Although we already know all 272 games of the 2025 NFL regular season, we don’t yet know when most of those contests will be played. Identifying standalone games is always a top priority for any fan base, as these “island” games offer higher exposure and often feature marquee opponents or rivalries.
While some of those matchups have already been reported, most remain a mystery ahead of the official schedule release. Below, we take a shot at predicting one standalone game for all 32 teams and which window that game could appear in. Again, note that these are purely predictions, not reports.
Arizona Cardinals: Home vs. Packers (Thursday Night Football)
Eight of the Cardinals’ last nine primetime games have been at home. After being shut out of primetime in 2023, Arizona had two island games last season—winning at home against the Chargers before losing a close one in Week 17 at the Rams.
Expectations are higher in Arizona this year, so the Cards should land at least one primetime slot among their eight home games. A division game is always a strong candidate, but the Packers are a consistent primetime draw.
The teams met in 2024, with Green Bay winning 34-13. It was the second-worst loss of the season for the Cardinals, who committed a season-high three turnovers at Lambeau Field. A revamped Arizona defense should be better equipped to slow down Jordan Love, who tied a career-high with four passing touchdowns in that win.
Atlanta Falcons: Home vs. Commanders (Sunday Night Football)
The Falcons played one of the more underrated primetime games of the year in Week 17 last season. With playoff stakes on the line, Michael Penix Jr. threw a game-tying touchdown to Kyle Pitts with 1:19 left in his second career start to force overtime. The Commanders won in the extra period, clinching a playoff spot and opening the door for the Buccaneers to take the NFC South.
With Penix and Jayden Daniels both entering Year 2, this game sets up well for primetime. Both teams finished top 10 in PFSN’s Offense+ rankings last season. Atlanta’s inclusion in that tier was especially notable given Kirk Cousins’ late-season swoon that forced Penix into action.
The Falcons played on Sunday Night Football twice last season after not appearing in that slot from 2020 to 2023. With young offensive talent on display, they should get at least one SNF appearance in 2025.
Baltimore Ravens: Away vs. Bengals (Monday Night Football)
The Ravens have played a Monday Night Football game on the road in six straight seasons. That’s tied with the Bears for the NFL’s longest active streak entering 2025. Baltimore is a regular in primetime, and another Monday road trip for Lamar Jackson and Co. feels like a lock.
After two instant classics against the Bengals in 2024—wins by scores of 41-38 and 35-34—it’s nearly guaranteed we’ll see at least one Baltimore-Cincinnati game in an island slot. Jackson threw for 638 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions in those wins.
The Bengals have leaned into a “white out” theme for home primetime games, complete with white alternate helmets. That could make for a fun visual contrast with the Ravens’ black alternate uniforms.
Buffalo Bills: Home vs. Eagles (Sunday Night Football)
All eyes will be on Orchard Park this season. The Bills have a loaded home schedule. While games against the Ravens, Chiefs, or Bengals are strong candidates for island windows, a potential Super Bowl 60 preview with the Eagles stands out.
This will mark the second career matchup between Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts. Their first was a 2023 thriller, with the Eagles winning 37-34 in overtime on a Hurts walk-off rushing touchdown after Jake Elliott tied it with a 59-yard field goal late in regulation.
Allen and Hurts combined for five passing touchdowns and four rushing scores in that game. It was the first time in NFL history that both QBs had at least two passing and two rushing touchdowns. With two of the league’s top dual-threat quarterbacks and two Super Bowl hopefuls, this is a game every network will want.
Carolina Panthers: Home vs. Cowboys (Thursday Night Football)
The Panthers have been a tough primetime sell in recent years. They were the only team without a primetime appearance in 2024. Despite a promising late-season run, Carolina finished 5-12—its seventh straight losing season and sixth with double-digit losses.
