Week 1; Sept. 9

Pittsburgh at Denver

•  8:20 p.m. (NBC), Ivesco Field at Mile High Stadium: You know you want to see what happens when the Steelers get a shot at Peyton Manning. Will Manning be fine? Will James Harrison get fined?

Week 2; Sept. 13

Chicago at Green Bay

•  8:25 p.m., (NFL Network) Lambeau Field: The Bears think they’re ready to sit at the Contenders Table with their archrivals.

Week 3; Sept. 23

New England at Baltimore

•  8:20 p.m. (NBC), M&T Bank Stadium: A rematch of the AFC Championship Game escape by the Patriots (or massive choke by Baltimore).

Week 4; Sept. 30

New Orleans at Green Bay

•  4:25 p.m. (FOX), Lambeau Field: Should be a fun shootout between the Saints’ Drew Brees and the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers.

Week 5; Oct. 7

Denver at New England

•  4:25 p.m., (CBS) Gilette Stadium: Let’s see if Peyton Manning going to Denver moves the spirit of the Manning-Brady rivalries west.

Week 6; Oct. 14

Giants vs. San Francisco

•  4:25 p.m., (FOX) Metlife Stadium: A rematch of the NFC title game, which went into overtime before the eventual Super Bowl champions prevailed.

Week 7; Oct. 21

Dallas vs. Carolina

•  1 p.m., (FOX) Bank of America Stadium: The team so many love to talk about (Cowboys) against the second-year player everybody has been talking about since Auburn days (Cam Newton).

Week 8; Oct. 28

Giants at Dallas

4:25 p.m. (FOX), Cowboys Stadium: These games always seem go a long way toward determining the direction of the season for each.

Week 9; Nov. 4

Buffalo at Houston

•  1 p.m. (CBS), Reliant Stadium: The Mario Williams Bowl or one team trying to move up, another team trying to hold on.

Week 10; Nov. 11

Atlanta at New Orleans

•  1 p.m. (FOX), Mercedes-Benz Superdome: The NFC South, a very changeable division, could hang in the balance on the two Falcons-Saints games.

Week 11; Nov. 18

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

•  8:20 p.m. (NBC), Heinz Field: Another edition of the most physical rivalry of the past decade.

Week 12; Nov. 25

San Francisco vs. New Orleans

•  4:25 p.m. (FOX), Mercdes-Benz Superdome: This rematch of last year’s all-time classic NFC playoff game barely gets the nod over Giants-Packers.

Week 13; Dec. 2

Philadelphia at Dallas

•  8:20 p.m. (NBC), Cowboys Stadium: The winner of this game could have a leg up in the division.

Week 14; Dec. 10

Houston at New England

•  8:30 p.m. (ESPN), Gilette Stadium: Should be a battle of division leaders led by the Texans defense against the Patriots offense.

Week 15; Dec. 16

Pittsburgh at Dallas

•  4:25 p.m. (CBS), Cowboys Stadium: Steelers versus Cowboys still sounds special when it happens late in the season.

Week 16; Dec. 23

San Diego at Jets

•  8:20 p.m. (NBC), MetLife Stadium: This game feels like a “loser leaves town” contest to knock someone out of the playoff race.

Week 17; Dec. 30

Philadelphia at Giants

•  1 p.m. (FOX), MetLife Stadium: Of all the season closers, this possessed the nasty, angry history and the possibility two playoff positions — or playoff berths — could be determined here.

— DAVID J. NEAL