The 2023 NFL Schedule is officially out. Here's an early breakdown of who will win every game from Opening Night until the Super Bowl.
A busy NFL offseason has reached its latest milestone with the release of the 2023 NFL Schedule. There has been a lot of drama and player movement, including Lamar Jackson's mega-deal with the Baltimore Ravens and a potentially seismic trade sending Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets.
The draft also introduced some potential new stars to the league as the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts hope they have found their franchise quarterbacks in Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. The Kansas City Chiefs are still the team to beat in the NFL while a slew of worthy challengers like the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Ravens and Jets seek to take them down in the AFC.
The NFC looks to be Philadelphia's world as the Eagles have a stacked roster but the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants appear ready to push them for the top spot in the conference.
Rosters are pretty much locked in at this point so let's take a look at predicting every NFL game in the 2023 season, going from Week 1 all the way to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Picks For All 272 NFL Regular Season Games
NFL Week 1
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Monday Night Football
Game Of The Week – Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
Week 1 is stacked but the unquestioned highlight of the weekend comes on Monday night as the Bills travel to New York to take on the Jets in Aaron Rodgers' debut. Emotions will be high as the game will be played on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks but the football is going to be very important.
Buffalo and New York figure to be locked into a battle for first place in the AFC East all season long and these teams have explosive offenses headlined by top quarterbacks. The bitter rivals split their season series a year ago with the Jets pulling a massive upset over the Bills at home before Buffalo returned the favor with a tight win in Orchard Park.
Rodgers is no stranger to the primetime spotlight and often plays at his best when the eyes of the nation are on him. Expect the Jets to make a big statement in this one.
NFL Week 2
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Game Of The Week – Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
There's a lot of good games to choose from in Week 2 but Ravens-Bengals leaps out for its quarterback matchup and divisional importance. The two teams split their regular season meetings a year ago and Cincinnati won a playoff rematch but both Bengals' victories came without Lamar Jackson, who was injured late in the season.
Jackson and the Ravens beat Cincinnati with a field goal at the gun in Baltimore and this contest will have a huge early role in shaping the AFC North race. Joe Burrow is poised to make a push for MVP honors and he'll need wins like this one in order to get the job done.
Expect a back-and-forth shootout as Baltimore's improved weaponry allows them to keep pace with the explosive Bengals' offense. A key defensive play proves to be the difference for Cincinnati in this one.
NFL Week 3
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Game Of The Week – New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
This week's best game comes on Thursday as the Giants and 49ers meet up in Santa Clara for a Thursday night clash. New York is already out West for Week 2's matchup with Arizona so the league accomodated the team's request to play a pair of back to back West Coast games in order to minimize travel.
That should help make the matchup's quality of play and it will be a big test for the Giants, who were ahead of schedule last year in making a run to the divisional round. New York has a much more difficult schedule ahead of itself, including seven road games in a nine-week stretch beginning with Week 2, and this contest won't be easy.
San Francisco will also look to pick up a potential key tiebreaker in the playoff picture with a victory over New York here. The talent edge that the 49ers have is the difference here as they improve to 2-1.
NFL Week 4
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Morning
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Game Of The Week – Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets
The NFL has been waiting a long time to get a matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers in a meaningful regular season game. A knee injury prevented Mahomes from playing in the 2019 matchup while Rodgers contracted COVID-19 in 2021, forcing the Packers to turn to Jordan Love in that game.
Placing this game in Week 4 gives the NFL the best chance of ensuring that the Rodgers-Mahomes matchup happens and it should be one of the season's most anticipated games. Both teams feature explosive offenses that should lead to plenty of points being scored at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night.
This game is an early measuring stick for the Jets, who are hoping to take the fast-track route to a Super Bowl like the one Tom Brady gave to Tampa Bay a few years ago. The Chiefs pick up the win here but New York shows it belongs in the NFL's elite class with their effort.
NFL Week 5
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Morning
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Game Of The Week – Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
The Sunday night matchup in Week 5 is a huge one in the NFC as the Cowboys head back to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers. These teams have met in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons with San Francisco winning both matchups, one at home and one on the road.
The loss to the 49ers last season inspired some major changes for Dallas, which fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore so Mike McCarthy could call plays. The Cowboys also cut Ezekiel Elliott and traded for Brandin Cooks to try and build a better supporting cast for Dak Prescott, who struggled to move the ball against San Francisco's stout defense.
The defense remains a significant strength for the 49ers, who force a few key turnovers of Prescott to pick up an important victory.
