Finally, the NFL has released its full schedule for the upcoming 2023 season (here’s a look). Before being crowned champions in early February, the league’s 32 teams will play 272 regular season games, and then 14 of them will play a further 13 combined in the playoffs.
However, between now and then, these teams must play all 272 of the aforementioned regular season games, which are spread over 18 weeks. As usual, you can find all kinds of schedule analysis all over this site — whether you’re looking for our team-by-team schedule breakdowns, strength of schedule notes, primetime slates, event schedules, or anything else what your heart desires.
But in this space, we’re going to emphasize what we’re considering best games scheduled to be played in each week of the regular season. To enjoy.
(Note: We’ve tried to limit the use of each team so that they only appear three or four times at the most. Otherwise, we’d basically just keep a running list of Chiefs, Eagles, Bills, and Bengals games, which isn’t as fun for fans of other squads.)
Week 1: Lions at Chiefs (TNF)
The Lions of Detroit? In the best game of the week? Absolute! The Lions were great fun last season from Week 1 through Week 18. Watching this young, fun team take on the defending champions in the opening salvo of the season should be incredibly fun for everyone.
Also Noteworthy: Packers at Bears, Dolphins at Chargers, Eagles at Patriots, Cowboys at Giants, Bills at Jets
Week 2: Jets at Cowboys
Aaron Rodgers and Co. host Josh Allen and the Bills on “Monday Night Football” in Week 1, then travel to Dallas for a short week to take on the Cowboys, who just finished hosting division rival Giants on “Sunday Night Football.” Rodgers has traditionally given Jerry Jones team passes, and you know he always wants to stick with Mike McCarthy.
Also Noteworthy: Vikings at Eagles, Ravens at Bengals, Seahawks at Lions, Chiefs at Jaguars, Dolphins at Patriots, Colts at Texans
Week 3: Chargers at Vikings
Week 3’s slate is… not outstanding. But at least in this game we see Justin Herbert on one side of the field and Justin Jefferson on the other. With Brandon Staley trying to hatch a plan against arguably the best receiver in the game, and with the Chargers trying to lighten the scoreboard with their new offense against a now Brian Flores-led Vikings defense trying to recover from the bad effort last season.
Also Noteworthy: Falcons at Lions, Giants at 49ers, Patriots at Jets, Bears at Chiefs, Rams at Bengals
Week 4: Seahawks at Giants (MNF)
Two of the most surprising teams of the 2022 season will go head to head in week 4 of the 2023 campaign. By then we will at least have an idea of whether Geno Smith and/or Daniel Jones can keep up the good times for another year keep it rolling, and we’ll also see Saquon Barkley try to cut through Seattle’s defense as DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba try to toast New York corners.
Also noteworthy: Dolphins to Bills, Patriots to Cowboys, Chiefs to Jets, Lions to Packers, Ravens to Browns, Steelers to Texans, Raiders to Chargers
Week 5: Cowboys at 49ers (SNF)
San Francisco has knocked Dallas out of each of the last two postseasons, and the Cowboys have made some offensive changes in response to their latest failure to get past the Niners. With Steve Wilks leading the defense instead of DeMeco Ryans, can Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Co. stop Dak Prescott? Will a healthy Tony Pollard, and the addition of Brandin Cooks, make a difference? We can’t wait to find out.
Also noteworthy: Jaguars at Bills (London), Panthers at Lions, Giants at Dolphins, Jets at Broncos, Chiefs at Vikings
Week 6: Seahawks at Bengals
Yeah, we’re going straight back to the Seahawks. Don’t you want to see Metcalf, Lockett, Smith-Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all trying to punk DBs on the same field? Don’t want to see the fireworks Geno and Joe Burrow are trying to create? If you don’t, we can’t be friends.
Also noteworthy: 49ers at Browns, Patriots at Raiders, Eagles at Jets, Giants at Bills, Cowboys at Chargers
Week 7: Dolphins at Eagles (SNF)
The sheer amount of speed on the field for this game will be absolutely incredible. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Devon Achane, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell. Stars below center in Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa, and on the defensive side of the ball in Hassan Reddick, Fletcher Cox, Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Bradley Chubb, Xavien Howard, Jevon Holland and more.
Also noteworthy: Lions at Ravens, Bills at Patriots, Chargers at Chiefs, 49ers at Vikings, Raiders at Bears, Packers at Broncos
Week 8: Bengal at 49ers
Burrow, Chase and Higgins against the best defense in the NFL? This is appointment TV. And not just because the game is on CBS.
Also noteworthy: Vikings to Packers, Patriots to Dolphins, Jets to Giants, Bears to Chargers, Texans to Panthers, Jaguars to Steelers, Browns to Seahawks
Week 9: Bills at Bengals (SNF)
The Bengals knocked the Bills out of the playoffs last season in what was one of the most anticipated postseason games in recent history. We thought we would get this game during the regular season last year, but the incredibly scary situation with Damar Hamlin forced us to cancel. Hamlin has been cleared to return to football and apparently wants to play, but there’s no telling how things will turn out when his team returns to the place where his life was saved by the timely intervention of medical staff.
