NFL fans know the opponents for their favorite teams, but they won’t know the dates of all the games until the 2023 schedule release, which is targeted by the league for Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Here’s what you need to know about one of the best days on the sports calendar:
Who will the Chiefs play in the opener?
The 2023 NFL season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 7 in Kansas City. Intriguing options abound for the opener for the Super Bowl champs.
Will it be a rematch of Super Bowl LVII opponent Philadelphia or a rematch against AFC Championship Game foe Cincinnati? NFL fans can’t lose either way, as either game would feature a rising star QB — Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts or Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.
Bills-Chiefs — and thus Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes — also would be tantalizing. Kansas City leads the series 3-2 since 2020.
If the league goes with a divisional matchup, which seems unlikely, it could go with the Chargers — the only other team in the AFC West to make the playoffs last season.
What are the international games?
Five teams are scheduled to host an international game in 2023, and although nothing is official yet, some details leaked to a newspaper in Germany.
It is believed that the Chiefs will host the Bears (Week 10) and Patriots will host the Saints (Week 11) at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.
Three games will be played in London, with the Bills and Titans each hosting a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Jaguars hosting a game at Wembley Stadium.
What are some of the top 10 regular-season games?
There will be 272 games during the regular season, with many having the potential to be the Game of the Year.
Eagles at Chiefs: The defending AFC and NFC champions will meet again in 2023. After blowing a 10-point lead in the Super Bowl, Philadelphia is looking for revenge.
Bills at Bengals: The Bengals defeated the Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs last season. In the regular season, the teams will play in Cincinnati, where Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a Week 17 game in 2022. In April, Hamlin was cleared to play again.
Cowboys at 49ers: These teams seem to always play each other in the postseason. San Francisco, led by rookie QB Brock Purdy, got the best of Dallas again last season.
Bengals at Chiefs: Another rematch, this time of last season’s AFC Championship Game. These teams have met in back-to-back conference championships, with both games decided by three points. Each won once.
Jets at Giants: The battle for New York. The Giants are feeling good after making the playoffs last season for the first time since the 2016 season, and the Jets now have four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers at QB.
Texans at Panthers: The top two picks of the 2023 NFL Draft are set to face off — C.J. Stroud of the Texans and Bryce Young of the Panthers. Will Young start? He should.
Dolphins at Chargers: If you want to see a high-scoring affair, watch this one. Both teams boasted top four passing offenses in 2022 and show no signs of slowing.
Ravens at 49ers: Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson may have the best supporting cast of his career. The 49ers, who have a loaded roster, have own questions at quarterback — will Purdy or Trey Lance start? — but their offense is fun to watch no matter who plays QB for head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Jaguars at Colts: In 2022, QB Trevor Lawrence took a massive jump in his second year, leading Jacksonville to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. In 2023, he’ll presumably play against new Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Packers at Broncos: Both teams should look very different in 2023. The Jordan Love era has officially begun in Green Bay, and Denver is hoping new head coach Sean Payton can fix what looked to be a broken Russell Wilson a season ago.
How many ‘Monday Night Football’ games will ESPN broadcast?
In 2022, ESPN broadcast 18 Monday night games — one game during Week 1 and Weeks 3-17 and a doubleheader in Week 2.
With three “Monday Night Football” doubleheaders scheduled for 2023, ESPN will broadcast 20 MNF games this regular season. Chris Fowler will replace Steve Levy as the play-by-play man in the No. 2 ESPN booth.
How does flex scheduling work?
Flex scheduling allows the league to move games around to put the best matchups in the time slots that draw the biggest audiences.
Per NFL.com, for Sunday nights, it may be used twice from Weeks 5-10 and at the NFL’s discretion during Weeks 11-17. In 2023, the league is also expanding its flex scheduling to include “Monday Night Football” for Weeks 13-17.
