2011 NFL Predictions: The 17 Best Grudge Matches Week-by-Week

Part of the “back to football” movement post-lockout is getting back to business more than just in free agency.

Don’t think for a second that teams involved in bitter rivalries or revenge games forgot to circle them on their calendars while the season was in jeopardy.

The 2011 NFL season features plenty of chances to catch fantastic matchups every weekend. Some of them fans knew about when the schedule was released; however, more have become inciting with some of the moves in free agency and trades.

This slideshow will take you through the best grudge match game every week of the entire football season. There’s more than the one elite matchup that airs in primetime on Sundays. Reading between the lines is what makes the storylines so exciting and mesmerizing to watch.

Here now are the 17 best matchups to watch for in the 2011 NFL season.

Week 1: New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers may be holding the Lombardi Trophy for this season, but the champions from the year before are out to prove they’re still contenders.

As has been the tradition the last few seasons, the NFL champions from a year ago open at home the first Thursday night of the season. Usually, it’s a rivalry game (Redskins-Giants in 2006) or a rematch of a game that help paved the road to the Super Bowl (Vikings-Saints in 2010).

This year, the kickoff matchup will feature the last two Super Bowl winners in the Saints and Packers at historic Lambeau Field.

It’s a different concept, but that doesn’t take away from the attractiveness of the game. This is almost like a “which champion is more legit?” game, in a sense.

It would not have been surprising if the Bears-Packers game were slated to kick off the season. After all, it’s the NFL’s longest rivalry and those two teams played for the NFC Championship in January. However, the last time those squads debuted opening weekend in primetime, Jay Cutler’s Chicago debut went just about as poorly as it could. That sour taste may be in fans' mouths.

When the lines come out from Vegas for this game, don’t be surprised to see the over/under in the mid-60s. This game will feature plenty of offense with defense coming at a premium. Drew Brees and Rodgers will be in a good measuring-stick matchup. Brees—one could call the standard—and Rodgers—the next best thing—will get to strut their stuff on a national scale.

This should be a great kickoff night.

And as always, bet the over.

Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Michael Vick-Falcons reunion tour has already made its rounds twice, but that doesn’t mean the third time won’t be as promising and anticipated as the first two.

In his first game back inside the Georgia Dome since his release from jail for charges of dog fighting, Vick was still the backup to Donovan McNabb and saw limited time playing. He did come onto the field with certain offensive packages and account for two touchdowns (one passing and one throwing). Philly blew out the Falcons 34-7.

Last year’s Eagles-Falcons bout at Lincoln Financial Field looked like it would be the long-awaited Vick vs. Falcons game fans wanted to see for a full 60 minutes. Vick never saw the field, though, as he was nursing a rib injury. Kevin Kolb resumed the starting role that week and led Philly past Atlanta once more 31-17.

Given the last two attempts, the NFL is slating this one in nice and early on the schedule to avoid any potential injuries.

Aside from the Vick storylines, this actually is a great tone-setting game amongst two teams in the NFC that have a great chance representing the conference in the Super Bowl this season. Both teams are stacked with talent and primed for a Lombardi Trophy run.

The Georgia Dome will be loud for the second Sunday Night Football game of the week.

Week 3: Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

As talked about during Week 1, this game easily could have been the other game fans saw on kickoff night ahead of the rest.

Putting aside the fact the Bears and Packers are bitter rivals and have been for longer than any other two franchises in the league, this rematch game would be great to see irregardless of the past.

What makes this game so juicy is all the drama that went down during the NFC title game at Soldier Field in which Green Bay edged out the Bears 21-14 en route to Super Bowl XLV.

More specifically, quarterback Jay Cutler and the knee injury that knocked him out of the game’s second half will be the focus of this one.

Plenty of talk regarding how tough or how caring Cutler really was rose up immediately once the game went final. Football minds across the country jumped on the “Jay Quitler” bandwagon and have not gotten off since Jan. 23.

This is a big game for both teams but more critical to the Bears. Green Bay has shown that it’s the team to beat in that division. If Chicago wants to dethrone the champs, it starts with beating them in the regular season. There’s plenty of momentum going forward to be won in this game.

Week 4: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Ravens

Rex Ryan’s past vs. Rex Ryan’s present.

