The NFL schedule was released on Wednesday and there are a few things that stand out.

Aside from putting some good teams in London and bringing on some decent matchups in the first week of the season, the league balanced out the schedule quite nicely down the stretch.

Here are five takeaways from the NFL schedule release:

1. Good offense vs. defense matchups early

While the NFL loves its offense, there may be nothing more satisfying than seeing a juggernaut have to work for everything they get. These games often lead to good scoring games, but games which are much more entertaining than 52-51 shootouts where there is no stopping either team.

The NFL did a very good job of giving us some of those matchups early as you can see here:

Week 1:

- Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers
- New Orleans Saints v Houston Texans
- Jacksonville Jaguars v Kansas City Chiefs

Week 2:

- New Orleans Saints v Los Angeles Rams
- Minnesota Vikings v Green Bay Packers

Week 3:

- New England Patriots v New York Jets
​- New Orleans Saints v Seattle Seahawks

Now are these teams guaranteed to be good offensively and defensively? Of course not. But on paper, these could be pretty fun games.

2. Young QBs get shots at early wins

An opening-day win is pivotal for young quarterbacks and several have shots at wins in week one this season.

The Jets will take on the Buffalo Bills and either Sam Darnold or Josh Allen could get victories in that game. The Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson get a favourable matchup with the Miami Dolphins and Baker Mayfield and his Cleveland Browns will take on the Tennessee Titans.

There is a very good chance these young QBs get off to a good start and that is good for the game.

3. Make-up game

It was incredibly inconvenient for the Kansas City Chiefs and Rams to have to relocate their matchup in Mexico City last year to Los Angeles, but it had to be really upsetting for all the fans in Mexico who planned to go to that game.

Well, the NFL did its best to make it up to the people as they gave the Los Angeles Chargers and Chiefs to them this year in week 11.

That is an absolutely fantastic game with Patrick Mahomes facing off against Philip Rivers and might be even better than last year's shootout in Los Angeles.

4. Back loaded

One of the more annoying things about the NFL season is when teams will sit their players down the stretch as they hope to preserve their health in the closing weeks of the season. We get it, and it makes complete sense. But when a backup quarterback is playing in week 15 or 16, it is a bit of a downer for fans, especially ones who bought tickets to see the starters.

This season, though, the NFL did a good job of giving good games to fans late in the season. Just take a look at his line-up down the stretch.

Week 12:

- New Orleans Saints v Carolina Panthers
- New England Patriots v Dallas Cowboys

Week 13:

- Houston Texans v New England Patriots

Week 14:

- New England Patriots v Kansas City Chiefs

Week 15:

- New Orleans Saints v Indianapolis Colts
- Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears

Week 16

- New York Jets v Pittsburgh Steelers

Many of these games could be against teams either fighting for playoff position or spots in general, so the end of the year could be a lot of fun.

5. Week 17 Savior

Building off that last point, in the final week of the regular season there are not only good games, but games against rivals.

In that last week alone we will see:

- Buffalo Bills v New York Jets
​- New England Patriots v Miami Dolphins
- New Orleans Saints v Carolina Panthers
- New York Giants v Philadelphia Eagles

The argument could be made that every one of those teams have at least a shot at a playoff spot and there is divisional pride on the line as well. Who knows? Maybe the last week of the campaign will be a fun one.