2014 NFL Schedule Announced

It's a day that most football fans look forward to. The National Football League has announced its schedules for the 2014 season. We will list the full regular season schedules for both the Giants and Jets here, don't worry. But before we get to that, there are a few other notable dates for games around the league this year that are really worth looking at that have nothing to do with the local area teams. So here now are some interesting matchups around the rest of the league.

First game of the year is Seattle starting off at home against Green Bay September 4th at 8:30.The Seahawks ended the 2013 season by thumping the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. They'll begin the 2014 season by aiming to do the same against a healthy Aaron Rodgers and a new-in-green Julius Peppers. Will Pete Carroll's crew return with the same fire? Or will they suffer from a dreaded post-championship hangover? Week three of the season host two great matchups on September 21st. First is Washington at Philadelphia......Nothing to see here. Just another entry in this heated NFC East rivalry ... turned up to a boil by the return of ex-Philly receiver DeSean Jackson. Then you have a Superbowl rematch when the Broncos head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. And if you thought that Redskins Eagles in week three was going to be fun, then your going to love Week Four when the Carolina Panthers head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Like Jackson versus Eagles, only with wide receiver Steve Smith's old team coming to his new house. Good thing Smith isn't the fiery type. Then  we head to Week Nine when the Denver Broncos head to New England to take on The Patriots. Manning vs Brady once again. Then, of course, we have the week 13 thanksgiving day tradition, which has three great games to watch. First up the Bears travel to Detroit to play the Lions at 12:30, then the Eagles head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys at 4:30, and closing out the night will be the game of the night will see the Seahawks head out to San Francisco to take on the 49ers at 8:30.

Those are just some of the best matchups from around the rest of the league. Now lets get down to it. Here are the schedules for the local teams. We start it off with Big Blue

Week 1: Monday, Sept. 8, at Detroit - 7:10 p.m.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 14, vs. Arizona - 1:00 p.m.
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 21, vs. Houston - 1:00 p.m.
Week 4: Thursday, Sept. 25, at Washington - 8:25 p.m.
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 5, vs. Atlanta - 1:00 p.m.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 12, at Philadelphia — 8:30 p.m.
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 19, at Dallas - 4:25 p.m.
Week 8: Bye
Week 9: Monday, Nov. 3, vs. Indianapolis - 8:30 p.m.
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 9, at Seattle - 4:25 p.m.
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 16, vs. San Francisco - 1:00 p.m.
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 23, vs. Dallas — 8:30 p.m.
Week 13: Sunday, Nov. 30, at Jacksonville - 1:00 p.m.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 7, at Tennessee - 1:00 p.m.
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 14, vs. Washington - 1:00 p.m.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 21, at St. Louis - 4:05 p.m.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 28, vs. Philadelphia - 1:00 p.m.

Of course the divisional matchups are going to be big for the Giants. But there are a few other games that stick out to me. One is the fact that they play both Seattle and San Francisco on back to back weeks, which is going to be really tough to play. They also start the year off against Detroit and Arizona who are two teams that are up on the rise. It's not going to be an easy schedule for the Giants this year, but then again it looks like it could be enough to get back in the playoff hunt in the NFC.

That's what the Giants have to deal with. Now here's what the Jets have to face.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 7 vs. Oakland, 1 p.m.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 14 at Green Bay, 4:25 p.m.
Week 3: Monday, Sept. 22 vs. Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 28 vs. Detroit, 1 p.m.
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 5 at San Diego, 4:25 p.m.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 12 vs. Denver, 1 p.m.
Week 7: Thursday, Oct. 16 at New England, 8:25 p.m.
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 26 vs. Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Week 9 :Sunday, Nov. 2 at Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 9 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Week 11:  Bye
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 23 at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Week 13: Monday, Dec. 1 vs. Miami, 8:30 p.m.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 7 at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 14 at Tennessee, 4:05 p.m.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 21 vs. New England, 1 p.m.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 28 at Miami, 1 p.m.

There's a few things that intrigue me about this schedule. For one thing is that the Jets close out the season against the Miami Dolphins for the 3rd time in the last five seasons. Also worth noting is that the team doesn't play their first divisional game until they play the Patriots in Week Seven. With who the Jets have to play out of their division, this puts them in a bit of a tough spot as they have the 2nd toughest schedule in the league. The only team who has a tougher schedule than Gang Green is the Oakland Raiders, who they play Week One. It's going to be a tough season for the Jets, one they will be lucky to get back to .500 with, at least on paper.