The first Monday Night Football broadcast last year was a defensive classic in which Baltimore escaped from the New Meadowlands by a hair, 10-9.

The offseason has been productive for the Jets who faced losing serious assets to free agency. The team re-signed Santonio Holmes, brought in Plaxico Burress and stole Derrick Mason from Baltimore.

On the other hand, the time off has not been too kind to the Ravens, who have lost some serious offensive players in Mason, Todd Heap and Willis McGahee. A lot of the moves were money related to get Baltimore down below the $120 million cap while others were to make the offense faster and more explosive.

Whenever these two defensive-minded teams hook up, fans know the hard-hitting tackles and forceful turnovers are what usually determine the victor.

Just like the Eagles-Falcons matchup Week 2, this is a good inter-conference test for both squads to see how they measure up against the AFC’s elite.

Expect lots of rushing attempts, long fields and emphasis on ball security.

Week 5: San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos

This is a really nice matchup of AFC West foes in Week 5.

Denver last year on defense was bad beyond description, finishing dead last in points allowed and yards allowed. Despite all the nice numbers the Broncos put up on offense, their defense weighed them down enough to eventually sink their ship by the halfway point.

San Diego, meanwhile, had not only the league’s best offense but best defense as well—and it even found a way to miss the postseason.

The Broncos schedule up to this point is rather soft, with home games against Oakland and Cincinnati before going to Tennessee and Green Bay. If the defense is a problem once more in 2011 and Denver begins 1-3 or 0-4, the quarterback talks will surely begin again between Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow.

For the Chargers, this is a trap game. Early looks at the AFC West show the Bolts and Kansas City Chiefs to be front-runners for the division. What makes this game interesting is how it will affect both teams going forward.

San Diego should win this game but the Broncos will have more to play for to avoid self-combustion at the trade deadline.

Week 6: Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots

In the battle of the two most powerful owners in the National Football League, Robert Kraft’s Patriots will do battle with the infamous Jerry Jones and his Cowboys.

The new look Pats will face off against a Dallas team that didn’t improve that much this offseason. The Cowboys—so overwhelmed with making moves for the sake of the salary cap—saw some of their role players find new homes with various franchises.

While Dallas made moves to save money, New England made some splashes as only it can do. The team sacrificed a fifth- and sixth-rounder this year and next to the Bengals for Chad Ochocinco and traded a fifth-round selection in 2013 to Washington for troubled defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.

For those who think racking up all these draft picks isn’t important, five low-round picks just turned into a Pro Bowl wide receiver and a defensive lineman with great potential the Redskins couldn’t discover. The “Bill Belichick” effect should right that ship.

Lots of focus will be on this week’s grudge match because of the attention both franchises normally demand. Don’t call it a potential Super Bowl preview, as Dallas has the revamped Philadelphia Eagles to clear first.

Week 7: Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans

The intensity has picked up between AFC South enemies Houston and Tennessee.

Remember the Andre Johnson-Cortland Finnegan fight last season? You best believe the Texans and Titans do too.

Last year the Jaguars narrowly fell to the Colts for the division crown. That means two things for this division. The heavyweight champions for the last decade, Indianapolis, may be slipping and coming back to the pack a little bit. While their window closes, it opens things up for other teams in the division.

Two of the teams that will have a legitimate chance to hurdle the Colts are Tennessee, with Matt Hasselbeck under center, and the Texans, with a much needed defensive face lift.

The two times these squads face off in 2011 could help shape up the fate of the AFC South. It wouldn’t be that surprising if one of them could finish the campaign with nine or 10 wins and be in contention for a playoff berth.

Week 8: New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Does this game really need any additional hype that the headline itself couldn’t provide?

The game will be determined from how well the Patriots can move the ball on the Steelers defense. That much is obvious. Seeing how the potentially new Patriots 4-3 defense attacks the Steelers ground attack could also play a helping hand in determining how this game is won.

There may not be much love between New England and Pittsburgh, but there is a mutual respect.

The Steelers may have the advantage in this game because they didn’t go through as many changes as the Patriots did. Most of the offense and defense remain intact for Pittsburgh, so that could be an advantage if New England struggles to come together with a shortened offseason.

