1 must-watch game for each week of the 2023 NFL calendar

It's never too early to start planning your fall schedule.

The entire 2023 NFL schedule is now out, and with it, win projections for all 32 teams, strength of schedule rankings, and another round of mostly *chef’s kiss* schedule release videos (bravo, Titans and Chargers … less so, Cardinals).

That’s quite a bit to digest — 272 games! — and I’m sure I’ll dive into more of it later. For now, though, I’ve decided to pick one must-watch matchup for each week of the regular season. 

A few notes before we begin. First, as tempting as it is to focus exclusively on the teams with the best Super Bowl odds (Chiefs, Eagles, Bills, Bengals, 49ers), I tried to limit how many times I selected them so as not to overdo it. Second, and on a similar note: I did not try to “force” any teams, meaning I won’t recommend you tune in to a rivalry like Rams vs. Cardinals simply out of need to make everyone feel included. 

Third, a lot can change between now and when these contests will take place. Some teams will exceed expectations and others will disappoint. Injuries happen. And just like that, what we thought would be a can’t-miss showdown ends up being a slapfight between two squads led by third-string quarterbacks. 

So, based on what we know at the moment, with four months to go before the season begins, here’s one game to circle for each week in 2023.

Week 1: Bills at Jets

Aaron Rodgers’ first game with the Jets (and first NFL game not in a Packers uniform) will happen on the season premiere of Monday Night Football, which falls on Sept. 11 this year. I’ve gotta say, two New York teams meeting on 9/11 would carry more weight if Rodgers weren’t such a conspiracy nut.

Anyway, the Jets are hoping that Rodgers will solve their quarterback woes and finally get them back to the playoffs. Their first test will come against the Bills, the defending champs of the AFC East who are trying to get over their own hump and make it to the Super Bowl this year. 

Week 2: Ravens at Bengals

The last time these two rivals faced off, the Bengals turned a goal-line fumble into a touchdown to squeak by the Ravens and move on to the Divisional Round. Lamar Jackson was injured and didn’t play, though, and when he’s healthy, he’s been a thorn in Cincinnati’s side. Jackson is 6-2 as a starter against the Bengals, including a last-second win over them in Week 5 of last season.

Jackson, newly paid and hopefully healthy, will be back under center for the first Ravens-Bengals clash of the season. Still, the AFC North has gone through Cincinnati each of the last two years and the Bengals will try to prove that they’re still the team to beat in the division.

Week 3: Chargers at Vikings

Eesh. Week 3 is an early frontrunner for the least compelling slate of the season. Feel free to go pick apples or whatever this Sunday. 

If you decide to stay home and watch football, then welcome to the degenerate club, because I will be doing the same, no matter how uninspiring the matchups appear to be. At least the Chargers and Vikings are two playoff teams from last season … who each saw themselves ousted in the first round in embarrassing fashion because both are forever snakebitten. And maybe two such cursed franchises playing on the same field will induce the NFL’s version of the crossing the streams phenomenon, ya never know. 

Week 4: Seahawks at Giants

The Seahawks only played on Monday Night Football once last season, which is a shame because weird things tend to happen whenever they’re on MNF. In Week 1 of 2022, their one and only appearance, Geno Smith famously declared, “They wrote me off, I ain’t write back though.”

That’s a good line on its own, but it turned out to be prescient as well: Smith went on to win Comeback Player of the Year honors and the Seahawks, somewhat unexpectedly, earned a postseason berth. This coming season, Geno & Co. only have one MNF game again, and their opponent will be another surprise playoff contender from a year ago: the Giants, one of Smith’s former teams. We’ll see if both can replicate, or build off, their success from last year, but one thing’s for sure: no one will be writing either off.

Week 5: Cowboys at 49ers

The old-school rivalry is back (kinda) after the Niners have ended the Cowboys’ season in each of the last two playoffs. The stakes won’t be as high in October, and who even knows which quarterback will be suiting up for San Francisco, but the Cowboys will still want to get their revenge in the Sunday Night Football spotlight.

Week 6: Patriots at Raiders 

I doubt this will be the best game of the week, but given how their previous matchup ended, it could be the funniest:

https://twitter.com/Raiders/status/1604634543549341697?s=20

At least this time if Jakobi Meyers throws the ball to a Raiders player, it’ll be his own teammate.

Week 7: Chargers at Chiefs

While Dolphins-Eagles on Sunday Night Football could be a shootout, I chose the first Chargers-Chiefs game of the season for Week 7. In the Justin Herbert era, the Chargers are just 2-4 against Kansas City — but all four of their losses were decided by one score. 

The Chargers seemingly invent new ways to lose, so be sure to tune in for this one to find out how they do it this time, no doubt in gut-wrenching fashion.

