The NFL has officially released its full 272-game regular season schedule, and boy are their some bangers. There are always good games, but as I was going through the schedule and predicting every single regular season game, it struck me just how many great matchups there are.

The main reason there seem to be more big games than normal is because parity is at an all-time high in the NFL. It feels like there are 10+ teams in each conference that have a real shot at making the playoffs, and that’s not something we get every year.

Since we’re in a bit of a dead period and have nothing better to do, I went through the entire NFL schedule and identified what I believe is the best game of every week.

Week 1: Bills at Texans

It’s a shame that the best Week 1 matchup is in the 1 p.m window, but that’s how the schedule played out. The Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans are two of my three top teams in the AFC, and they have a massive showdown right out the gates.

When these two met last year, Houston’s defense gave Josh Allen hell on Thursday night, so the big question is, can they do it again? I think they can, but either way, one of these two Super Bowl contenders is going to be winless after Week 1.

Week 2: Lions at Bills

Things don’t get much easier for the Bills in Week 2, as they return to Buffalo to host the Detroit Lions. I know the Lions missed the playoffs last year, but this defense is going to be much healthier, and we all know their offense is one of the best in the league. David Montgomery isn’t there anymore, but Jahmyr Gibbs still is, and Buffalo didn’t do a whole lot to improve their run defense, which was one of the worst in the league last year. If Buffalo loses in Week 1 to the Texans, this will already be a huge game for Buffalo.

Week 3: Eagles at Bears

Week 3 is highlighted by a fascinating Monday Night Football matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles had a down year in 2025, but with Sean Mannion coming in, they hope he can help fix some of their offensive issues. As for Chicago, they were a play away from making the NFC Championship last year, and they got even better on defense.

These two teams were the two and three seed in the NFC last year, and I think they both got better this offseason, so this should make for an entertaining matchup.

Week 4: Rams at Eagles

After a road trip to Chicago on Monday night, the Eagles will return to Philly to host the Los Angeles Rams at 1 p.m. ET. The Rams were the 5-seed in the NFC last year, but made it to the NFC Championship game, where they fell just short of reaching the Super Bowl. They made some huge additions to their secondary this offseason and are my preseason pick to win it all, but a cross-country road trip to Philadelphia will not be easy. These are two of the five best rosters in the league, and the outcome of this game could play a big role in determining the NFC playoff picture.

Week 5: Bills at Rams

Matthew Stafford vs Josh Allen. It doesn’t get a whole lot better than that quarterback-wise. These two have won the last two MVP awards and are both playing some of the best football of their careers, so if you like offensive football, make sure you’re tuning into Monday night’s game. Even though the Rams have a really strong defense, this just feels like a shootout in the making, so I’m excited to watch two of the best go toe-to-toe in primetime. This is one of my most anticipated games of the entire season.

Week 6: Seahawks at Broncos

This arguably should’ve been the Super Bowl LX matchup, if Bo Nix hadn’t broken his ankle on a fluke play in the AFC Divisional Round. Obviously, we’ll never know what would’ve happened if Nix was healthy in the AFC Championship, but at least we’ll get to see this matchup play out in 2026.

The Seattle Seahawks lost some key pieces this offseason, and while Denver didn’t lose as many, they also didn’t add too many players outside of Jaylen Waddle. These two teams will be in the hunt for the Super Bowl once again in 2026, so this matchup could have a huge impact on each team’s playoff seed.

Week 7: Packers at Lions

Week 7 has some great games on paper, such as New England vs Chicago, Dallas vs Philadelphia and Kansas City vs Seattle, but I wanted to highlight the Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions. These two teams give us banger after banger after banger. Six of their last nine matchups have been decided by one score, and this year, they’re both going to be fighting with Chicago for the top spot in the NFC North. At least one of their two matchups is going to be close, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re both settled by one score.

Week 8: Chiefs at Broncos

The Chiefs and Broncos will open the season playing each other in Week 1, but since they’re both in the AFC West, they will meet for a second time in Week 8. In a week that’s devoid of a lot of big matchups, this one should certainly take center stage.

Kansas City had a down year in 2025, but I fully expect them to compete for the AFC West crown in 2026 if Patrick Mahomes is healthy. It’s a shame these two play both of their games in the first half of the season, because I think the division crown will come down to these two. Still, you can’t overstate how big of an early season matchup this is for both teams.

Week 9: Texans at Chargers

Week 9 is another week that doesn’t have a ton of big games on the docket, but if you like defensive football, this is the game for you. Houston has one of the best defenses we’ve seen in a long time, and while Los Angeles’ isn’t as good, they’re still a top-five unit when healthy. Both of these offenses have their flaws, too, so expect this to be a low-scoring, grind-it-out sort of ball game. That’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s fun to watch a defensive battle every now and then.