NFL Week 6
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Morning
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Game Of The Week – Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers
SoFi Stadium will be filled with Cowboys fans as the Chargers have never been able to establish a true home field advantage and it will make the difference in this game. There is a revenge angle for new Chargers' offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who was let go by the Cowboys after last season's playoff loss in San Francisco, but Dallas' defense makes the difference here.
Los Angeles doesn't have nearly as good a defense as the 49ers, allowing Dallas to move the ball more effectively here. Justin Herbert will still find ways to make plays but the Cowboys' pass rush, headlined by Micah Parsons, will find a way to get home against an offensive line that has significant injury concerns.
This victory will feel very good for Dallas, which will earn a win against a legitimate AFC contender. The defeat is also damaging for the Chargers, who are doing whatever they can to keep pace with red-hot Kansas City in the AFC West.
NFL Week 7
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Houston Texans
Game Of The Week – Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Any time the Chiefs and Chargers square off you have to break out the popcorn as the fireworks will be going off in terms of offense. Fewer teams in the league are less intimidated by playing the Chiefs at Arrowhead than the Chargers, who have won there in two of their previous three meetings with Kansas City.
This contest is desperately important for the Chargers, who could be trailing the Chiefs in the standings entering this game. A win here knocks Kansas City from the ranks of the unbeaten and allows Los Angeles to maintain its shot at knocking them off the top of the AFC West.
Los Angeles has done a ton of good roster building around Justin Herbert, who outduels Patrick Mahomes to give the Chargers a critical victory as we head towards the end of October.
NFL Week 8
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Game Of The Week – Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers
This game has Super Bowl potential. Seeing the Bengals and 49ers square off in Santa Clara is a highlight of Week 8 as Cincinnati's potent offense will get put to the test against San Francisco's stout defense.
Joe Burrow certainly won't be afraid of this matchup and Cincinnati has proven it can move the ball against elite defenses in the past. The 49ers also have explosive weapons of their own as Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk all present matchup problems for the Cincinnati defense.
This will be a game where the team that has the ball last ends up getting the win. In this case, we're going with a 49ers field goal at the gun to deliver a critical victory.
NFL Week 9
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Morning
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers
Game Of The Week – Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
There are plenty of angles that make this one of the most anticipated matchups on the NFL calendar. Cincinnati and Buffalo are two of the AFC's best teams that had a playoff matchup a year ago, but this will draw headlines for Damar Hamlin's return to Cincinnati.
Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field and was revived by paramedics on site, creating one of the scariest moments in the history of the NFL. America united behind Hamlin, who has made a full comeback and will now triumphantly return to the field where his life was in the balance.
There will undoubtedly be a stirring pre-game tribute to the medical professionals who saved Hamlin's life. The football will be very good as well as Cincinnati outlasts Buffalo in a game that will have huge playoff ramifications.
NFL Week 10
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Morning
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles
Game Of The Week – New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
The NFC East will be a slugfest all season long and the second Giants-Cowboys matchup is an opportunity for New York to make a statement. Dallas has had the Giants' number of late, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings in the series, but New York is the more desperate team here.
With a tight Wild Card picture in the NFC, the Giants need to have this game since they enter the matchup with a 4-5 record. Head coach Brian Daboll is also an excellent innovator who will come up with a masterful game plan to trip up the Cowboys at home.
The defeat is the second straight NFC East loss for the Cowboys, which will drop them to 5-4 and undoubtedly raise the heat on Mike McCarthy.
NFL Week 11
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints
Game Of The Week – Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs
Forget Game of the Week, this is the Game of the Year. Super Bowl LVII was an absolute classic that was robbed of a photo finish when James Bradberry committed pass interference to allow the Chiefs to melt the clock and kick a go-ahead field goal in the final seconds.
The football gods blessed us with the good fortune of having them play again this season, this time in Kansas City, and the NFL properly put this game on Monday night so the nation could see it. Playing the rematch in November was also wise since both teams should be clicking on all cylinders entering the matchup.
Both the Eagles and Chiefs will be coming off of their byes as well, ensuring that there is no rest advantage and that each team should be fresh. The odds are high that we get the fantastic finish that we were denied in the Super Bowl.
NFL Week 12
Thanksgiving
Black Friday
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Game Of The Week – San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
There are plenty of great choices for Thanksgiving week, including the first-ever Black Friday matchup, but the night cap of the Thanksgiving triple header is great. The Seahawks and 49ers were on the verge of becoming the NFL's hottest rivalry in the early 2010s before the 49ers cooled off but Seattle's resurgence in the post-Russell Wilson era has revived it.
