Come back soon to read the second part of my article on the “Interesting Matchups of the 2006 NFL Season.”
Week One
New Orleans at Cleveland
The launching of Reggie Bush and the new-look Saints was happening in Ohio against a group several felt can be a shock in the NFL that year. QB Brees and coach Payton joined Bush in attempting to overtake Crennel’s new and improved Browns.
San Diego at Oakland
The debut of both San Diego QB Philip Rivers and Raiders coach Art Shell occurred on the very first week of the spruced-up edition of Monday Night Football. Shell wanted to take the Raiders back to prestige with a skilled roster, and Rivers was seeking to take the Chargers as far as he could. If Rivers stepped up and performed, the Chargers would be a threat, yet playing flawlessly on Monday Night Football wasn’t an easy task.
Week Three
Denver at New England
The Patriots had an opportunity to get retribution against the Broncos on Sunday evening after Denver ended New England’s run for the Super Bowl title in the 2005 NFL playoffs. The Broncos had included pieces to their roster, consisting of WR Javon Pedestrian, however, you could have wagered that Tom Brady and the Pats haven’t forgotten just what happened in Denver in January.
Week Five
Washington at the New York Giants
LaVar Arrington paid the Redskins over $4 million to become a free agent and afterwards he rejected what was supposedly a greater deal from the Green Bay Packers to play for the New York Giants. Arrington wanted two cracks at his old team each season, and he absolutely wanted to be seen in a game like this. Arrington was a horror on the field, and fans got an epic fight in the Meadowlands in week 5.
Dallas at Philadelphia
Week 5 was all about the NFC East, as the other 2 groups in the division was certainly in just what already was one of the most awaited games of the season. The infamous Terrell Owens was thought by numerous in Philly to be the main reason that the team’s 2005 season was a calamity. The Eagles rid themselves of who they considered to be a cancer, and afterwards that cancer signed with a bitter division opponent. Owens made sure to be welcomed back to Philly in a way that could only be done in the City of Brotherly Love, but did the poison existing in the stands cause Owens to diminish under the microscope or to increase to the celebration?