Breaking down 12 must-see games for 2026 season after NFL schedule release
Rematches, reunions and rivalries.The three R’s often create the juiciest games of the NFL regular season — no matter how much promotion goes into the games on the primetime and international schedules.Here are 12 games (excluding those featuring the Giants and Jets) to mark on your must-see calendars:It is the fourth straight regular season with a Super Bowl rematch and the champions are 2-1 over the last three.Advantage Seahawks, whose “Dark Side” defense forced MVP runner-up Drake Maye into three turnovers in February.
Kicker Jason Myers is back after scoring a Super Bowl-record 17 points.What does one of the NFL’s best rivalries look like in the post-Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh era? Those two head coaches went head to head 44 times (including playoffs) from 2008-25.Will this game still be about smash-mouth runs and big hits under Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy and Harbaugh protégé Jesse Minter?Josh Allen has a new home stadium, but here he returns to the site of his most recent playoff heartbreak, where he committed four turnovers in a divisional-round loss.
A controversial call sullied the ending.On the other side, Bo Nix will face the Bills defense for the first time since he broke his ankle in that same playoff game.The two early favorites to win the Super Bowl played three classic games (decided by a total of seven points) last season, including two decided on the final play and the NFC Championship game when time ran out before a Hail Mary attempt.
Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford has rookie quarterback Ty Simpson nipping at his heels now.Unlike Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen, Mahomes-Joe Burrow isn’t a yearly treat.And Burrow is 3-2 against Mahomes (2-1 in the regular season).
The Bengals made a Super Bowl-or-bust trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL, but his timeline to return from injury — another ‘R’ word — is said to be on track for Week 1.It took just one season as Bears head coach for Ben ...