NFL Preseason 2015: 10 Contests You Have to Watch

Preseason football is sort of like having your family come over for the holidays. You can get behind it at first because it's been a while, but after a few hours (or a few drives in the case of football) you're about ready to move on.

Between Sam Bradford and Aaron Rodgers squaring off in Green Bay, a Drew Brees-Tom Brady shootout in New Orleans and a rematch of Super Bowl XLV between the Steelers and Packers, there's plenty of intriguing action during the preseason.

Starters will likely see little to no playing time in the first and last weeks of the preseason, so the majority of these top games will occurs in Weeks 2 and 3. And while these games won't count in the record books, there's always some good action.

Our ranking criteria are based on three things: excitement of the matchup, intriguing storylines and time and manner in which the game will be played.

For those looking for the apple pie to satisfy your sweet tooth, here's a list of the preseason games that you definitely want to check out.

Just Missed the Cut

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

New England at Carolina, Week 3

Cam Newton gets his chance to show off why the Panthers signed him to a massive five-year, $103.8 million dollar contract extension in the offseason.

There's no better way to do it than to play the defending champions at home to see how much the team has improved.

This was easily the toughest matchup to keep out of the top 10, as both Newton and Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady will likely play the entire first half.

Indianapolis at Philadelphia, Week 1

The lone remaining Week 1 game on this list will show off Andrew Luck's new-look Colts offense thanks to the veteran additions of Andre Johnson, Frank Gore and Todd Herremans.

Add veteran pass-rusher Trent Cole, who along with Herremans is returning to his former stomping grounds in Philadelphia, and the Colts have the Super Bowl in their sights.

This would have been a lock for the top 10 list before Chip Kelly pulled the chair from under us and told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Zach Berman that Sam Bradford would sit out the preseason opener. Looks like only one side of the ball will be intriguing to watch.

Dallas at San Francisco, Week 2

This one features the new Cowboys offense without the 2014 rushing leader DeMarco Murray versus the new 49ers' everything without nearly everyone.

There are a lot of question marks for San Francisco about whether it will even compete for a playoff spot under new head coach Jim Tomsula.

For the Cowboys, it's Super Bowl or bust, but it looks like they'll depend on quarterback Tony Romo now more than ever.

10. Cincinnati at Indianapolis, Week 4

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This is a rematch of last season's Wild Card Weekend playoff matchup that the Colts won convincingly 26-10.

Every year the Bengals make it to the playoffs, and every year they go home after the first round. Why should anyone believe this year will be any different?

They haven't won a playoff game since 1991.

But offseason reports have been positive so far, and they looked good in Friday's 23-10 preseason victory over the Giants.

In their last tune-up before the regular season kicks off, it'll be interesting to see if they look the same. But like every year, they'll be measured in January, not August.

The Bengals defense is always top-notch and should provide a tough challenge for Andrew Luck, should he play in Week 4.

9. Baltimore at Philadelphia, Week 2

Associated Press

Finally, the debut of Sam Bradford in Philly, or so we think.

Bradford didn't hold back his disappointment for not playing in Sunday's preseason opener against Indianapolis to CSN Philly's Andrew Kulp. He repeatedly mentioned he didn't understand why he couldn't play, and Chip Kelly said he figured Bradford wasn't too happy with him.

But it's the preseason, and although Bradford has been a full participant through all of training camp, missing a preseason game as an extra precaution isn't that big of a deal.

The following Saturday, the world will get to see what made Kelly fall in love with Bradford. Also, we'll likely welcome new addition DeMarco Murray to the scene in a new-look Eagles offense.

The Eagles will have their hands full with an always tough Ravens team that once again finds itself under the radar.

These two teams will have joint practices the week of the preseason game, and usually those few days of action begin to boil over into tension during the game.

Expect a physical, tough game fueled by the running game of both teams, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a scuffle or two.

8. New York Jets at New York Giants, Week 3

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The battle for New York—Darrelle Revis vs. Odell Beckham Jr., Eli Manning vs. Gen...never mind.

Either way, there are endless storylines for this one. The Giants have been flying under the radar most of the offseason, with the Cowboys and Eagles drawing most of the NFC East attention.

They'll welcome back star receiver Victor Cruz from his ACL injury last year, and he and Beckham should form one of the most dynamic one-two punches at receiver in the league.

To combat those versatile playmakers, the Jets welcomed back Revis Island and Antonio Cromartie at the cornerback spot. That duo should also be among the league's best.

It'll be a treat to watch them battle play after play in Week 3 where, barring injury, they should see much of the first-half action.

7. Houston at Dallas, Week 4

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

This is the Battle of the Lone Star State—or the Governor's Cup, for those who prefer that.

Last year, the Cowboys came out victorious 20-17 in overtime during a Week 5 regular-season game that had opposing fanbases talking for weeks to come.

This matchup won't matter as much, but that doesn't mean each team won't want to get a leg up on the other. In this game more than the others, the final score might mean a little more.

With Arian Foster out for an extended period of time with a groin injury, the Texans will hope to have some rhythm with the run game by this point.

The same goes for the Cowboys and whoever they hope will step up to take the lead in the running back battle.

Expect some hostility in this one.

6. Seattle at San Diego, Week 3

DENIS POROY/Associated Press

Two teams that are always in the hunt come December will square off in one of the marquee matches of Week 3.

