Training camp is a few weeks away meaning football season is around the corner. The 2023 NFL season will bring five significant games that are must-watch TV. A lot of teams have a Super Bowl-or-bust mentality and there are a few under-the-radar teams that could make some noise.
Each game will be meaningful but there are a few that will hold massive weight as the season progresses.
Top Five NFL Games of 2023 That You Must Watch
Honorable mention:
Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Dolphins are dangerously looming in the AFC but continue to get better. They acquired Jalen Ramsey this offseason and expect Tua Tagovailoa to be fully healthy.
Miami earned a playoff spot last year and looks to carry that momentum into this season. Kansas City remains the team to beat in the AFC and the Dolphins will get their chance to show last season wasn’t a fluke.
The Tyreek Hill revenge game will be special but unfortunately, it won’t be in front of Chiefs Kingdom. These two will meet in Germany on November 5th.
Honorable mention:
Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills
These two have a lot of history and if you’re a Bills fan, you probably have a bad taste in your mouth from the mid-90s. The Cowboys stood in the way of a Super Bowl win in two consecutive seasons.
This will bring fun matchups to watch like Micah Parsons vs. Josh Allen. The best to keep an eye out for are brothers Trevon Diggs and Stefon Diggs. This will be for respect and bragging rights between the two.
“Have you ever seen a brother cover a brother in the NFL?” asks Rich Eisen. Now he will get his answer when Dallas heads to Highmark Stadium in mid-December.
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Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals
This AFC matchup is becoming one of the best to watch. After last year’s game was canceled, there’s been one official meeting between Joe Burrow and Allen. Despite a small sample size, these two teams aren’t too fond of each other.
Before last year’s matchup in the Divisional Round, Buffalo began selling tickets for the AFC Championship, which the Bengals didn’t take lightly. Cincinnati marched into Highmark Stadium with a chip on their shoulder and got a big win to advance to the AFC Championship.
This game may be crucial for seeding later on in the year so expect a high-scoring slugfest on Sunday Night Football.
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Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers
These last two seasons have given us a rewind of the 90s. ‘Boys Vs. 9ers are two teams full of talent and grit.
Cowboys fans probably have this one circled on their schedule, especially if a Super Bowl appearance was on your Christmas list. In the past two seasons, the 49ers played the role of the Grinch by ending the Cowboys playoff run. This year’s matchup will live up to the hype like the previous two meetings. Both high-powered offenses may take a back seat in this game.
These defensive units are juggernauts so this may be a low-scoring game battled in the trenches.
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Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers
In a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship, the 49ers will be out for blood.
Philly entered last year’s game as the NFC team to beat and survived San Francisco’s punches. They got a pretty lopsided win but the 49ers were undermanned. Brock Purdy suffered an injury in the first quarter that would turn the tides. There’s uncertainty about who will be the week one starter, but whoever is under center can find success under Kyle Shanahan’s system.
The 49ers, who believe they would’ve won if healthy, will be hyped for the rematch.
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Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes vs. Burrow in Burrowhead Stadium (as a few Bengals players call it)?
Mahomes is like this generation’s Superman but his kryptonite may have been discovered in Joey-B. In head-to-head matchups, Burrow is 3-1. This past season, the two met in the AFC Championship, Mahomes secured the win as the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl. This rivalry has ramped up fairly quickly, it’s similar to a Taylor Swift song because there’s a lot of bad blood.
This could be a preview of a third consecutive AFC Championship matchup.
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Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles
There’s no way the NFL is this nice right? Last year’s Super Bowl matchup didn’t disappoint. Philly maintained control for most of the game, then Mahomes happened.
The Chiefs put up 17 points in the fourth quarter to secure their second Super Bowl win in four years. These two come in with the best and second-best odds to win the Super Bowl this season. Philly will face a gauntlet of Kansas City, Dallas (twice), Buffalo, and San Francisco in five weeks.
The outcome of this game will most likely be vital for playoff seeding for both teams.
Main Image: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
