This Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs play host to the Detroit Lions. The contest will mark the beginning of the 103rd season of the National Football League.
A big storyline this year is how good is the AFC? Some prognosticators say that 11 wins won’t even be enough to make the playoffs.
This is partially due to how deep the AFC is at the quarterback position. The conference already had some of the top QBs in the league in 2022, but this year the AFC will be even more loaded with the arrival of Aaron Rodgers and the expectations that Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson will take a step forward this fall.
What about the NFC?
The main storyline in the NFC is how wide open the conference is. In contrast to the AFC – where it seems like over half the teams are getting Super Bowl hype – in the NFC only three teams are considered legitimate contenders: Philadelphia, San Francisco and Dallas.
Some of the must-watch games on the 2023 schedule follow:
Dolphins vs. Chargers (Sept. 10): Tua and the Dolphins take on Herbert and the Chargers. Miami is determined to prove that last year was no fluke and that when healthy, it can contend in the AFC. Meanwhile, Chargers fans hope that a healthy LAC team can dethrone the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes for the top spot in the AFC West.
Chiefs vs. Jets (Oct. 1): The NFL’s last two MVPs – and two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time – will duke it out in an early-season test for both teams. Add in the fact that we’ve been robbed of Rodgers vs. Mahomes twice before and a Mecole Hardman revenge game. Easily the best game on the NFL schedule this year.
Eagles vs. Chiefs (Nov. 20): A Monday Night Football Super Bowl rematch. What’s not to like? Both teams are Super Bowl favorites heading into the 2023 season.
Bengals vs Jaguars (Dec. 4): Burrow and Lawrence meet in a rematch of the 2019 college football national championship. This time – with both teams legitimate Super Bowl contenders – it should be an important game for AFC playoff seeding.
Eagles vs. Cowboys (Dec. 10): A game that could decide the NFC East and could be the difference for one of these teams as to whether they get a bye or have to go on the road for wildcard weekend. One of the NFL’s biggest rivalries.
