2012 NFL Schedule: Possible Super Bowl Previews You Can't Miss

The official schedule for the 2012 NFL season won't be released until next Tuesday. But, as the media frenzy that ensued earlier this week when a fake schedule hit the internet showed, fans are already chomping at the bit to make Sunday plans for this fall that don't include shopping for a new comforter to match the drapes.

That said we already know each team's home and away opponents for 2012, and it's never too early to start thinking of of excuses not to do yard work, so here's an early look at five hypothetical regular season matchups this year that could offer previews of Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.

Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans

Both teams in this matchup made playoff exits in the Divisional Round last year, and while the Houston Texans are trying to build on their first ever playoff appearance, the Green Bay Packers are looking to erase the bad taste of a 15-1 regular season that went for naught.

These teams haven't met since a late Kris Brown field goal gave the Texans a 24-21 victory over the Packers in 2008, and the battle between Green Bay's prolific offense and Houston's stingy defense would be a fun one to watch.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants

The New York Giants enter the 2012 season as kings of the proverbial mountain, as quarterback Eli Manning led the 9-7 Giants on a magical playoff run a year ago that culminated in a come-from-behind win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

That means that the G-Men will spend this season with a fat target on their backs, and you can bet that after getting Tebowed in the AFC playoffs last season an angry Pittsburgh Steelers team will come to the Big Apple looking to stomp on it.

Nicely, of course...there's no room for nastiness in today's NFL.

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles were a trendy preseason pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl last year after a flurry of offseason acquisitions. Then everything that could go wrong did in the City of Brotherly Love, and the Eagles lurched to an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs entirely.

However, the Eagles remain a very talented team that would seem capable of making a deep playoff run. One of the true tests of how deep that run might be will come when the Baltimore Ravens, who narrowly lost last year's AFC Championship game to the New England Patriots, bring their fearsome defense to town.

New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos may well be the 2012 equivalent of the Philadelphia Eagles, as the addition of quarterback Peyton Manning in free agency has led many pundits to declare Denver one of the leading candidates to represent the AFC at the Superdome.

That's not what makes this potential preview possibly the most interesting of the bunch, however, as no team has ever played a Super Bowl in their home stadium. If the scandal-marred New Orleans Saints are able to reach the big game against Manning's Broncos, the hype leading up to the Super Bowl would be unprecedented.

San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots

The New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers both enjoyed successful seasons that fell just short in 2011, as the 49ers lost the NFC Championship game in overtime to the New York Giants before the Patriots fell to those same Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

This marquee matchup is a classic battle of offense versus defense, as linebacker Patrick Willis and San Francisco's fourth-ranked defense will try to contain tight end Rob Gronkowski and New England's second-ranked offensive attack.