However, Bryce Young’s strong finish gives reason for optimism. The Panthers likely won’t get many island games, but they became more watchable after ranking 14th in scoring offense (23.1 PPG) following Young’s return to the starting lineup in Week 8.
No team gets more primetime exposure than the Cowboys. Featuring Dallas here would allow networks to showcase a playoff sleeper while still drawing ratings.
Chicago Bears: Away vs. Packers (Sunday Night Football)
The Bears-Packers rivalry is usually a go-to primetime fixture, but recent lopsided results caused networks to scale back.
From 2006 to 2022, at least one Bears-Packers game was in primetime every year. But none of the four meetings from 2023 to 2024 were featured in standalone windows—likely due to the Packers’ 11-game winning streak in the series from 2019 to 2024.
That streak ended in Week 18 last season when the Bears pulled off an upset at Lambeau. With Ben Johnson now calling the shots and a revamped offense in place, the Bears have legitimate playoff hopes. It’d be surprising if this rivalry doesn’t return to SNF in 2025.
Cincinnati Bengals: Away vs. Dolphins (Sunday Night Football)
Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa were the first two quarterbacks taken in the 2020 NFL Draft and have both signed second contracts. Yet, they’ve barely faced off in the NFL.
Their only meeting came in 2022 when Tagovailoa suffered a serious concussion on Thursday Night Football just four days after an earlier head injury. He exited in the second quarter, cutting short what was supposed to be the first Burrow-Tua showdown.
They also had a memorable college clash in 2019, when Burrow led No. 2 LSU past No. 3 Alabama in a 46-41 shootout. The two combined for seven passing touchdowns in that game.
This long-overdue matchup makes for a compelling SNF slot in 2025.
Cleveland Browns: Away vs. Ravens (Thursday Night Football)
If any team could be left out of the primetime spotlight in 2025, it’s the Cleveland Browns. They had the NFL’s worst offense by nearly every metric last season and enter this year with an uninspiring—but intriguing—quarterback situation.
We’re tossing up a Hail Mary with this one, but a Thursday night game against archrival Baltimore makes some sense. If recent reports are accurate, Joe Flacco could open the season as the starter. That would set up a reunion with the franchise he led to a Super Bowl XLVII title. Flacco has only faced the Ravens once since leaving, a 24-9 loss with the Jets in Week 1 of 2022.
Remarkably, Flacco has never started a game in Baltimore as a visiting quarterback. If he’s still under center when this game rolls around, it would be a noteworthy first. That said, the Browns seem likely to give one of their younger QBs a shot at some point, so the “Flacco returns to Baltimore” hook might not hold up.
Dallas Cowboys: Home vs. Eagles (Thanksgiving)
The Cowboys’ Thanksgiving opponents have become predictable in recent years. Six of their last nine holiday games have come against either Washington or New York, including each of the last three.
The Eagles haven’t played at Dallas on Thanksgiving since 2014. In fact, they’ve only done so twice ever—a surprisingly low number given the NFC East rivalry. The first came in 1989, when Philly shut out Troy Aikman and the 1-15 Cowboys, 27-0.
With both teams expected to contend again, a holiday showdown would draw massive interest. Washington is also a strong option here, but it might be time for the league to change things up. Philly feels overdue for a return to Turkey Day.
Denver Broncos: Home vs. Bengals (Sunday Night Football)
As a rising team, the Broncos should find themselves in more standalone windows in 2025. Last season, they appeared in four island games—though two were late-season flexes once Denver emerged as a playoff threat.
The most memorable came in Week 17 when the Bengals beat the Broncos 30-24 in overtime. It was a game filled with late miscues, but Cincinnati survived to keep its playoff hopes alive. Denver dashed those hopes the next week with a blowout win over the Chiefs’ backups.
This year, the site flips to Denver. The storyline stays strong: Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins lit up everyone in Denver’s secondary not named Patrick Surtain II. Meanwhile, the Broncos bring back what was PFSN’s top-ranked defense in 2024.
