The 2024 NFL regular season is just one week away. While we’ve known the complete NFL schedule since May 15, many fans are just starting to get caught up on all things football again with the campaign right around the corner.
What are the Week 1 matchups, and which ones should you circle on your calendar? Let’s rank every game on the opening-week slate from best to worst.
NFL’s Opening Week Schedule
- Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs
NBC | 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday) - Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Brazil)
Peacock | 8:15 p.m. ET (Friday) - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons
FOX | 1:00 p.m. ET - Arizona Cardinals vs. Buffalo Bills
CBS | 1:00 p.m. ET - Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears
FOX | 1:00 p.m. ET - New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals
CBS | 1:00 p.m. ET - Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
CBS | 1:00 p.m. ET - Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins
CBS | 1:00 p.m. ET - Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints
FOX | 1:00 p.m. ET - Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants
FOX | 1:00 p.m. ET - Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers
CBS | 4:05 p.m. ET - Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks
CBS | 4:05 p.m. ET - Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FOX | 4:25 p.m. ET - Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns
FOX | 4:25 p.m. ET - Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
NBC | 8:20 p.m. ET - New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers
ESPN | 8:20 p.m. ET (Monday)
Ranking Every Week 1 Game From Best to Worst
1) Ravens vs. Chiefs | Thursday, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
This one is pretty obvious. The NFL knew what it was doing when it decided to kick off the season with a rematch of the 2023 AFC Championship Game.
There’s a ridiculous amount of star power in this game, from potential GOAT Patrick Mahomes, who is beginning his quest for the first three-peat of the Super Bowl era, to Lamar Jackson, who is the NFL’s reigning MVP.
Not to mention star tight ends Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, plus splashy offseason additions on both sides (Derrick Henry for Baltimore and Xavier Worthy for Kansas City). Speaking of star power, it’s possible that Taylor Swift could be in attendance to support her boyfriend, Kelce.
Sept. 5, 2024, can’t come soon enough.
2) Rams vs. Lions | Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff will face off against their former teams in primetime. Last time these two had revenge games, it didn’t disappoint — the Lions narrowly escaped with a 24-23 win over the Rams in the NFC Wild Card matchup.
Over the offseason, Goff became one of the NFL’s highest-paid QBs, and now he’s determined to prove he’s worth every penny. What better place to start than against the team that gave up on him not too long ago?
3) Texans vs. Colts | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
This is a battle of top picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud will lead the Texans against No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson and the Colts.
Stroud is coming off a historic rookie year, that saw him pass for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. Meanwhile, Richardson showed glimpses of dual-threat brilliance, but he suffered a season-ending injury after just four starts.
Last year, Indianapolis and Houston battled with a playoff berth on the line in the season finale, with the Texans escaping with a 23-19 victory. Now, with Richardson healthy, we’ll see the second matchup between Stroud and Richardson, which has the potential to be a fantastic rivalry in the AFC South over the next decade.
4) Packers vs. Eagles | Friday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Not only is this a super rare Friday night NFL game, it’s also in São Paulo, Brazil, as part of the NFL’s International Series!
This should be a fun game between two young star quarterbacks — Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts — with plenty of weapons surrounding them.
Both teams added a star running back over the season (Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia and Josh Jacobs in Green Bay), so this contest will be our first look at these workhorse backs.
MORE: How Does the NFL Schedule Get Made?
5) Jaguars vs. Dolphins | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Two top-five picks from the 2021 NFL Draft will face off in the Sunshine State. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is attempting to bounce back from a rough finish to the 2023 season and that begins with a matchup against Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, who will aim to put the disappointment of the 2023 AFC Wild Card Round behind him.
Both quarterbacks signed monster extensions over the offseason, so they’ll be determined to prove that their respective teams made the right decision.
6) Commanders vs. Buccaneers | Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
The Jayden Daniels era gets underway in Tampa, with the Commanders facing the Buccaneers. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is an electric, dual-threat QB and all eyes will be on the rookie to see how he looks in his debut.
Last year, the Bucs exceeded all expectations in their first season of the post-Tom-Brady era. While most analysts expected them to bottom out and land a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay won the NFC South for a third-straight season and even managed to win a playoff game, defeating the Eagles in the Wild Card Round and challenging the Lions in the Divisional Round. After giving new deals to Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield, Tristan Wirfs, and Lavonte David over the offseason, the Bucs are running it back.
Is Tampa Bay’s new offensive coordinator Liam Coen an upgrade over last year’s OC Dave Canales, who accepted the Panthers’ head-coaching gig during the offseason? The Bucs’ new-look offense vs. Dan Quinn’s revamped Commanders defense should be fun.
