Five days of football and NFL games four of the next five nights begin with the Thursday night opener at Arrowhead Stadium.
It’s banner night for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with the Baltimore Ravens in town bidding for a repeat of the Detroit Lions’ win in the same stadium to start the 2023 season.
You’ll need to refresh the Peacock app from August’s Olympics binge for the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles. That’s the matchup in the first regular-season game in Brazil and the first Friday night game on opening weekend since the St. Louis Cardinals play at the Los Angeles Rams (Sept. 18, 1970).
1. Ravens at Chiefs, Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark (field reporter)
As openers go, this one should be a doozy. A rematch of January’s AFC Championship Game, won 17-10 by the Chiefs. It could be a prelude to another game in late January of 2025.
It’s the first time in NFL history a Week 1 matchup features opponents with multiple Most Valuable Player awards. Patrick Mahomes is 3-1 against Lamar Jackson and owns the opening spotlight with a career TD-to-INT ratio of 21-1 in Week 1.
Jackson brings a new friend to the arena Thursday in four-time Pro Bowl RB Derrick Henry.
2. Packers vs. Eagles, Friday, Sept. 6, 8:15 p.m. ET (in Brazil)
Watch via Peacock: Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, Kaylee Hartung (field reporter)
A lot of fresh faces are featured in the Friday faceoff with Philadelphia replacing both coordinators and adding to a very talented roster one season removed from playing the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Green Bay started 3-6 last season but went toe-to-toe with the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoffs. Philadelphia started 10-1 and limped into the postseason, only to be trounced in Tampa.
Their quest to reach Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans begins in Brazil in the first NFL regular season game in South America. New running backs share the spotlight in Sao Paulo, with three-time 1,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley joining the Eagles and 2022 rushing king Josh Jacobs now powering the Packers.
3. Jets at 49ers, Monday, Sept. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN/ABC: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters (field reporter)
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers, a Bay Area native, has a bit of a history on “Monday Night Football” with 41 career TDs — and one season-ending injury.
He calls it a comeback at age 40 after missing all but four offensive snaps in 2023 because of a torn Achilles. The Jets’ defense should be strong with CB Sauce Gardner and DL Quinnen Williams. But San Francisco deploys a multitude of playmakers, including Christian McCaffrey and three receiving options that demand attention.
4. Texans vs. Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS: Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty, AJ Ross (field reporter)
C.J. Stroud was undefeated in the division with 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions as a rookie last season.
These teams played a barnburner to end last year and Houston won to earn the AFC South title, thanks to a 4th-down drop that sealed Indianapolis’ fate.
It’s easy to forget that when the teams played last September, Anthony Richardson was the best player on the field in the first half of an easy Colts’ win before leaving with an injury.
5. Cowboys at Browns, 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: FOX (4:25 PM ET): Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews (field reporter), Tom Rinaldi (field reporter)
We’re tuning in for the broadcasting team and not just because we love the Rinaldi piano overlay features. It’s Game 1 of the Tom Brady-FOX experiment and a Gronk spike or three should be expected in his analysis of the other two quarterbacks in this game.
The Browns were 8-1 in the Dawg Pound last season and the Cowboys were 4-5 on the road.
6. Bears vs. Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX: Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez, Kristina Pink (field reporter)
The arsenal around No. 1 pick Caleb Williams gives him a legitimate chance to become the first top pick since 2002 (David Carr, Texans) to start and win Week 1.
And we’re still in on the Will Levis Show. Gone is Derrick Henry, but Tennessee’s array of receivers is nothing to sneeze at.
7. Lions vs. Rams, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC (8:20 PM ET): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark (field reporter)
Only Drew Brees (10) has more 300-yard passing games in Week 1 than former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. He’s back in Motown with the Rams in what should be a wacko environment at Ford Field. Lions QB Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick of the Rams in 2016 traded for Stafford in 2021, gets another chance to flex on Sean McVay. Detroit beat the Rams, 24-23, in the wild-card playoffs in January.
8. Steelers vs. Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX: Joe Davis, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver (field reporter)
There are too many subplots to ignore. Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, former Bucs assistant coaches Mike Tomlin and Raheem Morris and the quick return to Atlanta for former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith (Steelers offensive coordinator).
9. Jaguars vs Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS: Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins (field reporter)
Tua Tagovailoa dropped 466 passing yards in Week 1 last season and went 7-2 at home. Miami’s defense isn’t full strength, meaning Trevor Lawrence might just put up the points to turn this into a Sunshine State Shootout.
10. Cardinals at Bills, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS: Tom McCarthy, Jay Feely, Ross Tucker, Tiffany Blackmon (field reporter)
Signing up early for the Marvin Harrison Jr. Show while also wondering if Josh Allen plans to throw 60 passes to hush questions related to No. 1 receivers.
11. Broncos at Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS: Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta, Aditi Kinkhabwala (field reporter)
Welcome to the NFL, Bo Nix. Seattle tries to bring the noise and the funk and Denver turns to a 14th different starter at QB since Peyton Manning retired after Super Bowl 50. New Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald likely is to be a nightmare for rookie quarterbacks.
12. Chargers at Raiders, 4 p.m. ET
TV: CBS (4:05 PM ET): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson (field reporter)
Who’s got it better than the Chargers? We’re about to find out. And if it’s Gardner Minshew, we’ll applaud.
13. Patriots at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS: Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn (field reporter)
No Bill Belichick for New England might be an odd sight. Perhaps Jerod Mayo goes sleeveless hoodie or calls for a punt on second down. Otherwise, intrigue follows Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow had 40 completions and three TD passes in his previous meeting with the Patriots.
14. Vikings at Giants, 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX: Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Megan Olivi (field reporter)
Peripheral interest centers around the LSU wide receiver party featuring Justin Jefferson (Vikings) and rookie Malik Nabers (Giants) performing feats of acrobatics to find passes from QBs not known for letting it rip.
15. Commanders at Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: FOX: Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin (field reporter)
A live look-in or two seems necessary with No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels drawing high praise from teammates.
16. Panthers vs. Saints, 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX: Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth, Jen Hale (field reporter)
Neither team inspires great confidence in the Week 1 survivor pool, even when drained to include only division teams.