The 2019 NFL season schedule is now known. Even if we will have to wait for the Draft to know the full composition of the workforce and the issues that will go with it, it is never too early to get excited about the best posters to come.
Here is a brief overview of the fifteen meetings that we should not miss during the next campaign.
Week 1: Chicago Bears – Green Bay Packers (Thursday night, 2:20 a.m.)
Nothing like the excitement of the first game of the season. Even if you have to go to bed late (or get up early), there is electricity in the air. This year, the NFL did not give the reigning champion its first prime time honors. To celebrate the start of its 100th season, the league has opted for the historic rivalry between Bears and Packers. This will be the 199th opposition between the two franchises! Green Bay leads 97 wins to 95. Six games ended in a draw.
The intrigues are not lacking, since it will be the first game of the Packers without Mike McCarthy since 2005. Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur, new coach of 39 years, will begin their collaboration against Khalil Mack. Not easy, but we’ll have to see if the Chicago defense has digested the departure of Vic Fangio, its brilliant coordinator last year, who now trains the Broncos.
In defense, precisely, Green Bay has bet big on Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith, who will be directly thrown into the deep end.
Semaine 2 : Los Angeles Rams – New Orleans Saints (22h25)
It was obviously the poster that attracted the most attention when the calendar was announced. After an NFC final marked by controversy, Rams and Saints will meet in the second week. The good news for the Rams is that this will happen at home, and save them a welcome that would have been harsh at the Superdome.
On the pitch, it will be a question of whether Sean McVay, Todd Gurley and Jared Goff have digested their Super Bowl loss. The test will be huge against over-motivated Saints.
Semaine 2 : New York Jets – Cleveland Browns (Monday Night)
The most flashy recruiting match of the offseason. Odell Beckham returns to New York with the Browns, to face the Le’Veon Bell Jets.
All eyes will therefore be on the attacks, even if we must not forget the defenses. The contribution of CJ Mosley could make the difference to solidify the squad of the Jets, while Sheldon Richardson comes to bring his muscles to the line of Cleveland.
Semaine 5 : Kansas City Chiefs – Indianapolis Colts (Sunday Night)
Humiliated by Kansas City in the playoffs, Andrew Luck and the Colts have the opportunity to get revenge. They can count on the contribution of Justin Houston to try to catch Patrick Mahomes.
The rookies are decidedly defensive, as Tyrann Mathieu will face Luck in an attempt to reinforce a catastrophic aerial cover of the Chiefs last year.
Week 5: Oakland Raiders – Chicago Bears (in London, 7 p.m.)
The reunion between Khalil Mack and the Raiders will take place in Europe! The meeting is scheduled at the brand new Tottenham stadium. A superb setting that will see Trent Brown, one of the big signatures of spring, be tested by the Chicago defense.
Obviously, Antonio Brown will also be one of the attractions of the day.
Week 6: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Carolina Panthers (in London, 3:30 p.m.)
Will Cam Newton’s shoulder finally be full this season? Will Bruce Arians succeed in framing the raw talent of the Buccaneers? These two questions are among the great intrigues of the coming NFL season, and the London public will have a front row seat for answers.
The numbers have changed little in these two teams for the moment. It will all be mainly a question of dynamics.
Semaine 7 : Seattle Seahawks – Baltimore Ravens (22h25)
Earl Thomas reunites with the Seahawks. With the biggest contract in league history, Russell Wilson is going to have to watch out for his former teammate.
A little before mid-season, the time will also be right to take stock of the progress of Lamar Jackson, who will now be supported by Mark Ingram. A tough match that should be played on the ground.
Week 8: Washington Redskins – Minnesota Vikings (Thursday night, 2:20 a.m.)
More reunion. After a first season with the Vikings marked by failure, Kirk Cousins will find the capital for an opposition theoretically within his reach.
But the Minnesota pitcher won’t be the only one to find familiar faces. Case Keenum, he led the purple in the playoffs in 2017. But the leaders let him slip to sign Cousins. After a detour to Denver, here he is at the head of the Redskins attack. Dropping Cousins would surely have a special flavor.
Semaine 8 : New England Patriots – Cleveland Browns (22h25)
A passing of the baton? The Browns and their hype come to Boston to try to overthrow the eternal Patriots. The style opposition will be total.
On the receivers side, we can already give the advantage to Cleveland, with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry. But stars aren’t always enough to overwhelm Bill Belichick’s mind.
Semaine 11 : Philadelphia Eagles – New England Patriots (22h25)
The last two winners of the Super Bowl, and in passing a revenge of the Super Bowl LII won by Philadelphia. Obviously, the actors have changed a little, since it is Carson Wentz who will be, if all goes well, in the direction of the Eagles.
Transferred from Philadelphia to New England, Michael Bennett will be reunited with his former teammates.
Week 11: Cleveland Browns – Pittsburgh Steelers (Thursday night, 2:20 a.m.)
Will the Steelers still be in the race for the playoffs after eleven weeks without Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown? Will the Browns have justified the hype? If so, that divisive opposition in an overheated Dawg Pound should be worth its weight in peanuts.
As with the Patriots a few weeks earlier, and perhaps even more so as this is a divisional rivalry, there will be a smell of handover around the Browns.
Semaine 14 : New England Patriots – Kansas City Chiefs (22h25)
The AFC final was superb, and there is no reason why this opposition between the two conference heavyweights should not be a new gem.
Kansas City will not be able to claim to have seized the power before having brought down Tom Brady in the playoffs, but this meeting of end of season could already offer indications on the forces present. Seeing the last two MVPs face off is also an exceptional moment.
Semaine 15 : Oakland Raiders – Jacksonville Jaguars (22h05)
Antonio Brown vs. Jalen Ramsey. The two protagonists should ensure the promotion of this poster themselves in the previous days on social networks.
More discreet, Nick Foles will then approach the end of his first campaign with a team that he is supposed to bring back to the top.
Semaine 16 : Pittsburgh Steelers – New York Jets (19h)
Again and again reunion, this time between Le’Veon Bell and his former team.
If the Jets aren’t sure they’re still in the playoff race at this point in the season, the runner would surely be happy to bury any remaining Pittsburgh hopes.
Semaine 16 : Philadelphia Eagles – Dallas Cowboys (19h)
There is always suspense in NFC East. So an Eagles-Cowboys on the penultimate day? The match will most likely be decisive in the allocation of a place in the playoffs.
There will be revenge in the air, as Dallas won both meetings in 2018.
