The 2024 NFL regular season is a still a long way off, but the NFL schedule release is finally here.
The league is a 12-month circus at this point, and the schedule release is a weeklong event now. The crazy thing is that we've actually known every single matchup on the schedule from the moment last year's regular season ended â just not the dates on which the games will happen.
That stuff matters! Who plays the primetime games? When's your team's bye week? Who has three road games in a row? Who gets to play on Thanksgiving and Christmas?
The NFL schedule release does matter. But, really, it's the matchups themselves that matter the most, and we already know those. So let's rank those 272 matchups â every last one of them!
This is the definitive and absolutely-not-subjective-in-any-way ranking of every upcoming NFL regular season game this season, from 272 to 1.
The Most and Least Watchable Teams in 2024
Who are the six most consistently watchable teams in the NFL in 2024? The answer might surprise you:
1) Green Bay Packers â Surprise! The Packers have 13 of their 17 games in the top 80 and average No. 60 on the season thanks in part to an entertaining division and a young QB on the rise that makes nearly every game watchable. No Green Bay game ranked in the bottom 100, the only such team.
2) Miami Dolphins â Everyone loves to watch scoring, and Miami is an entertaining watch and a threat to score on any play with all that team speed. The Dolphins didn't crack the top 10, but had 11 top-60 games.
3) San Francisco 49ers â Last year's Super Bowl runner-up has plenty of stars on both sides of the ball and find over half of their games among the top 50.
4) Houston Texans â The Texans were last year's surprise young team â unless you tailed Texans Island â but didn't get a single national TV game last season until the Week 18 finale. Expect that to change with Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon on top of C.J. Stroud and everyone else.
5) Detroit Lions â The Lions were nearly dancing in the Super Bowl themselves, but fell apart in the final quarter of the NFC Championship. However, with Ben Johnson surprisingly back to lead the offense once more, Dan Campbell and Detroit should be worth following all the way.
6) New York Jets â Get ready to watch a ton of Jets games this season, with the return of a healthy Aaron Rodgers, young offensive stars Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson and one of the league's best defenses in a marquee market. The Jets will be on island games as much as anyone! Thirteen Jets games made the top 100.
If you're wondering about a few obvious teams missing, the rankings above are simply the average rank of each team's 17 games. That put a premium on games near the top of the ranks but meant it was just as important to avoid the cellar. The Chiefs have plenty of watchable games but an ugly AFC West brought the average down. The Ravens snagged five top-20 games but also find four in the bottom 100. Nobody wants to watch a dull blowout, after all!
And then there's the other end of the spectrum, the six teams at the bottom of the watchability rankings. Any football sounds pretty good in May, but these are the teams that least move the needle when they pop on the schedule:
27) Denver Broncos â The Broncos are the local team for a huge swath of the country geographically, but unless you're excited to catch rookie QB Bo Nix check down for the 217th time, it's tough to find much to get excited about. Denver has the second-worst "best" game on the schedule among all NFL teams.
28) Tampa Bay Buccaneers â A playoff team in the bottom five? It's telling that you're more surprised to remember the Bucs made the playoffs than that they're ranked this low. What exactly is interesting about the Bucs? There are no young exciting players that pop. No real identity on either side of the ball. They're just ⌠an NFL team.
29) Las Vegas Raiders â And now you see why the Chiefs could only rank so high, with four division games against bottom-six opponents. Maybe Antonio Pierce's swag will make Vegas a show worth tuning in for, but otherwise, it will get old fast watching Davante Adams get underthrown by Gardner Minshew.
30) Washington Commanders â This feels cruel for a team in the midst of a makeover, one that added Austin Ekeler to a trio of talented receivers and now the reigning Heisman winner and No. 2 overall pick in QB Jayden Daniels. That sounds interesting! But Washington ended up in five of the bottom-12 games anyway.
