NFL Regular Season Schedule Preview
SAN FRANCISCO – As the summer sun begins to yield to the crisp embrace of autumn, the air is charged with excitement, for on the horizon looms a spectacle that has come to define American sports culture; the National Football League (NFL) season. Asthe echoes of the last season's glory gradually fade away, the NFL landscape transforms itself once again. Off-season trades, drafts, and player acquisitions have infused every team with renewed hope and strategic ambitions. Stars, veterans, and newcomers alike are gearing up to script their chapters in football history. The stage is set for an exhilarating journey filled with gridiron clashes, last-second heroics, and moments of sheer brilliance that will be etched into the collective memory of fans. Here's a look at the 2023 NFL Season –
Opening Week
The 2023 season will kick things off with the defending Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Detroit Lions for Thursday Night Football, (TNF), on September 7, 2023. For week 1 of the season fans will be greeted with several great matchups and rivalries, including:
• The battle for Ohio when Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals visit the Cleveland Browns, now led by QB Deshaun Watson.
• QB Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears will host their longtime rivals Green Bay Packers, who will be debuting their new starting QB Jordan Love.
• New HC Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos, led by QB Russell Wilson, will host division rival Las Vegas Raiders, who will also be debuting their new starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
• Coming off their Super Bowl appearance, the PhiladelphiaEagles will start the season visiting the New England Patriots, who will be honoring recently retired Patriots Legend QB Tom Brady in pre-game ceremonies.
• The first primetime Sunday night game will be led by the Dallas Cowboys visiting the New York Giants.
• Week 1 will be concluded with an exciting Monday Night Football, (MNF), matchup between division favoritesBuffalo Bills and the New York Jets who will be debuting their newly acquired QB Aaron Rogers.
Primetime Games
The Buffalo Bills, the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Los Angeles Chargers will have the distinction of having the most primetime games for the upcoming season, with each team having a total of six primetime games. These teams are followed by the New York Jets, the New York Giants, the Green Packers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers, each having five primetime games throughout the season. Unfortunately, four teams that finished with poor records last season will not have any primetime games. These include the Atlanta Falcons, the Arizona Cardinals, the Houston Texans, and the Indianapolis Colts. Here’s the roundup of teams with primetime games for the 2023 season:
International Games
The NFL is heading back to Europe with a slate of international games for the upcoming season that will include three games hosted in London, England, and two games hosted in Frankfurt, Germany. The first of these games is scheduled for October 1st at London’s famous Wembley Stadium, which will host the Atlanta Falcons vs the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two other London games will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars vs the Buffalo Bills on October 8th, and the Baltimore Ravens vs the Tennessee Titans on October 15th.
For the second time Germany will welcome NFL fans at Frankfurt Stadium on November 5th hosting the Miami Dolphins vs the Kansas City Chiefs, and again on November 12thshowcasing the Indianapolis Colts vs the New England Patriots.
Holiday Games
The 2023 NFL regular-season schedule will also serve several games to enjoy around the holidays! As per Thanksgiving tradition, early games will have the Detroit Lions hosting the Green Bay Packers, as well as the Dallas Cowboys facing off against division rivals Washington Commanders. Thanksgiving festivities will be capped off by another great division rivalry when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks. Also, in the first ever Black Friday game, (Nov. 24th), the New York Jets will host the Miami Dolphins.
With Christmas day falling on Monday December 25th, this season will feature special times and games during Christmas weekend. On December 23rd the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburg Steelers will face off in a mid-afternoon matchup, followed by the Buffalo Bills visiting the LA Chargers in a Saturday night primetime game. Christmas Eve will be slated by several 1pm games, three mid-afternoon games, and one primetime game with the Denver Broncos hosting the New England Patriots. Be ready to open gifts early as Christmas Day will have a similar schedule to Thanksgiving Day with three games featuring the Las Vegas Raiders vs the Kansas City Chiefs at 1pm, the NY Giants vs the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:30PM, and the Baltimore Ravens vs the San Francisco 49erswith the primetime slot at 8:15PM.
New Year’s weekend will also include special games and times with the Dallas Cowboys hosting a primetime game vs the Detroit Lions on Saturday December 30th. Sunday December 31st will showcase ten games with kickoffs scheduled for 1pm, three games in the mid-afternoon slot, and New Year’s Eve celebrations will include the primetime game between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. No games are scheduled for New Year’s Day.
The final regular-season games for the 2023 season will be played on January 7, 2024 with times to be determined. The playoffs begin January 13th and continue through Super Bowl LVIII on February 11th hosted by the city of Las Vegas.