It’s almost unjust to doubt Tom Brady and how quickly he can get the offense on the same page. He’s done it before and unless he suddenly retires from the game, there’s no doubt he will do it again. Throw any random mix of NFL quality players on the field and Brady could get them to play like Pro Bowlers.

This Week 8 matchup will feature offense, defense and a respectful dislike between two AFC teams that have achieved success in the last decade. As a matter of fact, six of the last eight AFC Champions have been either Pittsburgh or New England.

Week 9: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Not many rivalries in the NFL are fiercer and more personal than the one Baltimore and Pittsburgh share.

This marks the second of two huge back-to-back games for the Steelers and this one is perhaps even more important than the one versus New England.

It seems as if every year the Steelers and Ravens battle for the top spot in the AFC North, and somehow both teams usually make it into the postseason regardless.

What makes this matchup so great is that personal conflict's involved. Players from both sides have come out and publicly said they can’t stand one another. Anytime something is taken that seriously against another person, it creates television tension that’s almost can’t miss.

This is the second and final regular season meeting between the Steelers and Ravens, which means playoff tie breakers and positioning could be on the line. Expect plenty of gruesome hits and defense galore. These games are usually one score affairs, so 10-7 is not that crazy a prediction for the outcome. 

Week 10: Arizona Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 10 provides more Philadelphia return drama—this time, in the form of Kevin Kolb.

The Eagles were able to ship off backup quarterback Kolb to the desert for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a third-round draft pick. Some would say Philly got the better of that deal with Kolb being put of the mix for a starting role, while others would argue it was a deal the Cardinals had to make to fill a need.

Establishing a franchise quarterback is essential to the Cards if they wish to keep wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who is entering the final year of his current contract. If Matt Leinart or Max Hall were the starting quarterback, it would be easy to see why Fitzgerald might entertain a change of uniform.

The fans in Philadelphia were welcoming and inviting to longtime passer Donovan McNabb when he returned last year as a member of the Redskins. There should be no negative reaction from the crowd, as Kolb was only the starter for a handful of games in 2010.

Still, leave it to the networks to pump this game up more than might be necessary. Kolb should come out guns a-blazin’, looking to show the Eagles what they’re missing out on.

Week 11: Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers

Tampa Bay shocked the football world when it finished the 2010 season with 10 victories, just narrowly missing the playoffs. The Buccaneers are in arguably the hardest division in the NFL, so records often times need tie breakers like divisional and inter-conference wins.

There’s a huge inter-conference win to be had for the Bucs as they travel to Green Bay in Week 11. This will be a nice test for the Bucs if they can tackle the Packers on the road.

Josh Freeman has developed into a true leader under center for Tampa. How well he responds to a fast downhill Green Bay 3-4 defense will be interesting to see from an Xs and Os stand point.

For the champs, a victory here would be a testament to solidifying a trip back to the playoffs. Good teams win games even when they’re not supposed to. This one should be a Green Bay winner, but now with a Super Bowl target on their back everyone will be coming for the Packers.

Week 12: San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens

Thanksgiving dinner is a time to reflect with family and friends and to give thanks for all the blessings bestowed upon ourselves.

That is, unless you happen to be a member of the Harbaugh family. Things will get awfully interesting when the family sits down for dinner looking across from each other knowing they’re to square off that very night.

John Harbaugh’s Ravens will tussle with Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers in the Turkey Day installment of Thursday Night Football. This marks the first time in NFL history siblings will have coached against each other. Talk about family drama.

As far as an exciting matchup in regards to competition, this may not be the most glamorous game. San Francisco’s mediocrity wins the team usually one or two legit games because teams underestimate or don’t prepare seriously enough. Maybe this could be another instance.

Pro Bowl linebackers Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis will be manning the middle of the field, so passing games may be the way to go this week for both teams.

Week 13: Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots

Because of the way the NFL schedule is constructed, teams that finish in the same place within their division (first, second, third or last) will matchup with every other team inside the conference that finished with the same rank.

With that being said, the recent success by the Colts and Patriots have meant that these teams have met annually since 2004 and are set to do it once again in 2011.

The Colts have come away victorious five of the last seven meetings but it was New England who won most recently last season.

