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July 31, 2006 The 2006 NFL schedule has its share of gems. Every team has at least one game that they’re truly looking forward to, and every fan has at least one game that they absolutely cannot miss. The preseason slate kicks off on Sunday, August 6, the day the 2006 Class is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After Troy Aikman, Harry Carson, John Madden, Warren Moon, Reggie White and Rayfield Wright are honored, the day’s festivities conclude with the AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game. This year, the Oakland Raiders, which have won both their previous Hall of Fame Game appearances, face a Philadelphia Eagles squad that has won twice in three previous appearances. Stars like Donovan McNabb and Randy Moss will probably only see a series or two of action before yielding to veteran backups and players just looking to make the roster. Including the Hall of Fame Game, a total of fifteen preseason contests are scheduled for national telecast on CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC and the NFL Network. Among the more interesting match-ups are New England at Atlanta (Friday, August 11 on CBS), Oakland at Minnesota (Monday, August 14 on ESPN), Miami at Carolina (Thursday, August 24 on Fox) and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (Friday, August 25 on ESPN). Local affiliates including KTVI in St. Louis, KTVU-TV in the Oakland/San Francisco area, WBFF-TV in Baltimore and WNBC in New York City will also be carrying games of the teams in their respective markets. For each of the seventeen weeks of the regular season, I’m sharing with you my pick for Game of the Week, along with a brief explanation as to why the game will be so important. As you review each week, bear in mind two things: 1) Open weeks—weeks in which some teams will not be playing—begin in Week 3 and continue through Week 9. After Week 9, all teams will be playing each week through the end of the regular season. 2) Starting with Week 10, the Sunday-night flexible scheduling plan will be in place for the rest of the season (except for Week 16). That means my pick for Game of the Week, unless it falls on Thursday, Saturday or Monday, could wind up in prime time. NFL Kickoff Weekend (September 7, 10-11): Miami at Pittsburgh on Thursday night, September 7. The defending Super Bowl champions will be hosting a team that many believe could be playing the Super Bowl at home at the end of the season. This game is big for a number of reasons—among them, it’ll be Ben Roethlisberger’s first regular-season tilt after the near-fatal motorcycle crash he suffered earlier this summer, and it’ll be the first regular-season action for Daunte Culpepper since being traded from Minnesota. Week 2 (September 17-18): Washington at Dallas on Sunday night, September 17. Last season, the Cowboys found themselves on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. Not only did the Redskins sweep them in the regular season, they also made a furious push to secure the NFC’s number-six seed. In the process, they upended Tampa Bay on the road on Wild Card Weekend, before running out of steam against Seattle in the Divisional Playoffs. No love will be lost between these two old rivals, but whoever wins this game may have a leg up come December. Week 3 (September 24-25): Atlanta at New Orleans on Monday night, September 24. The fact that the Falcons and Saints are old divisional foes, first in the NFC West and now in the NFC South, takes a backseat to the historical significance of this game. For the first time since the 2004 season, the Louisiana Superdome will host a pro football contest. Last August, Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans to turn their huge sports palace into a temporary storm shelter for thousands of people. The Superdome did its job then, and the Saints are looking forward to doing their job in front of the remaining faithful in the area. Week 4 (October 1-2): Detroit at St. Louis on Sunday afternoon, October 1. Mike Martz helped lead the Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV and nearly led them to victory in Super Bowl XXXVI. But after battling illness last season and falling out of favor with management, Martz is now at the helm of a Lions squad that was among the league’s worst last year. Both Martz and his successor in St. Louis, Scott Linehan, know how to run high-powered offenses. Offensive records may fall in bunches in this late-afternoon shootout. Week 5 (October 8-9): Miami at New England on Sunday afternoon, October 8. There shouldn’t be any snow on the ground in Foxboro for this encounter between two old AFC East rivals. And since clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri has moved on to Indianapolis, that might not be a bad thing for New England. This may be a watershed game for the Patriots, who, like the Steelers, seem to reinvent themselves each season because of free agency. We’ll see how good this