Week 10: 49ers at Cowboys

This one will likely not be a defensive battle. The San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys have two of the best offenses in the NFL, and while San Fran’s defense isn’t half bad, Dallas’s is probably going to finish in the bottom half of the league in terms of points per game allowed. Dak Prescott vs Brock Purdy. Christian McCaffrey vs Javonte Williams. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens vs Mike Evans. George Kittle vs Jake Ferguson. It’s hard to find a game with more offensive firepower than this one.

Week 11: Bengals at Commanders

Week 11 really doesn’t have many big matchups. There are a few that could be fun, but I think the Bengals vs Commanders will be the best game of the week. If these two quarterbacks can stay healthy (which is a pretty big if), there should be a lot of points scored in this game. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are capable of scoring 30+ any game, and Jayden Daniels is easily a top-10 quarterback in the league when healthy.

While the offenses will take center stage, both of these defenses are much improved as well. The Commanders added Sonny Styles, Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Nick Cross to their struggling defense, while Cincy brought in the likes of Cashius Howell, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook. These could be two of the most improved teams in the league next year, and I expect them to both be in the playoff hunt, so this game will be big for both squads.

Week 12: Chiefs at Bills

Do I need to say anything for this matchup? Anytime we see the Chiefs and Bills clash, it’s going to be must-see TV. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have a long history, and I can’t think of a single time this game hasn’t lived up to the hype. Six of their last seven matchups have been decided by one score, and four of those were decided by four points or less. And on top of that, this is the Thanksgiving night cap. The NFL couldn’t have dreamt of a better time for this game.

Week 13: Chiefs at Rams

Things don’t lighten up for the Chiefs after a road trip to Buffalo. They then have to fly out to the west coast for a huge Thursday night showdown against the Rams. Not only are Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford two of the top three quarterbacks in the league when they’re playing their best football, but there’s also a bit of a revenge factor to this game. The Chiefs traded Trent McDuffie to the Rams this offseason, and then they let Jaylen Watson walk in free agency, and he ended up signing with the Rams. It will be interesting to see if Mahomes can best his two former teammates.

Week 14: Rams at 49ers

The Rams and 49ers open the season in Australia, but international games are always a bit weird. The real test between these two teams will come in Week 14, when the Rams hit the road and travel to Santa Clara for a NFC West showdown.

I’ve already said I believe the Rams are the best team in the league, but San Fran isn’t far behind (if they can stay healthy). Despite suffering massive injury after massive injury, the 49ers made it to the NFC Divisional Round last year, and they brought in some very talented players such as Mike Evans this offseason. Outside of last year’s November blowout, the last five Rams/Niners games have been decided by one score, and this one should be no different.

Week 15: Seahawks at Eagles

The defending Super Bowl champions will take a long road trip to the east coast in Week 15 to face off with the Philadelphia Eagles. I expect both of these teams to be in the mix for the 1-seed in the NFC, so the outcome of this game could have massive ramifications for the NFC playoff picture.

The Seahawks have one of the best defenses in the league, but I’m very curious to see how their offense will perform without Kenneth Walker and Klint Kubiak. On the other hand, Philly’s defense is also very talented, but their offense struggled last year, which led to them firing their offensive coordinator and bringing in Sean Mannion. This should be a pretty defensive game, so it will likely to come down to Sam Darnold or Jalen Hurts making a big play late in the game.

Week 16: Bills at Broncos

Last year’s AFC Divisional matchup between Buffalo and Denver absolutely delivered. Bo Nix and Josh Allen went toe-to-toe for 60+ minutes, combining for over 650 yards of offense and six touchdowns. In the end, Nix got the better of Allen, winning 33-30 in overtime after a questionable interception call basically iced the game.

Now, we get part two. Once again, Josh Allen and Co. will make the trip to the Mile High city, and there will likely be massive playoff ramifications on the line. I think both of these teams will likely win their division, which means they’ll be battling it out for one of the top seeds in the AFC. Denver’s the more complete team, but you can never count Allen out in big games.

Week 17: Ravens at Bengals

Week 17 has quite a few interesting games. Houston will travel to Green Bay on Monday Night Football, Philly will go across the country to take on San Fran on Sunday Night Football and Detroit will go to Chicago in a game that could decide the NFC North. But there aren’t many games better than a late season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.

Last year, the Steelers and Ravens met in Week 18, and a missed last-second field goal by Tyler Loop sent the Steelers to the postseason. If the cards fall in a similar way, we could be looking at another win-and-get-in game in Week 17 between these two bitter rivals. The Bengals will be in the mix as well, but it feels like the division always comes down to these two.

Week 18: Seahawks at Rams

Week 18 is rivalry week, and right now, there’s no divisional matchup better than the Seahawks and Rams. These two played three times last season, and every single one of them came down to the wire. The Seahawks got the better of LA twice, but considering the Rams got better and Seattle got worse, it should be a pretty even series this time around.

There is a good chance this game is ultimately for the 1-seed in the NFC. These are the two best teams in the NFC, and if they’re both sitting at 12 or 13 wins at this point, this game could decide the division and the top seed in the NFC. Last year, a late loss to Seattle cost the Rams home field advantage in the NFC Championship game, and if they’re not careful, that could happen again this year.