The NFL Sunday Night Football schedule for 2023 is here. One of the best parts of the NFL offseason is the schedule release, as fans start to project which games they’ll attend and how their team will perform in the fall. One of the best prime-time game experiences is Sunday Night Football.
NFL Sunday Night Football Games and Schedule
All games are on NBC.
- Week 1: Giants vs. Cowboys
Sept. 10 - Week 2: Patriots vs. Dolphins
Sept. 17 - Week 3: Raiders vs. Steelers
Sept. 24 - Week 4: Jets vs. Chiefs
Oct. 1 - Week 5: 49ers vs. Cowboys
Oct. 8 - Week 6: Bills vs. Giants
Oct. 8 - Week 7: Eagles vs. Dolphins
Oct. 22 - Week 8: Chargers vs. Bears
Oct. 29 - Week 9: Bengals vs. Bills
Nov. 5 - Week 10: Raiders vs. Jets
Nov. 12 - Week 11: Broncos vs. Vikings
Nov. 19 - Week 12: Seahawks vs. 49ers
Nov. 23 - Week 13: Packers vs. Chiefs
Dec. 3 - Week 14: Eagles vs. Cowboys
Dec. 10 - Week 15: Ravens vs. Jaguars
Dec. 17 - Week 16: Bengals vs. Steelers
Dec. 23* - Week 17: Packers at Vikings
Dec. 28
*NBC’s Sunday Night Football game is being broadcast on Saturday in Week 16.
We have a weekly breakdown of every week’s NFL Sunday Night Football schedule below, including which teams are facing off and what channel you’ll be able to watch the action.
Week 1: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys kick off Sunday Night Football on Sept. 10. It should come as no surprise that the NFL looked to put the New York games in prime-time slots in such close proximity to Sept. 11, with the Jets facing off against the Bills on Monday Night Football, also in New York. With both Big Apple teams relevant in 2023, it makes sense that they’d get big home games at such significant times.
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The Giants and Cowboys should both be playoff contenders in 2023. The Cowboys have won 11 of the last 12 meetings against the Giants dating back to 2017. A season ago, Dallas won their final matchup 28-20 and the first 23-16. The two games the season prior were even more lopsided in Dallas’ favor.
Week 2: New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins
After years of being a relative punching bag for the New England Patriots, as many teams were, Miami has turned things around since Tom Brady’s departure to Tampa Bay. The Dolphins have won four of the last five divisional matchups. However, the last one they played was a 23-21 loss against New England on New Year’s Day. That game featured Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson against Mac Jones.
Miami’s offense was relentless early in 2022, and the Patriots’ defense proved to be one of the league’s best a season ago. That will undoubtedly be the matchup that gets the most play, but the more important between the two teams for their own sake is the inverse. New England’s offense must improve under Bill O’Brien, and Miami’s defense must improve under Vic Fangio.
Week 3: Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Raiders and Steelers may not be the most marquee matchup of the Sunday Night Football slate, but early in the season, there should still be more than enough intrigue to keep the masses interested. The Raiders have the kind of star power to impress, especially before the toll of a long NFL season takes players away due to injury and exposes their lack of depth.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has continued to overachieve relative to the roster they’ve written on paper the last few seasons. If they can squeeze more out of Kenny Pickett behind what looks to be an improved offensive line, Pittsburgh could surprise a lot of people in 2023.
Week 4: New York Jets vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes versus Aaron Rodgers is always fun. However, this will be the first time the two will meet as conference foes. The Jets had a young and exciting defense a season ago, but the roster lacked the required quarterback play to compete for playoff contention late in the year.
What could make this game particularly interesting is that the Chiefs’ defense tends to slowly work their way into campaigns, which means it likely still looks like one of the league’s worst in Week 4. We should see a fun shootout between two of the most talented quarterbacks ever.
Week 5: San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have seen their season come to an end in consecutive years against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL playoffs. The 49ers are an interesting cast this season because both their top quarterbacks are returning from serious injuries suffered a season ago, and Sam Darnold awaits the Kyle Shanahan curse of not being able to keep QBs healthy.
Dallas looks to exact some revenge against the 49ers’ defense that has smothered them in both playoff losses. However, it will be somewhat hollow because former San Francisco defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is in Houston now.
Week 6: Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants
It will be fun to see the Giants and Bills meet on Sunday Night Football in Week 6, given Brian Daboll’s relationship with Buffalo and Josh Allen. Many around the league and on social media have even claimed that Daniel Jones reminds them of Josh Allen in the way he’s able to use his legs as a secondary weapon to his arm.
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While Jones isn’t nearly the physical specimen that Allen is, he’s certainly athletic enough to make an impact with his legs, and what Daboll and Mike Kafka were able to do on offense without outstanding weapons surrounding Jones was admirable a season ago. Meanwhile, the Bills remain one of the league’s true contenders.
