2012 NFL Schedule: Most Intriguing Playoff Rematches

The 2012 NFL schedule is due for release on Tuesday night, leaving football fanatics to wonder when the season's biggest and best games will kick off.

Divisional grudge matches and Peyton Manning parades aside, no dates on the calendar will be bigger than those pitting last season's playoff foes against one another. These three, in particular, should pique the interest of players, coaches and gridiron junkies alike.

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens

Ray Lewis and the Ravens never need extra motivation to get up for a game against Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Of course, there's plenty of new fuel to stoke the fire after the AFC Championship Game back in January, which saw New England secure a spot in Super Bowl XLVI after a pair of late-game gaffes on Baltimore's part.

Beating the Pats at home won't exactly soften the blow of that shortfall for the Ravens, though it should help to validate their status as a favorite to win the AFC once again.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers

Speaking of conference title game rematches, the Giants and the 49ers are due for one of their own. These two historic foes will return to Candlestick Park, the site of their last clash, to relive a game that, while epic in scope, fell short of expectations as far as the quality of football played is concerned.

Still, expect the bad blood to flow freely between these two teams, especially now that Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs will be suiting up in the home team's locker room this time around.

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints

As memorable as the NFC Championship Game was, no playoff tilt from 2012 can quite top the back-and-forth free-for-all that took place at Candlestick between the Niners and the Saints. These two combined to score 34 points in the fourth quarter, including two touchdowns apiece over the final 4:02 in what turned out to be an enthralling, back-and-forth affair.

The circumstances will be quite different this time around, and not just because it's a regular season game at the Superdome. New Orleans will still be reeling from the repercussions of "Bountygate," without head coach Sean Payton and (perhaps) interim coach Joe Vitt.

Not to mention the scores of players who may or may not feel the wrath of commissioner Roger Goodell for their roles in the fiasco by the time this game is played.

Either way, don't be surprised if these two teams end up trading scores at a breakneck pace on the turf in New Orleans.

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