It’s that time of year again. With the NFL schedule for next season coming out, it’s time to take a look at some of the best games on the schedule for 2025-26. So get your popcorn ready and circle these dates on your calendar ASAP, because you’re going to be in for a treat.
Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills – Week 1
What better way to kick off the Sunday Night Football slate than a revenge game? The Ravens had it all last year. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry made their offense unstoppable, while their defense, despite a shaky start to the season, got it together at the end. Baltimore came painstakingly close to defeating Josh Allen and the Bills in Buffalo if it wasn’t for Mark Andrews dropping a two-point conversion that would’ve tied the game. The Bills were a team that also had high expectations last season, but they failed to make it past Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the fourth time in the last five years. With reigning MVP Josh Allen and an improved defense, they will also be a team out to prove a point. Will No. 8 get his revenge in the Ravens’ return to Buffalo? Or will Josh Allen and Co. prevail? Tune in to NBC on Sunday, September 7th at 8:20 pm to find out.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Kansas City Chiefs – Week 2
A Super Bowl rematch is always exciting, and this one is no different. The Eagles’ defense was able to end the seemingly unstoppable Chiefs’ hopes for a three-peat, as they sacked Patrick Mahomes six times and made life miserable for KC’s offense, paving the way to a blowout victory. Can Philly’s defense, which lost some talent this offseason, dominate once again? Will the usually clutch Mahomes be out for revenge and lead his team to victory behind an improved offensive line? Can Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, and DeVonta Smith dominate the Chiefs’ tough defense once again? This one has all the makings of an absolute thriller, and you aren’t going to want to miss it.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens – Week 4
A rematch of last season’s opener, between two of the most electrifying quarterbacks in football? Who wouldn’t sign up for this? While Patrick Mahomes has had Lamar Jackson’s number (he is 5-1 against Jackson all-time, including a close win over Baltimore in the 2023 AFC championship game), the Ravens will be out for revenge after how it ended last year, with Isaiah Likely coming oh-so-close to scoring a game-tying touchdown. It just feels like the Ravens have come closer and closer to getting over the hump over the years, and this is a real test for them at Arrowhead Stadium to see if they can finally crack the code and handle their kryptonite.
Detroit Lions @ Philadelphia Eagles – Week 11
You can never go wrong with a battle between two NFC heavyweights in prime time. The reigning Super Bowl Champs, versus the best team in the league by record last season. The Lions are coming off a historic 15-2 season and are reaching heights never seen before under head coach Dan Campbell. However their season ended with a bitter loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs, as their injury-ravaged defense was exposed by Jayden Daniels. Detroit also lost both of their coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, to head coaching jobs this offseason. Can the Lions stay healthy and grab a victory? Or will the Eagles be too much to overcome? It won’t be much longer until we get to find out.
Denver Broncos @ Washington Commanders – Week 13
Speaking of Washington, they will certainly be a fun team to watch after a historic 2024 campaign that saw them reach their first NFC Championship in over 30 years thanks to Daniels’ historic rookie season, and also after the offseason acquisitions of Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil, and rookie Josh Conerly Jr. This matchup sees them welcome the Broncos, who also exceeded expectations last year with a rookie QB in Bo Nix, and a stout defense which just became even scarier with the additions of Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Jahdae Barron. Can Dan Quinn out-coach arguably one of the best NFL head coaches of all time in Sean Payton? Can Daniels overcome Denver’s defense? Will Nix put on a show on the road? If you like intriguing storylines, then this is the matchup for you.
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
One of the NFL’s oldest and most storied rivalries, the Packers and Bears are two hopeful contenders that have improved this offseason. The Packers had high expectations and looked like a formidable team during the regular season. However, they ran into the Eagles in the playoffs and were largely outmatched. However, they certainly have tried to make sure that won’t happen again. Green Bay went out and added a capable #1 receiver in Matthew Golden out of Texas, and solidified their secondary with the signing of Nate Hobbs. Meanwhile the Bears, under new head coach and offensive guru Ben Johnson, have built a somewhat competitive team around generational quarterback Caleb Williams after a disappointing 5-12 campaign in 2024. They greatly improved their woeful offensive line, added some more firepower defensively, and gave Williams two new weapons via the draft in Luther Burden and Colston Loveland. If the Bears have what it takes to navigate the tough NFC North, then this is genuinely a very tough team to stop. And the best part? We get to see these teams play not once, but twice!