Not to ruin anyone's excitement for the regular season, but we have a wide range of quarterback matchups for the first week of games: from very good to somewhat awful. Of course, there are a few things not set in stone. Here's a look at how things could look Week One:
(Addendum: Updated with Orton named as Bears' starter.)
| Game matchup | Date | Time | Potential QB matchup | Other matchup possibilities | Game rating |
| Redskins at Giants | Thursday, Sept. 4 | 7:00 EST | Jason Campbell vs. Eli Manning | Campbell vs. Manning | It's the opening game, with two good QBs facing off in a tough divisional game. A- |
| Detroit at Atlanta | Sun, Sept. 7 | 1:00 EST | Jon Kitna vs. Matt Ryan | Kitna vs. Ryan or Chris Redman | If Ryan starts, the game gets a C+ for intrigue. If it's Redman, that drops to D+. |
| Bengals at Ravens | Sunday | 1:00 EST | Carson Palmer vs. Troy Smith | Palmer vs. Smith or Kyle Boller | I like Palmer and I am curious to see Smith, so B. With Boller, C. |
| Seahawks at Bills | Sunday | 1:00 EST | Matt Hasselbeck vs. Trent Edwards | Hasselbeck vs. Edwards | Somewhat of a strange game, but not super sexy: C+. |
| Rams at Eagles | Sunday | 1:00 EST | Marc Bulger vs. Donovan McNabb | Bulger vs. McNabb | On paper, it's decent for firework potential. But is Bulger slipping? McNabb could go off. B-. |
| Jaguars at Titans | Sunday | 1:00 EST | David Garrard vs. Vince Young | Garrard vs. Young | Two QBs with a lot to prove this season in a big early game. B+. |
| Texans at Steelers | Sunday | 1:00 EST | Ben Roethlisberger vs. Matt Schaub | Roethlisberger vs. Schaub | Another fun matchup with big scoring potential. B+. |
| Buccaneers at Saints | Sunday | 1:00 EST | Jeff Garcia vs. Drew Brees | Garcia vs. Brees | Two creative, improvisational QBs in a pretty good division matchup. B. |
| Chiefs at Patriots | Sunday | 1:00 EST | Brodie Croyle vs. Tom Brady | Croyle vs. Brady | A little one-sided, no? Tiny bit of intrigue if Brady's foot is troublesome. C. |
| Jets at Dolphins | Sunday | 1:00 EST | Brett Favre vs. Chad Pennington | Favre vs. Pennington or Chad Henne | We all know it will be Pennington and Favre, which makes the storylines quite good. This will end up being a very entertaining game. A-. |
| Cowboys at Browns | Sunday | 4:15 EST | Tony Romo vs. Derek Anderson | Romo vs. Anderson | The fantasy guys will be going nuts for this one. Both QBs have a lot on their plates this season. Nothing less than an A. |
| Panthers at Chargers | Sunday | 4:15 EST | Jake Delhomme vs. Philip Rivers | Delhomme vs. Rivers | Both men are coming off injuries, but they have passed the eye test so far. This could be a telling game for both teams. B+. |
| Cardinals at 49ers | Sunday | 4:15 EST | Matt Leinart vs. J.T. O'Sullivan | Leinart or Kurt Warner vs. O'Sullivan or Alex Smith | Another game with interesting potential, because some think O'Sullivan could do well and because Leinart still has a tight line to walk. Up to a B-. |
| Bears at Colts | Sunday | 8:15 EST | Kyle Orton vs. Peyton Manning | Orton vs. Manning or Jim Sorgi | NBC is praying for Manning to make his 175th straight start. Rex Grossman starting for the Bears would have let the network miscast this as a SB XLII rematch. Anywhere from a D (Sorgi) to a C (Manning). |
| Vikings at Packers | Monday, Sept. 8 | 7:00 EST | Tarvaris Jackson vs. Aaron Rodgers | Jackson or Gus Frerotte vs. Rodgers | Lots of plot points here in Rodgers' debut. The would-be Favre Bowl lacks that punch but should be a huge statement game for two young QBs (if Jackson's knee is OK). B+. |
| Broncos at Raiders | Monday | 10:15 EST | Jay Cutler vs. JaMarcus Russell | Cutler vs. Russell | Everyone loves the young-QB battles, so the B grade goes for that. Cutler has looked fantastic so far. |
