2012 NFL Schedule Release: The 10 Must-See Games of the 2012 Season

The NFL has officially released its schedule for the 2012 season, and there are 10 must-see games that every fan has to witness. 

The season begins with an exciting rivalry matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Super Bowl champion New York Giants on Sept. 5, and it also has a great Monday night doubleheader. The Bengals will be heading to Baltimore to take on the Ravens, while the Raiders will play host to the San Diego Chargers. 

The NFL has a ton of great games on its schedule, but these next 10 are the ones that you cannot miss. 

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, Massachusetts) 

Date: Sunday, Oct. 7 (Week 5) 

Network: CBS (4:15 PM ET)  

The classic battle of Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning has been the marquee matchup of the past decade in the National Football League.

The NFL really missed the classic rivalry game last season due to Manning's injury, which ultimately makes this seasons matchup that much more intriguing.

The game will have a much different feel to it because of Peyton playing in Denver, but that has no effect on the rich history between these two elite quarterbacks.

Brady holds the head-to-head advantage in the 14-game series with a 9-5 record (three of the 14 games were postseason contests, with Brady holding a 2-1 record) and he has been the winner in each of the last two contests that were both at Gillete Stadium.

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Location: Metlife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey) 

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 5

Network: NBC (8:30 PM ET) (Sunday Night Football) 

The rival Dallas Cowboys will come to town to take on the Super Bowl champions in a game that NBC will televise at 8:30 PM ET on Wednesday, Sept. 5, which makes it the first Wednesday game that the NFL has witnessed since the Rams faced the Lions on hump day in 1948.  

The NFL has done a great job of selecting the matchup for the opening day game, and this year is no different. The winner will have an early edge on a division that saw its top three teams separated by just one game.

The Giants beat the Cowboys each time they played in the 2011 season, but the Cowboys own the overall series with a 56-42-2 record.  

The defending champion is 8-0 in season openers since the NFL began putting the defending Super Bowl champion in the kickoff game eight years ago.  

Houston Texans at Detroit Lions

Location: Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan)

Date: Thursday, Nov. 22 (Week 12) 

Network: CBS (12:30 PM ET) (Thanksgiving Day)  

This is a matchup of two teams that are expected to make a ton of noise in 2012. 

The Texans were arguably the best team in the AFC before Matt Schaub went down with a season-ending injury, and the Lions made their first playoff appearance in more than a decade. 

This game will be featured on Thanksgiving Day, which is certainly a treat for us turkey lovers. 

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers

Location: Candlestick Park (San Francisco, California) 

Date: Sunday, Oct. 14 (Week 6) 

Network: Fox (4:15 PM ET)  

This contest is a rematch of last season's thrilling NFC Championship game and one of the NFL's best regular season games of 2011.  

The 49ers appear to be the team to beat in NFC after the team signed two ex-Giants and former All-Pro receiver Randy Moss with the two former Giants being Brandon Jacobs and Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham.

Those three signings alone make this game must-see TV, and we could be witnessing a rebirth of one of the NFL's top rivalries of the 1980s and early '90s. 

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

Location: Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)   

Date: Sunday, Nov. 18 (Week 11)  

Network: NBC (8:20 PM ET) (Sunday Night Football)  

The Ravens and Steelers have played some of the NFL's best games over the past decade, and I expect both of this year's games to be no different. 

Both the teams have championship windows that are certainly closing due to aging players, which makes the two matchups that they have with each other the two most important in recent memory. 

The prime time slot makes the first matchup the most intriguing of the two. 

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

Location: Soldier Field (Chicago, Illinois)  

Date: Sunday, Dec. 16 (Week 15)  

Network: Fox (1:00 PM ET)   

This is a battle of two NFC North teams that have Super Bowl aspirations.

The Bears will certainly be contenders for the division and Super Bowl title after the team upgraded their offense tremendously with the additions of running back Michael Bush and wide receiver Brandon Marshall. 

The Packers will look to avenge a disappointing end to a stellar 2011 regular season, and this late matchup with the Bears may decide each team's fate for seeding in the playoffs. 

Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins

Location: FedEx Field (Landover, Maryland)

Date: Sunday, Nov. 4 (Week 9) 

Network: Fox (1:00 PM ET) 

This will be a contest of two of the most dynamic players that the quarterback position has to offer. 

Cam Newton will head to Washington to take on RG3, which is a matchup has the potential to be the next great rivalry in the NFL. 

Both teams have a ton of potential, and it will surely be exciting to watch these two teams compete. 

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

Location: CenturyLink Field (Seattle Washington) 

Date: Monday, Sept. 24 (Week 3)

Network: ESPN (8:30 PM ET) (Monday Night Football)

The Packers will travel to the home of the 12th man in Week 3 of the NFL season. This is an intriguing matchup, because it is one that should feature former Packers backup Matt Flynn as the starting quarterback for the Seahawks. 

Seattle has one of the league's most underrated secondaries, and they should give Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fits all night. 

The Seahawks are certainly a team that has enough talent to make a push towards the playoffs this season, and they could really make some noise around the league with an upset victory over Green Bay on Monday Night Football. 

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 

Date: Sunday, Oct. 28 (Week 8)

Network: Fox (1:00 PM ET) 

This is a matchup of two teams that should be in contention for their respective division titles. The Falcons are the current favorites (IMO) to win the NFC South after the Saints' Bountygate scandal, and the Eagles finished a game behind the Giants for the division title, despite how bad they played for most of the season.  

Both teams have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, and they have had some great showdowns in the past.  

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints

Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana) 

Date: Sunday, Nov. 25 (Week 12)

Network: Fox (4:15 PM ET) 

Drew Brees and the Saints will host the 49ers in a rematch of the most exciting game of the 2011 playoffs. 

The 49ers will head to New Orleans with a lot more firepower on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense will be the key to the game as they try to shut down a Saints offense that averaged 41 points a game in the dome last season. 

This game will be a strength versus strength type of battle, which is definitely something to get excited about.