Also noteworthy: Dolphins to Chiefs, Seahawks to Ravens, Giants to Raiders, Cowboys to Eagles, Chargers to Jets, Vikings to Falcons, Colts to Panthers
Week 10: Jets at Raiders (SNF)
Don’t you like it when two old friends get together? Aaron Rodgers vs. Davante Adams! With Sauce Gardner probably locking the horns with Adams on edge. Man, this must be fun.
Also noteworthy: Panthers to Bears, 49ers to Jaguars, Lions to Chargers, Giants to Cowboys, Browns to Ravens, Packers to Steelers, Broncos to Bills
Week 11: Eagles at Chiefs (MNF)
We are very lucky this year to be treated to a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl during the regular season. The last time these two teams met, the Chiefs emerged as world champions. In November, the Eagles will be out for revenge, albeit not with a Lombardi Trophy on the line. We can expect this to be one of the best, most anticipated and hopefully well played and competitive games of the season.
Also noteworthy: Bengals at Ravens, Chargers at Packers. Jets at Bills, Bears at Lions, Raiders at Dolphins, Vikings at Broncos
Week 12: Accounts at Eagles
Two of the league’s inner circle contenders compete here, with the Eagles in the middle of a brutal series of games: They travel to face the Chiefs in Week 11, host the Bills and 49ers in back-to-back weeks, then head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Still, imagine all the fascinating matchups here. Philly’s pass rush tries to put pressure on Allen as Stefon Diggs takes on one of the league’s stingiest secondaries on one side of the ball, and Sean McDermott’s defense trying to get to grips with what Hurts and Nick Sirianni are pushing to the table on the other side.
Also noteworthy: 49ers at Seahawks, Dolphins at Jets, Patriots at Giants, Ravens at Chargers, Bears at Vikings, Packers at Lions, Steelers at Bengals, Jaguars at Texans
Week 13: 49ers at Eagles
Remember last year’s NFC title game? If your answer to that question is “Not really,” I wouldn’t blame you. The 49ers, who had already beaten Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, lost Brock Purdy to an elbow injury early in the game and then lost backup Josh Johnson to a concussion. Purdy returned to the game, but was unable to throw the ball with a torn UCL. This game is 13 weeks into the season, but hopefully the Niners will have at least one healthy quarterback and we can get something close to the matchup we should have gotten in January.
Also noteworthy: Seahawks at Cowboys, Chargers at Patriots, Chiefs at Packers, Bengals at Jaguars, Browns at Rams
Week 14: Bills at Chiefs
An annual staple and always one of the most entertaining and consistent games of the season. This matchup does not require a sales job. You already know why it is imperative to watch.
Also Noteworthy: Jaguars at Browns, Vikings at Raiders, Seahawks at 49ers, Eagles at Cowboys, Patriots at Steelers, Rams at Ravens, Broncos at Chargers
Week 15: Cowboys at Bills
This part of Buffalo’s schedule is just absolutely filled with marquee games. It’ll be fascinating to see Allen and Prescott go head to head with two of the game’s best defensive minds in McDermott and Dan Quinn, but the headliner here is brothers Stefon and Trevon Diggs playing against each other for the first time. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s always Micah Parsons and Von Miller clamoring for their respective edges.
Also noteworthy: Chargers at Raiders, Jets at Dolphins, Eagles at Seahawks, Ravens at Jaguars, Chiefs at Patriots, Vikings at Bengals, Broncos at Lions, Bears at Browns
Week 16: Raven at 49ers (MNF)
It’s always a treat to watch the NFL’s best defense against one of the best quarterbacks, and that’s especially true when that quarterback has a rare skill like Lamar Jackson. Plus, we’ll get to see how the league’s premier linebacker, Fred Warner, guards one of the most unstoppable tight ends in Mark Andrews. That’s a very nerdy football fight, but I promise it will be a lot of fun too.
Also noteworthy: Bills at Chargers, Lions at Vikings, Cowboys at Dolphins, Raiders at Chiefs, Giants at Eagles, Bengals at Steelers, Packers at Panthers, Patriots at Broncos
Week 17: Bengal at Chiefs
The most recent two AFC champions, who have each knocked each other out of the playoffs for the past two years, will face off in the penultimate week of the season. Now just set your schedule so you can sit in front of the TV.
Also noteworthy: Lions to Cowboys, Patriots to Bills, Packers to Vikings, Panthers to Jaguars, Jets to Browns, Dolphins to Ravens, Raiders to Colts, Steelers to Seahawks
Week 18: Jets at Patriots
Are you interested in Aaron Rodgers vs. Bill Belichick in the last week of the regular season? I know I am. Especially considering that there could be huge playoff implications here.
Also noteworthy: Steelers at Ravens, Vikings at Lions, Chiefs at Chargers, Bills at Dolphins, Eagles at Giants, Browns at Bengals, Bears at Packers, Broncos at Raiders