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NFL Opening game is going to be Eagles/Commanders, Right? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Gatorman
- Start date
Grahamburn
Footballguy
They typically don't make them divisional matchups. Probably the Lions.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
You are right that divisional matchups don't usually happen. That leaves the only remaining options as the Lions, Rams, Broncos, Bears, or Raiders (most likely in the order as listed).
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Hope it’s not DAL or WAS because they should leave divisional matchups for the final third of the season.
Curious why you think Denver is in the conversation?
msudaisy26
Footballguy
A playoff team with a young qb and maybe they make a splash in the offseason.
Lions or Rams probably take up 90 percent of the odds. Broncos with 5 percent and then everyone else.
rockaction
Footballguy
Tell that to the Jets this year. Or even last when they started Monday night against the Bills.
Actually, what you're saying won't work. Divisional matchups have to happen throughout the year.
That's not how it works though, they almost always try to give the best matchup W1.
Insein
Footballguy
Last 3 weeks of the year they try to get as many divisional matchups as possible but they can't fit all of them in there. They will naturally fit them where they can for all the others. Even if it's week 1.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
It's possible . . . but improbable . . . for the Eagles to start their schedule with an NFC East opponent.
The last time the NFL had a divisional game to launch the season was 2019, but that was a one-off to celebrate the 100th season of the NFL (GB-CHI . . . the teams that have faced off the most times in league history). The SB champion Patriots played the Sunday Night game instead that year.
The last time prior to that was in 2012 (DAL-NYG). That was the only time since the league started their official Kickoff Game program in 2002 that a SB champion faced a divisional foe to start the season (out of 23 seasons). There would most likely have to be a scheduling conflict for the Eagles to face a team in their division on opening night.
If Lions-Eagles won't fit, Washington would be a good second choice. I think it will be the Lions, but I think the Commanders are easily the second best choice. There's usually one or two division games weekly even in the first half of the season. They can't pack ALL of them into the second half
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Week 1 divisional games the past 3 years:
2024 - HOU/IND, NOS/CAR, LAC/LV
2023 - CAR/ATL, CLE/CIN, JAC/IND, CHI/GB, LV/DEN, LAR/SEA, DAL/NYG, NYJ/BUF
2022 - NO/ATL, PIT/CIN, HOU/IND, MIA/NE, MIN/GB, LAC/LV
The issue isn't that the league won't schedule divisional games on Week 1 . . . they just rarely schedule divisional games as the first game of the first week.
