Best Matchups Through 1st 8 Weeks of NFL Season After 2024 Schedule Release
As we navigate the desolate desert known as the time between the NFL draft and the beginning of training camps, the NFL schedule release is becoming a bigger event every year.
Though we've known who each team is going to play for a few months, there's something exciting about knowing exactly when and where these matchups will take place.
There will be plenty of pieces discussing the winners and losers of the schedule release, who has the toughest draws and who has easier waters to navigate. Here, we'll take a look at the schedule from the lens of the biggest winners: the fans.
Some weeks are better than others, but every week figures to offer at least a few matchups that have the combination of entertainment, stakes and storylines that make them must-watch TV.
Here's a week-by-week breakdown of those matchups for the first eight weeks of the season.
Week 1
1 of 8
Best Matchup: Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs, Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:20 p.m. ET
Like cracking open a cold can of your favorite beverage on a hot summer day, it's hard to beat the feeling of that first real game of the NFL season.
This year, we get treated to the defending champions running it back against the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs beat Baltimore 17-10 in the AFC Championship Game last season in a game in which the Ravens shut out the Kansas City offense in the second half.
Many members of that defense have left in the offseason. It will be a great first test for new defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who will take over the unit after Mike Macdonald got the head coaching job at Seattle.
For the Chiefs, it's an interesting matchup that will give us a first look at how Xavier Worthy fits into their plans. Kansas City's own defense will be tested with L'Jarius Sneed gone and Lamar Jackson coming off an MVP season.
There's a chance this matchup of top-five teams in our power rankings will be meeting for a third time in the AFC Championship Game at the end of the season.
Honorable Mention: New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers, Monday, Sept. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET
The NFL knew what it was doing making this the first Monday Night Football matchup of the year. From Aaron Rodgers making his return to Robert Saleh facing his former team, storylines abound and we'll find out what the Jets are about.
Week 2
2 of 8
Best Matchup: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins, Thursday, Sept. 12, 8:15 p.m. ET
Are the Buffalo Bills handing over their title as AFC East favorites? We'll get an early look at that question in Week 2 when they travel to South Beach for a crucial division clash on Thursday Night Football.
The Bills are 8-1 against the Dolphins since 2020 and have won the AFC East in each of those seasons. An early Miami win would do a lot to change the perception of the division race and prove it is ready to take the next step.
Both sides will be looking to bounce back from some major losses this offseason. The Bills traded away Stefon Diggs and parted with longtime safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. The Dolphins lost Christian Wilkins, Xavien Howard and Jerome Baker on the defense.
The Dolphins defense will still be tested with Josh Allen at quarterback, but the Miami offense is going to test the renovated Bills secondary early and often. It's a great reason to tune in to Thursday Night Football early in the season.
Honorable Mention: Chicago Bears at Houston Texans, Sunday, Sept. 15, 8:20 p.m. ET
The Chicago Bears aspire to be the 2023 Houston Texans as a breakout team with a rookie quarterback. The Texans are looking to be even more in 2024. We'll get to know about both teams early with this matchup.
Week 3
3 of 8
Best Matchup: Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 22, 4:25 p.m. ET
The pressure is on for the Dallas Cowboys to compete for a Super Bowl in Mike McCarthy's fifth season in charge. Both the head coach and Dak Prescott are in the final year of their contracts with the team.
One of the biggest questions for the Cowboys going into the season is what the defense will look like without Dan Quinn. The former defensive coordinator took the head coaching job with the Washington Commanders, and Dallas has replaced him with Mike Zimmer.
There won't be a better indicator than how well that defense is able to handle 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson early in the year. The Cowboys start the season with the Browns and Saints, while the Ravens will see the Chiefs and Raiders.
On the Ravens' side, this game will test their ability to navigate some tough contests early on. If the season opener against the Chiefs doesn't go their way, they could be looking at a 1-2 or worse start.
Honorable Mention: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Sept. 22 at 4:25 p.m. ET
It's hard to top a Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan showdown. The NFC West rivals split their series last season, and both games were decided by one score. Expect another close one.
.jpg?w=256 "Bills Football")
.jpg?w=256 "NFL Combine Football")
.jpg?w=256 "Texans Steelers Football")
Week 4
4 of 8
Best Matchup: Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions, Monday, Sept. 30, 8:15 p.m. ET
Mike Macdonald earned the Seattle Seahawks head coaching job thanks to his knack for putting together dominant defenses. We'll get a great look at his defense on prime time when it attempts to slow down the Detroit Lions on the road.
The Lions were one of the best offensive teams in the league last season. That should continue in 2024 with both Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown inking contract extensions this summer.
The Seahawks finished 9-8 last season, which was just short of the playoffs. A win in their first game on prime time would be huge for Macdonald's early credibility.
