There have been plenty of surprises in this NFL season. Did anyone have Kansas City winning their first seven games after only winning two last year? Sit down, no you didn’t. As we continue to fly through the 2013 season, there are still some very important match-ups to look forward to ahead.
San Francisco at New Orleans
Week 11
Sure, San Francisco has lost two games and Colin Kaepernick hasn’t lived up to the 2012 model, but they still have a powerhouse defense and the New Orleans offense is rolling harder than the audience at Deadmau5 show.
Kansas City at Denver
Week 11
Any game in the NFL is hard (unless you’re playing the Jacksonville Jaguars), but this will truly be Kansas City’s first real test. No one expected the Chiefs to be this good this fast after Andy Reid took over, but this talented team is being led by one of the best and they will head into Denver with the division lead on the line.
Denver at New England
Week 12
Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady? There is no telling how many more times we will have the opportunity to see this historic match-up of Hall of Fame quarterbacks, but at this point, you have to assume that every one is the last. This may go down as the best quarterback rivalry in NFL history.
Denver at Kansas City
Week 13
Yes, Denver is on this list four times, but that goes to show the kind of season they are having. Just two weeks removed from their first match-up against Kansas City in Denver, the Broncos travels to K.C. in what should be the deciding game for the division. This Week 13 game will answer most of the questions about the AFC Playoff positions.
New Orleans at Seattle
Week 13
This is probably the deciding game for home-field advantage in the NFC. Percy Harvin will most likely be back on the field for a healthy and fully-armed Seattle team against Drew Brees and the high-octane New Orleans offense. The last time these two teams met in Seattle, the fans caused an earthquake… literally.
Indianapolis at Kansas City
Week 16
This late-season match-up should be against two playoff-bound teams. Whereas the Week 13 game between Denver and Kansas City will answer most questions about the AFC Playoffs, this one should essentially wrap it up. Kansas City is talented and deep; Indianapolis is young and on the brink of becoming a dynasty. Plus, who doesn’t like seeing all that barbeque on TV?
Green Bay at Chicago
Week 17
Green Bay/Chicago is right up there with Boston/New York, Duke/North Carolina, and Pepsi/Coke in regard to rivalries. This game, in the last week of the season, will most likely decide the division, or at the very least, who gets into the playoffs and who doesn’t. There is nothing better than a rivalry game that means something at the end of a season.