Ok, we have good news and some bad news. On the bright side, professional football is back as select teams begin mandatory minicamps. Unfortunately, about 93 days stand between fans and the start of the NFL season. Not bad, right? Okay, it is sort of a tough situation to be in, but that won’t stop members of the Def Pen Sports team from looking ahead to Week 1 of the 2023-2024 NFL season. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will look to defend their Super Bowl title, the Jets will kick off the Aaron Rodgers era, Sean Payton will begin his tenure in Denver and Lamar Jackson will return to the Ravens. Those are just a few of the major storylines of the upcoming season. Not to be forgotten, the 49ers will look to wreak havoc on the NFC after falling short in the conference title game and the Lions are eager to make a giant leap in their development. With all of that in mind, members of the Def Pen Sports team put their hopes, fears and excitement for the upcoming season into one giant list of the games they’re most excited to see beginning in September.
Just Missed The Cut: Eagles v. Giants (Week 16), Bengals v. Chiefs (Week 17), Bills v. Cowboys (Week 15)
Honorable Mention | Jaguars v. Chiefs (Week Two)
Network: CBS
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, September 17th
“Down in Jacksonville, Florida, fans have something to look forward to other than the annual Georgia-Florida showdown. After ending a five-year playoff drought, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars enter the 2023-2024 NFL as the proverbial favorite in the AFC South. With those expectations, the Jaguars will have to make their way through a much tougher schedule. This season, the Jaguars’ defensive unit will be put to the test against a number of star quarterbacks, including Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. However, their toughest test may come in the second week of the season when Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs come to town. If the Jaguars are able to emerge with a win, it’ll set the tone for what could be the team’s best season since 2017.”
–Ryan Shepard, Def Pen Culture Editor
10. Cowboys v. 49ers (Week Five)
Network: NBC
Time: 8:20 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, October 8th
“Nothing excites a broadcast network quite like a matchup featuring two of the league’s biggest fanbases. Coming out of one tunnel, the San Francisco 49ers head into this matchup with the feeling that they could’ve been in the Super Bowl if they had a healthy quarterback. In the other tunnel, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys feel as if they have all of the tools to make their way to the Super Bowl for the first time in over 25 years. Not to mention, fans will get to watch the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel share the field with Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. This has all the makings of a classic Sunday Night Football matchup.”
–Ryan Shepard, Def Pen Culture Editor
9. Bengals v. Bills (Week Nine)
Network: NBC
Time: 8:20 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, November 5th
“Damar Hamlin is set to return to Paycor Stadium, the same stadium where he was injured a year ago. This game will be a bittersweet reminder to fans of Hamlin’s remarkable and inspiring return to the NFL. The world continues to support his recovery and success.”
–Danielle Germain, Def Pen Sports Writer
8. Eagles v. 49ers (Week Thirteen)
Network: FOX
Time: 4:25 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, December 3
“Deebo Samuel ruffled some feathers during the week of Super Bowl LVII when she said that the 49ers would have beaten the Eagles in the NFC Championship is Brock Purdy hadn’t been injured. Since then, the two NFC foes have been trading blows on social media and it likely won’t stop until the two teams meet on the field again. Hopefully, all starters will be able to take the field for this matchup.”
–Ryan Shepard, Def Pen Culture Editor
7. Broncos v. Raiders (Week One)
Network: CBS
Time: 4:25 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, September 10
“The Denver Broncos open the season at Mile High Stadium against their divisional foes, the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders make their way into Denver with a six-game winning streak against the Broncos. In fact, Denver hasn’t beaten the Raiders in five years. Furthermore, the Broncos lost 11 of their last 14 games under first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett. With new coach Sean Payton, fans are curious what the team will look like in the second week of the Russell Wilson era.”
–Danielle Germain, Def Pen Sports Staff Writer
6. Falcons v. Panthers (Week One)
Network: FOX
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, September 10
“The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers start the season off with a highly-anticipated NFC South battle. In a wide-open race for the NFC South crown, this week one matchup also carries playoff implications. In Carolina, fans await to see which quarterback will emerge as the starter in week one — Bryce Young or Andy Dalton. Meanwhile, fans in Atlanta eagerly await the debut of top-10 draft pick Bijan Robinson.”
–Danielle Germain, Def Pen Sports Staff Writer
5. Panthers v. Texans (Week Eight)
Network: FOX
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, October 29th
“Another likely rookie quarterback battle here between the number one and number two overall selections. CJ Stroud and Bryce Young were the clear top two players at the position in the draft, but who is better? This game won’t really answer that, but it will make the speculation fun for a while.”
–Dylan Hargis, Def Pen Sports Staff Writer
4. Jets v. Chiefs (Week Four)
Network: NBC
Time: 8:20 p.m. EST
Date: Sunday, October 1st
“Are the New York Jets with Aaron Rodgers really Super Bowl contenders this season? Despite the game being early in the year this matchup could give us an idea about what the Jets will be with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Patrick Mahomes can further cement his legacy this season with another Super Bowl win and that will absolutely be on his mind.”
–Dylan Hargis, Def Pen Sports Staff Writer
3. Dolphins v. Chiefs (Week Nine)
Network: NFL Network
Time: 9:30 a.m. EST
Date: Sunday, November 5th
“This game is exciting for two very different reasons heading into a new NFL season. Tyreek Hill will be taking on his former team in a critical game for the AFC Playoff race. More excitingly this game will also take place in Germany and will help further expand the NFL’s roots into the European market. The second German NFL game should be high-powered offense all game long.”
–Dylan Hargis, Def Pen Sports Staff Writer
2. Jets v. Bills (Week One)
Network: ABC + ESPN
Time: 8:15 p.m. EST
Date: Monday, September 11th
“There’s not a whole lot that needs to be said. Aaron Rodgers will make his debut with the New York Jets on September 11th on ESPN against the Buffalo Bills. This could be an incredibly compelling start to a new era for the New York Jets or it could be a Josh Allen-led blowout of one of the least successful franchises in the league. Who knows? Well, we’ll all know at around 11:30 p.m. EST on September 11.”
–Ryan Shepard, Def Pen Culture Editor
1. Chiefs v. Eagles (Week Eleven)
Network: ABC + ESPN
Time: 8:15 p.m. EST
Date: Monday, November 20th
“A Super Bowl rematch isn’t uncommon, but it does not happen every year. This game could be between the favorites of both the NFC and AFC by Week 11. Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are two of the best in the NFL and will continue to prove that this season. This game will be must-watch NFL action this season.”
–Dylan Hargis, Def Pen Sports Staff Writer
