Now that the full 2017 NFL schedule has been released, it's time to start looking for those sneaky-good games that are flying under the radar. Sure, there's the Sunday Night Football Super Bowl rematch between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots on October 22, but what about other matchups you need to circle on your calendar?
RELATED: NFL Schedule: Ranking the 5 Best Weeks of the 2017 Season
Let's dive a bit deeper into the 2017 NFL schedule for some underrated contests you'll want to make sure you don't miss once the preseason slate is over.
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Week 6: Monday, Oct. 16, Titans vs. Colts
Monday Night Football returns to Tennessee for the first time since 2014 and will pit two of the sport's biggest rising stars at the quarterback position.
The Titans Marcus Mariota looks to rebound from a fractured right leg suffered in week 16 a season ago. Through 15 games he threw for an impressive 3,426 yards and 26 TDs against just 9 interceptions.
On the other side of the ball is the often injured and sacked Andrew Luck. After going deeper and deeper into the AFC postseason from 2012 to 2014, Luck has been a human punching bag behind one of the NFL's weakest offensive lines.
This Monday night matchup could go a long way in determining the AFC South title.
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Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 24, Redskins vs Raiders
Two more up-and-coming QBs face off as the Raiders and Redskins clash on Sunday Night.
Much like our two injured signal-callers above, David Carr looks to get healthy after a broken right fibula ended his season – and essentially his team's – a year ago.
On the other side of the ball is Kirk Cousins who in 2017 will be the first ever quarterback to play under the franchise tag two years in a row. It's probably his final season in a Redskins' uniform, and this is the year to go all-out to pin down that max contract next season.
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Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 8, Eagles vs. Cardinals
It's old versus new in week 5 as Carson Wentz looks to improve in his second season against a quarterback that could be playing in his last in Carson Palmer. It will also be the Cardinals third Eastern Time zone game in the first five weeks of the season. The Cards went 0-4 a season ago during West Coast "morning" games.
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Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 10, Panthers vs. Vikings
Has Cam Newton and the entire Panthers' squad recovered from its Super Bowl 50 hangover, and can the Vikings come back from blowing a 5-0 start last season only to finish a disappointing 5-0?
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Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 24, Browns vs. Bears
Because this could be the Super Bowl of deciding who gets the #1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