Detroit Lions: Home vs. Packers (Thanksgiving)
The Lions and Packers have faced off 22 times on Thanksgiving—more than any other Lions opponent. But it’s been a rare matchup in recent years, with only one Turkey Day meeting in the last decade: a 29-22 Packers win in 2023.
Still, both teams are now contenders, and their NFC North rivalry remains must-watch TV. They’ve played four primetime games over the last four seasons, not including that 2023 Thanksgiving clash.
Another option here could be a matchup with the Bears, who are Detroit’s second-most frequent Turkey Day opponent. A reunion with former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would bring added intrigue. Chicago also marks the last team Detroit faced in back-to-back Thanksgiving games (2018–19).
Green Bay Packers: Home vs. Eagles (Christmas Day)
The Packers are no strangers to marquee windows. Last season, they and the Eagles opened the year in Brazil. Now, they’ll face off again at Lambeau Field in what could be a primetime showdown.
Christmas falls on a Thursday in 2025, and the NFL reportedly plans another tripleheader. With both the Eagles and Packers in the playoff mix, a late-season meeting could carry serious implications.
Green Bay has played on Christmas twice recently—beating the Dolphins in 2022 and the Browns in 2021. After sitting out the holiday last year, a return to the spotlight seems likely.
Houston Texans: Home vs. Bills (Sunday Night Football)
The Texans were one of 2024’s biggest primetime surprises, landing four island games—more than any season since 2016. And that’s not even counting their disastrous Christmas Day appearance.
Despite a bumpy finish, Houston still repeated as AFC South champs and had a big offseason. With C.J. Stroud back and an upgraded roster around him, the Texans should remain in the island-game mix in 2025.
The schedule includes some appealing matchups: road games against Kansas City, Baltimore, Los Angeles (Rams), and the Chargers. But we’ll highlight their home date with Buffalo, a rematch of a Week 5 classic the Texans won 23-20 on Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 59-yard walk-off field goal.
Indianapolis Colts: Away vs. Texans (Thursday Night Football)
The Colts are tough to project. They’ve gone 17-17 over the last two seasons and have major uncertainty at quarterback.
They’re also hosting the NFL’s first regular-season game in Berlin—reportedly against the Broncos—so one standalone game is guaranteed. But beyond that, things get murky.
A road game at Houston makes the most sense. These teams have finished 1–2 in the AFC South two straight years, and their 2023 finale was essentially a division title game. With C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson both healthy and ascending, this could be a sneaky good Thursday night option.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Away vs. Bengals (Thursday Night Football)
Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow met in one of college football’s great shootouts six years ago. Surprisingly, they’ve only faced off once in the NFL.
That came in 2023, when backup Jake Browning led the Bengals to an overtime win in Jacksonville. Lawrence left that game late with an ankle injury that changed the Jaguars’ season.
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Two years earlier, these teams met in Cincinnati for Thursday Night Football. That one is mostly remembered for the Urban Meyer scandal that followed.
Even if both teams fell short in 2024, there’s still star power with Burrow and Lawrence. A rematch in 2025 could easily land in the Thursday night slot once again.
Kansas City Chiefs: Home vs. Broncos (Christmas Day)
The Chiefs made headlines this offseason when reports emerged that they want to become a Christmas Day staple. They’ve played on the holiday the last two seasons—beating the Steelers in 2024 and losing to the Raiders in 2023.
Whether the NFL makes this a tradition remains to be seen. But there’s no question Kansas City deserves a holiday slot in 2025. The league is planning a Christmas tripleheader, and the Chiefs’ home slate is loaded with potential classics.
The Lions, Eagles, Bills, and Ravens all make for blockbuster matchups. But given Christmas falls on a Thursday, a division game might be more likely. A revenge game vs. the Broncos—who nearly won at Arrowhead last year—feels like the most natural fit.