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Miami Dolphins
The Eagles and Dolphins should prove one of the premier SNF matchups of the season. Miami’s offense was incredibly efficient a season ago through the air when Tua Tagovailoa was healthy, and the Eagles’ offense could run by any opponent on the ground while also having an efficient and explosive passing attack.
But what makes this such an exciting matchup are these two defenses. Sean Desai hails from the Fangio tree. Philadelphia’s defense needed to retool after a season of losing key veterans, but they’ve rebuilt well, and Desai should prove a good option at DC. Meanwhile, Chris Grier has thrown assets left and right at Miami’s defense, which should prove valuable in Fangio’s defense.
Week 8: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears finally figured out how to surround Justin Fields with some insulation as they head into Year 3 with the young QB. Meanwhile, Justin Herbert is another young QB trying to prove himself worthy of the hype he receives, not just by his individual play on the field, but through team success, which is what all quarterbacks are unfairly graded on.
Herbert and Fields may be similar in style, but their traits aren’t too different. They’re both big, athletic quarterbacks with really good arms and a lot still yet to prove. The question in this game will be what each defense is able to accomplish in stopping these young talents.
Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills
Two of the best young quarterback’s in the NFL face off in what should be an epic battle between two of the NFL’s most talented teams. Buffalo and Cincinnati aren’t simply QB-driven entities, either. Lou Anarumo is arguably the most underrated defensive coordinator in the NFL, and Buffalo’s defense is incredibly talented.
Week 10: Las Vegas Raiders vs. New York Jets
The Jets and Raiders might be in different places by the time Week 10 rolls around. However, with the high-end talent on the Raiders’ roster, if they’re able to remain relatively healthy, there’s a chance Vegas could make a bit of a splash about midway through the season.
Meanwhile, the Jets are one of the most exciting teams in the league. Their defense was outstanding a season ago, and adding Rodgers provides them the QB play they desperately yearned for a season ago.
Week 11: Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Denver Broncos played in five prime-time games a season ago. But all the moves they made last offseason mattered little in the end. However, they added Sean Payton, and George Paton added pieces they desperately needed along the offensive line to protect Russell Wilson. While we won’t know until September if Wilson is “fixable,” there’s enough on Denver’s roster to be excited about.
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Meanwhile, the Vikings were a surprising 13-4 a season ago. While they went through their fair share of turnover from last year, Kevin Stefanski and Co. are in prime position to be the favorites in the NFC North with Rodgers’ departure from the Packers.
Week 12: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Chargers may be habitual underachievers late in NFL seasons, but they should still be around and contending by the time their Week 12 matchup against Baltimore rolls around. Herbert versus Lamar Jackson is a premier QB matchup, and the Ravens should be square in competition for the AFC North.
This game will come down to the chess matches between Kellen Moore, Mike Macdonald, Todd Monken, and Brandon Staley. It will be fascinating to see how Moore’s offense changes as he moves to the West Coast. It will be similarly interesting to follow Monken’s offense in Baltimore.
Week 13: Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
This is a tough Sunday night matchup for a Packers team that will likely struggle more than they’re used to in 2023. By Week 13, the Chiefs’ defense should be rounding into form, and as long as Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Andy Reid exist, Kansas City will hold an advantage offensively against any opponent.
Week 14: Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
We were robbed of the Cowboys-Eagles matchup we deserved a season ago when both teams were incredibly talented. We also missed on the opportunity to see Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott face one another. Each missed a game against their division rival throughout the season.
The Cowboys and Eagles look to be two of the NFC’s best once again in 2023. Philadelphia retooled their defense, and Dallas added essential pieces in Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore.
Week 15: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens get a second game on Sunday night, this time against another young QB with some of the best physical traits in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence took off a season ago under head coach Doug Pederson, and the Jaguars became one of the league’s most exciting offenses by the end of the year. Adding Calvin Ridley to the offensive mix should only help their cause.
Jacksonville will likely be looking to just about wrap up the division around Week 15, barring some surprising outcomes in the AFC South. Meanwhile, Baltimore should be in the mix for the AFC North title and is certainly one of the conference’s Wild Card contenders.
Week 16: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals (NFL Network)
Note: Sunday Night Football will be on Saturday in Week 16.
The Steelers and Bengals will be a fine Saturday matchup in late December. While Pittsburgh may not be competing for the top of the division by this point, they’ll almost certainly be competitive in the Wild Card battle.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati will likely find themselves squarely in the mix for the top seed in the AFC.
Week 17: Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers
This may be an underwhelming way to end the league’s slate of Sunday Night Football games. The Vikings will likely either still be in a battle for the NFC North title or already have it wrapped up by now. Meanwhile, the Packers might be looking towards April’s draft and one of the top quarterbacks.
Or, maybe Jordan Love proves he’s grown significantly behind a Hall of Fame QB, much like that Hall of Fame QB sat behind another Hall of Fame QB before him.
