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10 reasons to be excited about the NFL's 2017 schedule

Twitter/@tonyromo

The NFL's 2017 regular-season schedule was released Thursday and besides looking at your favorite team's 16-game slate, there is a lot to digest.

In a 256-game lineup, there is much to look forward to. Here is our list of the 10 biggest reasons to be excited about this year's schedule:

Goodell to face the music in Foxboro

This was already determined when the New England Patriots won Super Bowl LI, but, right out of the chute, on the first night of the year, in the league's marquee game, commissioner Roger Goodell will have to face the voracious Foxboro crowd.

After suspending Tom Brady for the first four games of last season, Goodell was noticeably absent from Gillette Stadium. He made a point to visit the Atlanta Falcons for two playoff weeks in a row in avoidance of the Patriots faithful.

The Patriots will host the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener on Sept. 7, ensuring the commissioner will be present when the team raises its championship banner. That is unless Goodell is felled with the flu, or something.

Playoff rematches

In 2017, we'll be blessed with a total of seven 2016 playoff rematches.

Among the notable rematches will be the Houston Texans at the Patriots in Week 3, a return of the Falcons and Seattle Seahawks' divisional battle on Monday night in Week 11, a rematch of the NFC title game between the Falcons and Green Bay Packers in Week 2 on Sunday night, and a clash between the AFC finalists when the Patriots visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.

The Dallas Cowboys will also get another shot at Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 5 after their divisional-round classic.

The rematches only increase the likelihood some of the matchups grow into true rivalries.

New prime-time darlings

You read that correctly. The Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins are among the teams with at least five games in the national spotlight.

The Chiefs and Raiders merited the attention with their 12-4 seasons last year. Kansas City boasts a hearty six games on either Sunday, Monday, or Thursday night, however. The league is clearly banking on the continued development of Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce and that the Chiefs can keep their championship window open another season.

NFL fans will get to see for themselves how Carson Wentz fares in his second season as the Eagles' matchups against powerhouses in the Cowboys, Seahawks, and Raiders will be nationally televised.

The Redskins' never-ending sideshow will also be put under the microscope as they play three prime-time games in the first seven weeks of the season.

Tony Romo's 1st game as a broadcaster

Romo shocked the world when he called an early end to his playing career in order to join Jim Nantz in the CBS broadcast booth. We'll get our first listen of Romo calling regular-season games likely in the Baltimore Ravens-Cincinnati Bengals matchup in Week 1 (or Raiders-Tennessee Titans).

The former Cowboys quarterback will get to critique his former team when the Los Angeles Chargers play in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. The Cowboys will also play the Chiefs in a Week 9 game broadcast by CBS. Oh, to be a fly on the wall during those production meetings.

Super Bowl LI rematch

The NFL could have placed the Patriots versus Falcons on the opening night of the season, but instead elected to save the game for prime time in Week 7.

The two teams produced one of the most memorable championship games when the Falcons coughed up a late 25-point lead and the Patriots forced the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

Atlanta has had all offseason to stew and second-guess its late in-game calls. The rematch will be one of the most highly-anticipated games of the year.

Better Thursday Night Football matchups (?)

Nothing can truly make the Thursday night product better when players are trotted back onto the field four days after their last game, but the NFL is giving its pet project every opportunity to succeed.

After trying purely divisional matchups on TNF and then adding Color Rush jerseys last season, the league is now hoping a better lineup will lead to greater results.

Among the noteworthy TNF games in 2017 will be the Packers versus the Chicago Bears, Eagles against the Carolina Panthers, Chiefs versus Raiders, Seahawks at the Arizona Cardinals, Redskins against the Cowboys, and New Orleans Saints versus the Falcons.

No Browns, Jaguars in prime time

On the subject of the Thursday night schedule, the league is no longer mandating that every team gets a spotlight game. That means audiences will be spared the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars in prime time.

Fans of those teams can take solace in the fact both will be playing games in London this year. They'll have audiences all to themselves at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Faces in new places

Have you already forgotten that Brandon Marshall is a New York Giant, Alshon Jeffrey plays for the Eagles, and DeSean Jackson is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer? A number of stars will be wearing new uniforms when the season kicks off.

New Seahawk Eddie Lacy will visit Lambeau Field in Week 1 and in Week 2 alone, Brandin Cooks will try to stick it to his old team when the Patriots face the Saints and new Bears quarterback Mike Glennon faces off against his former squad in the Buccaneers.

L.A.'s double feature

In the second time in as many seasons, an NFL team has relocated to Los Angeles. While the Rams and Chargers won't play each other in the regular season, they will begin fighting for the L.A. viewing audience.

The league's return to L.A. is a boon for Commissioner Goodell's legacy, but will it be a success?

Front-loaded schedule

It's no mistake that many of the league's marquee games have been scheduled for the first half of the season.

The NFL was inundated with questions about its poor ratings at the start of last season and the embarrassment was palpable.

As a result, Week 1 features Patriots-Chiefs, Seahawks-Packers, and Giants-Cowboys. In Week 2, the massive matchups continue with Patriots-Saints, Cowboys-Denver Broncos, and Packers-Falcons.

Week 3 features Giants-Eagles, Saints-Panthers, Texans-Patriots, and Cowboys-Cardinals. The action ramps up in Week 4 with Panthers-Patriots, Steelers-Ravens, Raiders-Broncos, and Indianapolis Colts-Seahawks.

There will be no complaints about shoddy games at the open of the 2017 season.

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