31) Carolina Panthers â Maybe Bryce Young can save the Panthers' poor rating, and truthfully, he already has. Carolina has the top-ranked game of any of this bottom six, thanks to a matchup of the last two No. 1 picks when Young faces off against Caleb Williams in a game that snuck into the top 100. Outside of that one, it's tough to get excited about this mishmash unit.
32) New York Giants â And then there's Daniel Jones and the G-Men. Rookie WR Malik Nabers looks fun but he doesn't even offset the loss of Saquon Barkley, and Brian Daboll's guys seem to attempt to drain the very life out of every game just to give New York a chance to win. It's effective enough, but it's not very fun, and the defense won't be nearly as interesting without Wink Martindale's overaggression either.
Alas â at least it's football! Let's get to the game rankings.
Every NFL Regular-Season Game Ranked, from 272 to 1
272) Bucs at Giants
This is the single-worst game on the NFL schedule this season. Baker Mayfield vs. Daniel Jones. Rachaad White vs. Devin Singletary. Todd Bowles vs. Brian Daboll.
The biggest nothing burger on the entire schedule between two teams just dying to finish 7-10. And you know what? Who cares â football BACK!
271) Giants at Panthers
Think of it this way, Giants fans â at least you won't have to scroll too far down the list.
270) Broncos at Raiders
The worst division matchup on the schedule! It's Gardner Minshew vs. Future Gardner Minshew, aka inexplicable No. 12 pick Bo Nix!
269) Panthers at Bucs
268) Raiders at Broncos
267) Giants at Commanders
266) Bucs at Panthers
265) Panthers at Raiders
264) Commanders at Giants
263) Commanders at Bucs
262) Browns at Commanders
Congratulations to the Browns, the first team in this ranking not in that bottom six. Feels harsh.
261) Commanders at Saints
260) Chargers at Raiders
259) Chargers at Panthers
258) Broncos at Jets
257) Raiders at Bucs
It's hard to believe this is a Super Bowl rematch â from this century!!
256) Saints at Giants
255) Giants at Eagles
254) Titans at Commanders
253) Patriots at Titans
252) Commanders at Eagles
251) Eagles at Giants
Doesn't even matter that he's on the Rams this year: Boston Scott -500 Anytime TD, just trust me.
250) Falcons at Panthers
249) Bengals at Panthers
248) Bucs at Chargers
247) Broncos at Bucs
246) Commanders at Cowboys
Thanks, but I'll be taking my tryptophan-induced Thanksgiving nap. Pass the stuffing!
245) Panthers at Eagles
244) Broncos at Ravens
243) Giants at Falcons
242) Giants at Steelers
241) Saints at Panthers
Laugh now, but this could have serious division implications in the NFC South.
240) Bills at Patriots
239) Steelers at Commanders
238) Raiders at Ravens
237) Falcons at Broncos
236) Panthers at Falcons
235) Panthers at Broncos
Is this some sort of sick, twisted, unwatchable round-robin tournament?!
234) Falcons at Raiders
233) Commanders at Bengals
232) Patriots at Cardinals
231) Giants at Cowboys
230) Chargers at Patriots
You know how every team is required to have at least one national TV game? This game is what America's forefathers invented Thursday Night Football for.
229) Cardinals at Panthers
228) Chargers at Broncos
227) Giants at Seahawks
226) Browns at Raiders
Deshaun Watson gets a look at his future NFL home.
225) Giants at Browns
224) Bengals at Giants
223) Cowboys at Panthers
222) Ravens at Giants
221) Chiefs at Panthers
Just how unwatchable can you make a game featuring Patrick Mahomes? Let's put it this way: this is Kansas City's first appearance in the ranks, and it's Carolina's 15th.
220) Cowboys at Commanders
219) Bucs at Saints
218) Panthers at Commanders
217) Raiders at Chiefs
216) Titans at Chargers
Will Levis and Justin Herbert have way too much arm talent between them to rank this low. This is on you, coaching and surrounding talent. Stop running the football. Stop checking down. Prove me wrong, I dare you.