The guy to watch on the Chargers' end is first-round pick Melvin Gordon. They traded up to get him, and the hope is he can give them their first elite running back since LaDainian Tomlinson.

They'll need to take some pressure off quarterback Philip Rivers, who seems to need to sling it 50 times come December.

The other question for the Chargers is whether can they generate a pass rush. Teams come in and know that's a weakness they can exploit. San Diego will need to sort out many of these questions by the end of the preseason.

For Seattle, the objective is to get back to the Super Bowl for the third straight year and this time finish the job.

5. Denver at Houston, Week 2

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Gary Kubiak struts back into Houston for the first time as a head coach since the Texans dumped him in 2013.

While we shouldn't expect any bad blood, it will be interesting to track each team's path. 

The Broncos appear to be on the last legs as a championship contender with Peyton Manning at the helm. There are a lot of questions about the offensive line, and how much Manning has left will determine how far they'll go.

The Texans bring a string of youth and energy as evidenced by HBO's Hard Knocks, but they still have a looming cloud over who's going to be the quarterback, Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer.

Head coach Bill O'Brien transformed the team from 2-14 to 9-7 in his first year, but without a true franchise quarterback, what is this franchise's ceiling?

4. New York Giants at New England, Week 4

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Giants are the one team that always seems to have the Patriots' number. You could consider them Tom Brady's kryptonite. 

If it wasn't for Eli Manning's Giants, Brady might have six rings right now, and there wouldn't be much of a debate about the best quarterback of all time.

In Week 4, it's unknown whether we'll see Manning or Brady in this matchup, which is why it falls outside of the top three, but off its history, alone it's a must-see.

Even though he has double the rings, Eli is still known by most football fans as Peyton's little brother. But he's done something twice that Peyton has consistently failed at—defeating Brady.

With quarterbacks like Brady and Manning, expect bombs away in this one.

3. Philadelphia at Green Bay, Week 3

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Mention last year's Packers-Eagles game to any Eagles fan and you'll likely see the disgust exude from their facial expression.

It was ugly—53-20 ugly.

Aaron Rodgers made it look like he was playing against the University of Kansas' secondary. The box score looked like a video game, and the Packers had a 39-6 lead midway through the second half.

It was an embarrassing effort from Philly.

Chip Kelly likely had nightmares of that game this offseason when he was thinking about how to make his team better. He decided to totally revamp the secondary, bringing in three new starters and leaving only Malcolm Jenkins as any reminder of last season.

The talk out of Eagles camp is still the questionable secondary.

They transitioned slot corner Walter Thurmond to starting safety, a position he hasn't played before. They traded productive slot corner Brandon Boykin to the Steelers for a marginal 2016 draft pick. And inevitably, his projected replacement, sixth-round corner JaCorey Shepherd, tore his ACL in training camp.

Now, there are serious questions as to whether this secondary will even be better than last year's porous group at all.

In Week 3, Rodgers will quickly give an answer. If the Eagles hold their own, they could legitimately join the Seahawks and Packers' elite tier in the NFC. If not, they could be looking at another non-playoff season.

The intrigue is stimulating. 

2. New England at New Orleans, Week 2

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This time it's OK to be a close second.

Here are two more teams that chose the joint-practice route, so count on the inevitable fight. But the battle on the field is why you should check this one out.

Two of the most electrifying quarterbacks in the world should make plenty of fireworks in New Orleans.

The defending champions are undergoing a tremendous amount of turnover in the secondary, which should make it a sight to see when Drew Brees tests them deep.

For the Saints, it's about getting back to the playoffs. They finished 7-9 last season but only fell one game shy of winning the NFC South crown in the worst division in football.

Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune ripped the Saints for their lackluster performance Thursday night against the Ravens without Brees. 

That should give the team extra motivation to kick it up a notch, and it also should return Brees back to action. He sorely needs to figure out who's going to be the guy to replace the life-sized void that Jimmy Graham's departure to the Seahawks created.

The matchup should be exciting, but ultimately it fell short only to...

1. Green Bay at Pittsburgh, Week 2

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A rematch of Super Bowl XLV, which the Packers won 31-25, will occur during Week 2 of the preseason.

These are two of the NFL's most iconic franchises with storied fanbases and history. Not to mention each is a Super Bowl contender with its own elite quarterback.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was the same matchup we were looking at in February for the Super Bowl.

Every time I tried to move this game lower on the list, there were three more reasons to move it back up.

Big Ben Roethlisberger is coming off his best season as a pro, but the questions come on the other side. The usually vaunted Steel Curtain is coming off a subpar season, and now the team has a new defensive coordinator in Keith Butler.

After their first preseason game looked "vanilla" on defense, according to linebacker Vince Williams (via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), the Steelers will be expected to step it up in Week 2 when Aaron Rodgers comes to town.

Safety Will Allen told Bouchette that he expects the Steelers to be a top-five defense this season. If they reach that goal, it'll be hard to see them not making a run deep into January and possibly February.

On the other side of the field, Rodgers and the Packers have been among the NFC elite for nearly this entire decade but only have one Super Bowl ring to show for it. 

Again, they'll likely be a preseason favorite along with the two-time defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks to represent the NFC in February.

Although it's only Week 2 of the preseason, don't expect either team to hold back. There won't be many opportunities for these two teams to face a talented opponent like this on the other end.

Excitement, check. Storylines, check. Timeliness, check. It doesn't get better than that.