean Boddy-Calhoun at cornerback.
Both regular season games ended in field goals in each contest. So expect another close one with these two facing each other in this Thursday Night game.
6. Sunday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs week five
Two of the very best young quarterbacks going at it to see who is truly the most dominant in the league right now. Not to mention a rematch for the Colts after being embarrassed on the road to the Chiefs at Arrowhead.
It was a divisional round drubbing that featured the Chiefs running all over the Colts at home and taking apart the Colts team. A hard one to watch for Indy in many ways as they could. From nearly doubling the amount of first downs (29 by the Chiefs to 15 by the Colts) to doing the same in time of possession (39 minutes and 49 seconds by Kansas City to 20 minutes and 11 seconds by Indy).
This matchup is something that can help establish Indianapolis as a serious contender and threat in the AFC. A grudge match that will feature the league’s brightest stars and will come with the expectation of something spectacular in the works.
5. Sunday Night Football: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams week 14
Serious playoff implications with this game.
Not only could this be a playoff matchup sometime later on, but it has the potential of being a game that provides supremacy in the NFC West division. As the Rams attempt to make their way back to winning over their conference in their pursuit of a championship that they fell short of, they first need to get over the hurdle of their division rivals.
The Seahawks are also in a transition period from their Super Bowl-winning team as many of their players have either left or retired. Some recent ones in Earl Thomas and Doug Baldwin.
This late-season game will be the answer to see if the team is still in the contender’s spot for a title after all of the turnover. And with them going to Los Angeles to play the Rams, it will be the biggest answer to seeing if they are.
4. Monday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints week 15
A battle between past and present as we get to see Brees and Luck go at it.
Two quarterbacks facing each other who’ve both been through rigorous injuries that have almost derailed their respective careers. Two pros that have been the faces of their franchises and have completely transformed their teams in just a short amount of time. These two have a lot of similarities between both of them.
But they’re both trying to prove something in this late matchup of playoff teams. Brees is looking to prove that he’s still impactful in the league despite his old age. Luck is looking to live up to his first overall pick status and guide Indy to a championship.
However, both need to get past each other in order to make this point in a possible Super Bowl preview to come.
3. Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs week eight
Speaking of quarterback matchups, there may be no bigger quarterback matchup in the 2019 season than this. Two of the best quarterbacks right now off of skill alone going at it in an air raid assault to see who is the best.
A battle between the best quarterback of the present versus the best of the future. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers against Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.
It’s something that even the most casual of football fans will watch with great anticipation as these two will likely light up the scoreboard and give fans watching the game on national television something to truly enjoy.
And with both sides likely being without much of their best weapons for different reasons, it will be off of pure passing ability alone as they look to outduel each other. Mahomes has no Kareem Hunt and could likely see Tyreek Hill on his way out as well for off-the-field issues. Rodgers’ weapons like Randall Cobb have left because of age.
This game is everything that fans want to see.
2. Sunday Night Football: Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams week 11
The last time these two teams met was also on Sunday Night Football. The Bears surprised the Rams by neutralizing a formidable offensive attack by the Rams to just six points.
A defensive game that ended with seven turnovers on both sides and just 21 points in total. A tough showing for two of the best offensive minds in LA’s Sean McVay and Chicago’s Matt Nagy.
But it’s not hard to see this happening with the likes of the Bears defense led by Khalil Mack and the Rams defense led by Aaron Donald as well. But with one game under each team’s belt on facing one another, these two should be prepared for something much bigger with a change of scenery to a warmer Los Angeles.
This would’ve been the number one matchup as these two could end up facing each other in the NFC Championship. But it’s nowhere near as big as the next one.
1. Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears week 16
This could very well be the Super Bowl in the second-to-last week of the season. It features two of the hottest teams going into the 2019 season. It features everything from the talent already present in Chicago to a Chiefs squad that bodes a much-improved defense with the names of Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu heading the unit.
It has a quarterback duel, two sensational defenses, two of the best offensive minds at head coach, and it has all of the playoff implications in the world and could very well be the championship game. No other game could be as big as this one.
It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch, and should give fans everyting that they want to see.
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