215) Eagles at Commanders
214) Colts at Giants
213) Chiefs at Raiders
212) Titans at Jaguars
211) Bucs at Falcons
210) Raiders at Bengals
201-T) Patriots at Dolphins
201-T) Rams at Patriots
201-T) Patriots at Bills
201-T) Seahawks at Patriots
201-T) Patriots at Bengals
201-T) Patriots at 49ers
201-T) Patriots at Jets
201-T) Colts at Patriots
201-T) Patriots at Jaguars
Wait, you wore the exact same thing?! Oh, this is SO embarrassing.
200) Titans at Bills
199) Broncos at Chiefs
198) Saints at Chargers
197) Panthers at Saints
196) Broncos at Bengals
195) Falcons at Bucs
194) Steelers at Broncos
193) Titans at Bears
This has Sunday morning in London written ALL over it.
192) Jaguars at Titans
191) Browns at Broncos
190) Raiders at Chargers
189) Ravens at Bucs
188) Bucs at Lions
187) Steelers at Raiders
186) Falcons at Commanders
Kirk Cousins' revenge game against the team that tried to franchise him 17 straight seasons! You like that?!
185) Titans at Lions
184) Bucs at Chiefs
183) Chargers at Cardinals
182) Vikings at Titans
181) Bears at Lions
180) Commanders at Cardinals
This is the sort of matchup that could end up top 25 when all is said and done. This has the feel of one of those 45-42 late Sunday afternoon NFL Redzone treats, with Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels trading highlight plays back and forth and saving us from the eighth straight Cowboys primetime game.
179) Cowboys at Giants
178) Saints at Bucs
177) Jets at Titans
176) Browns at Saints
175) Titans at Texans
174) Raiders at Saints
Derek Carr revenge game! Better if it were in Las Vegas, but the real question is which side wants the revenge.
173) Cardinals at Seahawks
172) Bears at Texans
171) Rams at Saints
170) Packers at Titans
The first Green Bay game in the ranks! Not a single game all season in the bottom 100. Every single Packers game is watchable. C'mon, like you wouldn't pay $200 to watch Jordan Love and Will Levis right now?? Green Bay is the last team on the list to make its debut. Probably why the Packers ranked first!
169) Bengals at Chargers
168) Broncos at Chargers
167) Chargers at Browns
166) Raiders at Rams
165) Vikings at Giants
And that's it for the Giants. A rematch of the last time the team was relevant. Enjoy it, New Yorkers. The Giants are the first team eliminated from the ranks. Barely made it out of the bottom 100. Nearly every Giants game on the schedule is less watchable than nearly every Packers game. Woof.
164) Chargers at Steelers
163) Steelers at Falcons
162) Jets at Patriots
161) Texans at Patriots
160) Broncos at Saints
Welcome back, Sean Payton. I'm sure Saints fans will embrace you with open arms.
159) Bucs at Cowboys
158) Bengals at Titans
157) Broncos at Seahawks
156) Saints at Cowboys
You know how they always give Dallas back-to-back Thursday night games, including the week after Thanksgiving? Derek Carr and company should not plan to attend the lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree.
155) Colts at Broncos
154) Titans at Colts
153) Titans at Dolphins
152) Cardinals at 49ers
151) Falcons at Saints
150) Commanders at Ravens
Jayden Daniels against the QB he's supposed to become someday. No pressure, kid.
149) Bears at Colts
148) Saints at Packers
147) Patriots at Bears
146) Chargers at Chiefs
145) Cardinals at Vikings
144) Texans at Titans
The AFC South is surprisingly tough to rank, which makes all of the teams at least somewhat watchable by definition because it feels like you could order Houston, Tennessee, Indianapolis and Jacksonville in any order and go, "Hmm, yeah, okay I can see that."