Meanwhile, the Lions were a good half of football away from playing for a Lombardi Trophy last season. They kick off the season with the Rams on Sunday Night Football but then get the Buccaneers and Cardinals, so they could easily be 3-0 going into this game.
Honorable Mention: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Sept. 29, 1 p.m. ET
Every game counted in the NFC South last season as the Bucs and Saints had identical 9-8 records and the Falcons weren't far behind at 7-10. The all-time series between the two rivals is 55-55 going into the season. Kirk Cousins' first entry into the history of the game should be a fun watch.
Week 5
5 of 8
Best Matchup: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m. ET
It's a shame that this game wasn't chosen for a prime-time slot. After all, this is the Stefon Diggs revenge game.
Much like Diggs' time with the Minnesota Vikings, there was a pretty clear cycle over the lifetime of the relationship. What started out as an exciting pairing soured into cryptic social media posts and frustrating production and a trade to the Houston Texans.
The four-time Pro Bowler is now on an emerging offense with a restructured contract that expires at the end of the season. Will a motivated Diggs torch his former team? Will the Bills show their departed receiver they are better off without him?
This has all the fun of a daytime soap-opera storyline with the stakes of two AFC contenders trying to find an early leg up in the playoff race.
Honorable Mention: Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Oct. 6, 4:25 p.m. ET
A Week 9 game against the Rams was something of a turning point for Jordan Love, setting the table for a dominant second half of the season. Matthew Stafford was out of the lineup for L.A. in that game, and the rematch could have significance for the NFC wild-card chase down the stretch.
Week 6
6 of 8
Best Matchup: Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Oct. 13, 1 p.m. ET
There are some good divisional matchups to choose from in Week 6, but it's hard to pass on this matchup of AFC and NFC teams with something to prove after 2023.
The Eagles fizzled out spectacularly after a 10-1 start. They lost six of their last seven games including a blowout loss in the playoffs. The Browns, meanwhile, are hoping to finally see some dividends from their decision to trade for Deshaun Watson.
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia offense struggled to deal with teams that could bring pressure. The Browns have one of the best defenses in the league and will certainly force the Eagles to have some answers for that.
Meanwhile, the Philly defense made moves to improve a secondary that failed it last season.
The Eagles will be coming off an early bye week while the Browns will have only played one team that made the playoffs last season. This will be a big test for both teams.
Honorable Mention: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Oct. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET
This could have been a divisional-round playoff game had the Cowboys not been upset by the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. As a regular-season matchup, it's an intriguing look at who is best suited to challenge the 49ers in the NFC.
Week 7
7 of 8
Best Matchup: Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 20, 4:25 p.m. ET
It doesn't get better than a Super Bowl rematch. That's especially true when the Super Bowl in question is one of the greatest of all time.
The Chiefs and Niners played the first Super Bowl to go into overtime last season, with Patrick Mahomes throwing a dagger touchdown to Mecole Hardman in the extra period.
Both franchises have been among the best over the last five years, but Kyle Shanahan's team hasn't won a Lombardi Trophy in that span. The Chiefs have beaten them in both of their appearances.
That streak has extended to regular-season games too. The Chiefs beat them in the 2022 regular season as well.
There will be plenty of people tuning in to see if the 49ers can at least snap that streak in the regular season, with a potential Super Bowl rematch coming later in the year.
Honorable Mention: Denver Broncos at New Orleans Saints, Thursday, Oct. 17, 8:15 p.m. ET
Sean Payton will return to the place where he carved out his reputation as one of the best coaches in the league. The matchup could also serve as Bo Nix's prime-time debut.
Week 8
8 of 8
Best Matchup: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 27, 8:20 p.m. ET
The 49ers won't have much time to recover from their Super Bowl rematch with another big game on tap in Week 8. They'll host the Dallas Cowboys in a matchup of the top two seeds in the NFC bracket last season.
While the Chiefs have been the bane of the 49ers' existence, San Francisco has made life difficult for Dallas recently. They eliminated them in both the 2021 and 2022 postseasons and handed them an embarrassing 42-10 loss in regular-season action last year.
Even though the game is on the road, the Cowboys are going to have the advantage of a Week 7 bye week while the Niners have a difficult game against the Chiefs the week before.
Dallas has a lot to prove after its early playoff exit against the Packers last season. A win here would do a lot to quiet critics. Conversely, the Niners could establish themselves as the Super Bowl favorite with wins in Week 7 and 8.
Honorable Mention: Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders, Sunday, Oct. 27, 1 p.m. ET
Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will forever be connected by the 2024 draft. We should get a fun matchup between the top two picks, with the Commanders quarterback getting the opportunity to draw first blood in a home game.
.jpg?w=480 "Bills Football")
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Combine Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Texans Steelers Football")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE NXT Results & Grades 🔠")
