Sunday Night Football Schedule 2013: Analyzing Season's Most Exciting Matchups

One of the most exciting Sunday night football games of the 2013 NFL season will take place in Week 2's action when the San Francisco 49ers pay a visit to their NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks.

When these two elite teams last took to the gridiron at CenturyLink Field, the hosting Seahawks dismantled Jim Harbaugh's hard-nosed bunch 42-13.

However, there are still plenty of other Sunday night contests to look forward to beyond this evening, and there is always the possibility that games later in the season with playoff ramifications could get flexed to the prime time slot.

Let's take a look at the complete Sunday night schedule as it stands, including analysis from the most intriguing games and a score prediction for this week's game.

Week 2: San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks

Both teams are known for their physical, hard-hitting defenses and fantastic rushing attacks. A major reason of what makes their respective ground games so effective is the quarterback play.

Seahawks signal-caller Russell Wilson is deceptively fast and elusive, while his counterpart Colin Kaepernick is even more explosive and a long strider with one of the strongest arms in the NFL.

Star defensive lineman Justin Smith was not in the lineup for last year's Week 16 rout in Seattle, so his presence will help immensely in the trenches. The Seahawks ran for only 2.7 yards per carry in Week 1's close call against the Carolina Panthers, which isn't a recipe for success against San Francisco.

To highlight how big this matchup is, check out the power rankings provided by ESPN's Chris Mortensen where the Niners lead and the Seahawks are in third:

Wide receiver Anquan Boldin will likely be doing frequent battle with Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman. Given how physical both can be especially with the ball in the air, it will be exciting to see who comes out on top.

Boldin led the league with 208 yards on 13 receptions in the season opener. However, Kaepernick will likely have to look elsewhere, since the magnificent Seahawks secondary will likely shade coverage his way.

Prediction: Seahawks 20, 49ers 13

Week 7: Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning returns to Indianapolis to take on his highly touted successor, fellow No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck. The analysis could almost stop right here with enough being said.

But after the Colts lost 24-20 at home to the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, it's no longer as much of a slam dunk that Luck and Co. will be a playoff team.

Meanwhile, barring some sort of catastrophic rash of injuries that plague Denver's entire receiving corps of Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Eric Decker, the Broncos should remain squarely among the league's elite.

Former superstar QB Kurt Warner recently ranked his top five quarterbacks and believes Luck is closer to Manning than many might expect:

The new-look Colts have had so much roster turnover in recent years, but the last truly memorable constant from that era other than, say, Reggie Wayne and Antoine Bethea, was Manning.

Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium crowd will erupt in jubilation when Manning first takes the field. After that, it will be all business between the white lines. Since the Broncos don't have a bye at this stage of the season, this will also mark the return of suspended pass-rushing dynamo Von Miller.

That should make it tough for even the super-athletic Luck to hang in the pocket, though his running ability could be the X-factor that keeps possession in the Colts' favor.

Week 12: Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots

Sorry to somewhat cheaply reference Manning yet again, but who is going to miss a duel involving him and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady?

Not anyone with any sort of vested interest in the NFL, that's for sure. Brady leads the head-to-head series 9-4, but his current dearth of offensive weapons is definite cause for concern.

Meanwhile, Manning has plenty of targets to toss the pigskin to, which were outlined before, and he even has a new weapon in pass-catching tight end Julius Thomas, who broke out for two touchdowns in Week 1.

It's unclear whether Brady's studly tight end in Rob Gronkowski will be back on the field by this point, but this could be a make-or-break contest for New England.

The first two wins were thankfully in the division for Bill Belichick's bunch, although they were not pretty by any stretch. Even though the Patriots will be on a short week, though, this game will be in Gillette Stadium, which will make it all the more compelling if New England is the underdog.