The 2023 NFL schedule is officially here, with the league announcing Thursday all 272 of its upcoming regular-season matchups. There are lots of premium showdowns to be found, from a Bills-Jets opener on “Monday Night Football” and a divisional-themed Thanksgiving tripleheader to all kinds of potential Super Bowl previews in prime time. In short, good games await.
With that in mind, it’s not too early to crown some winners from the 2023 schedule release. But when there are winners, of course, there are also losers. So here are our initial assessments:
Chicago was already set to play a bottom-half schedule, matched up with the 15th-easiest slate in terms of opponents’ 2022 win percentage, but all of a sudden they’re also prime-time darlings, too! Just months after finishing 3-14, dead last in the NFL to earn the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Bears are scheduled for at least four night games in front of a national audience, including a midseason trip to face Justin Herbert and the Chargers. The NFL must be buying into Justin Fields‘ new supporting cast.
Only three teams enter 2023 with a tougher schedule in terms of opponents’ 2022 win percentage, but on top of that, the G-Men will open the year with six of their first 10 games coming on the road. This of course allows them to finish the year with four of six at home, but if the early goings prove too daunting, that late home stretch won’t matter. The first six weeks in particular are a slog: vs. Cowboys, at Cardinals, at 49ers on a short week, vs. Seahawks, at Dolphins on a short week, then at the Bills. Even as a contender, escaping that stretch at 3-3 may feel like a big win.
Winner: New York market
OK, so maybe the Giants didn’t fare so well, with the NFL betting on them as the ultimate road warriors out of the gate. But that doesn’t mean the folks in and around New Jersey aren’t living the dream, knowing that not one but both of their franchises are getting major attention this year. The Giants are fresh off their first playoff run in a half-decade, and Aaron Rodgers has yet to take a snap as the Jets‘ new quarterback, but the two teams are booked for a combined 11 prime-time appearances in 2023. Things change quickly in the NFL, and suddenly it’s hot to represent the Big Apple again.
There’s a big NFC East thread going now. After advancing to the Super Bowl, Philly was destined to get a rough slate, entering with the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…