Plus, plenty of revenge games
By Zachary Pereles May 15, 2026 at 12:13 pm ET • 6 min read 
Getty Images The NFL schedule makers have done it again, producing the 272-piece puzzle that is the 2026 regular season. There are games on every day of the week except for Tuesday. There are loaded "Thursday Night Football," "Sunday Night Football" and "Monday Night Football" slates. Thanksgiving NFL festivities are now a three-day affair, and Christmas also has a loaded tripleheader. The season starts on a Wednesday and then heads to Australia one day later to open the most expansive international schedule ever.
Phew. Time for us to catch our collective breaths and take a step back. After all, trying to digest 272 games is like drinking from a fire hose.
Ranking the best games on a schedule is a difficult task because projecting the best teams is a difficult task. Entering 2025, the Commanders were one of the NFL's best stories, and networks couldn't get enough of them. The Bears and Patriots, meanwhile, were relative afterthoughts, at least from a playoff odds perspective. But Washington faded behinds injuries and an underwhelming roster, while Chicago and New England surged.
We'll undoubtedly see similar surprises -- good and bad -- this year. That's a part of what makes the NFL so much fun. For now, though, we can try to narrow down the 272 games to the 10 best.
When I did this list the first time, I thought I was being pretty selective, and I still ended up with 19 games. So then I made a second cut and ended up with these 10:
10. 49ers at Rams, Week 1 in Melbourne, Australia
This list starts with a place the NFL is starting, too. For the first time, the NFL heads to Australia, and the Aussies will be hooked if the 49ers and the Rams produce as expected. Offensive geniuses Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay will have had an entire offseason to prepare for this one, and that should mean plenty of fireworks.
Both teams bring back lots of talent, including 2025 MVP Matthew Stafford for Los Angeles and 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey for San Francisco, but also bring in lots of talent. Mike Evans will make his 49ers debut, the first NFL game he's ever played for anyone other than the Buccaneers, and the Rams will debut the impressive cornerback duo of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
9. Ravens at Bengals, Week 17 'Thursday Night Football' on New Year's Eve
This primetime showdown could be a crucial one for the AFC North. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins can go toe-to-toe with any offense, and they'll be hoping the Bengals' offseason defensive overhaul can support that. Dexter Lawrence, acquired for the No. 10 overall pick, will be a major part of those efforts. The Ravens, meanwhile, are looking for a bounce-back season from Lamar Jackson after the two-time MVP missed four games last year and the team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021. When Jackson and Burrow have both been at full strength, they've produced some thrillers. What a way to ring in the new year.
8. Broncos at Patriots, Week 16 on Christmas Day
The NFL is in the gift-giving mood this Christmas with a tremendous three-game slate, and the middle matchup is a great one: a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos, one week after losing Bo Nix to a fractured ankle, failed to muster much of anything offensively with Jarrett Stidham and lost, 10-7, with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Denver gets a chance at a small measure of revenge here, while New England looks to show last year's run to the Super Bowl was no fluke. This is one of many big challenges for Drake Maye and co. this season.
7. Bills at Broncos, Week 16 on Christmas Day
Add the Bills to the long list of teams hoping to get revenge -- even if it's just a small bit -- on the Broncos this year. I don't need to remind you how this Divsional Round game went, but I will anyway. Bills fans, avert your eyes.
JA'QUAN MCMILLIAN INTERCEPTION BUFvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/S3yuoRu30c
— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026
6. Seahawks at Rams, Week 18 TBD
The Seahawks and Rams also face off on Christmas Day in Week 16, but could you imagine a repeat of last year in their second matchup? Last year's second meeting featured the Seahawks overcoming a 16-point deficit to win 38-37 and take control of not just the NFC West but the No. 1 seed in the NFC. In that game, Stafford threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns -- and Puka Nacua had 225 receiving yards and two touchdowns -- against the NFL's top defense, but Rashid Shaheed had a punt return touchdown, and Sam Darnold caught fire late, leading a game-winning drive. There was also a crazy two-point conversion.
Of course, the Seahawks also beat the Rams in the NFC Championship in yet another terrific contest. More of that, please.
5. Bills at Patriots, Week 13 on CBS, Paramount+
Josh Allen vs. Maye in a potentially crucial game in the AFC East and AFC playoff races? Count me in. The Bills brought in DJ Moore this offseason to improve their downfield passing attack, and his performance against Christian Gonzalez could be crucial. On the other side, New England already added Romeo Doubs and is expected to add A.J. Brown in June. Can the Bills' defense hold up? Can the Patriots stop James Cook?
4. Cowboys at Packers, Week 6 on 'Sunday Night Football'
Last year, this was billed as a Micah Parsons revenge game. It turned out to be so much more: a 40-40 tie that included three touchdown passes from both Jordan Love and Dak Prescott, three touchdown catches for Doubs, two touchdown catches (and 134 receiving yards) for George Pickens and even a timely Parsons sack. Both Dallas and Green Bay will be hoping for similar offensive outputs and much better defensive outputs.
3. Packers at Bears, Week 16 on Thanksgiving on CBS, Paramount+
Similar to Seahawks-Rams, Packers-Bears gave us not one, not two but three outstanding matchups last year. In early December, Green Bay got three Love touchdown passes and a game-winning touchdown from Josh Jacobs to win 28-21. Two weeks later, with Love out much of the game, Caleb Williams threw a game-tying touchdown pass to Jahdae Walker with under 30 seconds left and then a game-winning 46-yard beauty to Moore in overtime. Then in the Wild Card Round, Chicago rallied from 18 points down with Williams making several circus throws and, eventually, the game-winner to Moore.
CALEB WILLIAMS TO DJ MOORE BEARS WIN pic.twitter.com/3ShtuowNYm
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
And did we mention Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson don't like each other? A feast of storylines awaits.
2. Bills at Rams, Week 5 on 'Monday Night Football'
This game currently features two of the top four Super Bowl favorites. Need I say more? How about the fact that the last time they met, it was a 44-42 Rams win with over 900 yards of offense combined. Buckle up.
1. Chiefs at Bills, Week 12 on 'Sunday Night Football'
By this time, Mahomes will be nearly a full year removed from his torn ACL and, hopefully, the rust will be gone. The long-held storyline is that Allen wins the regular-season matchups against Mahomes (5-1) but loses the postseason ones (0-4). This should be yet another fun one, though, and it'll be interesting to see if this is where Kansas City's premier offensive addition this offseason, Kenneth Walker III, makes a big difference. The Bills had a lot of trouble defending the run -- especially explosive runs -- last year.
The nine that missed the second cut:
- Broncos at Chiefs, Week 1 on "Monday Night Football"
- Ravens at Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Week 3 on CBS, Paramount+
- Cowboys at Eagles, Week 7 on "Monday Night Football"
- Ravens at Bills, Week 8 on CBS, Paramount+
- Chargers at Ravens, Week 10 on "Monday Night Football"
- Chiefs at Rams, Week 13 on "Thursday Night Football"
- 49ers at Chiefs, Week 16 on CBS, Paramount+
- Steelers at Ravens, Week 18 TBD
- Lions at Packers, Week 18 TBD
