The 2026 NFL primetime matchups can’t get here fast enough. From the Super Bowl rematch to various other storylines, this season has a lot to look forward to. Let’s jump right in.
First and foremost, the opening game of the NFL season is one you can’t miss. The New England Patriots will be looking to avenge their Super Bowl 60 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. History shows that the rematch sometimes turns out better than the Super Bowl itself.
The first example that comes to mind was when the Seahawks hosted the Denver Broncos in the 2014 season. A few months before that game, Seattle dominated Denver 43-8 in an ugly Super Bowl. The rematch, though, was an instant classic.
The Legion of Boom and Russell Wilson jumped on the Broncos early and led 17-3 at the beginning of the fourth. Peyton Manning then answered with a couple of impressive drives, including a final game-tying drive to knot the game at 20-20. The game went into overtime, where the Seahawks scored on the opening possession to win 26-20.
Another example, oddly, includes Denver again. The opening game of the 2016 season was the Broncos’ game against the Carolina Panthers. A few months before that, Manning and the No Fly Zone dominated Cam Newton and company 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
The 2016 opening game featured Carolina going up 17-7. Denver then rallied to go up 21-20 with a few seconds left. The Panthers had a 53-yard game-winning field goal attempt to win, and they missed it.
The big takeaway from this is that Super Bowl 60’s uncompetitive display shouldn’t deter fans from watching this opening game. This is the first of my 2026 NFL primetime matchups to watch.
The second of my 2026 NFL primetime matchups to watch is when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Los Angeles Rams in the latter part of the season. This will be a game that will have huge playoff ramifications for both sides in their respective conferences.
The biggest storyline will be to see how Patrick Mahomes will look at this point. If he can play well against a daunting defensive line featuring Myles Garrett and possibly Aaron Donald, it’ll give him even more confidence in his ability post-injury. It’ll also be a sneaky revenge game for Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie.
The two-time All-Pro corner was traded from Kansas City to Los Angeles a few months back for a couple of draft picks. It’ll be interesting to see McDuffie face off against Rashee Rice in a real NFL game rather than in training camp.
Finally, the cherry on top is reminiscing on the last time these two teams played on primetime. It was a Monday Night in 2018, and both the Chiefs and Rams were viewed as the two best offensive teams in the league. That game lived up to the hype as Los Angeles won 54-51. That was the third most combined points ever in NFL history.
Matthew Stafford is on one side and Mahomes on the other; therefore, we could get some glimpses of that performance again.
The matchup against Denver will be one that Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have circled on their calendar. Early this year, the Broncos beat the Bills 33-30 in a back-and-forth divisional playoff game. That game left Allen in tears at the presser and led to longtime head coach Sean McDermott being fired.
The crushing loss was viewed as a disaster for Buffalo fans because of the path. The Chiefs were not in the playoffs. That meant the Bills had the best quarterback on any given game in the AFC bracket.
Following a win against a good Jacksonville Jaguars team, Buffalo’s path seemed open. The Bills had to beat a young Broncos team led by second-year QB Bo Nix in the divisional round. Buffalo would probably next beat a young New England Patriots team led by second-year QB Drake Maye in the AFC Championship.
Everything appeared to be lining up for the Bills until it suddenly wasn’t. Buffalo had five turnovers and kept getting in their own way. At the end, it proved costly as they excruciatingly lost in overtime. 11 months later, they go back to that very same field. How will they respond?
This is my third 2026 NFL primetime matchup to watch for. Revenge games are fun storylines to follow.
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The 2026 NFL primetime matchups have too many to choose from. It feels like the league went all in on the standalone games. A clear example is how the Thanksgiving slate looks.
Normally, it doesn’t always produce the best product because the best teams aren’t necessarily playing on that day. This year, it’s a different story.
The day begins with the Chicago Bears taking on the Detroit Lions. Next comes a classic NFC East rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. The Chiefs and the Bills cap off the night. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Football season is almost here!
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