team, which fell to Denver in the Divisional Playoffs last year, will be. And by this time, we’ll also know how good the Dolphins are. Week 6 (October 15-16): Oakland at Denver on Sunday night, October 15. A rivalry that goes back to the days of the American Football League, this game will be a national showcase for what should be a revamped Raiders team. Art Shell, who made history in 1989 by becoming the first African-American head coach in the modern-day NFL, is back for a second tour of duty with an offense that features quarterback Aaron Brooks and wide receiver Randy Moss. Mike Shanahan, the man Shell replaced in 1989, will have the Broncos ready, but the question for them is who will be under center at this point. If Jake Plummer struggles during the first five weeks, look for rookie Jay Cutler to get some playing time. Week 7 (October 22-23): Pittsburgh at Atlanta on Sunday afternoon, October 22. The Steelers will spend some time in the Sun Belt this season, and this is just one stop on the tour. Last season, Pittsburgh’s furious rally at the end of the season led to a magical Super Bowl run. But this interconference game may say a lot about their chances this season. The Falcons, of course, will be in a make-or-break season with quarterback Michael Vick, who has yet to step across the threshold of greatness. If Atlanta’s serious about their playoff chances this season, they have to have this game. Week 8 (October 29-30): Tampa Bay at the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon, October 29. Expectations are high for Eli Manning at the Giants offense this season. Last season did not end well for the G-Men, as they fell hard to the Carolina Panthers in the playoffs. But this won’t be an easy game for Manning, as they face a Tampa Bay team also reeling from playoff failure. This game could wind up determining which one of these teams gets into this year’s playoffs. Week 9 (November 5-6): Indianapolis at New England on Sunday night, November 5. This may be the game that the Patriots regret letting Adam Vinatieri walk, especially if there’s snow in Foxboro. Of greater concern to New England is the play of Peyton Manning, who is hungry to prove that he is truly an elite quarterback. This game may also have some serious playoff implications, particularly for the loser. Week 10 (November 12-13): San Diego at Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon, November 12. (Game time is subject to change under the NFL flexible scheduling system.) By this time, we’ll know where these two good young teams stand in the playoff race. The Chargers will be riding the arm of Phillip Rivers, the starter by default now that Drew Brees is sporting Saints garb. And Carson Palmer, who led the Bengals to the AFC North championship last season, should be rolling along on a repaired and rehabilitated knee. These two teams faced each other in the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 1981 season. Hopefully, they won’t have to face sub-zero temperatures in this contest. Week 11 (November 19-20): New York Giants at Jacksonville on Monday night, November 20. This is one of several Old Home Week games being played this week, so called because players or coaches from one team will be facing a team they previously played or coached for. In this case, it’ll be Tom Coughlin going home to battle the team he led to two AFC Championship games. Coughlin’s abrasive style and conservative play-calling left a bad taste in the mouths of the Jaguars faithful. But the health of quarterback Byron Leftwich will be the more pressing concern here. If Jacksonville wants to challenge for the AFC South, this is a game they have to win. Week 12 (November 23, 26-27): Denver at Kansas City on Thursday night, November 23. There’s only one bad thing about this Thanksgiving nightcap—you have to have the NFL Network to see it. Those who are lucky enough to have it, though, should be in for a classic AFC West showdown. Both teams should be in the hunt for a playoff spot, and may be challenging for the division title. Week 13 (November 30, December 3-4): Carolina at Philadelphia on Monday night, December 4. Three seasons ago, the Philadelphia press mocked and ridiculed the upstart Panthers, only to see their beloved Eagles, and quarterback Donovan McNabb, have their Super Bowl hopes dashed in the NFC Championship game. Carolina, of course, went on the lose a heart-stopping Super Bowl XXXVIII, while the Eagles took wing the next season, only to fall short in Super Bowl XXXIX. McNabb no longer has his big-play threat in Terrell Owens, and it may hurt more than he or any other Eagle wants to admit. For the Panthers, this game may be all about playoff position, especially if their running game, led by DeShaun Foster, does a good job setting up big pass plays to Steve Smith. Week 14 (December 7, 10-11): Atlanta at Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon, December 10. (Game time is subject to change under the NFL flexible scheduling system.) Pride