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The 2016 NFL schedule is finally out and we know every single one of the 256 matchups for the 2016 NFL season.

But it's a lot to parse through. You have kids and homework and life to live, so we dove in to figure out all the important details for you.

Here are 21 things to know:

1. Super Bowl rematch: Last we saw of the Broncos and Panthers, Cam Newton was sulking away from a press conference and Peyton Manning was getting ready to ride off into the sunset. Now the two teams will meet again, with a Super Bowl rematch starting off the 2016 NFL season.

Carolina-Denver kicks off the 2016 NFL schedule. (USATSI)

That game will take place Thursday, Sept. 8, at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and you have to imagine Cam and Von Miller will figure out a way to post a few hundred more Instagram water polo photos between now and then. 

The bigger question? Who will be the Broncos' quarterback? Nothing like raising a banner, passing out rings and running Mark Sanchez out there to be your starter for the 2016 season.

2. Thanksgiving games: As always there's a trio of games on Thanksgiving, and this year those games will feature a new headliner at night: Steelers at Colts.

Last we saw these teams, Ben Roethlisberger was lighting up Indy's defense and Antonio Brown was flying pants-first into goal posts.

The Steelers will be without Martavis Bryant this time around, as the talented wide receiver is suspended for the season. The Colts hope they'll be WITH Andrew Luck, who was injured for much of the 2015 season.

The full Turkey Day slate:

  • Vikings at Lions (12:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
  • Redskins at Cowboys (4:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
  • Steelers at Colts (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

3. Christmas games: The NFL isn't just filling up the holidays in November this year, though. It's also bringing the STUFFING to Christmas as well.

Christmas Eve -- a Saturday this year -- will feature a whopping 12 games, including the Bengals at Texans (8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network) in prime time. And Christmas Day -- a Sunday, natch -- will feature two games this year:

  • Ravens at Steelers (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
  • Broncos at Chiefs (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

The Baltimore-Pittsburgh game is an outstanding Christmas Day matinee. Just a couple of teams and fan bases that really embody the loving spirit of the season. 

That noise you just heard was your kids complaining because you saw them at Halloween and they want to see you again before January. (Hint: It's not happening.) 

4. Los Angeles football returns: Beginning in Week 2 of the season, football will return to Los Angeles as the Rams kick things off in their new (old) city. The Rams -- and whoever they draft at No. 1 with their newly acquired top pick -- will start things off in San Francisco on the late Monday Night Football game (10:20 p.m. ET, ESPN) before heading back to Los Angeles to host the Seahawks (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX) in the first L.A. football game in two decades. 

Could be a rough start for Jared Goff/Carson Wentz.

Oh and it involves Pete Carroll's return to the Los Angeles Coliseum. 

5. RG3 rematch: Robert Griffin III is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Browns when Week 1 rolls around, regardless of what Cleveland does with the No. 2 pick in the draft.

If Griffin can survive to Week 4 and retain the starting job over whatever quarterback the Browns may or may not draft, he'll get a shot at revenge when he returns to Washington.

Griffin will square off against the Redskins and Kirk Cousins at 1 p.m. ET on CBS in a game that gets QUITE a large amount of hype. Personally I can't wait to see what Instagram slogan he comes up with for this game. 

6. Osweiler Bowl: This offseason Brock Osweiler walked away from the team that drafted him, spurning the Broncos for the Texans (and $72 million). He'll get his shot at revenge -- and John Elway's defense will get a look at revenge as well -- in prime time when the Texans travel to Denver to play the Broncos on Monday Night Football in Week 7 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). 

Week 7 is delightful for prime time, by the way. The Bears and Packers play on Thursday Night Football, the Seahawks and Cardinals square off on Sunday Night Football and Houston-Denver closes things out. 

7. Brees back: Sneaky little revenge game for a guy who you know has revenge on his mind here. Drew Brees and the Saints will travel to San Diego to play the Chargers in Week 4, which is Brees' first game back in San Diego since he was let go by the Bolts in 2005. 

8. Pittsburgh rewarded: Remember how Vontaze Burfict was suspended for his behavior against the Steelers in the excruciating Bengals playoff loss? He knocked out Antonio Brown, who was unable to play in the Steelers loss the next week against the Broncos with a concussion.

If A.B. plays, well, the Steelers probably win and the Broncos probably don't win the Super Bowl. He didn't and such is life.

But the Steelers will at least get a little something out of this, because Burfict won't play against them the first time in 2016, with the linebacker serving a suspension when the two teams meet in Week 2 in Pittsburgh (1 p.m. ET, CBS). 

9. Late byes: The two worst teams in football were rewarded with bye weeks in the stretch run this year, as both the Browns and Titans got bye weeks in Week 13 of the season. That's an incredibly late bye, even if neither team is likely to be involved in the playoff hunt.

