Schedule-wise, the only thing we do know about the 2017 NFL regular season is that the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will host the prime-time opener on NBC on Thursday, Sept. 7. And we know that there are eight potential opponents for New England that night.
Here’s how we rank those opponents — and the resulting matchups — from most to least appealing:
1. Houston Texans: This becomes a lock if Houston acquires Tony Romo and a national appointment if it trades with New England for Jimmy Garoppolo. But even without that, you’ve got the return of J.J. Watt to that jacked defense. It’s a money matchup.
2. Atlanta Falcons: This makes so much sense on first blush, especially because last year’s opener between Carolina and Denver was also a Super Bowl rematch. But The MMQB’s Peter King wrote Monday that he “can’t see [the] NFL wasting [a] Super Bowl rematch” for a second consecutive year. And he has a point. The opener is going to pull killer ratings regardless, so the league might be better off saving Tom Brady vs. Matt Ryan 2.0 for later in the year.
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4. Miami Dolphins: Miami usually plays New England tough, and let’s not forget that the Dolphins were a playoff team even without having Ryan Tannehill down the stretch in 2016. This one is underrated, especially because it won’t be wasted since they meet twice a year.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: They also usually play New England tough, but don’t really move the needle and this also might be better in November or December, with a lot more on the line.
6. Los Angeles Chargers: They’re better than the Bills or Jets, but the blowout potential is still too high here.
7. Buffalo Bills: This will only happen if Peyton Manning comes out of retirement and signs with the Bills.
8. New York Jets: This will only happen if Peyton Manning comes out of retirement and signs with the Jets.
