NFL fans have been treated to an excellent 2025 schedule on paper. So, it’s difficult to narrow down the top matchups to watch. But considering everything like time of year, timeslot, and holidays, these are the best games to look forward to in 2025.
every 2025 game right here 🏈 pic.twitter.com/1LMfsRP6mo
— NFL (@NFL) May 15, 2025
Week 13: Chiefs vs. Cowboys (Thanksgiving)
Featuring perhaps the two biggest ratings draws in the NFL right now, the second game on the Thanksgiving slate between the Chiefs and Cowboys will deliver many tens of millions of viewers. Dallas did a great job of containing Patrick Mahomes in their lone matchup in 2021 (a 19-9 Kansas City win when Mahomes had no touchdowns and one interception), so you can bet Mahomes will be fired up to take on a team from his home state. With the Cowboys adding receiver George Pickens, there’s increased firepower if a shootout breaks out this time.
Week 13: Broncos vs. Commanders (SNF)
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels ran away with Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season, but the Broncos will tell you they think they got the best quarterback in the draft in Bo Nix (finished third for OROY). And if you’re on social media, you might’ve seen how fiercely Denver fans support their quarterback—with Washington rightly believing in their guy, too. If both teams are good heading into Thanksgiving, the Sunday night matchup in Washington should be electric.
Week 16: Eagles vs. Commanders (Saturday)
Packers-Bears in this Saturday doubleheader deserves an honorable mention, but the NFC Championship Game rematch finally happens in Week 16 with Washington and Philly playing twice over the final three weeks. The Commanders added Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil as veteran pieces on offense as they look to take the next step as a team, while Philadelphia will attempt to show the 55-23 NFC title game result was no fluke.
Week 4: Bengals vs. Broncos (MNF)
From pure entertainment purposes, the Bengals’ 30-24 overtime victory against the Broncos last December might have been No. 1 in terms of regular season games. The fourth quarter included 14 points from each squad, as Nix and the Broncos kept answering before Joe Burrow and company—including three touchdowns capped by the game-winner by Tee Higgins—got it done. The rematch comes in Denver on Monday Night Football and should be must-see TV.
Week 11: Lions vs. Eagles (SNF)
The Lions and Eagles appeared to be on a collision course last postseason before injuries paired with an off night eventually caught up to Detroit in the Divisional Round. The Eagles play host on Sunday night in the middle of November, with the two juggernauts likely to be jockeying for playoff seeding—and perhaps the No. 1 seed—in the NFC.
Week 1: Ravens vs. Bills (SNF)
A Week 4 Sunday Night Football matchup did not go well for the Bills last year, but they played a clean game and took the intense playoff matchup a few months later. Both squads are looking to get over the ultimate hump and win the Super Bowl, and Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson finished one-two in the MVP race last season. NBC couldn’t have asked for much more to kick off Sunday Night Football in 2025.
Week 2: Eagles vs. Chiefs
The Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Chiefs comes in Week 2, which feels a bit odd to happen that early. But it’ll be a good test for both sides. From the KC perspective, they might feel better equipped to deal with Philly’s defense after adding left tackle Josh Simmons in the first round. Also, both squads will have a little extra rest after playing on Thursday and Friday to begin the year.
Week 17: Eagles vs. Bills
The Eagles came back to win a 37-34 overtime classic in wet conditions a couple of seasons ago, with Jalen Hurts going off in the fourth quarter—and Allen playing out of his mind on the other side of the ball, too. This one comes in the penultimate week of the regular season and is both a what-could-have-been Super Bowl LIX and a potential Super Bowl LX preview.
Week 1: Cowboys vs. Eagles (Season opener)
When September 4 rolls around, we’ll have been waiting several months for the NFL to return. Season openers bring a major Big Game feel, and Cowboys-Eagles should undoubtedly deliver that in the Kickoff Game. Dallas must first watch their rival hang a Super Bowl banner, but Dak Prescott might respond well to that. I’m reminded of the 2021 Kickoff Game when Dak played outstanding and nearly helped knock off the defending champion Bucs. Hopefully the first game of 2025 comes close to that or last year’s opener.
Week 9: Chiefs vs. Bills
There is seemingly much more shuffling than normal in terms of traditional NFC/AFC pairings with FOX/CBS, but CBS no doubt made sure that Chiefs-Bills was going nowhere. Allen and Mahomes are both supremely talented quarterbacks that now play the game in a very similar way—distributing the ball pretty evenly to their weapons and taking over however necessary, when necessary. Buffalo has had success facing Kansas City in the regular season before just a few breaks here and there don’t go their way in the postseason. Chiefs-Bills might determine homefield for a playoff rematch.
Week 13: Bengals vs. Ravens (Thanksgiving Night)
The final two games on the list sort of speak to what a great job the NFL—which has taken over the holidays in terms of sports—did in building the Thanksgiving and Christmas schedules. In the Thanksgiving nightcap, the Ravens host the Bengals in an AFC North battle that should be epic based on Baltimore’s two tight wins in 2024—despite Ja’Marr Chase totally going off in both contests. Cincinnati’s schedule looks relatively light for much of the year, but this also starts a three-game run of Baltimore-Buffalo-Baltimore for them as quite the way to begin the final stretch at Thanksgiving.
Week 17: Broncos vs. Chiefs (Christmas Night)
And the NFL delivered with its Christmas Day slate, starting with Cowboys-Commanders and Lions-Vikings—and ending with Broncos versus Chiefs at Arrowhead. We know Kansas City is Kansas City. Of course, the Broncos will need to build on what they did last season—the additions on defense including linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron should help, though the offense is relying on young guys stepping up. If they do, the very tough AFC West could have a legitimate challenger to the team that’s won nine consecutive division crowns.