Football season is back! As you grab your favorite team’s gear and stress over who you’ve chosen for your fantasy team, here’s some games you need to be looking out for.

1. Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Two teams going against each other with great quarterbacks and both having the top five receivers in the league makes up for a pretty intense game.

The Bengals have had 4 straight double-digit winning seasons and have won 2 out of the last 3 AFC North titles. In Week 1, Cincinnati was able to pull through and earn a 23-22 win over the New York Jets. Wide receiver A.J. Green had a remarkable performance, despite the fact he was being covered by Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. Green finished the game with 5 yards per route run and 15 yards per catch. 8 out of 12 of the wide receiver’s catches were caught against Revis. The biggest catch of the game, the one that left everyone’s jaw dropped, was A.J. Green’s completed 54-yard touchdown against double team Revis and Jets safety Marcus Gilchrist.

The Steelers are well-known for their outstanding offense and powerful quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The team racked up 38 points resulting in a victory against the Washington Redskins. All-pro wide receiver Antonio Brown had 8 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Running back DeAngelo Williams, who was in place for La’Veon Bell, made an impressive performance last Sunday. Bell rushed for 143 yards and had 26 carries. He added another two touchdowns to the board, contributing to Pittsburgh’s victory.

Both A.J. Green and Antonio Brown are bound to have another outstanding performance, battling to be the better receiver. DeAngelo Williams will continue his great NFL debut in place of La’Veon Bell. By the time this article is published, this game will have already been broadcasted on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at 1 P.M. EST on CBS. Who do you think deserved the victory?

2. New Orleans Saints vs New York Giants

Despite the fact that both the Saints and the Giants don’t have much of a dominating defensive line, they both have effective offensive lines, which will make it a tough offensive battle.

The Giants, last season, had a few weaknesses that needed to be fixed if they wanted to be more successful. They strategically improved their defensive end, defensive tackle, and welcomed a wide receiver with much potential. With their receiving core adding Victor Cruz, Odell Beckham Jr., and rookie Sterling Shepard into the mix, the Giants are looking into a more successful 2016-2017 season. New York finally held a victory over Dallas after four years (2012). Beckham caught 4 out of 8 targets for 73 yards and had 45 passing yards against his opponent’s weak defense. Cruz added a touchdown to the score while rookie wide receiver Sterling Shepard had 3 catches for 48 yards and successfully scored a touchdown.

The Saints also had difficult previous seasons. In 2015, they finished with a losing record of 7-9 and hasn’t made it to the playoffs since 2013. Even though there has been some barriers, New Orleans has one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Drew Brees, who is ranked the 4th highest. Brees is able to connect with his offensive players resulting in a pretty good offensive line. They are improving slowly, but surely, with their young talent. However, the Saints fell short in week one against the Oakland Raiders with a 35-34 loss. Brees kept his head high creating 21 unanswered points and 3 consecutive touchdown passes between the second and third quarters. In 2015, the quarterback had 77.2 completion percentage, making him one of the best at deep throws.

A healthy Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie stud Sterling Shepard will make it quite a challenge for Saints offensive line. As Drew Brees and Eli Manning go head-to-head on Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 1 P.M. EST on FOX, who do you think has the better offense?

3. New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Two potential Hall of Famer quarterbacks going at it with their powerful offensive lines will definitely have people on their feet, cheering for their more preferred team.

As you’ve read in the Bengals vs Steelers analysis, you can tell that Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams are a pretty big deal. Comparing them to the New England Patriots is interesting because they have a great offensive line led by coordinator Josh McDaniels. Backup quarterback Jimmy Garroppolo has been doing his job so far in place of Tom Brady, who will be out for the first four weeks of the season serving his Deflategate suspension. New England held on to their lead in Arizona, winning at 23-21. Garroppolo made 24 out of 33 complete passes for an impressive 264 yards. He threw a 37 yard touchdown to Chris Hogan, leading to their victory. So far, this quarterback has turned heads in absence of Tom Brady. But this won’t help the Steelers. Brady will be back just in time to play in Pittsburgh, still holding the NFL record for most playoff wins (22) by a quarterback and most playoff games started (31). His record in the playoffs is 22-8 and 6-3 during the AFC championship games.

