Must-see games

SEPT. 5

Packers at Bears

The season kicks off on a Thursday night with two old-school NFL rivals from the Black and Blue division, and at least the Packers have a new-school frame of mind. The Packers have replaced fired Mike McCarthy with an offensive protégé and pal of both Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay — 39-year-old Matt LaFleur. LaFleur, a quarterback guru, won’t have to teach Aaron Rodgers much but he’ll have to figure out a way to keep Khalil Mack out of his backfield. Chicago figures to go as far as third-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky takes them. Trubisky made a leap under coach Matt Nagy, who got considerable Coach of the Year support for getting the Bears back in the playoffs. Solid opener.

SEPT. 15

Chiefs at Raiders

BY CARL STEWARD

SEPT. 22 Panthers at Cardinals

Remember back in the day — oh, around 2014 — when Cam Newton was viewed as the quarterback prototype of the future, the allaround athletic quarterback who could throw the ball all over the field and also run over you like a fullback? Well, now the prototype could be Cardinals rookie QB Kyler Murray, who can throw the ball all over the field and run around you like a 5-foot-10 scatback. Add in the NFL’s most versatile player in Christian McCaffrey and this could be quite a spicy matchup.

SEPT. 29 Cowboys at Saints

The season hadn’t even started yet and the heat was already on Dallas coach Jason Garrett, amplified by calls from Cowboys fans and media to snap up University of Oklahoma head man Lincoln Riley. Garrett will have to match wits with two offensive geniuses in head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees. The two teams met last year and somehow it was a 13-10 defensive struggle won by host Dallas.

The second home game of the Raiders’ last season at the Coliseum after a Monday night opener against Denver represents the final visit to Oakland by the hated Chiefs. Jon Gruden is surely hoping it turns into something more than a ceremonial affair. The Chiefs have won six of the last seven in the series, including both games last year under their wondrous young MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but Gruden has a few more weapons on both sides of the ball for the 2019 renewal. Win the opener against the Broncos and then this one and it could set the stage for a most memorable final season in the Black Hole.

OCT.

7 Browns at 49ers

Goodness, who would have thought just a couple of years ago this would be a marquee matchup on Monday night? The Browns, who seemingly haven’t played in primetime since Howard Cosell was calling action on Mondays, are coming off a stirring 2018 finish much like the 49ers did in 2017. We know what happened to the Niners last season after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was lost with an ACL tear before it even got to Week 5. The Browns certainly need Baker Mayfield to remain upright, but he now has Odell Beckham Jr. as his primary target. Fascinating faceoff featuring two teams on the come.

OCT. 27 Packers at Chiefs

Need any more be said than Aaron Rodgers vs. Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead? That galactic match could result in another one of those historic 54-51 aerial shootouts like Mahomes and Jared Goff put on last season. We can only hope. Rodgers has to be chafing a bit that Mahomes and a few other young turks have stolen his thunder as the league’s most scintillating quarterback performer. Count on Aaron to put on a show, and who knows about Mahomes? He may throw a TD between his legs in this fabulous Sunday night special.

OCT. 13

49ers at Rams

Two weeks in a row for the 49ers? Well, yes. This game could be potentially huge if San Francisco gets off to a positive start. The Rams nailed 82 points on the Niners’ noggins in two meetings last season — the first time since 2004 they’ve swept the home-andaway division series — but Kyle Shanahan didn’t have Garoppolo for either meeting. This could turn into a fireworks show between Shanahan and Sean McVay, two of the league’s most dynamic young offensive minds.

NOV. 3 Colts at Steelers

Following up Rodgers-Mahomes, an intriguing Jurassic Park-style clash of two big, lumbering quarterback dinosaurs in the Colts’ Andrew Luck and the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger. It’s anybody’s guess where either of these teams will be come November but both certainly have playoff potential if their tough, stand-tall-in-the-pocket QBs play up to par. Luck certainly did in 2018 in earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Big Ben may be near the final tolling of the career clock but he might have one last uptick, even without Antonio Brown around to snatch everything he throws out of mid-air.

OCT.

