NFL Schedule: 10 Games To Watch In Week 1

The 2010 NFL season will be kicking off in less than a week, and with that in mind it’s time to take a glance at what’s on tap as week one gets underway.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at 10 games to watch in the first week of the regular season.

And from Sunday showdowns to a pair of Monday night matchups to a Thursday night must-see, let’s begin with No. 10...

No. 10: Dallas @ Washington, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday, Sept. 12)

The Dallas Cowboys will be battling the Washington Redskins on Sunday, Sept. 12, with kickoff slated for 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC) at FedEx Field.

Mark this down as one to watch in week one.

No. 9: Carolina @ New York Giants, 1:00 p.m. ET (Sunday, Sept. 12)

The Carolina Panthers will be facing the New York Giants on Sunday, Sept. 12, with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m. ET (FOX) at New Meadowlands Stadium.

The first of a handful of games kicking off Sunday afternoon, make sure to pencil in some time to at least catch the highlights from this matchup.

No. 8: Indianapolis @ Houston, 1:00 p.m. ET (Sunday, Sept. 12)

The Indianapolis Colts will be heading to Houston for the 2010 NFL season opener, facing the Texans on Sunday, Sept. 12, in a game slated to kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS) at Reliant Stadium.

And it should be quite an entertaining game as the Texans aim to begin things off on the right foot with a big win over the Colts.

No. 7: Cincinnati @ New England, 1:00 p.m. ET (Sunday, Sept. 12)

The Cincinnati Bengals will be hitting the gridiron for a matchup with the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 12, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS) at Gillette Stadium.

And from a new-look team to a squad solidified as one of the best, this game should be a barnburner on Sunday afternoon.

No. 6: Detroit @ Chicago, 1:00 p.m. ET (Sunday, Sept. 12)

The Detroit Lions will be facing the Chicago Bears in a game slated to begin at 1:00 pm. ET (FOX) on Sunday, Sept. 12, at Soldier Field.

Sure, this game could easily be overlooked in week one—but my guess is there will be quite a few highlight reel plays in Sunday’s showdown at Chicago.

No. 5: Miami @ Buffalo, 1:00 p.m. ET (Sunday, Sept. 12)

The Miami Dolphins will be heading to Buffalo for a Sunday afternoon showdown with the Bills at 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS) at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

And from the Florida sun to the Buffalo breeze, this NFL Sunday battle should be an entertaining affair.

No. 4: Green Bay @ Philadelphia, 4:15 p.m. ET (Sunday, Sept. 12)

The Green Bay Packers will be battling the Philadelphia Eagles in both team’s season openers on Sunday, Sept. 12, with the game slated to kickoff at 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX) at Lincoln Financial Field.

And this contest will likely come down to the wire as the Packers and Eagles battle it out on the gridiron to begin the 2010 NFL season.

No. 3: San Diego @ Kansas City, 10:15 p.m. ET (Monday, Sept. 13)

The San Diego Chargers hit the road for Kansas City in a Monday night battle with the Chiefs on Sept. 13 at 10:15 p.m. ET (ESPN) at Arrowhead Stadium.

An evening game of back-to-back Monday night matchups, the Charges vs. Chiefs game may end up being the best game of week one.

Either way, it should be a damn good game.

No. 2: Baltimore @ New York Jets, 7:00 p.m. ET (Monday, Sept. 13)

The Baltimore Ravens will be facing the New York Jets in the first game of a double-header on Monday, Sept. 13, with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN) at New Meadowlands Stadium.

And ESPN did a pretty good job of picking out a pair of significant back-to-backs for the first Monday Night Football games of the 2010 season.

Which leaves me with just one major question with the upcoming NFL season on the horizon: are you ready for some football?

No. 1: Minnesota @ New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. ET (Thursday, Sept. 9)

The Minnesota Vikings will be heading to New Orleans for a matchup with the Saints on Thursday, Sept. 9, at 8:30 p.m. ET (NBC) at the Superdome—marking the first official game of the 2010 NFL season.

Can you really ask for anything more?

The 40-year-old Brett Favre will be back on the gridiron this Thursday as he aims to guide the Vikings to a season opening victory at New Orleans.

Of course, Saints quarterback Drew Brees has different plans for the 2010 NFL season opening outcome.

But regardless of who wins this sweet way to kick off the season, it should be an extremely entertaining game from start to finish.

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at [e-mail]