And it stings for the Bengals and Broncos who have to play them with two weeks to prepare.

10. Saddle up, Cowboy(s): The Dallas Cowboys have an impossible stretch of games thanks to the way things shake out with Thanksgiving. 

That's three games in 12 days! And before they kick off that three-game stretch, they've got a pair of road games at Pittsburgh and at Cleveland. And 10 days after the Vikings game they play at the Giants. Tough stretch for America's Team. 

11. No sleep from London: The Colts get absolutely hosed when it comes to their London game against the Jaguars. They play Sunday, Oct. 2, against the Jags in Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET, CBS) and then don't get a bye the next week. Instead, Indianapolis squares off against the Bears the following week at a normal time (1 p.m. ET, Fox). At least the game is at home?

The Jaguars play the Bears the following week, but DO get a bye in between. That's patently unfair. 

Luck and the Colts didn't get any favors from the schedule-makers. (USATSI)

12. Welcome to the Terrordome: The Vikings open up their new stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, in Week 2 and will get a friendly foe. Er, sorry. A familiar foe.

The Packers and Aaron Rodgers head to the new dome as the Vikings kick things off in a heated NFC North rivalry on Sunday night (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC). Minnesota has to deal with that game being sandwiched in between trips to Nashville against the Titans in Week 1 and to Charlotte against the Panthers in Week 3. 

13. Rex effect: The Buffalo Bills' first two games are the season are Rex Ryan Revenge Games. Yes, like 90 percent of Rex's games are revenge games, but these are against his old employers.

Rex gets the Ravens in Week 1 (1 p.m. ET, CBS) and then the Jets in Week 2 for Thursday Night Football (8:25 p.m. ET, CBS/NFLN). We can get as far away from Rex leaving his old players as we possibly want and he will never cease to act like going against one of his former employers isn't his personal Super Bowl.

14. Tough start for Dolphins: Welcome to the league, Adam Gase. The new Dolphins head coach gets a trial by fire, starting out with a pair of road games against the Seahawks in Week 1 (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS) and the Patriots in Week 2 (1 p.m. ET, CBS).

You go 1-1 in those games and you're coming home against the Browns feeling great about life.

15. Jags-Titans in prime time again! Once again the Jaguars and Titans will square off on Thursday Night Football (this time in Week 8) because the NFL simply won't stop putting these two teams in prime time. 

But you know what? It might actually be good this year. The Jags have Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and T.J. Yeldon developing into one of the sneaky offenses in the league with high expectations. Dante Fowler returns, Malik Jackson is added and they could go defense high again this year. People are going to like the Jaguars in 2016.

And people might like the Titans too. They're probably a year away but Marcus Mariota is special at quarterback and the trade away of the No. 1 pick means the Titans have a slew of picks -- six inside the top 76 to be specific -- with which to acquire talent. 

16. Easiest strength of schedule: The Packers have the easiest strength of schedule (.457) based on 2015 opponents, followed by the Giants (.461) and Bears (.461), and then the Bengals (.465), Cowboys (.465) and Lions (.465).

17. Hardest strength of schedule: The Falcons and 49ers have the hardest strength of schedule (.555) based on 2015 opponents, followed by the Rams (.551), Saints (.571), and then Seahawks (.543) and Buccaneers (.543). 

18. Super Bowl XLIX rematch: Running back a recent Super Bowl will always draw attention, but the Seahawks-Patriots game, despite being two years removed, still lingers and in Week 10 when the two teams square off in Foxborough, it will be very highly scrutinized, particularly with it coming on Sunday Night Football (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC). 

Will Russell Wilson attempt a late goal-line pass? Will Marshawn Lynch tweet about this game? Will Malcolm Butler prance around in the end zone the entire time? 

19. South of the border: The NFL is headed to Mexico for the first time since 2005 and the game is potentially an important one for the AFC playoff race. The Raiders and Texans face off on Monday night in Mexico City (Nov. 21, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). 

It's the first-ever MNF game played outside of the United States. 

20. On the road again: Four teams open with back-to-back road games this year:

Packers: at Jaguars, at Vikings

Buccaneers: at Falcons, at Cardinals

Dolphins: at Seahawks, at Patriots

Bengals: at Jets, at Steelers

Notably five teams opened with a pair of road games last year (the Ravens, Lions, Dolphins, Titans and Seahawks) and only Seattle made the playoffs from that group.

21. London calling: There will be three games in London this year, including:

Colts at Jaguars (Oct. 2, 9:30 a.m. ET, CBS)

Giants at Rams (Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFLN)

Redskins at Bengals (Oct. 30, 9:30 a.m. ET, Fox)

Notable from there is the NFL showcasing the heck out of the Rams this season, including L.A., Hard Knocks and a London trip.