It’s been about four months since every team in the NFL received word of its 17-opponent roster for the 2023 season, but each order’s finality was announced Thursday.
As is the case with imbalanced schedules, they are not all equal. For this reason, in every game plan reveal there are winners and losers.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the “winners” are destined for the playoffs and the “losers” should step up their scouting efforts for USC quarterback Caleb Williams. But there are certainly some ideal and unfavorable quirks that have cropped up in each team’s lineup.
Let’s go through some of the most egregious of these situations.
winner
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars will play at least three times in prime time in 2023. (AAron Ontiveroz/ The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars
As one of the hottest young teams in the league, the Jaguars will receive more of the spotlight than usual (three prime-time games) and that should bode well for Lawrence’s marketability as an up-and-coming premier quarterback. They’ve also played back-to-back games in London (Weeks 4-5 against the Falcons and Bills) and it presents a unique opportunity to bond the team as they begin their most anticipated season in years.
GO DEEPER
Finding NFL games on TV in 2023 could be confusing. Here’s what you need to know:
hawks
The Falcons knew in January that they would have the easiest playing strength in 2022 due to their opponents’ combined win rate of .417. After a busy offseason, there’s reason for optimism for a franchise that hasn’t had a winning tally or playoff appearance since 2017.
patriots
They have a difficult starting position ahead of them, but the Patriots have a chance to advance to the playoffs in 2023. If they can stay around .500 through Week 8, they’ll start the midseason with home games against the Commanders and Colts ahead of them byes for Week 11 and a chance to hone their skills against comparatively difficult teams like the Giants, Chargers and Steelers before the home straight to prove. If the Patriots are an improving team, they’ll be preparing for an exciting endurance run.
texan
Will the Texans make the playoffs again in 2023? Probably not. But they should be an improved team and they didn’t finish until 14th-15th. Week two consecutive away games (preceded by three home games in a row). That’s a cheap boost for a team that could use one.
GO DEEPER
2023 NFL schedule: team-by-team opponents, release time and what you need to know
Tan
Following the release of the roadmap, a lot of attention is being paid to the home/road splits, which is understandable as that’s the only thing set in stone. (No one really knows who will live up to or fall short of expectations.) But the Browns, who have quarterback Deshaun Watson in their first full season, have just one road trip — to distant Pittsburgh — ahead of them in their first six weeks. They host the Bengals, Titans, Ravens and 49ers and have their bye week during this period, giving Cleveland a chance to build momentum early before a late-season win.
49ers
They’re having a weird early days with away games against the Steelers and Rams, and that’s going to be a little more difficult until they have more clarity on quarterback Brock Purdy’s elbow. But according to recent trends, the 49ers are a second-half team, and they’re finishing off the season against the Seahawks, Cardinals, Ravens, Commanders, and Rams. If the 49ers are as solid as they have been in recent years, they could be among the hottest teams again as the postseason begins.
Jordan love
For better or worse, quarterback Jordan Love has a great opportunity to show why the Packers were ready to replace Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have five prime-time games — tying fifth most in the NFL — and Love can win a lot of people over if he plays well in the spotlight.
loser
Brian Daboll’s Giants are in for a tough start to the season as they play seven of their first 11 away games. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Giants
Reigning Coach of the Year Brian Daboll already knew his second season would bring plenty of challenges, but there was no way he could have predicted that scenario. Seven of the Giants’ first 11 games will be away against the Cardinals, 49ers, Dolphins, Bills, Raiders, Cowboys and Commanders. And three of their home games in this opening streak are against the Cowboys and Seahawks (two playoff teams as of 2022) and Rodgers’ Jets. If the Giants manage to stay put, they’ll have a chance to build a lead in the second half, but it’s going to be a daunting task.
Eagle
While the reigning NFC champions should do reasonably well this season, they have the toughest strength of the schedule – which they already knew given their opponents had an overall win rate of .566 in 2022 – and they’ll face an overcrowded Gillette Stadium , if Tom Brady is honored in week 1. Hard opening quirk.
jets
Six of the Jets’ first eight games will be against incumbent playoff teams, with the exceptions of the Patriots and Broncos, who all have reason to be better in 2023. Certainly there’s a lot of deserved hype surrounding the Jets for carrying on a talented defense, Rodgers added. But if the new system causes problems up front, the Jets will have a lot of catching up to do in the second half against an overburdened AFC.
GO DEEPER
Rodgers makes Jets debut on “MNF” against Bills
dolphins
There is also optimism in Miami. But quarterback Tua Tagovailoa also has understandable question marks, and the Dolphins start away against the Chargers and Patriots. It’s a tough start for an untested team. Another difficult problem: The Dolphins only host an AFC East team against the Patriots on Oct. 29, so they don’t have the great home field advantage of a division game in the intense South Florida heat.
robber
In coach Josh McDaniels’ second season, the Raiders are under pressure and they begin with road trips to Denver and Buffalo, followed by a home game against the Steelers and another divisional road trip to the Chargers. The Raiders don’t have a bye until week 13 either. And then they leave that bye against the Vikings, Chargers and Chiefs. Lots of stressful moments.
viking
The reigning NFC North champion has no choice but to deliver a strong result if he wants to return to the playoffs. They will wrap up their bye late in Week 13 with back-to-back away games against the Raiders and Bengals before hosting the Lions and Packers and visiting the Lions. If the Vikings are good enough, it won’t be a problem. Unless? It’s going to be a much closer divisional race than it will be in 2022.
Panthers
The Panthers have a lot ahead of them after a great offseason. Late in 2022 they were on a tougher road than expected, hiring a top-flight coaching staff led by Frank Reich, making trades and bringing in quarterback Bryce Young as No. 1 and should be on the rise. But if they’re in the running around Thanksgiving, they’ll have to work hard to stay there because as of Week 11, they have a lead against the Cowboys, Titans, Bucs and Saints, Falcons and Packers. with the Jaguars and against the Bucs. It’s a tough end to the season.
Oh-fers in prime time
The Texans, Falcons, Cardinals and Colts don’t have a single game in prime time. And while that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise — regardless of the fact that the Texans and Falcons are listed in the winners section — it never feels good not to be in the spotlight. That could all change later in the year with flexible game planning if CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson or Kyler Murray make their teams more entertaining than expected or if the Falcons make the jump to the winnable NFC South.
(Top photo of Miami’s Eric Rowe and Green Bay’s Jordan Love: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)