Las Vegas Raiders: Home vs. Chiefs (Thursday Night Football)
In five seasons since moving to Las Vegas, one thing has been constant for the Raiders: an island game against the Chiefs. Vegas and Kansas City have played a standalone game every season since 2020, with the last two coming on holidays at Arrowhead (Christmas Day in 2023 and Black Friday in 2024).
The Raiders do have more intrigue this season thanks to the arrival of Pete Carroll and the trade for Geno Smith. With how competitive the AFC West is, the Raiders should get a few island games despite their 4-13 collapse in 2024. Any division game is on the table, and home matchups with the Cowboys or Bears could also be targeted.
Still, we’ll stick with old reliable and plug in another Chiefs-Raiders primetime matchup, this time from Las Vegas. The teams haven’t met on Thursday Night Football since 2017 when Michael Crabtree caught the game-winner as time expired in Oakland.
Los Angeles Chargers: Away vs. Chiefs (Monday Night Football)
The Chargers are the designated home team for this year’s Week 1 Friday night game in Brazil, reportedly against the Chiefs. That won’t necessarily stop the league from scheduling the rematch at Arrowhead Stadium in primetime.
There’s almost always a Chiefs-Chargers game in an island window, as these teams have routinely played dramatic games since Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert became the starters. They’ve met in primetime four times in the last four seasons (including twice in 2022). Kansas City is 4-0 in those games, but all were decided by one score.
Three of those games were on SNF, while the other was the debut of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football. This year, we’ll guess ESPN gets its turn and that one of the meetings lands in the Monday Night Football window.
Los Angeles Rams: Home vs. Texans (Thanksgiving)
The Rams have the longest active Thanksgiving Day drought in the NFL. The franchise hasn’t played on the holiday since 1975, meaning they’ve had more relocations than Turkey Day appearances in the last 50 years.
With Los Angeles expected to contend for a Super Bowl in the twilight of Matthew Stafford’s career, now feels like the time to get the Rams back on Thanksgiving. The final game of the tripleheader would make sense as a primetime slot since they don’t visit either the Lions or Cowboys this year (though they do host Detroit).
Interestingly, three of the last four primetime Thanksgiving games have been interconference matchups. We’ll keep that trend going and pencil in the Rams to host the Texans, who profile as AFC contenders behind Stroud.
Miami Dolphins: Home vs. Chargers (Monday Night Football)
Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert were drafted back-to-back in 2020. The two have met three times since, with Tua’s Dolphins winning twice.
Both quarterbacks have played well in those matchups, combining for 10 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions. The most recent meeting feels like forever ago, but it resulted in a 36-34 Dolphins win to open the 2023 season—a game that kickstarted a red-hot first month for Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Both teams are expected to be in the AFC Wild Card mix in 2025, making this a game that could carry significant playoff implications. That makes it a strong candidate for a late-season Monday Night Football slot.
Minnesota Vikings: Away vs. Chargers (Sunday Night Football)
The Vikings typically play NFC North rivals in their island games, and that’s likely again given the division’s strength. But let’s mix it up and highlight one of Minnesota’s most intriguing non-division games.
The headline here is obvious: J.J. McCarthy versus his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, two years after they won a national title together at Michigan. There’s also the added layer of Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was Michigan’s DC during McCarthy’s two seasons as the starter.
It’s unclear whether networks will fully buy into the Vikings despite a 14-3 finish last season, given the uncertainty around McCarthy. But there’s enough talent on the roster that they’ll draw a handful of primetime games regardless.
New England Patriots: Home vs. Bills (Christmas Day)
With Christmas falling on a Thursday this year, the NFL might opt for familiar division matchups to make the short week easier. The Patriots could get some standalone exposure after being shut out of primetime in 2024. Drake Maye’s promising rookie year, combined with a solid offseason, makes New England interesting again.
To ensure the game still matters late in the season, the Bills are a smart opponent. Buffalo is always in the playoff mix, so this one would have postseason implications even if the Patriots fall short.
