We’re only a couple of weeks away from the start of the new NFL season and excitement is definitely building for the return of America’s most popular sports league. To further whet your football appetite, we’re going to look at the 10 best rivalry games for the upcoming 2015-16 NFL campaign.
So sit back, relax and discover the matchups that will definitely get your blood pumping for the new and exciting season ahead. While you’re at it, you can check out the top 10 wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks and running backs in the NFL today.
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Top 10 Rivalry Games for the 2015-16 NFL Season
10) Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers (Week 7)
When: Thursday, October 22, 8:25 PM ET
TV: CBS/NFL (Thursday Night Football)
[sc:NFL240banner ]Another rivalry that will definitely take center stage this season is the one between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. The two storied teams have combined to win three straight NFC titles (2012-14). Their recent battles have been a joy to watch with both squads punishing each other with some physical football. To illustrate the defensive intensity between the two sides, the teams combined for just 46 points in their two meetings last year.
The Seahawks have dominated the 49ers of late, winning five of their last six meetings. Will that trend continue against a San Francisco team now led by new head coach Jim Tomsula? October 22 can’t come soon enough.
9) Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers (Week 14)
When: Sunday, December 13, 4:25 PM ET
TV: FOX
All eyes will be on Lambeau Field on December 13 as the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers lock horns in a rematch of their memorable NFC Divisional Round showdown last January. That game definitely lived up to the hype with Dez Bryant’s non-catch/catch still a hot topic among football fans even up to now. The Packers emerged as 26-21 victors in that wild and fascinating contest.
Expect more of the same intensity when the two teams collide in Week 14. That being said, it’s going to be a different Green Bay-Dallas matchup this time around. For starters, the two teams lost vital cogs to their offenses this past offseason. Running back DeMarco Murray decided to bolt Dallas for Philadelphia this past summer while Green Bay WR Jordy Nelson tore his ACL last week against Pittsburgh and will miss the rest of the season.
The Packers are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the Cowboys.
8) Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins (Week 13)
When: Monday, December 7, 8:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN (Monday Night Football)
One of America’s most enduring sports rivalries has been between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. Dating back to 1961, the two sides have met twice during the regular season 53 times in the last 54 years. Over that stretch, the Cowboys have swept the Redskins 17 times while Washington has swept Dallas on five occasions. The bitter rivals have split their two-game sets a whopping 29 times. Dating back to 2008, 10 of their last 14 meetings have been decided by a mere seven points or less.
They will rekindle their heated rivalry on December 7 when they square off in a Monday Night Football clash at FedEx Field.
7) Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers (Week 2)
When: Sunday, September 20, 8:30 PM ET
TV: NBC (Sunday Night Football)
The 2014-15 NFL season had its fair share of cardiac ballgames but nothing can top the NFC Championship showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers last January. The Seahawks battled back from a 19-7 deficit in the final four minutes to record a dramatic 28-22 victory against the Packers in overtime. Marshawn Lynch was a beast in that game, rushing for 157 yards on 25 carries, to lead Seattle to its second consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
It was a disappointing end to the season for quarterback Aaron Rodgers who was severely hampered by a calf injury in that game. He’s fit and raring to go, though, for the upcoming season and that is great news for the Packers who are hell-bent on lifting their fifth Super Bowl crown this year. The Packers’ preparation for the new campaign took a huge hit, however, with the news that Jordy Nelson will be out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury.
Nelson was Rodgers’ top target last season, catching 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns. He caught 14 passes for 154 yards and no touchdowns between his two games against the Seahawks last year.
6) Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets (Week 10)
When: Thursday, November 12, 8:25 PM ET
TV: NFL
It doesn’t get any better than this. Mercurial head coach Rex Ryan makes his much-awaited return to MetLife Stadium on November 12 when the Buffalo Bills face the New York Jets in a marquee Thursday night clash. Ryan was fired by the Jets last season alongside general manager John Idzik after finishing the year with a woeful 4-12 slate. In his six seasons as Jets head coach, Ryan had a 50-52 record, including a 4-2 slate in the postseason.
The Jets’ loss, though, was the Bills’ gain as Buffalo signed the enigmatic coach to a lucrative $27.5 million deal last January. The Bills are looking to build from their impressive 9-7 finish last year, their first winning season in 11 years. Ryan will help boost a Buffalo defense that ranked fourth in both points allowed per game (18.1) and yards allowed per game (312.2) last season. During Ryan’s six-year stint with the Jets , New York ranked first in the NFL in opponent first downs (1,667), passing yards allowed (204.3), opponent completion percentage (55.7) and yards allowed per defensive play (4.9).
5) Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears (Week 1)
When: Sunday, September 13, 1:00 PM ET
TV: FOX
How about this for an opening game? The Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears renew their bitter rivalry in a mouth-watering Week 1 clash at Soldier Field. There’s always an air of excitement whenever these two old franchises meet and that will certainly be the case again in a couple of weeks’ time. That Week 1 showdown will mark the 189th overall meeting between the two storied teams in a series that started back in 1921.
That being said, it hasn’t been much of a rivalry as of late. Just last season, the Packers outscored the Bears, 93-31, in their two encounters. Dating back to 2008, Green Bay have won 12 of their last 15 meetings against Chicago. The Bears have a fantastic opportunity to reverse that trend, though, with the Packers losing Jordy Nelson for the rest of the season. The star wide receiver suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in the Packers’ preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
4) New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys (Week 1)
Date: Sunday, September 13, 8:30 PM ET
TV: NBC (Sunday Night Football)
What better way to start the Sunday Night Football season than to see the New York Giants clash with their arch-rivals the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are coming off a highly-successful season which saw them grab a postseason win for the first time in six years. The Giants, on the other hand, seemed to be moving on the opposite direction as they missed the playoffs for the fourth successive year.
All eyes will be on elite quarterbacks Tony Romo and Eli Manning as they face off for the 17th time in their careers. Romo holds a 9-7 edge against Manning in their head-to-head meetings but the Giants QB has a 1-0 record against Romo when it comes to the postseason. The Cowboys will head to their Week 1 clash against the Giants with momentum on their side as they have won all of their last four meetings against the four-time champions. The Cowboys defeated the Giants, 31-21, in their meeting at AT&T Stadium last season.
3. Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Week 2)
When: Sunday, September 20, 4:25 PM ET
TV: FOX
September 20 can’t come soon enough for DeMarco Murray as he makes his much-anticipated home debut for the Philadelphia Eagles against his former team the Dallas Cowboys. Murray played a pivotal role in the Cowboys’ rise last season, rushing for a league-best 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. The 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, however, left the Cowboys this past summer, signing a $42 million, five-year deal with the Eagles.
It will be interesting to see how Murray’s departure will affect Dallas’ vaunted running game. The Cowboys averaged 147.1 rushing yards per game last season, second-best in the entire NFL. Fans will also be curious to know how Murray will fare in Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense.
2) Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 4)
When: Thursday, October 1, 8:25 PM ET
TV: CBS/NFL (Thursday Night Football)
There’s certainly no love lost between the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially over the last seven seasons. The two storied franchises have squared off a combined 17 times since 2008 with Pittsburgh owning a slim 9-8 advantage in those head-to-head matchups. During that stretch, they have met in every phase of the AFC Playoffs.
Last season, the Ravens edged past the Steelers, 30-17, in the Wild Card round. While all three meetings between the Ravens and Steelers in 2014 were decided by double digits, 10 of the previous 14 clashes between the AFC North rivals were decided by a mere three points or less. Fans won’t have to wait long for these two squads to renew their bitter rivalry with Pittsburgh and Baltimore locking horns in Week 4 in a televised Thursday Night Football clash.
1) New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos (Week 12)
When: Sunday, November 29, 8:30 PM ET
TV: NBC (Sunday Night Football)
Who’s the better quarterback? Expect to hear that question plenty of times in the lead-up to the all-important clash between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots in Week 12. Tom Brady seemed to have put those questions to rest when he won his fourth Super Bowl title last February. With his involvement in the Deflategate scandal, though, some fans are wondering whether he really deserves that lofty title.
In terms of head-to-head matchups, the advantage lies with Brady. He has won 11 of his last 16 meetings against Manning. Brady has put up incredible numbers in those encounters, throwing more than twice as many touchdown passes (31) as interceptions (13). Manning, on the other hand, has thrown 33 touchdowns but has also dished out a whopping 22 picks. The two quarterbacks have split their four playoff meetings, with three of those contests coming in the AFC Championship game.
Brady further fanned the flames of this heated rivalry with the release of his private email earlier this month. In an email sent to his childhood friend Kevin Brady, the Patriots QB said, “Thanks popa, I’ve got another 7 or 8 years. He has 2. That’s the final chapter. Game on.” Expect fireworks to erupt when the four-time Super Bowl champion meets the five-time NFL MVP in a Week 12 clash at Sports Authority Field.