These teams had a playoff meeting a year ago that San Francisco won in a blowout despite trailing at the half. Seattle has home field in this game and the 12th man will be rocking to give the Seahawks a key edge.
The NFC West should be a two-horse race all season long but home field matters a lot in this series. The Seahawks get first blood in a slug fest that will serve as a perfect dessert to the NFL's Thanksgiving buffet.
NFL Week 13
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens
Game Of The Week – San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles
The NFC Championship Game rematch comes in Week 13 in what will also be a massive game that could determine home field advantage in the conference. San Francisco rightly feels like it didn't have a chance to compete in the playoff meeting in Philadelphia when both of their quarterbacks got hurt, forcing them to essentially abandon the pass with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Having a quarterback available will automatically make this a much tighter game worthy of America's Game of the Week status. The Eagles and 49ers remain heads and shoulders above the rest of the conference and this matchup could easily be another playoff preview.
Home field is too much for San Francisco to overcome as Philadelphia moves another step closer to defending its NFC crown. This game will have playoff intensity and offer us a taste of what's to come in January.
NFL Week 14
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Byes: Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders
Game Of The Week – Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
Any time you get two of the AFC's three super powers in a game it's vaulting to the top of the Game of the Week conversation. The Bills-Chiefs rivalry has become emblazoned with plenty of epic matchups over the years as Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes have put on a show with each other.
The majority of those meetings have come at Arrowhead Stadium, including this one, which could be the difference in the game. With home field advantage potentially on the line with this contest, Buffalo will have to put together a complete effort to knock off the Chiefs at home in December.
Kansas City has developed a reputation as a team that gets better as the season goes on. That reputation serves them well as they score a critical late-season victory.
NFL Week 15
Thursday Night Football
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Game Of The Week – Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars' sudden surge to the postseason a year ago was largely sparked when they staged a dramatic late rally to stun the Ravens in Jacksonville. The two teams are set to meet again with playoff positioning on the line in this critical Sunday night clash.
Lamar Jackson will certainly look to redeem the Ravens for a very uncharacteristic collapse while Trevor Lawrence is up to the challenge of keeping up with him. These are the kinds of games that Lawrence will learn to win in order to live up to his draft status as a generational prospect, but Baltimore's supporting cast is better at this stage.
The Ravens are also well-adept at winning tight games in December, something Jacksonville is still learning to do. Beating up the AFC South is one thing but taking down an AFC Super Bowl contender is a whole other matter.
NFL Week 16
Thursday Night Football
Saturday Afternoon
Saturday Night
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Game Of The Week – Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers
One of the unique quirks of the NFL's new broadcast contracts is that Peacock, NBC's streaming service, gets an exclusive game each season. The best game of Christmas weekend lands on the streamer as the Bills fly out west to take on the Chargers in a massive AFC matchup.
Stockings will be stuffed with offense as Buffalo and Los Angeles feature two of the league's most dynamic passing attacks. Both teams are also involved in tight division races as the AFC East and AFC West are still up for grabs at this point in the year.
Josh Allen and the Bills have an experience edge in these big moments and that puts them over the top late. Von Miller has a huge strip-sack of Justin Herbert late in the game to seal the win for Buffalo.
NFL Week 17
Thursday Night Football
Saturday Night
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Night Football
Game Of The Week – Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
There is no other choice for the Game of the Week than Mahomes-Burrow V. Whenever the Bengals and Chiefs meet up the games have been classics with nearly all of them being decided on the final possession or in overtime.
Joe Burrow has proven to be the one quarterback in the league who isn't intimidated by matching up with Mahomes, claiming 3 of the first 4 meetings with Mahomes finally getting on the board in the AFC Championship Game last season. CBS was very excited to announce this game as part of their schedule and it is going to deliver all the hype.
The winner of this game secures home-field throughout the AFC playoffs. For the first time since 2020, the road to the Super Bowl will not go through Arrowhead in the AFC as Cincinnati wins it on a last-second field goal.
NFL Week 18
Sunday Afternoon
Game Of The Week – Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
There is a lot on the line in Week 18 but the biggest stakes will fall in Lions-Vikings. That game, thanks to Minnesota's win earlier in the season, determines the winner of the NFC North and the final playoff spot in the conference.
This season started out with the Lions, who were chosen to be on the NFL's Kickoff Game as a sign the league believed they were on the verge of something exciting. The season will fittingly end with Detroit in the spotlight as they beat Minnesota to secure their first division title in 30 years.
