10 Matchups To Get Excited for This NFL Season

· May 10 - 6 minutes read

Can somebody please do us football fans a favor and speed up time to get the season going already? I know, we just got off the NFL draft hype bus, and teams are only starting to get their acts going little by little. But with the 2023 schedule set to debut in the blink of an eye, in my mind, there’s already a list of games that just scream excitement.

Before you start climbing the walls though, don’t worry, the NFL has already started dishing out a taste of what the schedule will be looking like. Starting with a “Black Friday” melee at the Meadowlands between Aaron Rodgers and the Jets welcoming the Miami Dolphins, all signs point to the league not holding back this season.

10 Matchups To Get Excited for This NFL Season — Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs | David eulitt/getty images/afp

Add to that the Eagles and Giants throwing down on Christmas Day, as well as an NYE showdown between Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs and Joe Burrow’s Bengals in KC, and what do you get? Enough action to go around, even during the holidays.

For now, while we wait for the NFL to unveil the whole 2023 season schedule, here’s a list of ten games to get excited about this coming season.

Giants vs Jets

Of course, I was going to start this list with a Jets game. It would be almost a sin for me not to do so. With both New York teams looking to become true competitors in their respective divisions, this matchup is too enticing to let pass.

So why not kick off the season with a Giants vs Jets showdown at Metlife on September 11th, the first MNF date of the season, marking the 22nd anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks that changed the city of NY forever? It feels like the best move for the league.

Eagles vs 49ers

Deebo Samuel came out swinging from early on calling out the Eagles as his biggest rivals right now. Furthermore, Samuel stated that Philadelphia’s win over the Niners in last season’s NFC Championship Game occurred because the Eagles “played against 10 players” after his team had to deal with losing QB Brock Purdy, for all intents and purposes, as well as backup passer Josh Johnson in said game.

If Purdy comes back in the same stellar form he showed last season, and both teams are in full health, this could well be one of the best games of the season. Can anybody say NFC Title game preview?

Update: #49ers WR Deebo Samuel says the #Eagles are the most hated in the NFL for him: “100%”

“We lost the NFC Championship because we played with 10 people,”

(@Complex) pic.twitter.com/uKeYQ7D5cN

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 4, 2023

Chiefs vs Eagles

A rematch of last year’s Super Bowl during the 2023 regular season? Yes please, and thank you! Any game that has either Jalen Hurts or Mahomes playing in it already feels like must-watch tv. Now pit them against each other once again, with Hurts this time looking for revenge, and there’s no way you can go wrong here.

Just like my previous pick feels like a potential NFC Title game preview, can anybody say potential Super Bowl LVIII preview?

Bills vs Cowboys

I’ve never been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. There’s really nothing to like about them. So what best than to see Dak Prescott and the “please win now” Cowboys take a trip to Orchard Park to face off against Josh Allen and the Bills?

Let’s call things for what they are. Here we have teams who desperately need to have a winning season. But we’re not talking about any regular winning season. These are franchises that need some sort of title coming to them before everything starts to implode. With the Eagles and Jets in their respective divisions lurking, this could very well be a slugfest from start to finish.

Jets vs Chiefs

Give me Rodgers vs Mahomes any day and I’ll be a happy camper. With both teams looking set to be contending for the AFC’s top spots, can you imagine what a showdown between two of the best QBs in the conference can bring?

Mahomes is the face of the league, the epitome of talent. But who knows what could happen once he faces off against “Sauce” Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and the rest of New York’s dominant defense?

Let them know, @PatrickMahomes! #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/ynpRmnEJC7

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 6, 2023

Chiefs vs Bengals

As previously mentioned, to finish 2023, the Cincinnati Bengals will be saying goodbye to the year at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, where Andy Reid’s team will be waiting to give them a taste of BBQ and a beating.

Both teams are more than ready to make a claim for their respective divisional titles, and with the race in the AFC looking like the closest it has been in years, losing is clearly not an option.

Jaguars vs Bengals

Bringing back Cincinnati here for a second for one simple reason. Trevor Lawrence at home against Burrow. Need I say more?

The Jaguars are a team on a clear mission to become one of the new, most feared squads in the AFC. With Lawrence leading the way, CalvinRidley back from his suspension, and coach Doug Pederson more than ready to take this team to the next level, beating the Bengals might just be the momentum-seeking victory to propel them.

Chiefs vs Bills

I don’t care who says what, but Allen vs Mahomes is the best QB matchup in the AFC. With the Chiefs playing host to the Bengals, Bills, and Eagles this season, is there anything else we could ask for?

*Thread* Every Big-Time Throw from every QB (2022)

Starting with Josh Allen pic.twitter.com/VAjNzv9Mhs

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) May 9, 2023

Seahawks vs 49ers

I’m a fan of everything going on with the Seahawks. They re-signed Geno Smith in a clear sign of believing in last season’s Comeback Player of the Year. They once again rocked the NFL draft, landing CB Devin Witherspoon from Illinois and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba from Ohio State. And I think we can all agree that they are the one team in the NFC West division that can give the Niners a run for their money.

Do you know what the best part of this matchup is? We’ll get to see these two square off twice in the season.

Panthers vs Texans

Last, the Panthers visiting the Texans. If this was any other season, I wouldn’t bother to mention this game whatsoever. But considering that both teams are coming off picking in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd spots in this season’s draft respectively, there’s enough juice to work with.

Bryce Young vs CJ Stroud showing off which of the two was the best QB pick in the draft? DeMeco Ryans vs Frank Reich? I’ll buy into that.

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