143) Bengals at Browns
142) Eagles at Bucs
141) Saints at Falcons
140) Ravens at Chargers
139) Chargers at Falcons
138) Bears at Cardinals
137) Seahawks at Falcons
136) Steelers at Colts
These are the two middest games on the schedule. They're average. Fine, even! Nothing particularly great about them. Nothing you'd dread discovering on a Thursday night. And you know what? You'd sacrifice your great uncle in a heartbeat to see either one of these games tomorrow night. Football is pretty good!
135) Colts at Titans
134) Saints at Chiefs
133) Cardinals at Bills
132) Bills at Colts
131) Bills at Seahawks
130) Bears at Vikings
129) Dolphins at Patriots
Let's just say the Patriots are really lucky they're in a division with the Dolphins, Jets and Bills, as far as game watchability rankings go.
128) Chiefs at Broncos
127) Cardinals at Rams
126) Browns at Jaguars
125) 49ers at Bucs
124) Jaguars at Raiders
123) Raiders at Dolphins
You just never know what unsuspecting opponent the Dolphins might suddenly drop 70 on ⌠as long as it's September or October.
122) Eagles at Saints
121) 49ers at Cardinals
120) Seahawks at Bears
119) Bills at Rams
118) Rams at Cardinals
117) Steelers at Eagles
In 1943, thanks to a shortage of available players due to World War II, these two NFL franchises were left shorthanded and combined efforts for one season in which they were unofficially known as the Steagles. They beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the season opener and finished 5-4-1. The more you know.
116) Packers at Vikings
115) Vikings at Seahawks
114) Vikings at Jaguars
113) Steelers at Browns
112) Falcons at Eagles
111) Seahawks at 49ers
110) Bears at Packers
What if Caleb Williams walks into Green Bay and owns the Packers from the moment he steps into an NFL job, like Aaron Rodgers owned Chicago all those years? Wouldn't that be something? How much would that change the outlook of both of these franchises for the next decade and then some?
109) Chiefs at Browns
108) Chiefs at Chargers
107) Browns at Steelers
106) Seahawks at Cardinals
105) Cowboys at Browns
104) Rams at Bears
103) 49ers at Seahawks
102) Lions at Colts
I mean look at this, this is basically the Nerd Super Bowl and an absolute delight to football fans everywhere, and we haven't even reached the top 100 yet. Football!!
101) Vikings at Rams
100) Steelers at Ravens
99) Colts at Jaguars
98) Vikings at Lions
97) Browns at Bengals
96) Chiefs at Falcons
95) Browns at Eagles
94) 49ers at Vikings
93) Bears at Commanders
92) Panthers at Bears
No. 1 pick Caleb Williams against No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels and then last year's No. 1 pick Bryce Young, the guy Carolina accidentally traded Williams for. These are the highest games on the list for both the Panthers and the Commanders, by far. At least fans of both teams will get a nice look at what might have been!
91) Seahawks at Jets
90) Seahawks at Lions
89) Jaguars at Colts
88) Jaguars at Bears
Only 88th on the NFL games list, but it'll still finish top 100 on the list of TV's most-watched programs in 2024.
87) Seahawks at Rams
86) Bears at 49ers
85) Ravens at Browns
84) Cardinals at Dolphins
83) Rams at Seahawks
There has never once been a normal Rams-Seahawks game in the entire history of the universe. Not sure why we'd start now.
82) Cowboys at Falcons
81) Ravens at Steelers
80) Texans at Vikings
79) Vikings at Packers
78) Lions at Bears
77) Vikings at Bears
Is the NFC North the league's most watchable division in 2024? It might be. Every team seems playoff-viable. All four teams are interesting and watchable. All eight division matchups sound fun. Giddy-up.
76) Colts at Vikings
75) Dolphins at Seahawks
74) Jaguars at Eagles
73) Lions at Vikings
72) Bills at Lions
71) Jets at Cardinals
70) Cowboys at Steelers
69) Lions at Cardinals
Nice.
