With the prime time release of the 2009 NFL Schedule comes a slew of must watch games backed by intense storylines. As analysts offer their takes on which games are the ones to plant your tails in front of the screen, it becomes evident that just about all the games are worthy of viewing. The NFL is clearly not what it used to be. There aren't the old gimmie games anymore as a team like the Detroit Lions can turn around their fortunes in a year like the Miami Dolphins. The trend has leaned toward a dramatic turnaround for some sad sack franchise on a yearly basis. Take the plight of the Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons from last year and you realize that no game is a given anymore.

With that being said, I turn attention to my Must See Games of 2009. Please keep in mind that these are not always in unison with other analysts who are seemingly overwhelmed with pregame intrigue and careless with actual gameplay. Don't get me wrong, the return of Tom Brady to the Patriots in a Monday night game against Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills has deep intrigue but more often than not, the game is boring for anyone outside of Buffalo and New England.

So here it is...the Sports Buddha's Games of Intrigue for 2009-

Week 1 - Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers - Jay Cutler gets thrown into the fire against ancient rival GB. Growing up a Bears fan, he is vested in this longstanding beef and the pressure will be on to perform not only by Bears fans but also by himself.

Week 2 - NY Giants @ Dallas Cowboys - This heated rivalry has intensified the past few years with the playoffs and positioning on the line. With Dallas christening their new stadium, the pressure will be on them to supplant the Giants in this unlucky home opening draw.

Week 3 - Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots - The supposed future Tom Brady versus the current, rejuvenated, superstar Tom Brady. Matt Ryan, bearing similar height, arm strength, lineage and region as Tom Brady will always be compared to and this will be the first point of reference.

Week 4 - San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers - In a rematch of last years divisional playoff and the famed 11-10 regular season final, this will gauge the health of both teams as they embark on potential championship runs. SD will be foaming at the mouth for this one having lost both games last year.

Week 5 - New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos - The teacher versus the pupil is not the only underlying theme here. Bill Belichick will look to reverse the head to head record that states his teams struggles mightily against the Broncos. This matchup tends to generate big plays from big players.

Week 6 - Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons - Thanks to the wild offseason, this game is ripe with intrigue. Two teams with tough schedules will need to come away with a victory in what could be a potential playoff matchup. Overall, should be a good game to watch.

Week 7 - Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins - Old rivalry. Tough division. Not much else can be said about this one. It usually is an entertaining game.

Week 8 - NY Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles - See Week 7! The addition to this one is the playoff history from last year where the Giants felt they laid an egg against Philly.

Week 9 - Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos - I chose this one over the Miami-NE and Dallas-Philly matchup as the Steelers and Broncos usually give the country a decent matchup. At this point in the year, the northeastern games tend to be rainfests which does not translate to good eye candy!

Week 10 - New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts - Manning vs Brady. Nuff said.

Week 11 - New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - At this point, all the analysts seem to go gaga over the Houston Texans' next two games. Personally, I am growing sick of seeing Houston always fall two pennies short and thus I will wait for them to prove themselves before I sweat them. In the meanwhile, NO-TB has always been a great game to watch. I should know. My cousin is a BIG Saints fan and I am forced to check this one out twice annually. Really...not a bad game at all.

Week 12 - Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings - Mr. Cutler will be in the spotlight again as the Bears fell a game short of winning the division to the Vikes last year. Obviously, the Bears' braintrust feel Cutler is enough to get them over that one game hump to win the NFC North. These are the games that you make your money on and Jay Cutler will need to be the Employee of the Week!

Week 13 - Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs - It's Patriots West versus Patriots Midwest. Aside from the Matt Cassel intrigue, this game is another hated matchup that usually produces some highlights consistent with divisional beef. More often than not, it comes down to the mid to late 4th quarter.

Week 14 - Philadelphia Eagles @ NY Giants - Giants fans have been seething from the playoff loss last year to the Eagles. This time, the game is at Giants Stadium late in the year so the throngs of rabid maniacs will have revenge on their minds. There should be some serious cursing and shoving. The Chuck Bednariks of the world would be happy with this one!

Week 15 - Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Another good annual fight that transfers into a great game to watch. The Jags are always on the cusp with the Colts being the perennial success story in the AFC South. This beef is complete with the occasional upset and the dramatics would increase if the Jags are actually contending.

Week 16 - Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears - See Week 12. In the course of five weeks, these two will play and more than likely the NFC North will be determined by its outcome.

Week 17 - Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys - Last year, the Cowboys were buried (putting it lightly) on the last day by the Eagles in Philly. This year, the Cowboy fans will hope to turn the tide and avenge that disastrous loss.

So there it is. There are quite a few games of intrigue that could receive honorable mention. Keep in mind that I chose these games not only out of intrigue but also good game play. I left off games such as Bears at 49ers in Week 10 because Mike Singletary is not playing on the field. It is a great buildup story to the game but once it begins, the 49ers may not have much else. I also left out the Jets-Dolphins Monday nighter as the game sometimes can get very uneventful. The lure of the rivalry is great but if you aren't a fan of the two teams, there is no Dan Marino-Jets QB to draw you in. A rivalry such as Bears-Packers has just been reinvigorated in the advent of a long term quarterbacking duel. A Denver-Oakland matchup was downgraded for obvious reasons.

Love em or hate em, these are my 17 games to see. Whaddya think?