The best games to watch in Week 1 of the NFL season and beyond

Sept. 6, 2023 Updated Wed., Sept. 6, 2023 at 9:49 p.m.

Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen drops back to pass in the Bills’ 34-31 win over the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 15 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. (Tribune News Service)

By Mark Maske Washington Post

It’s been almost seven months since the Chiefs knocked off the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, and both conference champions should be back in the title conversation this fall. Here’s a look at some of the highest-stakes games of the upcoming NFL season, in Week 1 and beyond.

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Week 1Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs (Thursday, 5:20 p.m.): The NFL made an interesting choice in picking the Chiefs’ opponent in the season-opening game in Kansas City. The Lions are not exactly a marquee team, other than their annual Thanksgiving appearance. But they will attempt to reach the playoffs after going 9-8 last season, a huge improvement from their 3-13-1 miseries in 2021. Their use of the 12th selection in the draft on a running back, Jahmyr Gibbs, was curious, especially at a time when there is so much talk about the position being devalued in today’s game. But Gibbs could be a versatile playmaker for quarterback Jared Goff. For the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes begins his seventh NFL season, in pursuit of his third Super Bowl title and third league MVP award.

Arizona Cardinals at Washington Commanders (Sunday, 10 a.m.): It was a feel-good preseason for the Commanders and their fans after NFL team owners voted unanimously at a July 20 meeting in Bloomington, Minnesota, to approve the $6.05 billion sale of the franchise from Daniel Snyder to Josh Harris. Now things get serious for Harris and his team. Coach Ron Rivera and everyone else in the organization must prove themselves to the new boss. The Commanders have a decent team around second-year quarterback Sam Howell. But if he doesn’t produce, it may not matter. Opening with the Cardinals, who will be without quarterback Kyler Murray while he works his way back from last season’s knee injury, was a gift.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (Sunday, 1:25 p.m.): The Packers begin to find out if they were justified in trading away Aaron Rodgers to give Jordan Love his opportunity at quarterback. There undoubtedly will be some growing pains, for Love as well as the young group of key offensive players around him. The Packers probably will not be a candidate, at least in Love’s first season as their starter, to make a run deep into the NFC playoffs. But they could remain competitive in a division that is less than imposing.

Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, 1:25 p.m.): The AFC is absolutely loaded. It’s possible to make a case for about a dozen teams in the conference being legitimate playoff contenders. These two are probably in the second tier of contenders, a level below the big three of the Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills. It probably would take an MVP-caliber season from one of these quarterbacks – Justin Herbert of the Chargers or Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins – to elevate his team into the Super Bowl-contending mix.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (Monday, 5:15 p.m.): Rodgers makes his Jets debut on the “Monday Night Football” stage against a Bills team trying to finally break through and take the next step by getting back to a Super Bowl. Rodgers and the Jets could make a significant opening-night statement with a victory. The bar is set high for a star quarterback moving to a new team. The last one to do it, Tom Brady, won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after leaving the New England Patriots. Merely making the playoffs would be progress for the Jets. But if that’s the season’s biggest accomplishment, it probably would feel like a major letdown.

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Weeks 2 through 18Chiefs at Jets (Oct. 1, 5:20 p.m.): It’s Mahomes vs. Rodgers in a Sunday night game. Rodgers’ arrival has made the Jets a major attraction, and they will have plenty of chances to prove themselves in high-profile games against top teams.

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 8, 5:20 p.m.): The Niners and Philadelphia Eagles appear to be the class of the NFC entering the season. San Francisco will hope that second-year quarterback Brock Purdy, back from offseason elbow surgery, can build on the surprising success of his rookie season. The Cowboys are among a small group of challengers that will attempt to keep pace with the NFC’s two front-running teams.

Eagles at Jets (Oct. 15, 1:25 p.m.): The defending NFC champs get their chance against Rodgers’ team.

Eagles at Chiefs (Nov. 20, 5:15 p.m.): The rematch of a competitive and exciting Super Bowl comes on a Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Both teams presumably will be right back in the top-contender mix.

Dolphins at Jets (Nov. 24, noon): It’s an intriguing AFC East matchup on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

49ers at Eagles (Dec. 3, 1:25 p.m.): The Niners return to the stadium where they lost a lopsided NFC championship game in which they ran out of healthy quarterbacks. If Purdy is healthy and playing well, it could be a what-might-have-been day for the 49ers and their fans, in addition to being an important game between teams likely to be jockeying for playoff positioning at the top of the conference.

Bengals at Chiefs (Dec. 31, 1:25 p.m.): The latest installment in what suddenly has become one of the NFL’s better rivalries takes place on New Year’s Eve. The Bengals and Chiefs have faced each other in the past two AFC title games. And there’s no reason to believe they won’t be in the running for a third straight such matchup.

Jets at Patriots (Week 18, day and time TBD): The Jets end their regular season in Foxborough, Massachusetts. If they have not lived up to expectations by this point, Rodgers’ future with the franchise might be a topic of conversation.

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