20 Saints at Bears

Cody Parkey is gone from the Bears after six of the unlucky place-kicker’s boots hit uprights and bounced away last year, including his season-concluding miss against the Eagles in the playoffs that hit the upright AND the crossbar in a 16-15 loss. It was unclear at press time who Chicago’s kicker will be after Parkey was cut and the 49ers nixed Robbie Gould’s desire to return to his preferred Midwest locale. The Bears signed a kicking hopeful named (Chris) Blewitt, which made for a lot of off-season wisecracks, so this meeting could be decided by a swinging shoe.

NOV. 7 Chargers at Raiders

The last AFC West game at the Coliseum. The Chargers have won four in a row in the series since relocating from San Diego to Los Angeles, even though there are probably more Raiders fans than Chargers fans in L.A. Go figure. The sobering fact is, Philip Rivers has vastly outplayed Derek Carr over the past two seasons and that has to change if the Raiders are to get anywhere this year except out of town. This one figures to be an important Thursday night game for both teams, but particularly for the Raiders.

NOV. 17 Cardinals at 49ers

The Bay Area gets its first up-close look at Kyler Murray, and hey, maybe the Niners will invite the A’s and their front office to come down to Santa Clara to help boo. It should be a lot of fun, if only to watch the No. 2 pick in the draft, 49ers pass rush specialist Nick Bosa, chasing around the No. 1 pick, Murray. It’ll be even more fun if the 49ers have something to play for this late in the season besides draft position. This matchup has been dreary for a few years. It figures to liven up a lot in 2019.

DEC. 22 Rams at 49ers

DEC. 8 Chiefs at Patriots

NOV. 24 Cowboys at Patriots

There aren’t many games where Jerry Jones and the Cowboys get much love outside of Dallas but this might be one of them. It took this late in the season for us to single out a Patriots game, but this one is a doozy. New England surely will have the perennially putrid AFC East wrapped up by this point, so Bill Belichick and Tom Brady can be a little more free-wheeling in this confrontation between two high-profile franchises. It’s rather amazing this game wasn’t pushed to a primetime slot. For now, anyway, it’s just a regularly scheduled Sunday afternoon affair.

DEC. 2 Vikings at Seahawks

Seattle lost a heartbreaker in the opening round of the playoffs to Dallas last season while the Vikings, after a 5-3-1 start, were up and down following their midseason bye and failed to make the playoffs after a disappointing rout by the Bears. It’s uncertain where either of these teams is headed. The Seahawks still have Russell Wilson at quarterback but their defensive transition continues with longtime cornerstone safety Earl Thomas departing in free agency. The Vikings, meanwhile, are hoping last year’s prize acquisition Kirk Cousins has a more consistent 2019 at quarterback in his second season in purple.

The Levi’s Stadium rematch could be even more significant than the mid-October meeting if there are playoff stakes on the line for the 49ers. And why shouldn’t there be as long as there are no major injury issues? The 49ers’ young offense should be finely tuned by this point, and the defense could be downright ferocious if the pass rush potential of this roster is finally realized. In short, this game could truly ignite the regional rivalry that’s been lacking since the Rams returned to L.A. Cross your fingers.

A rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game and a likely prelude to this season’s. It’s pretty clear if Kansas City wants to ascend to the No. 1 spot in the NFL hierarchy, it is going to have to take down New England at some point. To do it in Foxboro would be impressive, but from the other side, this will be a good tuneup for the Pats for the playoffs. Dare we say if they win this game they’ll probably be in the Super Bowl yet again? Sorry.

DEC. 15 Jaguars at Raiders

Well, this is really the end. Maybe. Barring a Las Vegas stadium construction snag that lands the Raiders back in Oakland for the 2020 season, this will mark the final regular season NFL game at the Coliseum, quite likely forever. It promises to be emotional, and with Jacksonville now being led by Nick Foles at quarterback, it might even be a meaningful game for the playoffs. Of course, if the Raiders make the playoffs, they could possibly land another home game for the incredible fan base Mark Davis chose to abandon. Whatever, circle the calendar and the tailgate wagons and stock up on Kleenex.

DEC. 29 49ers at Seahawks

Yep, the Niners again. Does anyone remember the last time the 49ers won in Seattle? For the record, it was 2011, and they barely squeaked out a 19-17 win. This year’s game at CenturyLink could mean everything for the John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan regime. The entire 49ers season sets up for these final two regular-season division games, and they’d better matter. If the balance of power is going to shift in the NFC West, breaking the Seattle spell will be an essential step. To do it in the season finale would be epic.