The National Football League carefully regulates its prime-time television (and live broadcast) slots in hopes of achieving massive, ever-increasing viewership while also showing the best games.
With that in mind, we’ve created one game we’d like to see in prime time for each of the 18 weeks of the 2024 regular season.
Although this was an attempt to be realistic and reasonable, the version below does not care about ratings such as rights holders and the association. Additionally, there may be teams that will inevitably have more primetime slots (like the Cowboys) and teams that probably won’t be featured as heavily (the Texans, for example).
Amazon’s Prime Video (“Thursday Night Football”), NBC (“Sunday Night Football”) and ESPN (“Monday Night Football”) are the three broadcast partners that have prime-time slots during the regular season. Our list does not specify which of them the rights holder will broadcast the game.
The NFL schedule is expected to be released on Wednesday, May 15.
NFL Statistics Center: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats, and more.
Week 1: Detroit Lions at Houston Texans
We know the Chiefs will open the season on Thursday — a tradition for Super Bowl champions. The Philadelphia Eagles play in Brazil the next night. Let’s hope the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens play the Chiefs on Thursday.
That leaves Houston open for one of the two remaining independent slots on opening weekend. Detroit is no stranger to the spotlight after last season’s NFC Championship game. Playing off cross-conference rivals is an easy way to get acclimated to the new season.
Week 2: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
More than a year after his season-ending Achilles injury, Aaron Rodgers takes the field at MetLife Stadium against Buffalo. Maybe the American flag will appear again.
Week 3: San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers
A rematch of last year’s NFC Divisional Round and one of the best NFC rivalries of the past decade.
Week 4: Baltimore Ravens x Cincinnati Bengals
By Week 4, we are ready to watch some great football in the AFC North. The division has won 62.6% (106-63) of its games against non-AFC opponents since 2020, according to a Sharp Football analysis. The frenetic excitement when teams play each other is worthy of prime time.
Week 5: Texans at Dallas Cowboys
The Texas Bowl has some juice this year. Micah Parsons and CJ Stroud can take their banter from the podcast studio to the field.
Week 6: Packers at Chicago Bears
Packers QB Jordan Love welcomes No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams into prime time with this NFC North matchup.
Week 7: Cleveland Browns x Pittsburgh Steelers
More North Africa, please. Deshaun Watson (or maybe Jameis Winston?) vs. Russell Wilson (or Justin Fields?).
Week 8: Texans at Chiefs
The best young quarterback in the game is Stroud against the best young quarterback in the game Patrick Mahomes. Both teams may be starting to compete for the top spot in the AFC League as the mid-season approaches.
Week 9: Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins should be close to full strength when it comes to the torn Achilles he suffered last season while with the Vikings. His first game in Minnesota, where he spent six seasons, will be emotional.
Week 10: Cowboys at New York Giants
Mandatory NFC East game.
Week 11: Chiefs at Niners
Cleanse your prime-time palate with a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl.
Week 12: Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers
Harboo bowl. Too catchy to get in prime time, no matter how often.
Week 13: Steelers at Eagles
The Steelers and Eagles both look very different than last season heading into 2024. Will either — or both — look to shore up the playoffs by this point in the year?
Week 14: Los Angeles Rams at Jets
The Jets had six prime-time games on the schedule last season with the acquisition of Rodgers putting them in the spotlight. But Rodgers dropped in Week 1. Schedule makers will be high on the Jets, but perhaps back down a bit.
Week 15: Jacksonville Jaguars at Texas
The South Asians take the big stage this week, and it’s another opportunity to highlight Stroud, as well as Trevor Lawrence.
Week 16: Miami Dolphins at Brown
The NFL can’t resist putting the Dolphins in high-leverage cold-weather situations. This could very much be the case as these teams will likely overcome the wildcard seeding in the AFC.
Week 17: Bills are in the black
Josh Allen and the Bills will see plenty of primetime throughout the season, even if expectations aren’t as high compared to previous years. The Lions once again go under the lights for a great interleague match.
Week 18: Chiefs Chargers
This match is more than just a placeholder. The league waits until the bets are set on the final weekend before scheduling the only prime-time window on “Sunday Night Football.” Any “winners and losers lose the playoffs” scenario would get the nod here.
“Food ninja. Friendly thinker. Explorer. Entrepreneur. Zombie junkie.