The 2023 NFL regular season begins in September. For the diehard fans, that’s a long four months away. The league released its schedule Thursday afternoon, giving fans plenty of games to anticipate watching. There are a number of interesting matchups, and here’s 10 games to add to your calendar as must-see.
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, Week 1 (Sept. 11)
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The Jets will make their debut with “The Savior” (aka Aaron Rodgers), beginning what Jets fans expect will be a march to Super Bowl 58. The Jets acquired a number of Rodgers’ teammates from Green Bay (wide receivers Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, offensive lineman Billy Turner) along with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. If the Jets win, the New York media will guarantee a Super Bowl berth, if they lose, the media will call Rodgers a bust.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, Week 1 (Sept. 10)
AP Photo/Matt Patterson
The Giants stunned nearly everyone by earning a playoff berth and beating the Minnesota Vikings in a Wild Card game under first-year coach Brian Daboll last season. The Cowboys, who harbor Super Bowl aspirations every season, will go as far as quarterback Dak Prescott takes them.
Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers, Week 8 (Oct. 29)
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)AP
The Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft. The Texans used the No. 2 pick to select quarterback C.J. Stroud. Evaluators said Young is the more “NFL ready” prospect, while Stroud is said to have the higher upside. We’ll see who is further along in their development.
Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals, Week 9 (Nov. 5)
John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Who can forget the scary medical incident involving Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered a medical emergency that resulted in the cancellation of last year’s game? Hamlin is back playing football, but he wasn’t on the field when the Bengals crushed the Bills in a Wild Card playoff game last season.
Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City, Week 11 (Nov. 20)
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)AP
A rematch of Super Bowl 57, won by Kansas City in a 38-35 thriller. The Eagles would argue they were a questionable penalty away from going to overtime at the least and possibly winning the Super Bowl. They look to gain a measure of revenge, although this is just a regular season game.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, Week 12 (Nov. 23)
(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)AP
This will be the Seahawks first Thanksgiving Day game at home in franchise history. Seattle’s last Thanksgiving matchup against the 49ers resulted in a 19-3 win in 2014. The Seahawks lost all three games (including a Wild Card playoff game) to the 49ers last season.
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, Week 12 (Nov. 24)
(AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)AP
The league’s first-ever “Black Friday” game. The game on the day after Thanksgiving could be a pivotal one in the race for the AFC East division title. We’ll have a very good idea of how well the Jets and their “savior (see above) is performing by the time this game is played. The Dolphins faded badly in the second half of the season to miss a playoff berth.
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, Week 13 (Dec. 3)
AP Photo/Josie Lepe
A rematch of the NFC Championship game last season, won by the Eagles 31-7. The 49ers probably believe they would have won the game if starting quarterback Brock Purdy didn’t suffer an elbow injury in first quarter. If the 49ers are healthy, they should be far more competitive.
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers, Week 16 (Dec. 23)
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) walks off the field after a win over the Miami Dolphins during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)AP
A matchup of the two of the premier young quarterbacks in the league. Buffalo’s Josh Allen and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert possess two of the league’s strongest arms and each player is very mobile. Both quarterbacks have a number of weapons on offense to utilize. This should be a very high-scoring game.
Kansas City at Cincinnati Bengals, Week 17 (Dec. 31)
(AP Photo/Jeff Dean) APAP
A rematch of the AFC championship game, won by Kansas City 23-20. However, the Bengals had a three-game winning streak against Kansas City before the loss. The game will feature two of the league’s best quarterbacks in Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.