If you plan to watch only 15 games on the entire 2015 NFL schedule, what the heck is wrong with you? Consider Tuesday night’s release of the dates and times of all 256 regular-season games as a way to help maximize your coach potato tendencies in the fall.
We’re here to help you pare it down to the best, can’t-miss matchups the season:
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1. Patriots at Cowboys (Week 5, Sunday Oct. 11, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
It’s America’s Colors vs. America’s Team. It’s Super Bowl champs vs. Super Bowl drought. It’s Tom Brady vs. Tony Romo in the fourth quarter. Heck, it’s even Robert Kraft’s billions vs. Jerry Jones’ billions. The millions of fans of each team will be watching; the rest of us will be hate-watching. It all counts in large amounts.
2. Seahawks at Packers (Week 2, Sunday Sept. 20, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Before Seattle pondered what could have been in Super Bowl XLIX, there was Green Bay ruing over of how it blew 16-0 and 19-7 leads in the NFC title game. Here’s your rematch, and Russell Wilson’s first chance to return to Wisconsin and play in Lambeau. It will be another preview for conference supremacy.
3. Patriots at Broncos (Week 12, Sunday Nov. 29, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Brady, he of the fourth ring, will already go down in history as easily having won the “rivalry” with Peyton Manning regardless of what happens here. But you get the strong feeling this is the last time these quarterbacks will ever duel, and remember it didn’t come together in the playoffs last year. Enjoy their arms and handshake on the field, because you likely won’t see it again (for real).
4. Packers at Broncos (Week 8, Sunday Nov. 1, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
It’s quite an accidental, unintentional farewell tour for the elder Manning, isn’t it? He can’t ride off into the sunset, a second championship or not, without facing off with Aaron Rodgers for a second time. In their only meeting seven long years ago, Rodgers owned Manning. This sounds pretty good for a surefire shootout.
5. Cowboys at Packers (Week 14, Sunday Dec. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)
Although it wasn’t Ice Bowl-epic, they just gave us a classic in the divisional playoffs, with just the right dose of controversy to go with Rodgers vs. Romo. It’s nice to see this matchup head back toward the Favre vs. Aikman level of the 1990s.
6. Broncos at Colts (Week 9, Sunday Nov. 8, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
You didn’t think Peyton would hang it up before making one more trip to Indianapolis as an opponent, did you? The first one didn’t go so well, as Andrew Luck had no trouble succeeding against his successor. As a bonus, the sting of the divisional playoff loss to Luck and the Colts won’t go away all offseason.
7. Seahawks at Cowboys (Week 8, Sunday Nov. 1, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)
We started believing in Dallas as both a playoff team and a true NFC contender when it took down the mighty ‘Hawks in Seattle. You can bet the Seahawks didn’t like the Cowboys handling “The 12th Man” last season and will want to return the favor by feeling right at home at road-friendly Jerry World. Richard Sherman in Dez Bryant’s house doesn’t hurt, either.
8. Colts at Steelers (Week 13, Sunday Dec. 13, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
Luck is starting to become must-see TV, because everyone digs the long ball and a whole lot of passing. The last time he faced fellow big, strong athletic passer Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh last season, they combined for 922 yards and 9 TDs in a 51-34 Steelers win. This will be another wild affair between two AFC division winners. Which reminds us, we’re also ready for some fantasy football!
9. Steelers at Patriots (Week 1, Thursday Sept. 10, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
The fact that the season opener is this “low” on the list just reminds us the league is stacked with great games in ‘15 and you should pretty much watch every single one possible. Brady vs. Roethlisberger is your average duel of multiple Super Bowl-winning, age-defying quarterbacks. This slides down a bit only because there's no Le’Veon Bell.
10. Ravens at Steelers (Week 4, Thursday Oct. 1, 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
We can’t get enough of this hard-hitting, heated rivalry of division powers that hate each other. Last year, Baltimore had the last laugh, winning at Heinz Field in the wild-card playoffs. Sometimes, you just want to see teams kick the snot out of each other old-school. Tear away all the physical abuse, and you have yet another nice QB matchup in Roethlisberger vs. Joe Flacco.
11. Eagles at Cowboys (Week 9, Sunday Nov. 8, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
DeMarco Murray knew he would be playing in Dallas at least once when he chose to sign with Philadelphia for a deal he couldn’t get with the hometown discount. With it, the Eagles have designs of becoming the league’s premier running team again, over Murray’s former Cowboys. The NFC East is still prime time, and this is the marquee division’s best offering in ’15.
12. Broncos at Steelers (Week 15, Sunday Dec. 20, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS)
Everybody loves Peyton — especially the networks — to get him on this list a fourth time. We’re just adding Roethlisberger to the mix with Brady, Rodgers and Luck. Sure, we’re banking on Manning walking away after the 2015 season, but if not, it’s a still pretty good round robin. Both he and Denver may be in for a little dropoff. It doesn’t mean these matchups will be any less compelling.
13. Cowboys at Giants (Week 7, Sunday Oct. 25, 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)
There’s a reason that when in doubt, this is consistently the league’s go-to headliner. Dallas and New York tend to play a lot of exciting games with Romo and Eli Manning, and a lot of fans love or hate these teams across the country. You will watch their Week 1 game, too, and really, just to see Odell Beckham Jr. try to go “Matrix” in this matchup again is worth it alone.
14. Bears at Packers (Week 12, Thursday Nov. 26, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
So it’s Thanksgiving, and after all the family and feasting, we finish with the league’s most familiar foes and Brett Favre. Fantastic. Oh yeah, Rodgers against the Packers’ archrivals is always fun, and good or bad, Jay Cutler is always … interesting. You had us at Chicago at Lambeau; a holiday and retiring No. 4 is just gravy, Green Bay.
15. Bills at Eagles (Week 14, Sunday Dec. 13, 1 p.m. ET, CBS)
While Murray will get his “revenge” game in Dallas, so will the player he replaced. LeSean McCoy will try to outrush Murray, try to stick it to Chip Kelly and try to help Rex Ryan win an interconference game, not necessarily in that order. Quarterbacks rule the must-watch list, but in terms of two coaches who have dominated the offseason, it doesn’t get much wilder on the sideline.