Week 8: Texans at Panthers

If everything goes as expected, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud will square off for the first time in their young NFL careers — and for the first time since middle school.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1656839911209828352?s=20

Young and Stroud, who both grew up in Southern California, are longtime pals, so if this is the beginning of a new NFL rivalry, expect it to be a friendly rivalry. 

Week 9: Cowboys at Eagles

“Friendly rivalry” is not how we can describe this one, that’s for sure. The Cowboys and Eagles will have to wait an unusually long time for their first meeting of the season. Absence won’t make the heart grow fonder in the case of these two hated foes, though.

The NFC East hasn’t had a repeat champion since the Eagles won four straight division titles from 2001-04. If they’re going to start a new streak, they’ll have to get through Dallas at least once (and maybe both times). 

Week 10: Colts “at” Patriots

I don’t know how long it will take before the Colts put Anthony Richardson in the starting lineup, but for now, I’ll assume he’ll have won the job by Week 10. If so, he’ll also get his first start in international territory when the Colts face the Patriots in Germany. It’s possible both of these teams will be struggling at this point of season, but it could be worth watching for the ambience and to get a feel for each’s quarterback situation.

Week 11: Eagles at Chiefs

This is both a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl and a possible preview for this season’s Super Bowl. Nothing that the Eagles and Chiefs have done this offseason would suggest they’re in danger of regressing, so we should anticipate two evenly matched teams — and high-scoring offenses — once again for their Monday Night Football showdown. The atmosphere should be electric, as should the action on the field.

Week 12: Dolphins at Jets

Thanksgiving week in the NFL is loaded with top-notch games, but I’ve opted to single out the league’s first ever Black Friday showcase. I’m not exactly sure why the NFL is expanding to Friday, other than to assert its dominance, and I don’t think it’s necessary. And yet, I will still be watching the first of two Dolphins-Jets matchups this season that afternoon. 

Not only should it be a pretty decent game — when just a couple years ago, it’d be a Thursday Night Football “special” — but it’ll also give me an excuse to avoid watching Iowa-Nebraska and save my eyeballs all that pain.

Week 13: 49ers at Eagles

Based on how much various 49ers players have talked about it this offseason, they’re still smarting from losing to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers will, God willing, be healthier for the rematch, but Eagles fans won’t forget what they’ve said — or be hospitable hosts.

Week 14: Bills at Chiefs

Two years ago, the Bills fell to the Chiefs in overtime in an epic playoff game. The Bills got quasi-revenge last regular season when they edged the Chiefs 24-20 in Week 6, but in the end, Kansas City was awarded the No. 1 seed in the AFC and came away with another Super Bowl title. 

The Bills will head back to Arrowhead Stadium for the fourth time in three seasons and will once again be looking to take down the current standard bearer of the AFC. If they can, then perhaps Buffalo will earn homefield advantage in the playoffs — or at least keep the Chiefs from getting it once again.

Week 15: Ravens at Jaguars

If the first Trevor Lawrence vs. Lamar Jackson duel is anything to go by, then Round 2 should be quite the treat. Last season, the Jaguars stormed back in the fourth quarter to shock the Ravens in the best performance of Lawrence’s career (so far). It ended up being a turning point of sorts for Jacksonville, which went on to win six of its next seven contests (including a major comeback against the Chargers in the postseason) to make it all the way to the Divisional Round. 

Week 16: Bengals at Steelers

The NFL already has a monopoly on Thanksgiving. Does it really need to take over Christmas, too? No, but it’s not like that’s ever stopped this league before. With Christmas falling on a Monday this year, the NFL is trotting out a tripleheader that day, but I refuse to call any of them “must watch” on principle. You know what’s “must watch” on Christmas? Home Alone, Die Hard, or whatever your favorite holiday movie is.

So instead, I’ll suggest the second leg of the Bengals-Steelers rivalry, one of two games set for Saturday, Dec. 23. Cincinnati should be in contention for a high seed in the AFC, if its season goes as planned. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh will be trying to keep Mike Tomlin’s “zero non-losing seasons” streak alive. Bring on the pre-Christmas fireworks.

Week 17: Bengals at Chiefs

Speaking of fireworks, every Bengals vs. Chiefs game of the past two years has been an intense, down-to-the-wire slugfest — and the trash talk from both sides has been off the charts. 

And least one person has learned his lesson and is biting his tongue before the battle at Burrowhead–uh, I mean Arrowhead Stadium:

https://twitter.com/Bengals/status/1656265783989751810?s=20

Whoever comes out on top this round won’t be quiet afterwards, though, especially if the No. 1 seed in the AFC is on the line.

Week 18: Vikings at Lions

It’s impossible to know which teams will have already clinched a playoff spot, which will be fighting for one, and which will be resting their starters. But there’s usually a bit of uncertainty in the NFC North heading into Week 18, so the final Vikings-Lions matchup could very well decide the division or maybe the final NFC wild card bid — or both.