NFL schedule release: Here are the 12 best games in 2023 season

Here are 12 must-see games on the 2023 NFL schedule originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

The 2023 NFL schedule is set.

The full slate for the upcoming NFL regular season was released by the league on Thursday night.

There are a ton of great games over the course of the 18-week schedule. But of the 272 regular-season contests, which ones stand out the most?

From Aaron Rodgers’ Jets debut to rookie quarterback showdowns and playoff rematches, here’s a look at 12 must-see games in 2023:

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons: Sept. 10, Week 1

There’s no guarantee this is when Bryce Young makes his NFL debut. But are the Panthers really going to trot out Andy Dalton and sit the No. 1 overall pick in their season opener?

Assuming Young gets the start in Atlanta, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner will be out to prove those pre-draft size concerns were overblown. Fellow first-round rookie Bijan Robinson, meanwhile, has the chance to make those who mocked the Falcons for taking a running back in the top 10 look silly.

In addition to the debuts of Young and Robinson, this game could also wind up having major playoff implications in an NFC South race that’s hard to predict.

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos: Sept. 10, Week 1

One of the biggest storylines in Week 1 will be what Russell Wilson looks like. Wilson’s first season in Denver was a disaster: the Broncos went 5-12 and first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired after 15 games.

The Broncos have invested a ton in Wilson – both in money and draft capital. This offseason, they traded even more premium draft picks to the Saints so they could hire Sean Payton as head coach. Can Payton fix Wilson? Or have the Broncos just dug themselves an even deeper hole? We’ll get our first look at the Payton-Wilson partnership and Jimmy Garoppolo as the Raiders' QB in the same game.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets: Sept. 11, Week 1, Monday Night Football

MetLife Stadium is going to be rocking for this one. The Aaron Rodgers era in New York begins with an AFC East showdown against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. After 200-plus games with the Packers, the four-time MVP will suit up for a different team, while sporting a new number, for the first time.

Jets fans are dreaming of a first Super Bowl since the 1960s, but can Rodgers be the one to deliver it? A season-opening win against the Bills in prime time would be quite the start.

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars: Sept. 17, Week 2

The 2023 schedule unfortunately doesn’t include a Jaguars-Chargers rematch after Jacksonville’s historic playoff comeback win over Los Angeles last season. But it does feature a Jaguars-Chiefs playoff rematch in Week 2.

Jacksonville was one of the best stories in the 2022 campaign after winning their final five games to capture the AFC South title. The Jags then pulled off a miraculous playoff victory against the Chargers before putting up a real fight against the eventual Super Bowl champs in a 27-20 loss.

Will Trevor Lawrence and Co. take another step forward in Year 2 under Doug Pederson? This game provides the Jags the chance to make a statement.

Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts: Weeks 2, 18

Could this be the start of a great quarterback rivalry? The Texans selected C.J. Stroud second overall in the 2023 draft. Two picks later, another AFC South team followed the same blueprint as the Colts selected a potential quarterback of the future in Anthony Richardson.

Given that they’re in the same division, it seems likely that Stroud and Richardson will face off at some point. The question is whether it will happen in either of the two Colts-Texans games this season, and if that initial showdown proves to be the first of many.

Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers: Oct. 29, Week 8

When the Panthers traded up to the No. 1 pick, it was rumored to be for C.J. Stroud. But Carolina eventually settled on Bryce Young, with Stroud going second overall to the Texans.

It was just the ninth time in the draft’s modern era that quarterbacks were taken with the first two picks. Stroud and Young will be linked for their entire careers, and Week 8 will hopefully be their first head-to-head battle.

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals: Nov. 5, Week 9, Sunday Night Football

What a scene this game could provide. In Week 9, Damar Hamlin is in line to return to Paycor Stadium, where he suffered a cardiac arrest during a game last season. In a matter of months, Hamlin went from being in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital to being cleared for football activities. The safety playing in Cincinnati would be another chapter in his remarkable comeback story.

And once the Sunday Night Football matchup starts, the Bills will have revenge on their minds. Cincinnati went into Buffalo and stunned the Bills 27-10 in the divisional round of last season’s playoffs.

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears: Nov. 9, Week 10, Thursday Night Football

Bears fans will get a look at what could have been in Week 10. The Bears initially held the No. 1 overall pick and some believed they should have used it on Bryce Young. Chicago ultimately decided to cash in the pick for draft capital from Carolina, moving forward with Justin Fields at quarterback instead.

Will Young show the Bears they made a huge mistake when Carolina visits Soldier Field on Thursday Night Football? Or will Fields and ex-Panthers wideout D.J. Moore, who was part of the trade, show something special is being built in the Windy City?

Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs: Nov. 20, Week 11, Monday Night Football

Football fans won’t have to wait long for a Super Bowl LVII rematch. Over eight months after the Chiefs’ latest championship triumph, the Eagles visit Arrowhead on Monday Night Football looking for a little bit of revenge.

The Chiefs and Eagles played to a thrilling finish in Arizona, with Kansas City completing a second-half comeback on a game-winning field goal in the final seconds. We should be in for yet another awesome quarterback battle between 2022 MVP Patrick Mahomes and 2022 MVP runner-up Jalen Hurts.

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles: Dec. 3, Week 13

Deebo Samuel will surely have this one circled. San Francisco fell to Philadelphia in last season’s NFC Championship Game after losing both available quarterbacks – Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson – to injury.

In the wake of the loss, Samuel said the 49ers would have rolled to a victory if Purdy never got hurt. Well, Samuel and Co. have the chance to prove it when they visit the Eagles in Week 13. And San Francisco will enter the NFC title game rematch with one of Philly’s top players from last season after signing defensive tackle Javon Hargrave in free agency.

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs: Dec. 10, Week 14

Josh Allen versus Patrick Mahomes. Does anything else really need to be said?

The two AFC powerhouses played in one of most iconic playoff games two postseasons ago, with the Chiefs outlasting the Bills. Buffalo got some revenge last regular season with a victory at Arrowhead, and they’ll try to do the same in Week 14.

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs: Dec. 31, Week 17

It won’t come until Week 17, but this game will be well worth the wait. Bengals-Chiefs has turned into the league’s best non-divisional rivalry. Cincinnati and Kansas City have played four times over the past two seasons, including two AFC Championship Game showdowns.

Joe Burrow entered last season’s AFC title game with a perfect 3-0 record against Patrick Mahomes, but Mahomes put the “Burrowhead” nickname to bed with a victory over Cincy. It wouldn’t be surprising if these two are the last AFC teams standing once again.