| Imagine for a moment that you get
to live out the superfan’s dream season. You get to pick whatever game you want to go
to each week of the season. Money is not an issue. Plane tickets are available wherever
you want to go. Plus, 50-yard-line seats are yours for the asking. Which games should you
go to? Allow me to present your itinerary: Week One
Pittsburgh at Cleveland (Sunday, Sept. 12) — Football returns to
Cleveland. There’s nowhere else to be on the opening week of the season. Is this the
best game of the week? Hell, no. Not with Miami-Denver, San Francisco-Jacksonville and
Minnesota-Atlanta being played the same day. Who cares? Football belongs in Cleveland, and
the true football fan wants to see the opening act. By the way, I’ll trade you a
50-yard-line seat for a spot in the Dawg Pound.
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Week Two
Indianapolis at New England (Sunday, Sept. 19) — John Elway has
retired. Troy Aikman, Steve Young and Dan Marino can’t play forever. This game gives
you an opportunity to see Peyton Manning and Drew Bledsoe, two of the guys who will be
among the kings of the hill once the old guard is gone.
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Week Three
Minnesota at Green Bay (Sunday, Sept. 26) — The local fire
department still hasn’t put out all the flames from the last time Minnesota visited
Green Bay and torched the Packer secondary. Whether it is Green Bay’s revenge or
Minnesota’s repeat, it will be fun to watch Randy Moss, Cris Carter & Co. go up
against a secondary that Packer GM Ron Wolf tried to improve in the offseason.
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Week Four
New York Jets at Denver (Sunday, Oct. 3) — As I see it, there are
four heavyweights that will fight it out for the AFC spot in the Super Bowl — these
two teams along with Jacksonville and Miami. This is a chance to see if Bubby Brister can
play as well as the starter from the season’s opening bell as he did last year when
filling in for an injured Elway. This will also be a chance for you to see if Vinny
Testaverde can build on last season’s success or if he will revert to his old,
stumbling ways. The bet here is that both will have fine seasons.
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Week Five
Jacksonville at New York Jets (Monday, Oct. 11) — For the second
week in a row, a matchup of AFC powerhouses. How the upgraded Jaguar secondary fares
against the likes of Keyshawn Johnson and Wayne Chrebet will give you an idea of how
serious Jacksonville’s Super Bowl hopes should be taken.
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Week Six
Tennessee at New Orleans (Sunday, Oct. 17) — Why this game? After
all, these aren’t exactly big-time Super Bowl threats. One reason is that it is a
matchup for the fan of the running game. Eddie George is one of the better backs in the
NFL. Plus, if you’re going to tour the NFL, you’ve got to take a look at Ricky
Williams. Any player for whom a team gives as much as the Saints gave up to get Williams
warrants a close look. Furthermore, if you’re going to globetrot the NFL, you have to
spend a night partying on Bourbon Street.
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Week Seven
San Francisco at Minnesota (Sunday, Oct. 24) — This game should
light up the scoreboard. Both teams throw the heck out of the ball. Neither team looks
terribly scary on pass defense. Take the over.
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Week Eight
Sorry, I refuse to send you to only one game this week. There are two must-see games.
They’re played on different days, so the obvious decision is to go to both.
Minnesota at Denver (Sunday, Oct. 31) — The game we thought we were
going to get for the Super Bowl last season.
Seattle at Green Bay (Monday, Nov. 1) — Mike Holmgren returns to
Lambeau Field.
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Week Nine
Dallas at Minnesota (Monday, Nov. 8) — Yeah, I know this is three
straight weeks of seeing the Vikings, but, if Deion Sanders is healthy and still with the
Cowboys, his matchup vs. Randy Moss is as good as it gets.
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Week 10
Kansas City at Tampa Bay (Sunday, Nov. 14) — Off of last season,
this game doesn’t look like much, but these are two teams I think you want to see
once. The Chiefs have been an up-and-down club in recent years, but, when they’re up,
they have a habit of finishing with a 13-3 record, which warrants a look. I thought Tampa
Bay would really break through last season, but the Buccaneers were rather ordinary
instead. If they live up to their promise this season, they’ll be fun to watch,
especially play makers like Warren Sapp on defense and Warrick Dunn on offense. If both
clubs disappoint, Elvis Grbac and Trent Dilfer then figure to be on the hot seat by this
time, and a good QB controversy is always worth viewing.
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Week 11
Dallas at Arizona (Sunday, Nov. 21) — Arizona seems poised to become
one of the big boys and become a Super Bowl threat in a couple of seasons. The Cowboys are
fighting Father Time, but they did make some nice offseason moves (I especially love the
move to bring back C Mark Stepnoski). This game figures to have a huge bearing on the NFC
East title chase.
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Week 12
Miami at Dallas (Thursday, Nov. 25) — I’ve got to go with the
tradition of the Thanksgiving Day game, and this matchup is far superior to the
Chicago-Detroit contest also being played this day.
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Week 13
Green Bay at Chicago (Sunday, Dec. 5) — Everyone should experience a
rivalry game from the stands, and Bears-Packers is as ferocious as they come, never mind
what the standings say. Bring long underwear.
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Week 14
Another week with two games that I refuse to pick between. They are played on different
days, so, again, make plans to see both.
Miami at New York Jets (Sunday, Dec. 12) and Denver at Jacksonville (Monday, Dec.
13) — These are the AFC’s big four. Put on your scout’s cap and
decide who you think is Super Bowl-bound after seeing them all in action.
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Week 15
Buffalo at Arizona (Sunday, Dec. 19) — This game features Doug
Flutie and Jake Plummer, two quarterbacks who prove you don’t have to have prototype
physical size to get the job done. Both are fun-to-watch, find-a-way-to-get-it-done
players. Simply put, they are winners.
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Week 16
New York Jets at Miami (Monday, Dec. 27) — The tour of the
AFC’s big four continues. This game will have enormous implications on the AFC East
title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
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Week 17
San Francisco at Atlanta (Monday, Jan. 3) — Yes, it’s true that
you still have to wonder if last year was a mirage for the Falcons. Yes, it’s true
that you have to wonder if the wheels will fall off the 49er defense (especially if
all-world DT Bryant Young doesn’t return to his old form from injury). That said,
don’t be surprised if this game is for all the marbles in the NFC West.
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