NFL Schedule 2011: Games You Can Skip

The NFL season is only a month away and fans are getting ready, clearing out their Sunday afternoons to spend some quality time in front of the television.

Some of the upcoming games are intriguing matchups, some promise to be down to the wire, but some aren’t even worth watching.

Here are five NFL games not to bother with this season.

5. Any Cincinnati Bengals game

The Cincinnati Bengals tied for the worst record in the AFC last year and did not make any real improvements to the team during the offseason—except drafting A.J. Green. Even with Green the Bengals will be difficult to watch.

The Bengal offense is stagnant since quarterback Carson Palmer is contemplating retirement and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco recently left the team for the Patriots.

On top of that, the Bengals play in the AFC North, which is one of the toughest divisions in football.

Teams are going to look forward to playing the Bengals because they know it will be an easy win. The only thing Bengals fans will be watching is how much the opponent lights up the scoreboard.

4. Any Game That Brett Favre Attends

If Favre plays—which hopefully he doesn’t—attention will automatically shift from the team to Favre.

Football is a team sport and having an individual like Favre will hurt, not help, a team.

Even if Favre simply attends a game, commentators will spend most of the time talking about how good he was and how he is persistent.

Focus on the game, not on Favre. There is a better storyline for every NFL team, so let's not even mention him.

3. Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals, December 18

By week 15, these two teams won’t have made the playoffs and will essentially have nothing to play for.

Last year, the Cardinals and Browns had the same miserable record of 5-11. Even adding quarterback Kevin Kolb can't make the Cardinals a playoff team. He hasn’t proven himself yet and still has to learn a new system of offense.

The Browns are definitely not going to make the playoffs because of their tough division. With only two wild card spots available, it is hard to imagine the Browns taking one of those spots.

2. New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts, December 4

This may look like a great matchup considering these two teams have dominated the NFL for the last two years, but there are two reasons why it won’t be a must-see game.

For one, the Colts don’t stand a chance against the Patriots this year. Both defenses were bad last year. The Patriots finished 25^th and the Colts 20^th in yards allowed per game, but with the Patriots adding Albert Haynesworth, their defensive line has vastly improved.

Also, the Colts and Peyton Manning are getting old and it will be hard to lock a playoff position down in the AFC South.

Every team in that division has improved or has the pieces to make a playoff run—except the Colts.

The Texans and Jaguars are going to show this year why they—not the Colts—are the teams to beat.

1. Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos, December 24

Two of the worst teams will butt heads in the second to last week of the regular season.

Nothing will be on the line and good football won’t even be played.

The talk on the broadcast will overemphasize how good Tebow is or if he doesn’t start this year, why Tebow should have started. Conversation is already buzzing about the Orton versus Tebow quarterback saga and it will continue to be the main talking point the whole season.

There will be plenty of other good matchups that week so hopefully you won’t get stuck with this game.