If the Patriots’ free-agent splashes and strong draft lead to contention, even better. Excluding last year’s meaningless Week 18 matchup, New England has lost five of its last six against Buffalo—making this a clear measuring stick in their rebuild.
New Orleans Saints: Home vs. Falcons (Thursday Night Football)
With Derek Carr retiring, the Saints are a tough sell for standalone games. The offense is a huge unknown, with young quarterbacks competing to start and a skill group coming off a rash of injuries in 2024.
If New Orleans is going to get an island game, it’ll likely be tied to something evergreen—and Saints-Falcons always delivers on that front. No matter the rosters, this rivalry is consistently competitive. The underdog has covered in five of the last six meetings.
Plus, the Superdome remains one of the NFL’s loudest venues. The Saints have hosted a home primetime game in 18 of 19 seasons since the Superdome reopened post-Katrina in 2006. Even with a shaky roster, it would be surprising to see New Orleans shut out of the primetime slate entirely.
New York Giants: Away vs. Broncos (Monday Night Football)
Despite mostly struggling over the last decade, the Giants still land a few marquee spots thanks to their iconic brand and status in the league’s biggest media market. Any NFC East game is always in play for primetime, and historic rivals like the Packers or 49ers could also be featured.
But let’s go a little outside the box and spotlight a road trip to Denver as a Monday Night Football target. The main storyline would be Russell Wilson facing the Broncos and Sean Payton for the first time since his disastrous two-year stint ended. Both sides are in a better place now, with Wilson and the Broncos each reaching the postseason in 2024 after their split.
A more under-the-radar angle is the matchup between two exciting young defenses. Denver returns the core of last season’s top-ranked unit, while the Giants might have one of the league’s best pass rushes after adding Abdul Carter and Darius Alexander to a group that already features Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
New York Jets: Home vs. Steelers (Monday Night Football)
This will be a quarterback revenge game in at least one direction—but the possibility of it being a double revenge game makes it extra juicy and a solid bet for an island slot.
Justin Fields started six games for the Steelers last season, going 4-2, but was benched for Russell Wilson anyway. He appeared in just four more games, mostly as a situational runner, even as the offense struggled late in the year.
If the expected Aaron Rodgers–Steelers pairing comes to fruition, the matchup becomes even more compelling. Rodgers’ public disdain for new Jets coach Aaron Glenn would add another layer, with Glenn surely eager to shut down the 41-year-old quarterback. Neither team enters 2025 with especially high expectations, but this feels like a marketable September primetime game regardless.
Philadelphia Eagles: Home vs. Commanders (Sunday Night Football)
We know the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Cowboys in the season opener. However, the defending Super Bowl champions will probably get the maximum allowable number of primetime games with marquee opponents like the Chiefs, Bills, and Rams on their schedule.
However, the NFL could also spotlight their burgeoning rivalry with the Commanders and promising second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels after the two teams met in the NFC Championship Game. The Commanders were the only team to defeat the Eagles after September, albeit in a game where Jalen Hurts was concussed in the first quarter.
An added subplot could come if the Tush Push gets banned at the spring owners meeting from May 20-21. Some of the safety concerns raised specifically cited Washington’s repeated offsides in the NFC title game, which resulted in a warning that the Eagles could be awarded an automatic touchdown for a “palpably unfair act.”
Pittsburgh Steelers: Home vs. Ravens (Sunday Night Football)
The NFL’s new Black Friday tradition has featured division games in each of its first two years—Dolphins-Jets in 2023, and Raiders-Chiefs in 2024. We think this would be a nice contender for that slot, but it looks like it will be the Bears and the Eagles. Instead, we’ll pencil this in for a Sunday nightcap.
Pittsburgh and Baltimore are near locks to meet in prime time, as they’ve played 16 island games since 2000, not including last year’s Saturday afternoon showcase in Week 16. If Aaron Rodgers ends up in Pittsburgh, it’s a safe bet the Steelers will get a strong primetime slate.
