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It’s official. For the first time since 1970, a http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15205396/denver-broncos-carolina-panthers-play-season-opener">Super Bowl rematch will start the new NFL season in week one on Thursday night, Sept. 8, as the Carolina Panthers go to Denver to face the Broncos.

That’s the first game of the season, but it loses a ton of luster with Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning walking into the sunset. That leaves Mark “Butt Fumble” Sanchez and Trevor Siemian as Denver’s only quarterbacks at the moment. http://www.denverbroncos.com/team/roster.html">Siemian who? He is out of Northwestern University, I had to look him up, as well.

Carolina should be a modest favorite in this game. Cam Newton will get another chance at a defense that harassed and victimized him in the Super Bowl.

While the first game of the season might be lacking in some respects, it's time to turn our attention to the New Orleans Saints schedule. Depending on how things play out, the Saints have the potential to reach the playoffs.

New Orleans has the fourth hardest schedule, which https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/720769960214192128">ESPN Stats and Info shows. The reason for the strength of schedule is the Saints face the AFC and NFC West divisions, which have been two of the best in the league the last few years.

Here is a http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2016/REG/SAINTS">week-by-week breakdown.

New Orleans gets the Oakland Raiders at home to start the season. The noon kickoff should be a bit of an advantage, with the Raiders playing at 10 a.m. PST. Oakland has gotten better but is still building around a young core of players.

Week two has New Orleans traveling to New York City or in reality in New Jersey to face the New York Giants. The Saints will not know what they are going to get with the recent up-and-down play from Giants quarterback Eli Manning. This game could be a stepping-stone to the playoffs for the winner.

New Orleans should be fired up for its week three matchup. The game is at home against the hated Atlanta Falcons. It is on Monday Night Football and on the 10-year anniversary of the reopening of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Expect the dome to set a record for loudest crowd ever.

The Saints travel west in week four as they go to San Diego to take on the Chargers. Last season, the wheels fell off for San Diego as it went 4-12, but the team does have a franchise quarterback in Philip Rivers, so a quick bounce-back is possible. But will the Chargers stay focused with talk of moving out of San Diego each week?

New Orleans is on a bye during the fifth week of the season. It is early, but it's a chance to get healthy before some big games coming up.

Week six starts the make-or-break part of the Saints' schedule. New Orleans gets the defending NFC Champions Carolina Panthers at home. If the Saints are going to win the division, they will have to get past the Panthers.

New Orleans goes on the road again as the Saints face their second-straight playoff team from last season in week seven as they battle the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs were a mess early in the season last year but came on strong. If the game is close, watch for Kansas City head coach Andy Reid to screw up the clock management to cost his team a win.

The Saints get a third-straight playoff team from the 2015 season as they host the Seattle Seahawks in week eight. Again, the schedule makers did New Orleans a solid making this a noon kickoff against a West Coast team. The Saints must contain Russell Wilson to win this game, as he will be the key, with Marshawn Lynch retiring in Seattle.

Week nine gives the Saints a break in the fact that they don’t face a playoff team from last season. They do have to go on the road, but it will be against the rebuilding San Francisco 49ers. This game will have long-time Saints fans remembering when this was a division game.

New Orleans goes back to facing playoff teams from a year ago when it hosts the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. As said above, the Broncos will have a great defense, but they are a mess at quarterback. Good luck to whatever Denver quarterback is starting in the dome.

The Saints started their run against former playoff teams from 2015 against the Panthers, and that run ends against Carolina. The team's trek of five playoff teams from last year in six weeks comes to a close. This game is in Carolina on Sunday night and could be the toughest on the schedule.

New Orleans hosts back-to-back home games in weeks 12 and 13 of the season against two teams that went 7-9 last season. The Saints get the first pick of this year’s draft when they face the LA Rams in week 12 and get the Megatron-less Detroit Lions in week 13. Both games are winnable.

Weeks 14 and 15 are the only time all season the Saints play back-to-back road games. They play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first of two meetings in 14 days and travel to the desert in week 15 to play the Arizona Cardinals. Splitting these two road games will be important, as the Saints are in the playoff hunt.

The Saints finish with two division games to end the season. They host the Buccaneers in week 16 and travel to Atlanta in week 17 to end the season. Both should be winnable games for New Orleans.

If the Saints can fix quarterback Drew Brees' cap number and their defense, I can see this team winning anywhere between 10 and 13 games. If the defense and salary cap stays a problem, another season of 7-9 or worse is in store for New Orleans.

Here are some other notable games for the 2016 season.

On the 15th anniversary of 9/11, the New York Jets will open at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The first game to take place in Los Angeles in 21 seasons for the Rams will be on on Sept. 18 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Minnesota opens its new stadium on Sept. 18 on Sunday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers.

Week 12 features Minnesota at Detroit, Washington at Dallas and Pittsburgh at Indianapolis on Thanksgiving Day.

Week 16 features 12 games on Christmas Eve and two games, Baltimore at Pittsburgh and Denver at Kansas City, on Christmas Day.

Don’t party too hard on New Year’s Eve if your team needs a win in the final week of the season, as every team will be in action on New Year’s Day.

Four games will be played out of the country. In week four, Jacksonville hosts Indianapolis in London on Oct. 2. The New York Giants are the road team in London against the LA Rams in week seven on Oct. 23. Cincinnati hosts Washington in the final London game in week eight on Oct. 30.

For the final game out of the country, the NFL returns to Mexico for the first time in 11 years as Oakland hosts Houston in week 11 on Nov. 21 for Monday Night Football.