New England and Indianapolis have met twice in 2004, 2005 and 2007 with one game in the regular season and one in the playoffs. Of those three postseason meetings, two of those games were AFC Championship games.

The matchup here is obviously based on the quality of quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. One can debate which is better, but it’s really like arguing who is No. 1 and who is No. 1A.

Not much more needs to be said about this rivalry to get fans excited. Whenever these two elite passers take to the field, great things always happen offensively. Expect no different. 

Week 14: Chicago Bears vs. Denver Broncos

An old saying says “revenge is a dish best served cold.”

If revenge has anything to do with Jay Cutler’s return to Denver, then this game will be personal.

Cutler demanded a trade from the Broncos in 2009 when Josh McDaniels became the new head coach for the team. McDaniels wanted to solidify the quarterback position and looked to New England backup-turned-starter Matt Cassel for the answer.

Upset by the talks that another quarterback could be taking over his job, Cutler felt insulted and unwelcome in the locker room. Such was incentive for his demands to be freed from the Broncos.

The Bears pulled off the shocker on April 2, 2009, by giving away Kyle Orton and multiple draft picks—including two first-rounders. The trade paid no immediate dividend for Chicago, as Cutler’s first season was beyond forgettable.

Now back at Mile High for the first time since 2009, Cutler will look to prove his old franchise he should have never been doubted as a quality passer.

Pass-happy offensive coordinator Mike Martz may design for Cutler to drop back 40-50 times this game in his mind, but results like that would mean immediate defeat. Cutler will get 30 tosses minimum, but will he make them count?

Week 15: New York Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Jets-Eagles will feature a very unique twist that games rarely revolve around the corners.

After being outbid for the services of Nnamdi Asomugha, the Jets were forced to re-sign Antonio Cromartie to play next Pro Bowler Darelle Revis. Meanwhile, Asomugha joined the Eagles squad that had just traded for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and already has Asante Samuel on the roster.

Passing yards will be few and far between in this grudge match. Which secondary will outperform the other? Did the Jets do the smart thing by bringing back familiar personnel, or did the Eagles' big splashes land them the league’s best pass defense?

Fantasy owners should play every Eagle and Jet running back and tight end on their rosters. The wide outs will have so few chances on balls in this game that their stats will be dismal.

The individual matchups with receivers and corners will make this game memorable. How each one of those corners matches up with Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Derrick Mason, Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes will prove to be the difference. A one-on-one game plan will factor heavily into the outcome.

Week 16: Minnesota Vikings vs. Washington Redskins

It’s been an entire season, so there’s no reason Donovan McNabb should stay in the same zip code.

Trading McNabb for a season to a new team is déjà vu from last year when McNabb traded in his Eagles jersey for a Redskins one. Now he will be donning purple as McNabb was sent to Minnesota to serve as the veteran role model to Florida State first-round pick Christian Ponder.

Week 16 will have McNabb return to his most recent team, Washington. How he’ll be greeted will be a toss-up. Despite having a middle of the road season, McNabb didn’t demand a trade or force his way out of the organization. Fans would have no reason to hate on his play or the fact he’s coming back a Viking.

The Minnesota offense will certainly look different. Basically half the line and Adrian Peterson are all that remain from a year ago: McNabb will be under center, there’s no Sidney Rice, Bryant McKinnie leaves a void at left tackle and so on.

Again, this is not a juicy matchup because of the teams but rather the play on the field and what it will mean for Redskin nation. Who knows, maybe it’s a good game after all between two sure-fire cellar dwellers in the NFC for 2011.

Week 17: Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals

If there was a definition of what an intriguing game would be, these two teams would not make the cut based solely off face value.

The reason this finale week game looks promising is because the NFC West is just so bad that no teams may be eliminated until the very end.

Any one of the four teams that make up the NFC Worst—rather, West—could take the crown and host a playoff game at 6-10. Seattle did it at 7-9 last year, so why not raise the bar for 6-10?

The Seahawks and Cardinals appear to be the two best bets to win the division, if there’s even such a thing for that collection of bad franchises.

It wouldn’t be crazy to think that these teams could fight Week 17 to become even as bad as 8-8 and win the West. Why not? The predictably bad results that will surely come from this division is why it makes the list for best matchups for 2011.

Follow Brett Lyons on Twitter @BrettLyons670.