The release of the NFL's regular-season schedule is among the most highly anticipated events for football fans, and they won't have to wait much longer to find out what their favorite teams' roads to the playoffs will look like.
According to Around the NFL, the league will reveal the 2015 schedules on April 21. The NFL Network will air a special broadcast from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET that will feature the full slate for every team.
Until the long-awaited schedules become public, here is a look at the opponents that all 32 teams are slated to face, according to NFL.com:
While it remains to be seen where the league will position the games on the schedule, here is an early look at some of the matchups that figure to pique the interest of football fans regardless of when they are played.
Must-See Matchups
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
The clash between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning has become an annual spectacle, and it will likely be no different when the New England Patriots travel to Denver to take on the Broncos in 2015.
While the Pats are coming off yet another Super Bowl title, things are a bit more uncertain for the Broncos. Manning struggled down the stretch, and they didn't even make it to the AFC Championship Game, losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round.
Both teams will have a similar look in 2015 compared to 2014, but they lost some key players as well. New England no longer has cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, nose tackle Vince Wilfork or running back Shane Vereen. Denver, on the other hand, will press on without tight end Julius Thomas, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and safety Rahim Moore.
Many expect the Patriots and Broncos to be among the AFC's best teams once again, and they may very well battle it out to reach the Super Bowl. With that said, new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak isn't concerning himself with arguably his team's greatest rival, according to NFL.com's Marc Sessler:
Denver's main focus will undoubtedly be on getting back to the Super Bowl since the time to win is now with Manning reaching the latter stages of his career.
This particular game could say a lot about the balance of power in the AFC, and that is why there is already so much excitement surrounding it.
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers were mere minutes away from advancing to the Super Bowl to face the Patriots this past season, but a miraculous comeback by the Seattle Seahawks changed the course of history.
Seattle went on to lose to the Pats in heart-wrenching fashion, which left Pack fans to wonder what could have been. Anything short of a championship won't erase the memory of that loss, but the Packers could alleviate the pain to some degree by beating the Seahawks during the 2015 regular season.
The Packers and Seahawks are perhaps the two likeliest candidates to reach the Super Bowl out of the NFC, and their clashes are always captivating due to the dynamic between Green Bay's high-powered offense and Seattle's aggressive defense.
There is no doubt that their rivalry has reached another level after what happened in the playoffs, though. As pointed out by NFL.com's Gil Brandt, the Seahawks overcame what seemed like a nearly impossible scenario in that particular game as he compared it to Georgia State's unlikely win in the NCAA tournament:
Green Bay will most definitely be out for revenge, but gaining it against an improved Seattle club won't be easy. The Seahawks brought in tight end Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints to make their offense even more dangerous, while the Packers largely focused on retaining their own free agents.
Graham's arrival will make the game even more interesting, and it could very well prevent Green Bay from getting one back despite being on its home field.
Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles
Perhaps the most shocking move of the chaotic NFL offseason was the Philadelphia Eagles' decision to trade running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Luckily, those teams will have the chance to lock horns in 2015.
The Bills will have a road game against the Eagles, which means McCoy will have the opportunity to play in front of his former fans. Philadelphia's fanbase is known for being pretty unforgiving, but it is easy to envision Eagles supporters cheering for McCoy since he had no control over his departure.
That was a move orchestrated by head coach Chip Kelly without any attention paid to team owner Jeffrey Lurie's or the city's attachment to McCoy, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com:
It was a trade that took many by surprise, including the Bills front office, per Philly.com's Paul Domowitch:
Buffalo is unquestionably thrilled to have McCoy, as he figures to be the featured part of its run-heavy offense. Philadelphia landed on its feet at the running back position by signing DeMarco Murray, but it may be difficult to get used to that change.
One can only assume that McCoy will have a chip on his shoulder when he faces his former team, and that could make for one of the most intriguing games the 2015 regular season has to offer.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1Hov7uY
via IFTTT April 20, 2015 at 09:05AM
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