In about four months, we’ll have NFL regular season games back in our lives. And now we know who is playing who, and when.
The NFL released the 18-week regular season schedule on Wednesday evening. There are now 272 matches on the calendar. They are not all equal.
Here are the 10 (well, actually 11) best games on the 2024 regular season schedule:
Here’s some drama for the start of the season. Assuming the Steelers’ starting quarterback is Russell Wilson and not Justin Fields, there will be emotions on both sides. Head coach Sean Payton won’t want to lose to Wilson after sidelining him last season. Wilson can’t feel too good about the way he was treated at the end of a failed stint in Denver. It’s unlikely that Broncos fans will give Wilson a warm welcome. Plus, this could be Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s home debut if he wins the job right away.
Another QB revenge play had to make the list. This game might not be as exciting if the Vikings aren’t that good. But it’s clear why it’s on the list: Kirk Cousins ​​returns to Minnesota for the first time since signing with the Falcons. Will he be warmly welcomed after six productive but ultimately unsatisfactory seasons with the Vikings? It will also be interesting to see Vikings rookie JJ McCarthy, a first-round draft pick and Cousins’ replacement. And who knows where the Cousins-Michael Penix Jr. drama will stand after the Falcons made Penix one of the most controversial first-round picks in recent memory.
Maybe this isn’t a matchup between teams we’ll see in the playoffs this season, but we could see the top two picks in the draft. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams starts a brand new era with the Bears. The Commanders took their quarterback of the future with the second pick in Jayden Daniels. It’s also notable that the Bears play at the New England Patriots on November 10; the Patriots used the third pick of the draft on QB Drake Maye.
HarBowl! The most famous meeting between coaches Jim and John Harbaugh took place in Super Bowl XLVII. Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL after nine seasons at Michigan and will face his brother’s Ravens in what should be one of the toughest tests of Jim’s first season in Los Angeles. This takes place on a Monday evening, to add to the intrigue.
The traditional season opener at the defending champion Chiefs is highly anticipated as usual, but this new addition to the NFL schedule is a good one as well. It is the first regular season match in South America. It’s the first Friday game of the NFL’s opening week since 1970. And it’s between two fascinating teams. The Packers finished strong last season and Jordan Love had a breakout performance. The Eagles were 10-1 before their entire season fell apart. Philadelphia has the talent to bounce back. Ravens-Chiefs, followed by Packers-Eagles the next day, is a great way to get the season going.
Make sure all offensive linemen report as eligible, Lions. This is a replay of one of last season’s weirdest games, when the Lions had a two-point conversion wiped out on a penalty when officials said offensive tackle Taylor Decker had not declared eligible even though it looked like he had . This isn’t just a flashback to that game either, it’s a matchup between two of the best teams in the NFC.
Maybe Aaron Rodgers’ outing in this Monday night opener will last more than four plays. Rodgers’ highly anticipated Jets debut ended horribly when he tore his Achilles tendon during the first series of the season. Rodgers will likely be back in the lineup to try again in this season’s opener. It won’t be easy as the Jets get the defending NFC champion 49ers on the road. There isn’t as much excitement about Rodgers’ experiment with New York this time around, but a sharp opener with Rodgers dropping dimes to Garrett Wilson against a tough defense could provide plenty of excitement for the rest of the season.
This is more than just the Stefon Diggs Bowl. The Texans are one of the NFL’s most interesting teams after CJ Stroud’s historic rookie season and then a major trade with the Bills to add Diggs. While it appears the Bills have taken a step back by jettisoning Diggs, they are still capable of being a contender in the AFC. It’s a fascinating matchup between two fun and talented teams, and also a potential play-off preview. It also features two of the NFL’s top MVP candidates, Stroud and Josh Allen.
3. Detroit Lions at the San Francisco 49ers, Week 17
This late-season Monday night game will bring back bad memories for Lions fans. They led the 49ers in the NFC championship game in San Francisco last season, but blew it in the second half and missed the opportunity to appear in the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Detroit should be one of the NFL’s best teams again, and can prove that in this rematch against the 49ers.
The NFL is not easing us into the regular season. We’re going to have a phenomenal match for the first game of the season. The Ravens took the Chiefs home in last season’s AFC championship game and squandered that opportunity. The Chiefs defeated the Ravens and went on to win the Super Bowl. The Ravens still consider themselves Super Bowl contenders, but it will be important to gain home field advantage over Kansas City (again) in the playoffs. That task will become more difficult if they lose this game at Arrowhead Stadium. Aside from the high stakes, it’s always a treat to watch Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes to see. We watched the Chiefs’ traditional opener for the reigning champions on September 5 regardless of who they played, but the NFL gave us the most compelling opponent possible for the Chiefs.
1. Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers, Week 7
We don’t always get a Super Bowl rematch, and this one is gold. The Chiefs and 49ers played a classic last February, with Kanas City winning in overtime. The two teams return most of their rosters from that Super Bowl, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if we see them meet again in Super Bowl LIX. If you’re going to watch one NFL game this season, this is it. Although we all know you watch more than one.