may not be the only thing on the line when these NFC South rivals clash in the Florida heat. The winner is likely to get a push toward the playoffs, while the loser will likely need some help the rest of the way. And what happens on the field will likely affect the future of Bucs coach John Gruden. Four seasons ago, he led the team Tony Dungy built to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. They’ve only had one winning season since then, and that came to a halt when the Redskins upset them in the Wild Card round last season. If the Bucs fall out of the playoff chase here, Gruden’s swan song will come against Seattle on New Year’s Eve. Week 15 (December 14, 16-18): Cincinnati at Indianapolis on Monday night, December 18. In what could potentially be a preview of the AFC Championship game, Peyton Manning and the Colts should be tuning up for the playoffs in this contest against Carson Palmer and the Bengals. Historically, this game doesn’t bode well for Cincinnati; in their last three visits to Indianapolis, they’ve lost. And this is a game the Bengals likely cannot afford to lose. Week 16 (December 21, 23-25): Chicago at Detroit on Sunday afternoon, December 23. (The NFL flexible scheduling system is not in play this weekend, as there is no Sunday night game.) Don’t laugh, but this game could potentially determine the NFC North champion. Lovie Smith had the Bears playing some good football last season, until the Panthers upended them in the Divisional Playoffs. And folks better not look past the Lions. Detroit’s had some lean seasons recently, but if that team buys into Mike Martz’s offensive philosophy, Chicago will have its hands full. Bonus Games of Week 16: Philadelphia at Dallas on Monday afternoon, December 25, and the New York Jets at Miami on Monday night, December 25. The Cowboys pull off the Holiday Double by hosting their old NFC East rival on Christmas Day, while Miami does the honors of hosting their old AFC East foes the Jets down in South Florida. The Dolphins have a bit of history playing football on Christmas Day. In 1971, they beat Kansas City in what remains the longest professional football game ever played, clocking in at 82 minutes and 40 seconds of game time. Week 17 (December 30-31): New York Giants at Washington on Saturday night, December 30. This is the game that could determine the NFC East champion, but much more may be riding on this game. If New York hasn’t mutinied on Tom Coughlin by this point, the odds are that they’ll make the push for the playoffs. And as hard as it is to imagine anyone turning against Joe Gibbs, who has three Super Bowl rings and a Hall of Fame bust to his credit, Redskin Nation may not be so forgiving if Washington isn’t in the playoffs after this game. Bonus Games of Week 17: Green Bay at Chicago on Sunday afternoon, December 31, and Pittsburgh at Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon, December 31. (Game times are subject to change under the NFL flexible scheduling system.) The Pittsburgh-Cincinnati matchup is self-explanatory. The AFC North title, as well as playoff seeding, will likely be on the line in this game. The Green Bay-Chicago game, meanwhile, takes on more sentimental significance. It could very well be the last time we see the future Hall of Famer, Brett Favre, suit up in the green and gold. And it would only be fitting for him to go out against an honorable divisional foe. After the seventeen-week regular season, twelve teams (six from each conference) will move on to the playoffs. Wild Card Weekend is January 6 and 7; NBC will broadcast an AFC Wild Card game and an NFC Wild Card game on January 6. CBS will broadcast the other AFC Wild Card game on January 7, while Fox will broadcast the other NFC Wild Card game that same day. The survivors of Wild Card Weekend will face the top two division champions in each conference in the Divisional Playoffs on January 13 and 14. CBS will broadcast one AFC Divisional Playoff game each day, and Fox will broadcast one NFC Divisional Playoff game each day. The Divisional Playoff survivors will meet in the conference championship games on Sunday, January 21. CBS will broadcast the AFC Championship, while Fox will broadcast the NFC Championship. The conference champions will meet at Dolphins Stadium in Miami on Sunday, February 4, in Super Bowl XLI, which will be broadcast on CBS. The season ends on Saturday, February 10, at the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. CBS will broadcast the Pro Bowl. In Part III of my 2006 NFL Season Preview, I’ll be looking at some old faces in new places, and I’ll tell you why several head coaches will be on the hot seat this season. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written over 100 articles for Useless Knowledge. He has also written the unpublished novels The Writer's Nightmare and Santa's Sleigh Is Missing. He works as a business analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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