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With minicamps finished and five weeks till the start of training camp, there’s not a whole lot to talk about other than the annual Brett Favre retirement saga. So I decided to take a look at the 2009 NFL schedule to see what games probably will – and won’t – be worth watching.
Week One
Most Hyped: Bills at Patriots – return of Tom Brady; Owens versus Moss
Best: Titans at Steelers – season kicks off with a matchup of 2008’s top two AFC teams
Worst: Rams at Seahawks; Lions at Saints: no defense; Chiefs at Ravens: no offense
Week Two
Most Hyped: Patriots at Jets – will Belichick wear his SB rings for Rex Ryan to kiss? Honorable mention for Browns at Broncos as Mangini faces McDaniels.
Best: Ravens at Chargers; Panthers at Falcons; Giants at Cowboys; Colts at Dolphins
Worst: Bucs at Bills and Raiders at Chiefs
Week Three
Most Hyped: Colts at Cardinals – by the time the game is played you’ll think Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner are the only players on their teams. Honorable mention for Falcons at Pats with the return of BC alum Matt Ryan angle, and Titans at Jets being hyped by last year’s game when New York ended Tennessee’s undefeated season.
Best: Dolphins at Chargers and Panthers at Cowboys
Worst: Broncos at Raiders
Week Four
Most Hyped: Packers at Vikings – assuming Favre will be wearing purple, the hype and hysteria could be at a record high.
Best: Ravens at Pats; Chargers at Steelers
Worst: Bengals at Browns; Rams at 49ers; Bucs at Redskins
Week Five
Most Hyped: Jets at Dolphins – even if nothing is said in the week leading up to the game, the networks can just replay the off-season comments by Rex Ryan, Joey Porter and Channing Crowder. Honorable mention: Patriots at Broncos – all week long the talk will be Belichick versus McDaniels.
Best: Colts at Titans
Worst: Browns at Bills may not be worth but at least it will be close, and there is some geographic rivalry there. Bucs at Eagles and Raiders at Giants could be games with the visitors just looking to get out of town by halftime.
Week Six
Most Hyped: Giants at Saints – Eli returns home, Brees versus Manning, etc.
Best: Titans at Pats – another difficult test at home against a quality defense.
Worst: Rams at Jaguars; Chiefs at Redskins; Texans at Bengals
Week Seven
Most Hyped: Cardinals at Giants – battle of the last two NFC champs
Best: Vikings at Steelers – best rushing offense versus best rushing defense
Worst: Jets at Raiders; 49ers at Texans
Week Eight
Most Hyped: Vikings at Packers: the return of Lord Favre to Lambeau Field.
Best: Giants at Eagles – possible preview of this year’s NFCCG; Cardinals at Panthers – rematch of last year’s NFC playoff game
Worst: Rams at Lions – game between last year’s two worst teams
Week Nine
Most Hyped: Dolphins at Pats – how many times will we hear the word ‘wildcat’ in the week leading up to this game?
Best: Chargers at Giants; honorable mention to Panthers at Saints and Cowboys at Eagles
Worst: Lions at Seahawks
Week Ten
Most Hyped: Pats at Colts – at least this annual meeting deserves the hype it receives.
Best: other than the Pats-Colts, there’s Eagles at Chargers and Falcons at Panthers
Worst: Broncos at Redskins; Chiefs at Raiders; Bengals at Steelers
Week Eleven
Most Hyped: Colts at Ravens: great offense versus great defense, with the obligatory videos of the Mayflower vans leaving Baltimore in 1984; this should over shadow the semi-annual Jets-Pats’ game hype.
Best: other than the two games above, there’s Falcons at Giants and Dolphins at Panthers
Worst: Browns at Lions; Bengals at Raiders
Week Twelve
Most Hyped: Dolphins at Bills – my guess is that Joey Porter and Terrell Owens will have something to say prior to the start of the game.
Best: Steelers at Ravens – can Pittsburgh sweep Baltimore again this year? Honorable mention: Cardinals at Titans and Pats at Saints.
Worst: all three Thanksgiving Day games: Packers at Lions, Raiders at Cowboys, and Giants at Broncos
Week Thirteen
Most Hyped: Pats at Dolphins – lots of marketing angles: Parcells-Belichick, revenge from last year, revenge from the first meeting, 17-0 versus 18-1, the snow plow game, etc.
Best: Cowboys at Giants – the networks always love this game, and it’s usually a good one.
Worst: Lions at Bengals; no explanation needed.
Week Fourteen
Most Hyped: Steelers at Browns: while it’s a big rivalry for these two fan bases, until Cleveland improves the rest of the NFL couldn’t care less.
Best: Eagles at Giants; Chargers at Cowboys; Panthers at Pats; Saints at Falcons
Worst: Bills at Chiefs; Jets at Bucs
Week Fifteen
Most Hyped: Browns at Chiefs, with the Mangini-Pioli and Mangini-Cassel story lines.
Best: Dolphins at Titans; Vikings at Panthers; Cowboys at Saints
Worst: Bucs at Seahawks; Raiders at Broncos; Texans at Rams
Week Sixteen
Most Hyped: Cowboys at Redskins always gets huge ratings, but is it really that relevant to the rest of the NFL’s fans?
Best: Chargers at Titans; Ravens at Steelers; Panthers at Giants
Worst: Raiders at Browns; Chiefs at Bengals; Lions at 49ers
Week Seventeen
Most Hyped: Chiefs at Broncos in Cassel – McDaniels II
Best: whatever has playoff implications; perhaps Giants at Vikings, Steelers at Dolphins, Saints at Panthers, or Eagles at Cowboys.
