We know the most important date, and one of the teams involved. That’s Sept. 6, when the NFL season begins in Philadelphia, with a prime-time game starring the defending champion Eagles. What we don’t yet know is how the rest of the NFL schedule will shake out, with the exception of three compelling games in England.
But we do now know the full schedule will be released Thursday night during a two-hour prime-time special on NFL Network. (As usual, the league is announcing its schedule before the NFL draft, because it doesn’t want to detract from that event. This year’s draft begins on April 26.)
The Thursday night schedule release show, hosted by Scott Hanson, will also reveal the highly anticipated slate of Thursday night Fox games, although more scheduling nuggets are likely to dribble out in the 24 hours before that program.
Until we have specifics, here’s a look at the opponents each team will face in 2018, at home and on the road, plus one game we’re most looking forward to for every team. But first, five games you absolutely, positively must not miss. Clearly, these may change once we add “when” to the “who” and “where.”
Vikings at Eagles: The underdog Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl with a convincing 38-7 NFC championship game victory over Minnesota, depriving the Vikings of a Super Bowl home game. Nick Foles passed for 352 yards and three touchdowns against a Minnesota defense that allowed just 15.8 points per game. For the rematch, again in Philly, Minnesota should trot out new quarterback Kirk Cousins in what may well be the league’s season opener.
49ers at Rams: These teams served notice that they could be the future of the NFC West in their Week 3 meeting last fall. They combined for 80 points and 839 total yards in that game, as the 49ers, down 41-26 midway through the fourth quarter, nearly pulled off the comeback before falling, 41-39. Coaches Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay remain two of the most dynamic young offensive minds in the league.
Patriots at Steelers: The two long-standing powers met in what was one of the best games of the 2017 season, with New England winning on the correctly enforced but utterly inscrutable catch rule that was, mercifully, revamped in the offseason. Tom Brady, who went on to win the MVP award, rallied New England for 11 unanswered points over the final eight minutes.
Packers at Patriots: Is it fair to list the Patriots twice? Yes, if Brady, at 41, is still healthy. Besides, how often do you get to see Brady vs. Aaron Rodgers in a head-to-head matchup? Answer: Not bloody often. (Their last meeting, to be precise, came in November 2014, when the Packers won, 26-21, at Lambeau Field.) Brace yourself for the interminable and intensifying lead-up debates about which quarterback is the GOAT, assuming both are healthy.
Rams at Chargers: The NFL is back in L.A., so this all-L.A. matchup has to be a very big game, right? (Honorable mention to the Raiders’ season opener, featuring the return of Jon Gruden to the sideline, after nearly a decade in the ESPN broadcast booth.)
Bonus: The London games are not to be sneezed at. The Seahawks play the Raiders on Oct. 14 at the new Tottenham stadium; the Eagles play the Jaguars on Oct. 21 or 28 at Wembley Stadium; and the Titans face the Chargers on Oct. 21 or 28, also at Wembley.
AFC EAST
New England Patriots
Home: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings.
Away: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans.
Games we can’t wait for: It will be must-see when the Patriots play the Steelers in a rematch of their 2017 regular-season game (won 27-24 by the Pats); and when they face the Jaguars in an AFC title game replay (won 24-20 by New England). Then there’s the aforementioned Green Bay showdown. We declare a three-way tie.
Buffalo Bills
Home: Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans.
Away: Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings.
Game we can’t wait for: The Bills promise to be interesting, but we’re looking forward to the first matchup against the Patriots. Buffalo figures to still be salty over the Kelvin Benjamin touchdown catch that was overturned during the NFL’s Great 2017 Season of Just What Is a Catch Anyway.
Miami Dolphins
Home: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans.
Away: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings.
Game we can’t wait for: The Dolphins haven’t been to Lambeau Field since October 2010, a game they won. And don’t expect this to be scheduled for late in the season. Only two of the team’s six trips to the frozen tundra have been in November or December.
New York Jets
Home: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings.
Away: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans.
Game we can’t wait for: The Browns and Jets are both likely to use high draft picks on quarterbacks later this month. Maybe, just maybe, this will be a marquee matchup of two touted youngsters.
AFC NORTH
Pittsburgh Steelers
Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots.
Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Game we can’t wait for: The first game against the Bengals will be emotional after linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a serious back injury in last season’s early December game.
Baltimore Ravens
Home: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Away: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans.
Game we can’t wait for: The Bengals knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs on a 49-yard pass from Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd with 44 seconds left on New Year’s Eve in Baltimore. The season’s first rematch, whether in Baltimore or Cincinnati, should be . . . interesting (even with Vontaze Burfict off serving a four-game suspension).
Cincinnati Bengals
Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers.
Game we can’t wait for: There will be lots of new personnel on the sidelines (Jon Gruden anyone?) but you know — you just know — a Bengals-Raiders game will be chippy.
Cleveland Browns
Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets.
Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Games we can’t wait for: Actually, all of them. Seriously. The Browns have been revamped under General Manager John Dorsey and will continue to overhaul the roster with 17 kabillion draft picks. The key here is to watch the late-season games, as players get used to each other. Are we about to be living in a world in which the Browns show promise?
AFC SOUTH
Jacksonville Jaguars
Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins.
Away: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants.
Game we can’t wait for: The road game against the Giants in East Rutherford, N.J. — the Tom Coughlin bowl — will match a tough defense against a Giants team that was a mess in 2017. Could get ugly.
Tennessee Titans
Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins.
Away: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants.