With the Patriots’ having their key person back, the Steelers surely won’t back down. Roethlisberger will definitely make sure that he will be able to connect with his key wide receiver and running back. Brady will live up to his name and put on an outstanding performance. See who has the edge on Sunday, October 23, 2016, at 4:25 P.M. EST on CBS.

4. Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers

The rematch of last season’s NFC championship, if that doesn’t reel you in to watch the game, I don’t know what will.

The Cardinals are easily potential Super Bowl contenders. They’ve won the NFC West championship, but fell short last season against the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Carson Palmer with his potentially good offensive line and already good defensive line, it’s a no-brainer that the Cardinals can be quite successful this season. However, Arizona was not able to show this in week one against the New England Patriots. Palmer threw for 271 yards with no interceptions, completed 24 out of 37 passes, and threw two touchdowns, both to all-pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald scored his 99th and 100th career touchdown, a huge milestone for a football player (Congrats, Fitzgerald!). He was able to connect with his quarterback with 10 minutes left on the clock, resulting in his 100th touchdown. Last year, he finished the season with 109 catches and 1,215 yards.

The Panthers with their dominant 6-foot-5, 244 pound, quarterback and former MVP Cam Newton combined with a good offensive line will make up quite a battle. Carolina had a successful rushing game in week one, despite a not-so-great performance against the Denver Broncos. Last season, Newton completed 636 yards and was second on the team in rushing attempts and yards. He had a 63.3% completion play-action passes for 13 touchdowns. In 2015, the quarterback also had 35 touchdown passes. He finished last season with an average depth of target of 10.9 yards, trailing none other than, Carson Palmer (coincidence much?). Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin is back and healthy after missing all of last season due to an ACL injury. In 2014, Benjamin had 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns, including the playoffs. He also had 142 targets, which is the most for a rookie receiver since 2007, ranking him 10th in the NFL.

Both teams being 0-1 to start the season will surely be something to motivate their desire for victory. Check out this much anticipated rematch of Palmer-Fitzgerald and Newton-Benjamin on Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 4:25 P.M. EST on FOX.

5. Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants

Always a great rivalry. A rematch of week one and revenge opportunity for Dallas. In my experience, Cowboys fans and Giants fans are always going at it.

Even though the Cowboys weren’t able to connect in week one against the Giants, they still have one of the greatest offensive lines in the NFL. Dallas was able to pick up young players, Dak Prescott (QB) and Ezekiel Elliott (RB), in hope for victories in absence of quarterback Tony Romo due to a back injury. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott masterfully debuted his NFL career against the Giants. He was 6-7 for 53 yards on the opening drive. The rookie completed 25 out of 45 passes for 227 yards with no touchdowns, but also no interceptions. Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott was one of the most anticipated players during his college career and the NFL draft. Elliott had 2.5 yards per carry and 20 rushes for 51 yards. Both rookies did a pretty impressive job. But the Cowboys always end up short of victory without their star quarterback. The team with Romo at the beginning of the season is 3-0, whereas without him, they’re 0-7. Dallas has had previous backup quarterbacks, Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel, who led the the team to a 4-12 record after previously winning the NFC East title. With Romo, he’s had 3,705 yards, 34 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions.

Just read the Saints vs Giants analysis above and look at highlights from week one. The Cowboys is a completely different team when they have Tony Romo and the Giants are more effective with Victor Cruz, Odell Beckham Jr., and rookie Sterling Shepard. The rivalry continues on Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 8:30 P.M. EST, channel is to be announced.

.....Isn’t football just exciting? I know for me it is.