That said, this rivalry sells itself no matter who’s at quarterback. The underdog has gone 6-2 in the last four seasons, and the games are consistently physical and close. Putting Steelers-Ravens on NBC would be a win regardless of what happens in free agency.
San Francisco 49ers: Home vs. Bears (Monday Night Football)
The 49ers have hosted a Monday Night Football game in seven straight seasons—the longest active streak in the NFL heading into the 2025 schedule release.
Even after a last-place finish, there’s still plenty of star power on this roster. That makes San Francisco a logical candidate to get an early MNF slot so networks can hedge against potential injury issues later in the year.
The Bears arrive with their usual offseason hype after hiring Ben Johnson and building the offense around Caleb Williams. Chicago tends to draw primetime slots regardless, and this matchup against a loaded 49ers roster should be an easy MNF sell.
Seattle Seahawks: Home vs. Buccaneers (Monday Night Football)
The Seahawks are a tough team to project after a major offseason overhaul. But with one of the league’s most unique and electric home crowds, it’s nearly guaranteed that Seattle will host at least one primetime game.
They’ve hosted multiple home island games in 10 straight seasons dating back to 2015. Only the Packers have a longer streak. Division games are obvious options, and there’s always the potential for a Sam Darnold revenge game against Minnesota.
But we’ll go with a sneakier pick: a home Monday Night Football matchup against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay had the league’s No. 3 offense last season, according to PFSN, while the Seahawks finished with the No. 6 defense. That strength-on-strength battle could make for a fun game that deserves a national window.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Home vs. Eagles (Monday Night Football)
After a second straight division title with Baker Mayfield—and four in a row overall—the Buccaneers should remain in the primetime mix in 2025. Tampa might end up playing more island games on the road, with trips to face the Bills, Lions, and Rams all on deck.
But the most attractive home game on the Bucs’ schedule is a rematch against the defending champion Eagles. Tampa handed Philly a 33–16 loss in Week 4 last season. That was the last game the Eagles lost with Jalen Hurts playing start to finish—their only other loss came in Week 17 at Washington, when Hurts exited early with a concussion.
The Bucs also ended Philly’s season in the 2023 playoffs, avenging an earlier MNF loss that year. That recent history adds some spice to a matchup that already features top-tier wide receiver talent on both sides.
Tennessee Titans: Home vs. Patriots (Thursday Night Football)
Even after a 3–14 season, the Titans should land a couple of island slots in 2025 thanks to the arrival of No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. The NFL often leans into rookie QB showdowns, but with few other rookie passers expected to start this year, those options are limited.
Still, a Ward vs. Drake Maye game would scratch that itch. Neither team is expected to contend this season, but both made strides to build stronger supporting casts around their young quarterbacks. That should help the offenses take a step forward after both ranked in the bottom seven of PFSN’s Offense+ metrics last year.
There’s also the added intrigue of Mike Vrabel returning to face the team he once led. Vrabel guided Tennessee to three straight playoff appearances from 2019–21, turning around a struggling franchise. But his reported tension with owner Amy Adams Strunk makes it unlikely there will be much warmth between the two sides.
Washington Commanders: Away vs. Chiefs (Sunday Night Football)
After breaking out in 2024, the Commanders should be in the primetime spotlight far more often. Washington played just five island games total from 2022–24, a number it could easily top this season.
There are plenty of options to feature Jayden Daniels and company: the usual NFC East showdowns, plus games against the Lions, Packers, Bears, and Chargers. But the marquee test comes in a road trip to Kansas City.
The Commanders were one win away from facing the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, falling short in the NFC title game. Daniels thrived in big moments last season, including road wins over the Bengals and Ravens and a strong playoff run. Matching up with Patrick Mahomes is the ultimate challenge—and it feels worthy of a Sunday night showcase.