Games we can’t wait for: The Titans swept the Jaguars last year. Think it’ll happen again?
Indianapolis Colts
Home: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants.
Away: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins.
Game we can’t wait for: Robert Griffin III is long gone from Washington, set to take on the backup role in Baltimore; will Andrew Luck, who was taken ahead of RGIII in the 2012 draft, be ready to play when the Colts face the Redskins?
Houston Texans
Home: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants.
Away: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins.
Game we can’t wait for: The one in which Deshaun Watson returns from his torn anterior cruciate ligament. Barring that, the one in which J.J. Watt returns from his tibial plateau fracture.
AFC WEST
Kansas City Chiefs
Home: Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers.
Away: Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks.
Game we can’t wait for: A good rule of thumb is to never miss a single AFC West game, but some games are more equal than others. For instance, let’s see how new starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes fares in his first outing against new Broncos quarterback Case Keenum.
Los Angeles Chargers
Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans.
Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks.
Game we can’t wait for: The Chargers went on a 6-1 run starting Nov. 19 and just missed out on their first playoff berth since 2013, doomed by a slow start that led to a 9-7 record. Let’s see what happens this year against the much-hyped Rams in the Battle for L.A.
Oakland Raiders
Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks.
Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers.
Game we can’t wait for: How long until Jon Gruden, who takes over a team that had two four-game losing streaks last season, makes his first Chucky face on the sideline? We predict it will happen against the Steelers, whose coach makes some pretty interesting faces of his own.
Denver Broncos
Home: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks.
Away: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers.
Game we can’t wait for: The five-win Broncos were a punching bag last season and the first game against the Chiefs, with a new quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, will tell us a lot.
NFC EAST
Philadelphia Eagles
Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings.
Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans.
Games we can’t wait for: We’re already popping popcorn for the game against the Falcons, the team Philly edged, 15-10, in a playoff game in January. Also worth mentioning: that game against the Vikings, a rematch of the NFC championship game in which Nick Foles passed for 352 yards and led the Eagles to a 38-7 win.
Dallas Cowboys
Home: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans.
Away: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks.
Game we can’t wait for: We’re not picky. If Dez Bryant winds up on an NFC East team, we’re there for that.
Washington Redskins
Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts.
Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans.
Game we can’t wait for: Alex Smith has his work cut out for him against some of these defenses. We’re interested in seeing how he does in New Orleans, against a team that narrowly missed advancing to the NFC championship game. The Saints helped doom Washington’s 2017 season with an improbable comeback win at home.
New York Giants
Home: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans.
Away: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers.
Game we can’t wait for: Welp, the Giants figure to be a work in progress, what with a new coach and a revamped roster, and this schedule doesn’t hold out much hope. But Eli Manning did have his two biggest days of the 2017 season against the Eagles (passing for 366 and 434 yards).
NFC NORTH
Minnesota Vikings
Home: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers.
Away: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks.
Game we can’t wait for: There’s much to draw attention to the Vikings, but we’ll take the first meeting with the Packers. Aaron Rodgers figures to be healthy and he did not hide his disgust for the tackle by Anthony Barr that left him with a broken collarbone and derailed what looked like it might have been an MVP season last October.
Detroit Lions
Home: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks.
Away: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers.
Game we can’t wait for: The questions don’t so much surround the Lions’ offense as they do the team’s defense. What will Matt Patricia, the team’s new head coach, do with this group? Let’s see how the gang fares against New England, where Patricia formerly served as defensive coordinator.
Green Bay Packers
Home: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers.
Away: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins.
Game we can’t wait for: Rams vs. Packers in L.A.? Sure, but see also the Vikings, above.
Chicago Bears
Home: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Away: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers.
Game we can’t wait for: We’ll see how much Mitch Trubisky has grown against the fearsome Vikings’ defense.
NFC SOUTH
New Orleans Saints
Home: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins.
Away: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants.
Game we can’t wait for: From the Saints’ perspective, the game to watch is the playoff rematch against the Vikings, in Minnesota. In that unforgettable playoff game, Drew Brees had a classic second half, completing 17 of 22 passes for 177 yards with three touchdowns. But the Saints’ season ended in a heartbreaking 29-24 loss that came on Stefon Diggs’s fantastic buzzer-beater touchdown.
Carolina Panthers
Home: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks.
Away: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins.
Game we can’t wait for: Pretty much every matchup in the league’s black-and-blue division is must-see, but we’ll take the game in Pittsburgh. Just because.
Atlanta Falcons
Home: Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants.
Away: Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins.
Game we can’t wait for: See Eagles, above.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Home: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins.
Away: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants.
Game we can’t wait for: The Bucs played a lot of close games last season — and lost many of ’em. Maybe the game against the Browns bears watching. Maybe.
NFC WEST
Los Angeles Rams
Home: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles.
Away: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders.
Game we can’t wait for: The Battle for L.A. supremacy.
Seattle Seahawks
Home: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings.
Away: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders.
Game we can’t wait for: The Legion of Boom is bust. Is there any oomph left in the 49ers rivalry?
Arizona Cardinals
Home: Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins.
Away: Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings.
Game we can’t wait for: Let’s see how they fare against the Rams, who figure to rule the division.
San Francisco 49ers
Home: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders.
Away: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Game we can’t wait for: San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo, the Patriots’ former backup QB, gets to face Detroit’s Matt Patricia, the Patriots’ former defensive coordinator. Both men have gotten nice promotions.
