By Kelsey Miller
The NFL schedule was released last week and the fans are once again, ready for some football. Take a look at my must see games for the 2014 season.
The historic matchup between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 will be one for the books. The Redskins are finally looking to have an elite offense compared to other teams in the competitive NFC East division. Redskins Quarterback RGIII, running back Alfred Morris, rising tight end Jordan Reed, and newly added receiver Desean Jackson will help the Redskins become more of a threat. The Dallas Cowboys, who parted ways with defensive anchorman DeMarcus Ware, will need more leaders to step up to the plate. Neither Tony Romo nor Dez Bryant is current top seeds in their positions which make a hard example for teammates to follow. These two teams always show up in full force to play each other at the end of the season. The classic rivalry has much more meaning than the ability of the players themselves.
My next pick will be America’s Game of The Week. The Week 1 match-up between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos will certainly draw viewer attention. Peyton Manning ended the season with 55 touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 115.1. DeMarcus Ware joins the Broncos this season and will benefit from having Von Miller playing on the same side as him. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has big shoes to fill and veteran receiver Hakeem Nicks has an opportunity to pair up with receiver Reggie Wayne and be offensive weapons.
The Super Bowl rematch will be better than the last time these two teams met. Last year’s game did not go well for the Broncos and the Seahawks defense made Peyton Manning look like a rookie. Besides the monstrous Seahawks defense, Russell Wilson is charging in as the leader of the team and coming to make a huge name for himself in the NFL. He continues to prove the critics wrong by being one of the shortest at his position and remain elite.
In Week 8, the Baltimore Ravens will face the Cincinnati Bengals. Baltimore needs to come out strong in their first game with a division opponent so far along in the season. They are coming off of a season shy of making the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl the year before. Cincinnati receiver AJ Greene is looking forward to having another great season after finishing last season with 11 TD, 98 catches, and 1400 plus receiving yards.
Last but not least, the New Orleans Saints will face off with the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. Quarterback Cam Newton is entering the season after his first playoff appearance and Luke Kuechly was named the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year. Without Darren Sproles in the backfield for New Orleans, the weight is going to be on Drew Brees shoulders to keep the offense afloat. This will be New Orleans second year back with Sean Payton following the bounty suspension. It’s safe to say, I cannot wait until the NFL show gets on the road.