NFL: From Lamar Jackson to Aaron Rodgers, top 5 stories of the 2023 schedule
The NFL schedule is officially here, the time to mark your calendars for fall 2023 Sundays arriving.
If you’re a fan not only of your team but also of great competition, where should you start — and where should you not bother looking?
Yahoo Sports has you covered, from intriguing matchups to major schedule takeaways. Here’s what you’ll want to know:
Beware the AFC quarterbacks
As the AFC has become increasingly stacked at quarterback in recent years, an influx of star-studded face-offs await. Aaron Rodgers joining the New York Jets is just the latest splash for a quarterback-loaded conference. Rodgers and the Jets open their season Sept. 11 on Monday Night Football against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills; host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 1; and host Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 6.
Perhaps the highest-priced ticket to expect: Rodgers and the Jets’ visit to face the Cowboys and Rodgers’ 13-year head coach Mike McCarthy, a Sept. 17 season debut for the stadium Jerry Jones built. And the matchup which both teams hope previews the Super Bowl: an Oct. 15 welcome to the Philadelphia Eagles.
On his first day of work in Florham Park, Rodgers said the Jets’ Super Bowl III trophy looked lonely. Expect the nearly-40-year-old quarterback and his squad to be battle-tested in the regular season along the pursuit for more metal.
Lamar, OBJ and Co. will test vs. the best
The Baltimore Ravens’ season no longer touts the intrigue of how quarterback Lamar Jackson will perform in a franchise-tag year — or, as was a serious question, whether Jackson would perform at all. As the long-term deal erases lingering discord, instead buckle up for what has the chance to be the most explosive air attack since the Ravens drafted Jackson in 2018. As the Ravens surround Jackson with new weapons, including veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie first-round receiver Zay Flowers, Jackson’s downfield options should meaningfully expand. Division matchups with the AFC powerhouse Cincinnati Bengals (Sept. 17 in Cincinnati, Nov. 16 on Thursday Night Football in Baltimore) will be both relevant to postseason standings and a chance to test first-year coordinator Todd Monken’s mettle against a reigning top-five scoring defense. A Dec. 25 visit to the 2022’s top defense in the San Francisco 49ers will similarly shed light on the Ravens’ potential … and whether their Christmas wishes are coming true.
An underrated set of petty matchups for your entertainment: the home-and-away series against the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson, in Cleveland on Oct. 1 and at Baltimore on Nov 12. Bonus points if you can tell us which of these quarterbacks’ contracts is fully guaranteed.
Most grudge matches will have to wait
Who doesn’t love a sentimental homecoming and the nostalgia it brings? We wish we could tell you when Rodgers is playing against his franchise of 18 years, the Green Bay Packers; when now-Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is returning to his home of 15 years, the New Orleans Saints. We’d even settle for Saints quarterback Derek Carr facing the Las Vegas Raiders, Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo facing the San Francisco 49ers, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield facing the Browns, who drafted him first overall in 2018. But unfortunately, the NFL calendar wizards only decide when teams play, not against whom they play. The slate derived from division, conference and playoff-seeding implications doesn’t align as compellingly for grudge matches this year as it did last year, when we didn't have to wait for the awkward Russell Wilson return to the Seahawks team from which he had split acrimoniously. In fact, the NFL gave us that treat last year in Week 1.
Perhaps the most interesting return is Watson’s Christmas Eve visit to the Houston Texans. He and the Browns did already play in Houston last season during his first contest back after an 11-game suspension stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct. The teams’ 2023 matchup should look drastically different: Watson’s level of play will more likely reflect whether he can reclaim the Pro Bowl caliber he flashed to begin his career. And the Texans will field much of the draft haul accumulated from trading him to Cleveland, including the 2023 No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks in quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. The Texans shouldn’t peak in head coach DeMeco Ryans’ first season — but facing Watson is a chance to show fans the steps they’re taking forward amid a reminder of what set them back.
Tale of the 2023 class tape
You probably haven’t yet recovered from 2023 draft debates, including the most popular: Which quarterback this year will most succeed in the NFL? History tells us some of the first-round selections will bust. Until then, we’ll eagerly await the performances of Carolina Panthers No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, Stroud and Indianapolis Colts No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson. Will Levis, whom many expected to go in the first round before the Tennessee Titans ultimately grabbed him at 33, also carries intrigue.
All four QBs’ teams play each of the other three. Here’s when:
Sept. 17: Colts at Texans
Oct. 8: Titans at Colts
Oct. 29: Texans at Panthers
Nov. 5: Colts at Panthers
Nov. 26: Panthers at Titans
Dec. 3: Colts at Titans
Dec. 17: Texans at Titans
Dec. 31: Titans at Texans
Week 18, TBD: Texans at Colts
While we know quarterbacks don’t actually face each other on the field at the same time, it will be fun to gauge rookies’ progress and imagine their potential when each of their teams face off. Young, Stroud and Richardson will likely start this season. Veteran Ryan Tannehill is expected to start for Tennessee, but if Levis impresses early, stranger things have happened than the Titans opting to line him up … especially with the Titans’ four games vs. rookie QBs falling so late in the season.
Revenge is sweetest … after postseason elimination?
Some rematches of 2022 postseason games were bound to arrive between division opponents: think Bills-Dolphins, Bengals-Ravens and Eagles-Giants.
But they’re far from the only regular-season rematches of the most recent playoff slate. Ten of 13 playoff head-to-heads will reconvene during the 2023 regular season, including every matchup we saw in the divisional round, conference championship and Super Bowl. The Eagles, Bengals and Jaguars will each have a chance to avenge their elimination at the hands of the Chiefs. The 49ers and Giants will look to prove they’re better than the Eagles’ 24- and 31-point blowout victories, respectively, suggested. (Deebo Samuel has his suspicions.)
Can Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence inch closer toward the stratosphere of Patrick Mahomes when the playmakers face off? How different will the Ravens look against the Bengals with Lamar Jackson back in the fold? You can tune in to find that out on the following dates:
Eagles: Dec. 3 vs. 49ers, Dec. 25 vs. Giants and Week 18 (date TBD) at Giants
Chiefs: Sept. 17 at Jaguars, Nov. 20 vs. Eagles, Dec. 31 vs. Bengals
And don’t forget: NFL history tells us at least a handful of these teams will stumble this year, the league parity mechanisms clearing the path for a new set of contenders. By the time these matchups arrive, how many of 2022’s princes will even still be in postseason contention?