The loss is a bitter pill for the Vikings, who get knocked out of the playoffs as a result of the loss. Questions begin to get raised about the future of Kirk Cousins in Minnesota as the Vikings stare ahead at a long offseason.
Final 2023 NFL Standings
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Wild Card Round
AFC Playoffs
This would be quite the redemption story for the Chargers, who famously choked away a 27-point lead to Jacksonville in last year's playoffs. We haven't had a 2-7 upset yet since the NFL playoff field expanded but Justin Herbert outduels Patrick Mahomes to stun the defending champs on Super Wild Card Weekend.
Aaron Rodgers scores New York's first playoff win in 12 years with a late touchdown drive to hold off Baltimore. Lamar Jackson, despite playing well, receives criticism for failing to come through again in the postseason.
These two teams met in London early in the year with Jacksonville scoring a win thanks to their ability to stay in the United Kingdom for a week while Buffalo flew over for their game the week of. That loss likely cost Buffalo the AFC East title and they repay the Jaguars by eliminating them from the postseason.
NFC Playoffs
This is a rematch from last year's Wild Card round and we end up with virtually the same result. Another subpar playoff performance from Geno Smith raises questions about his viability as Seattle's long-term answer at quarterback.
Ford Field is rocking for its first ever playoff game as Detroit sneaks out a one-point win to advance to the Divisional Round. A missed extra point early in the game comes back to bite the Giants as Jared Goff throws a go-ahead touchdown to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the final minute.
This is another playoff rematch from a year ago as Tampa Bay once again wins a mediocre NFC South. Without Tom Brady at the helm things don't go any better than they did against the Cowboys in January.
Divisional Round
AFC Playoffs
The Bengals exhale as the Chiefs are out of the playoffs and make quick work of the other AFC West playoff team. Justin Herbert is harassed by Cincinnati's defense as the Chargers can't follow up their huge upset of Kansas City with another one.
The third meeting between these AFC East rivals comes down to the wire after the pair split their regular season matchups. Home field makes the difference for the Jets, who see Rodgers lead a game-winning drive to earn their ticket to the AFC Championship Game.
NFC Playoffs
The Eagles have the Cowboys number and that trend continues here as Dallas' lack of playmakers on offense is a killer. The aging offensive line in Dallas also has a hard time stopping Philadelphia's pass rush, leading to a very uncomfortable day at the office for Dak Prescott.
This is a big step up in weight class for Detroit, which goes from a good Giants team to a 49ers' juggernaut. The Lions do put up a valiant effort, however, raising hopes that they can take another big leap forward under Dan Campbell in 2024.
Championship Sunday
AFC Championship Game
The magic carpet ride for the Jets comes to an end as they fall short against the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. Aaron Rodgers has a critical interception late with the Jets driving for the go-ahead score that allows Cincinnati to ice the game.
All told, it is a successful year one for Rodgers but he will now spend the next few weeks pondering whether he wants to return for one more year. Cincinnati heads back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years behind Joe Burrow.
NFC Championship Game
The 49ers finally get the Eagles' monkey off their backs with a tight victory in Philadelphia to earn another trip to the Super Bowl. Having Brock Purdy stay upright helps as the mere threat of a passing game makes it much tougher for Philadelphia to hone in on stopping Christian McCaffrey, who controls the clock.
The star of the day is the 49ers' defense, which does an outstanding job containing the Eagles' vaunted rushing attack. San Francisco is built for a game like this and punches its ticket to the big game.
Super Bowl LVIII
This matchup may seem a bit familiar to those well versed in NFL history. The Bengals and 49ers met twice in the Super Bowl in the 1980s with San Francisco winning both, including Joe Montana's memorable game-winning drive in Super Bowl XXIII.
The time has come for Cincinnati to exact its revenge and claim their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. Joe Burrow takes home MVP honors after throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns against the vaunted San Francisco defense.
This game is a monumental one for the NFL as it officially cements Burrow as the other marquee quarterback in the league to serve as the official rival to Patrick Mahomes. Tom Brady's greatness was enhanced by his duels with Peyton Manning and it is great for the NFL to see Burrow join Mahomes in the champions club with a title of his own.
This result would be extremely frustrating for San Francisco, which would now lose three consecutive Super Bowls over an 11-year span. Kyle Shanahan would also get some heat for failing to close the deal in three Super Bowls, including his days as Atlanta's offensive coordinator when the Falcons infamously gave up a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI.