7) Cardinals vs. Bills | 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
The Arizona Cardinals addressed a plethora of positions during the 2024 NFL Draft, but arguably got the best WR in the draft with Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State to become their new go-to guy for quarterback Kyler Murray.
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen will enter his first season since 2019 without the services of Stefon Diggs at receiver, so we’ll get our first glimpse as to whether Allen can continue to excel as a passer without a surefire WR1 to throw to.
8) Jets vs. 49ers | Monday, 8:20 p.m. ET (ESPN)
It would be easy to say the story of this game is seeing how the San Francisco 49ers respond in their first game removed from their crushing 25-22 overtime loss in Super Bowl LVIII, but that would be too easy.
The return of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, almost a full year removed from his torn Achilles just four plays into his first season with his new team, is far too intriguing of a storyline not to get invested in.
Rodgers will have a chance to conquer those injury demons from last season on Monday Night Football.
9) Titans vs. Bears | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
No disrespect to Will Levis, the exciting young QB of the Tennessee Titans, but this game is all about 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, who will make his NFL debut for the Bears.
Williams is a phenom who has been hyped up for years, so this game is highly anticipated. He’ll be throwing to one of the most exciting WR trios in the NFL: DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and talented rookie Rome Odunze.
Levis also got some help this offseason in the form of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, which makes this an intriguing battle of two young quarterbacks early in the season.
10) Cowboys vs. Browns | Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
The Dallas Cowboys’ encouraging 2023 NFL campaign went up in flames after an embarrassing 48-32 loss to the Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round, which has quietly positioned head coach Mike McCarthy on the hot seat.
Dallas had its fair share of struggles on the road last year, and the Cowboys will start the 2024 season at the Dawg Pound to face off against a stingy Cleveland Browns defense that held opponents to just 13.9 points per game at home in 2023.
11) Raiders vs. Chargers | Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
The Jim Harbaugh era will start with a good old-fashioned AFC West rivalry game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Los Angeles Chargers’ new head coach didn’t waste any time putting his fingerprints all over the team. L.A. is switching to a run-first approach, and they moved on from veterans Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler in the offseason.
This is an interesting year for franchise QB Justin Herbert, who will be asked to turn the trio of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Joshua Palmer into a viable passing attack.
We’ll also get to see the professional debut of exceptional TE prospect Brock Bowers, who should give the Raiders’ offense another elite passing option to work with alongside Davante Adams in 2024.
12) Steelers vs. Falcons | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Both of these teams are projected to start two veteran quarterbacks — Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson — while two younger and more physically dynamic options under center — Michael Penix Jr. and Justin Fields — wait in the wings.
This is a revenge game for Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
13) Vikings vs. Giants | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
The New York Giants had the opportunity to select QB J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft, but decided to go with LSU WR Malik Nabers at No. 6 overall. This led to the Minnesota Vikings landing McCarthy at No. 10 overall.
While McCarthy won’t play in this game after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the preseason, all eyes will be on Daniel Jones to see if the Giants’ decision to stick with him was the right one. Jones’ play could ultimately determine the long-term fate of Giants head coach Brian Daboll in New York.
This game also features an entertaining battle of star receivers, with ascending talent Nabers going up against PFN’s No. 1 ranked WR Justin Jefferson.
14) Broncos vs. Seahawks | Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
The battle of Russell Wilson’s former teams!
Less than three years removed from making a blockbuster deal with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Wilson, the Denver Broncos spent the No. 12 overall pick on Oregon QB Bo Nix to become the team’s next franchise quarterback. This will be Nix’s NFL debut.
This will also be Mike Macdonald’s head coaching debut in Seattle. Macdonald was a play-calling savant during his time as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
15) Patriots vs. Bengals | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
This will be Joe Burrow’s first regular-season action since he suffered a season-ending right wrist injury in Week 11 of last year. How will Burrow look in his first game back?
For the Patriots, this will be the first game in over 24 years that New England’s head coach will not be Bill Belichick, but there just isn’t firepower on the offensive side of the ball for the Patriots to drum up a ton of excitement. This game would be more exciting with Drake Maye under center, but head coach Jerod Mayo recently announced that Jacoby Brissett will be the starter.
16) Panthers vs. Saints | Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
The Carolina Panthers made some intriguing moves over the offseason, hiring a new head coach in Dave Canales, acquiring two talented receivers in Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette, and drafting running back Jonathon Brooks to help retool the offense around second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Brooks is on the PUP list, so he won’t make his debut until later in the season, and it will likely take time for Carolina to get in sync.
This is NFC South showdown, and it will be a chance for Young to redeem himself against a New Orleans Saints secondary that gave him fits last year. Young generated just 290 passing yards, one passing TD, and two turnovers combined over his two games against New Orleans during his rookie year, which could make this a tough game to watch if you value high-scoring games.