The 2020 NFL season is packed with exciting matchups. Here are 16 games from the first four weeks at the NFL will want to preserve. These are exciting matchups with individual flavor that the league and its fans will not want to miss. The NFL is a game of matchups and fans will want to see how their favorite team stacks up against the top competition. These games all feature an interesting positional battle that will help define each teams’ strengths and weaknesses. Let’s look at the best 16 games of the first four weeks of the 2020 NFL season!
16 Crucial Games of the First Four Weeks of the 2020 NFL Season
Week 1
Texans at Chiefs
The NFL plans to kick off its season with a Thursday night rematch of an exciting playoff comeback. The Texans and Bill O’Brien will be eager to prove that their offseason trade of DeAndre Hopkins was justified. Two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson will square off in a prime time battle. This game will be a great showcase for the young quarterback stars of the NFL.
Dolphins at Patriots
The Dolphins will be integrating three first-round picks including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Patriots will be attempting their first season in 20 years without Tom Brady at the helm. NFL fans will be excited to see how well Tagovailoa performs in his debut. How will the Patriots look without Brady running the offense? This game could signify a shift in the balance of power in the AFC East. Patriots fans hope it’ll be business as usual. This is the most intrigue we have seen in the AFC East in a long time.
Cardinals at 49ers
The 49ers will be the latest team to try to elude the super bowl hangover. The Rams were the latest team to suffer from the super bowl loss. The 49ers took advantage of that and were able to make the super bowl, but they fell short to the Chiefs. The 49ers will be trying to create a dynasty and prove they were not a flash in the pan. The Cardinals have been exciting offense and the addition of DeAndre Hopkins gives the Arizona offense life. The Cardinals were already putting up big points behind quarterback Kyler Murray and innovative young head coach Kliff Kingsbury. With the addition of Hopkins as a go-to receiver for Murray, it is quite plausible that this will be a breakout year for the young quarterback. He will be put to test against the stellar defense of the Niners. This is a pivotal division game that fans will want to see.
Buccaneers at Saints
This game will feature one of the top storylines of the 2020 NFL season. Tom Brady in a new uniform. After a Hall of Fame career in New England, Tom Brady continues his quest to defeat time in Tampa Bay. Many believe that Brady is too old and past his prime to be an effective NFL quarterback. Others argue that the lack of weapons and New England last year led to him looking subpar. Brady will have plenty of weapons in Tampa Bay in an offense that put up points last year. Wide receiver Mike Evans is one of the most talented in the game. Fans will be interested to see how Brady fares in Bruce Arians‘ aggressive offensive attack. This game should be fun to watch. Be prepared for massive media overreactions depending on how the game ends.
Week 2
Bengals at Browns
The Browns went from perpetual doormat to one of the most talked-about teams in the NFL. Baker Mayfield is a controversial quarterback whose play has yet to match his mouth. The Browns have many offensive weapons such as the mercurial Odell Beckham Jr. This will be a quarterback battle of two number one overall picks as Joe Burrow will be making his second start at the helm of the Bengals. The results of this game will drive NFL narratives for weeks to come. This will be a fun contest with two quarterbacks trying to establish themselves as stars in the NFL.
Vikings at Colts
New Colts quarterback Philip Rivers gets his chance to shine at home against a top NFC defense. Rivers looked to have dead arm issues towards the end of last year. It will be incumbent on him to prove that he can still move the ball down the field. Fortunately for Rivers, he goes to a team with one of the best offensive lines in the league. The Vikings have super bowl level talent but can’t seem to get things done in big games. This will be a chance for Kirk Cousins to get a big win on the road. Two teams with high expectations will square off in a matchup that will keep the attention of NFL fans.
Ravens at Texans
The Texans will be tested to start the year. After facing the Chiefs they will have to come home to the team with the best regular-season record last year, the Baltimore Ravens. Albeit they will have extra rest as they open up on Thursday night but this is still quite the gauntlet for Houston to open with. After dominating the regular season last year the Ravens were shut down in their home divisional playoff game. Lamar Jackson will get a chance to display the improvement he has made. Deshaun Watson will duel with another top young quarterback. This should be a fun game with exciting implications.