Worst: whatever has two teams with more to gain by losing than winning; could be Jaguars at Browns, Bears at Lions or 49ers at Rams.
Week One
Most Hyped: Bills at Patriots – return of Tom Brady; Owens versus Moss
Best: Titans at Steelers – season kicks off with a matchup of 2008’s top two AFC teams
Worst: Rams at Seahawks; Lions at Saints: no defense; Chiefs at Ravens: no offense
Week Two
Most Hyped: Patriots at Jets – will Belichick wear his SB rings for Rex Ryan to kiss? Honorable mention for Browns at Broncos as Mangini faces McDaniels.
Best: Ravens at Chargers; Panthers at Falcons; Giants at Cowboys; Colts at Dolphins
Worst: Bucs at Bills and Raiders at Chiefs
Week Three
Most Hyped: Colts at Cardinals – by the time the game is played you’ll think Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner are the only players on their teams. Honorable mention for Falcons at Pats with the return of BC alum Matt Ryan angle, and Titans at Jets being hyped by last year’s game when New York ended Tennessee’s undefeated season.
Best: Dolphins at Chargers and Panthers at Cowboys
Worst: Broncos at Raiders
Week Four
Most Hyped: Packers at Vikings – assuming Favre will be wearing purple, the hype and hysteria could be at a record high.
Best: Ravens at Pats; Chargers at Steelers
Worst: Bengals at Browns; Rams at 49ers; Bucs at Redskins
Week Five
Most Hyped: Jets at Dolphins – even if nothing is said in the week leading up to the game, the networks can just replay the off-season comments by Rex Ryan, Joey Porter and Channing Crowder. Honorable mention: Patriots at Broncos – all week long the talk will be Belichick versus McDaniels.
Best: Colts at Titans
Worst: Browns at Bills may not be worth but at least it will be close, and there is some geographic rivalry there. Bucs at Eagles and Raiders at Giants could be games with the visitors just looking to get out of town by halftime.
Week Six
Most Hyped: Giants at Saints – Eli returns home, Brees versus Manning, etc.
Best: Titans at Pats – another difficult test at home against a quality defense.
Worst: Rams at Jaguars; Chiefs at Redskins; Texans at Bengals
Week Seven
Most Hyped: Cardinals at Giants – battle of the last two NFC champs
Best: Vikings at Steelers – best rushing offense versus best rushing defense
Worst: Jets at Raiders; 49ers at Texans
Week Eight
Most Hyped: Vikings at Packers: the return of Lord Favre to Lambeau Field.
Best: Giants at Eagles – possible preview of this year’s NFCCG; Cardinals at Panthers – rematch of last year’s NFC playoff game
Worst: Rams at Lions – game between last year’s two worst teams
Week Nine
Most Hyped: Dolphins at Pats – how many times will we hear the word ‘wildcat’ in the week leading up to this game?
Best: Chargers at Giants; honorable mention to Panthers at Saints and Cowboys at Eagles
Worst: Lions at Seahawks
Week Ten
Most Hyped: Pats at Colts – at least this annual meeting deserves the hype it receives.
Best: other than the Pats-Colts, there’s Eagles at Chargers and Falcons at Panthers
Worst: Broncos at Redskins; Chiefs at Raiders; Bengals at Steelers
Week Eleven
Most Hyped: Colts at Ravens: great offense versus great defense, with the obligatory videos of the Mayflower vans leaving Baltimore in 1984; this should over shadow the semi-annual Jets-Pats’ game hype.
Best: other than the two games above, there’s Falcons at Giants and Dolphins at Panthers
Worst: Browns at Lions; Bengals at Raiders
Week Twelve
Most Hyped: Dolphins at Bills – my guess is that Joey Porter and Terrell Owens will have something to say prior to the start of the game.
Best: Steelers at Ravens – can Pittsburgh sweep Baltimore again this year? Honorable mention: Cardinals at Titans and Pats at Saints.
Worst: all three Thanksgiving Day games: Packers at Lions, Raiders at Cowboys, and Giants at Broncos
Week Thirteen
Most Hyped: Pats at Dolphins – lots of marketing angles: Parcells-Belichick, revenge from last year, revenge from the first meeting, 17-0 versus 18-1, the snow plow game, etc.
Best: Cowboys at Giants – the networks always love this game, and it’s usually a good one.
Worst: Lions at Bengals; no explanation needed.
Week Fourteen
Most Hyped: Steelers at Browns: while it’s a big rivalry for these two fan bases, until Cleveland improves the rest of the NFL couldn’t care less.
Best: Eagles at Giants; Chargers at Cowboys; Panthers at Pats; Saints at Falcons
Worst: Bills at Chiefs; Jets at Bucs
Week Fifteen
Most Hyped: Browns at Chiefs, with the Mangini-Pioli and Mangini-Cassel story lines.
Best: Dolphins at Titans; Vikings at Panthers; Cowboys at Saints
Worst: Bucs at Seahawks; Raiders at Broncos; Texans at Rams
Week Sixteen
Most Hyped: Cowboys at Redskins always gets huge ratings, but is it really that relevant to the rest of the NFL’s fans?
Best: Chargers at Titans; Ravens at Steelers; Panthers at Giants
Worst: Raiders at Browns; Chiefs at Bengals; Lions at 49ers
Week Seventeen
Most Hyped: Chiefs at Broncos in Cassel – McDaniels II
Best: whatever has playoff implications; perhaps Giants at Vikings, Steelers at Dolphins, Saints at Panthers, or Eagles at Cowboys.
Worst: whatever has two teams with more to gain by losing than winning; could be Jaguars at Browns, Bears at Lions or 49ers at Rams.
ats win the SB again 