68) Browns at Ravens
67) Packers at Bears
66) Texans at Colts
65) Jets at Steelers
64) Steelers at Bengals
63) Packers at Seahawks
We want the ball and we're gonna score. Fail Mary. What's next?
62) Texans at Jaguars
61) Packers at Jaguars
60) Bengals at Steelers
59) Dolphins at Browns
58) Dolphins at Colts
57) Jaguars at Lions
Two of America's favorite darling sleepers, both capable of a Super Bowl run if everything clicks, the sort of thing that could change the outlook for an entire franchise and community. An awesome game! And we haven't even hit the top 50!!
56) Colts at Jets
55) Texans at Cowboys
54) Jets at Jaguars
53) Rams at Lions
52) Rams at Jets
51) Lions at Texans
50) Lions at Cowboys
This might be No. 1 on the list for Detroit fans considering the way things ended last time for Dan Skipper and Dan Campbell.
49) Cardinals at Packers
48) Chiefs at Steelers
47) Jaguars at Dolphins
46) Rams at 49ers
45) Jaguars at Texans
44) Colts at Texans
43) Eagles at Rams
42) Ravens at Texans
Derrick Henry will rumble for 250 yards in this one. The real ones know.
41) Ravens at Cowboys
40) Jaguars at Bills
39) Bills at Dolphins
38) 49ers at Rams
37) Cowboys at Eagles
36) Bills at Jets
35) Packers at Rams
We would've killed for this one in the playoffs last year, when these were two of the five hottest teams in the league to end the season. Can the Rams pick up where they left off with Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams? Are Jordan Love and his young receivers ready to take the next step?
34) Dolphins at Bills
33) Cowboys at 49ers
32) Colts at Packers
31) Eagles at Bengals
30) Dolphins at Jets
29) Jets at Vikings
Aaron Rodgers visits the Vikings, and then Kirk Cousins returns home to his longtime team. I promise you this: No two games will have bigger circles around them on the calendar this season for Minnesota fans.
28) Falcons at Vikings
27) Bengals at Cowboys
26) Dolphins at Texans
25) Dolphins at Rams
24) Texans at Jets
Listen, you're gonna be hyped to see C.J. Stroud play against Aaron Rodgers, I promise you. Just about any game either one of these teams play this season will be interesting and competitive and fun. And this probably has Wild Card implications too.
23) Lions at Packers
22) Jets at Dolphins
21) Jets at Bills
20) Packers at Lions
19) Bills at Texans
Everyone's favorite AFC Super Bowl sleeper of the past against everyone's favorite AFC Super Bowl sleeper of the future! The fun part is they'll both still lose to the Chiefs either way!
18) Bengals at Ravens
17) Texans at Packers
16) 49ers at Dolphins
15) Ravens at Bengals
14) Eagles at Cowboys
13) Eagles at Ravens
12) Dolphins at Packers
11) Jets at 49ers
Aaron Rodgers visiting San Francisco for probably the last time in his career? Green uniforms against red? I'm calling it right now: NFL Christmas.
10) 49ers at Bills
9) Bills at Ravens
8) 49ers at Packers
7) Lions at 49ers
6) Packers vs. Eagles
5) Texans at Chiefs
We already know Packers-Eagles will take place on the first Friday night of the season in Brazil in a battle sponsored by Nazareth's "Love Hurts." Gimme Eagles -1.5. So what's even better than Opening Friday Night? How about Opening Night in Kansas City as the Super Bowl champs kick the season off? This is my guess.
4) Bengals at Chiefs
3) Ravens at Chiefs
2) Chiefs at Bills
Look, Chiefs games are fun, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. These are awesome rematches we all want to watch. You don't think the Chiefs deserve the entire top five? Not sure what sport you've been watching the last half a decade.
1) Chiefs at 49ers
A rematch of a Super Bowl that went to overtime and ended in a walk-off touchdown? Say no more. This is the unquestioned game of the season until proven otherwise. Thanks, football gods.