Saints at Raiders
Las Vegas will show off their new stadium by hosting Drew Brees in the Saints. Through free agency, the Raiders made a complete defensive overhaul. Those new additions will be put to the test by the Saints explosive offense. The Raiders will be able to showcase their new defense and their new stadium. It should be a great Monday night of football as the NFL season welcomes Las Vegas into their league.
Week 3
Rams at Bills
After becoming the prototype for the new coach in the NFL Rams coach Sean McVay had a tough year last year. A go for it all attitude cause the Rams some salary-cap trouble and they have dumped some of their weapons, notably Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley. McVay will be eager to prove his system is effective against one of the top defenses in the league. The Bills did quite well last year. They will be looking to take a step forward and win the AFC East. They will need to win home games such as this one. This game will allow the Bills to prove that they are ready to win their division. The Rams will be trying to prove that they are still a contender after a down year in 2019.
Cowboys at Seahawks
After having super bowl hopes to start the season last year at the Cowboys were unable to make the playoffs. Under new coach Mike McCarthy there are hopes that the Cowboys can finally become a true contender. New addition CeeDee Lamb should be fully integrated into the Cowboys offense at this point. The Seahawks are a team that analysts always downgrade on paper yet they always seem to win. They are usually in close games and this one should be no exception. This should be an exciting game between two teams with playoff hopes.
Packers at Saints
Week three is full of possible NFC playoff previews. Both the Packers and Saints have been in the upper echelon of the NFC. Neither team made drastic offseason moves but both are returning squads that were very close to making the super bowl. Both teams will be eager to make a statement against conference rivals. Fans will expect fireworks in the Sunday night showdown.
Chiefs at Ravens
This is the game that most observers thought would be the AFC Championship game. Now we get a chance to see what it will look like when these two teams face off. Will Ravens coach John Harbaugh be able to slow down Andy Reid‘s exciting Chiefs offense? Will Lamar Jackson run roughshod over the Chiefs defense? The questions we were wondering during last year’s playoffs will finally be answered in this week three showdown.
Week 4
Broncos at Jets
At this point in the season, both these teams hope their young quarterbacks have made a name for himself. Jets quarterback Sam Darnold will attempt his second year under head coach Adam Gase. He will hopefully avoid injuries and mono to be able to showcase his skills. Drew Lock is poised for a breakout season. He looked fantastic to end the year and has Broncos fans excited. A fast start could energize the fan base of each of these teams. Both teams will be eager to prove their improvement. This game will feature two talented young quarterbacks eager to become stars.
Steelers at Titans
This game will give NFL fans a chance to check in on two of the top defenses in the league. Can the Titans continue on last year’s success? Is Ben Roethlisberger fully healthy or will the Steelers be relying on their backup brigade of bozos? NFL fans will be treated to a hard-hitting battle and NFL gamblers will be running to the window to bet the under. This game will give us a good chance to check out two hard-nosed teams that don’t rely on flashy offense. This game will be a preview of playoff football.
Patriots at Chiefs
This game will be an excellent watermark of the alleged decline of the New England Dynasty. The Chiefs are a fantastic home team that puts points up on the board. Will New England New offense be able to keep pace? How Will Bill Belichick do against this high-powered offense? Many questions about the Patriots NFL season will be answered in this week four tilt.
Eagles at 49ers
The Eagles snuck into the playoffs last year but they were one of the most injured teams in the league. If the Eagles team can stay healthy they are a definite playoff contender. The 49ers are a top team to test your mettle against and the Eagles will be properly tested. This should be an exciting NFC game that could have playoff implications. This game will provide a great measuring stick on how each team is built for the 2020 season.
16-game Season is Key
These 16 games will be a full NFL season worth of excitement. Match-ups such as these are reasons that the NFL will postpone the start date of the season rather than shorten the season. Each of these matchups has unique intrigue that can be only answered on the field. Regardless of when the season starts, the season will start with a bang.
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