2013 NFL regular season schedule: Previewing the year ahead

The two NFC West rivals appear to be on a collision course in that final game.

The 49ers, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, bested the Seahawks for the division crown by virtue of a tie against St. Louis. The Seahawks throttled the 49ers 42-13 in Week 16.

A rough loss at San Francisco in the Wild Card round of the playoffs ended the 2012 season, and that’s who they get to open the 2013 season against, for the second year in a row.

Chicago will open the season with their new head coach, Marc Trestman, and two consecutive home games, against Cincinnati and Minnesota before traveling to Pittsburgh for a Sunday Night Football game against the Steelers. Chicago is looking to rebound from two-straight non-playoff seasons, largely caused by injuries. They lost out on the playoffs on a tiebreaker to the Vikings in 2012, but that third-place schedule could help a talented team get back to the postseason. They lost to Green Bay in the NFC Championship game in 2010.

The Eagles and Redskins will kick off the season in Landover, Md., on Monday Night Football in Week 1. The Eagles get two home games after that, against San Diego and Kansas City, before a three-week road trip against Denver, the Giants and Tampa Bay. That’s a balanced slate of competition for the Eagles, who are playing their first season without head coach Andy Reid since 1998. Chip Kelly and his high-tempo offense will look to last until a Week 17 road game at Dallas that could have playoff implications for each team.

The Giants also underachieved in 2012, failing to make the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2011 season. They can rebound if they can withstand a final four-game set at San Diego, vs. Seattle, at Detroit and vs. Washington.

WIth the NFL’s current scheduling format, teams within a division play an almost identical list of teams. But the order can be crucial, as is where the respective games are played. This season, the AFC West will take on the teams of the NFC East and the AFC South. Denver is the favorite to run away with the division, but will the schedule give the other three teams an extra boost?

The Raiders open up the season at Indianapolis, but three of their next four games will be played at home. Oakland closes the season with three straight division games, playing Kansas City, San Diego and Denver.