It's almost time for the most popular sports league in the United States to start up again.

While practice fights and the Tom Brady "deflategate" issue are highlighting August, hardcore NFL fans are gearing up for the regular season to begin. This year has so many "must watch" games on the schedule. Here are five games you don't want to miss this season.

5. Eagles at Cowboys: Week 9

The NFC East is always the most intriguing division to watch year in and year out because of the intense rivalries. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are the two best teams in the division, and they'll play each other in Week 2 in Philadelphia. But the bigger game is going to be the second matchup in Texas in Week 9. Will Chip Kelly's offense be the same without LeSean McCoy, or will it be even better with DeMarco Murray? The Cowboys won the division last year, but did lose to the Eagles at home. Murray playing against his former team should create a lot of drama. Could we even see Tm Tebow starting at quarterback? This game will be on Sunday Night Football.

4. Patriots at Broncos: Week 12

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning always give us a good game. The Patriots and Broncos have been the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the AFC the last three consecutive seasons. In other words, the road to the Super Bowl always goes through Denver or Foxborough as long as these two are the helm. The Broncos have a new head coach and no longer have Julius Thomas or Wes Welker. The Patriots no longer have Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner or Vince Wilfork. By Week 12 both teams should have found their proper identity. This game will be shown nationally on Thursday Night Football.

3. Seahawks at Packers: Week 2

These two teams don't like each other. At all. This is a rematch of the NFC Championship game last season when the Seattle Seahawks erased a 16-point deficit and eventually won the game in overtime. The Seahawks are also 3-0 against the Packers in the Russell Wilson era. There's a very good chance we will see these two teams face off again in the playoffs, but this game could very well decide who gets home-field advantage. The difference between playing at Lambeau Field and CenturyLink Field in the postseason is astronomical. This game will be played in Lambeau Field in Week 2 on Sunday Night Football.

2. Colts at Steelers: Week 13

This game should be a Fantasy Football owner's paradise. Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck each led the league in passing yards last season, and both of these offenses can put up points. The Steelers and Colts each won their division last season, and you can bet they will be in position to make the playoffs once again this year. This game is extremely critical for the Colts, because they're not a very good road team. Playing in Foxborough, Pittsburgh or Baltimore in January could spell trouble. This game will be shown on Sunday Night Football.

1. Packers at Broncos: Week 8

Sunday Night Football for Week 8 gives us the most anticipated game of the year between two elite quarterbacks. Manning and Rodgers (combined Seven MVP awards) square off at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. These two teams met in Super Bowl 32 when Hall of Famers Brett Favre and John Elway faced off. Again, we have two top 10 quarterbacks duking it out on the big stage. Both of these teams are not just expected to win their respective divisions, but are also expected to compete for the No. 1 seed in their conferences. Who know, we may even see these two face off again in February. This game couldn't be juicer.

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1