2023 NFL schedule release: Best game of each week, from Chiefs-Lions opener to Rodgers vs. Belichick finale

At long last, the NFL has released its full schedule for the upcoming 2023 season (here’s a look). Before crowning a champion in early February, the league’s 32 teams will play 272 regular-season games, and then 14 of them will combine to play 13 more during the playoffs.

Between now and then, though, these teams have to actually play all 272 of those aforementioned regular-season contests, which are spread out across 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-date schedules, or anything else your heart desires. 

But in this space, we’re going to highlight what we consider the best games scheduled to be played in each week of the regular season. Enjoy. 

(Note: We tried to limit the usage of each team so that they appear three or four times, at most. Otherwise, we’d basically just be keeping a running list of Chiefs, Eagles, Bills, and Bengals games, and that’s not as fun for fans of other squads.)

Week 1: Lions at Chiefs (TNF)

The Lions of Detroit? In the best game of the week? Absolutely! The Lions were fun as all get-out last season, from Week 1 all the way through Week 18. Watching this young, fun team take on the defending champs in the season’s opening salvo should be incredibly enjoyable for all.   

Also notable: 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 on a short week to take on the Cowboys, who will be fresh off having hosted the division rival Giants on “Sunday Night Football.” Rodgers has historically given Jerry Jones’ team fits, and you know he always wants to stick it to Mike McCarthy. 

Also notable: Vikings at Eagles, Ravens at Bengals, Seahawks at Lions, Chiefs at Jaguars, Dolphins at Patriots, Colts at Texans

Week 3: Chargers at Vikings

The Week 3 slate is… not excellent. But at least in this game, we get to watch Justin Herbert on one side of the field and Justin Jefferson on the other. With Brandon Staley trying to scheme against arguably the best receiver in the game, and with the Chargers trying to light up the scoreboard with their new offense against a now-Brian Flores-led Vikings defense trying to rebound from last season’s poor effort.

Also notable: 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 square off in Week 4 of the 2023 campaign. By then we’ll have at least a bit of an idea if Geno Smith and/or Daniel Jones can keep the good times rolling for another year, and we’ll also get to see Saquon Barkley try to slice through the Seattle defense while DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba attempt to toast New York’s corners.

Also notable: Dolphins at Bills, Patriots at Cowboys, Chiefs at Jets, Lions at Packers, Ravens at Browns, Steelers at Texans, Raiders at Chargers

Week 5: Cowboys at 49ers (SNF)

San Francisco has knocked Dallas out of each of the last two postseasons, and the Cowboys made a bunch of changes on offense in response to their latest failure to advance past the Niners. With Steve Wilks now running the defense in place of DeMeco Ryans, can Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Co. keep holding Dak Prescott down? Will a healthy Tony Pollard, and the addition of Brandin Cooks, make a difference? We can’t wait to find out. 

Also notable: Jaguars at Bills (London), Panthers at Lions, Giants at Dolphins, Jets at Broncos, Chiefs at Vikings

Week 6: Seahawks at Bengals

Yes, we’re going right back to the Seahawks. Do you not want to see Metcalf, Lockett, Smith-Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins all trying to punk DBs on the same field? Do you not want to see the fireworks Geno and Joe Burrow try to create? If you don’t, we can’t be friends. 

Also notable: 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 is going to be absolutely incredible. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Devon Achane, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell. Stars under 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 notable: Lions at Ravens, Bills at Patriots, Chargers at Chiefs, 49ers at Vikings, Raiders at Bears, Packers at Broncos

Week 8: Bengals at 49ers

Burrow, Chase, and Higgins against the NFL’s best defense? This is appointment TV. And not just because the game’s on CBS.

Also notable: Vikings at Packers, Patriots at Dolphins, Jets at Giants, Bears at Chargers, Texans at Panthers, Jaguars at Steelers, Browns at 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 memory. We thought we’d be getting this game during the regular season last year, but the incredibly scary situation with Damar Hamlin forced a cancellation. Hamlin has been cleared to return to football and apparently wants to play, but there is no telling how things will play out as his team returns to the scene where his life was saved by timely intervention of medical personnel. 

Also notable: Dolphins at Chiefs, Seahawks at Ravens, Giants at Raiders, Cowboys at Eagles, Chargers at Jets, Vikings at Falcons, Colts at Panthers

Week 10: Jets at Raiders (SNF)

Don’t you love it when two old friends get together? Aaron Rodgers vs. Davante Adams! With Sauce Gardner likely locking horns with Adams on the perimeter. Man, this should be fun. 

Also notable: Panthers at Bears, 49ers at Jaguars, Lions at Chargers, Giants at Cowboys, Browns at Ravens, Packers at Steelers, Broncos at Bills 

Week 11: Eagles at Chiefs (MNF)

We’re very lucky this year in that we will be treated to a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl, during the regular season. Last time these two teams met, the Chiefs emerged as world champions. Come November, the Eagles will be out for revenge — albeit not with a Lombardi Trophy on the line. We should expect that this will be one of the best, most-anticipated, and hopefully, well-played and competitive games of the season.

Also notable: Bengals at Ravens, Chargers at Packers. Jets at Bills, Bears at Lions, Raiders at Dolphins, Vikings at Broncos

Week 12: Bills at Eagles

Two of the league’s inner-circle contenders do battle here, with the Eagles in the midst of a brutal stretch 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 trying to pressure Allen while 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 a handle on what Hurts and Nick Sirianni bring to the table on the other.

Also notable: 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, already down 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 have at least one healthy quarterback and we can get something approximating the matchup we should have gotten in January. 

Also notable: 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 consequential games of the season. This matchup does not need a sell job. You already know why it’s imperative to watch.

Also notable: 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 portion of Buffalo’s schedule is just absolutely stocked with marquee games. Getting to watch Allen and Prescott do battle with two of the games best defensive minds in McDermott and Dan Quinn will be fascinating to watch, but the headliner here is brothers Stefon and Trevon Diggs playing against each other for the first time. And if that’s not enough, there’s always Micah Parsons and Von Miller screaming around their respective edges. 

Also notable: 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: Ravens at 49ers (MNF)

It’s always a treat to watch the NFL’s best defense against one of its best quarterbacks, and that is especially true when that quarterback has a rare skill set like Lamar Jackson does. Plus, we’ll get to watch the league’s premier coverage linebacker, Fred Warner, guard one of its most unstoppable tight ends in Mark Andrews. That’s a very nerdy football battle, but I promise it will also be very fun.

Also notable: 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: Bengals at Chiefs

The most recent two AFC champions, who have knocked each other out of the playoffs in each of the past two years, will get to square off in the second-to-last week of the season. Just set your schedule now so you can be in front of the TV.

Also notable: Lions at Cowboys, Patriots at Bills, Packers at Vikings, Panthers at Jaguars, Jets at Browns, Dolphins at Ravens, Raiders at Colts, Steelers at Seahawks

Week 18: Jets at Patriots

Are you interested in Aaron Rodgers vs. Bill Belichick in the final week of the regular season? I know I am. Especially considering there could be massive playoff implications at play here. 

Also notable: Steelers at Ravens, Vikings at Lions, Chiefs at Chargers, Bills at Dolphins, Eagles at Giants, Browns at Bengals, Bears at Packers, Broncos at Raiders