The 2024 NFL schedule has arrived.
Although the season is still months away, there was plenty of excitement on Wednesday as football fans could finally mark their calendars with all the matchups they’re looking forward to.
But which ones are we the most excited to watch this season? And which primetime games will be must-see TV?
Here are the top 10 NFL games we can’t wait to watch.
Top 10 NFL Games To Watch This Season
10. Atlanta Falcons @ Minnesota Vikings
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 8 (1 p.m. ET, FOX)
After spending the last six seasons quarterbacking the Vikings, Kirk Cousins will return to Minnesota in early December with the Atlanta Falcons.
Or will he?
It’s hard to tell precisely what Atlanta’s plan is after it inked Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency and immediately used a first-round pick on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
At this point, I expect this to be a Cousins homecoming, but if it turns into a National Championship Game rematch between Penix and Minnesota rookie J.J. McCarthy, that would be entertaining, too.
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9. Baltimore Ravens @ Los Angeles Chargers
Week 12: Monday, Nov. 25 (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The Chargers’ schedule release videos are always entertaining, but an underrated moment from this year’s edition was the Week 12 pillow fight between new LA coach Jim Harbaugh and his brother, John.
This matchup will be the fourth between the two in the NFL and only the second during the regular season, so it’s no surprise that the Harbaugh Bowl will be a Monday Night Football showcase.
John and the Ravens won all three meetings against Jim’s 49ers, including the Super Bowl 47 showdown nicknamed the “Har-Bowl."
That trend is expected to continue, as Baltimore is a 2.5-point road favorite in the early lines at DraftKings Sportsbook for this highly anticipated AFC matchup.
8. Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 6 (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
This Week 5 matchup between the Bills and Texans features two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, but all eyes will be on wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Buffalo traded Diggs and a pair of late-round picks to Houston this offseason for a second-rounder, ending his four-year tenure as Josh Allen’s top target.
I can already foresee the disgruntled look on Allen’s face when Diggs hauls in a touchdown from reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, C.J. Stroud, against his former team.
This game should be fun.
7. Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
Week 13: Thursday, Nov. 28 (12:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
There’s no better NFL Thanksgiving Day tradition than the early afternoon game in Detroit, which began hosting on the holiday in 1934 and has done so annually since 1945.
However, home-field advantage hasn’t always translated to success, as the Lions own a 37-45-2 record on Thanksgiving Day and have lost seven straight.
Will that poor run continue against the new-look Bears?
The arrival of No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, among other offseason moves, has reinvigorated football in Chicago, which should turn up the heat on this rivalry game.
6. Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles
Week 1: Friday, Sept. 6 (8:15 p.m. ET, Peacock)
Week 1 will feature the NFL’s first-ever game in South America when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Green Bay Packers at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
It will also be the league’s first opening-week Friday night kickoff since 1970.
The novelty of this game should be enough for everyone to tune in, but it’s also a great matchup between two of the favorites in the preseason NFC Championship odds.
Look for Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts to put on a show.
5. Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans
Week 17: Wednesday, Dec. 25 (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)
The second game of the NFL Christmas Day double-header on Netflix will see an AFC Divisional Round rematch between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore won that postseason contest 34-10, as Lamar Jackson ran for two second-half scores and threw for another to end Houston’s campaign.
C.J. Stroud will be eager for another shot at this Ravens’ defense, which could look very different without former DC Mike Macdonald.
4. New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers
Week 1: Monday, Sept. 9 (8:20 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The season’s first Monday Night Football matchup features several marquee storylines, including the return of Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon four plays into New York’s Week 1 victory over the Bills in last season’s MNF opener, so I’m not sure every Green and White supporter will be thrilled with this billing.
However, the anticipation of seeing the four-time NFL MVP in action again is palpable, and Rodgers will be fired up to face his hometown team, which infamously passed on him in the 2005 NFL Draft.
This game is also a homecoming for Jets coach Robert Saleh, who served as the Niners’ defensive coordinator from 2017-2020.
3. Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers
Week 17: Monday, Dec. 30 (8:20 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The season’s final Monday Night Football game will see the Lions visit the 49ers in an NFC Championship Game rematch.
Detroit will be eager to avenge its 34-31 loss, which likely stung all offseason long, especially since Jared Goff and Co. raced out to a 24-7 halftime lead.
This game should be a thrilling appetizer ahead of the postseason.
2. Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs
Week 1: Thursday, Sept. 5 (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
The 2024 NFL season will kick off at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs will raise a Super Bowl banner for the second straight year.
Kansas City will welcome the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC Championship Game rematch and a battle of two-time NFL MVP quarterbacks.
The Chiefs are 1-1 in the NFL Kickoff Game in the Patrick Mahomes era, having lost 21-20 to the Lions last season.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Ravens spring another upset against Andy Reid’s squad, which always seems to start slow and peak at the right time.
1. Kansas City Chiefs @ San Francisco 49ers
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 20 (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)
Who doesn’t love a Super Bowl rematch?
It wasn’t always the prettiest game, but the Chiefs and 49ers treated us to an instant classic, which culminated in dramatic fashion.
Super Bowl 58 was the second-ever Super Bowl to go to overtime and the first to use the new OT rules that guaranteed each team a possession in the extra session.
Kyle Shanahan and San Francisco will be eager for another shot at Patrick Mahomes, who tormented the Niners for the second time in four years by leading another clutch game-winning drive en route to lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
As two-point home favorites, I’d back Brock Purdy and Co. to get revenge and cover the spread as my best NFL bet today.
