NFL Week 1: Top Games to Watch

Aug 28, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) looks on from the sidelines during the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The National Football League kicks off opening week this Thursday and the slate is jam-packed full of big games. This season the league starts as a true wide open competition with no team showing a clear and easy path to the championship game, making every game count that much more. That is the topic of this weeks top games. The three match ups to have your eye on this week are the Green Bay Packers versus the Seattle Seahawks, the Indianapolis Colts versus the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals versus the Baltimore Ravens. Each one of these games could have a massive impact on the final outcome of the regular season for each one of these teams for their own reasons.

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

The NFL always knows how to kick off a season and what better way than a rematch of the “Fail Mary” game from last season. These two teams are two of the best in the NFC and clearly don’t like each other. There will be plenty of talk and emotion leading up to the opening game Thursday but when you take a deep look at this game, the long season implications are in plain view.  The Packers and Seahawks could easily be the two top teams vying for home field advantage in the NFC.  If the Packers take this game and it results in having the edge over Seattle in a tie breaker for home field it would be a huge advantage for this team and vice versa for the ‘Hawks who rode home field to the Super Bowl last year. These two teams also play in very tough divisions meaning they could be fighting for wildcard spots as well, and as we all know every game counts in the wildcard race. Emotions will be running high in this one and these two incredibly talented teams will be giving it their very all in week one for NFC supremacy.

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

A classic AFC North match up, this game features the two teams most likely to take the division crown at season’s end which is what makes this game so important. Divisional match ups in the AFC North are always hard-fought wars on the gridiron and this game should be no different. The Ravens have the sour taste of failure in their mouth from missing the playoffs and the Bengals taste the same after yet another first round exit from the playoffs. With this division at its most competitive from top to bottom in years, every game is crucial to being the top dog at the end of the season and heading into the playoffs. Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco alike are out to prove that they are worth the mega deals they received and to show they are capable championship quarterbacks.These teams play a physical hard-nosed brand of football that will be a nice hardcore welcome of the NFL season to come.

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos

A rematch of last years thrilling game, the Colts and Broncos square off in week one in a battle that could have serious playoff implications down the road.  Last year we saw Andrew Luck take down his predecessor in an incredible performance that propelled his team into the playoffs, though Peyton Manning’s Broncos made a farther journey. This year both teams are  headed into the season as favorites in the AFC. Peyton will be looking to have his Broncos ready and rearing to pour out their high-octane offense on the Colts defense. However, Andrew Luck and company are bringing out a new look offense featuring several new play makers who will be looking to flex their strength early this season as well. This game will be another high scoring duel of two of the best signal callers in the league as the successor looks to take down the predecessor yet again.

These games of the week feature several of the best teams in the National Football League and three of the best quarterbacks in the league, making these contests fun to watch in their own right. Once you factor in the major impact potential these games have on the playoff picture this year it really makes you want to see what these teams bring to the field in week one as they all begin their long journey towards the ultimate goal of the Lomabardi Trophy. If any on these teams don’t show up ready to play this week, it could seriously cost them down the road in the playoff picture.