Ranking the 5 Best Games of the 2026 NFL Schedule

I won’t pretend I’m excited to sit down and watch each and every game this NFL season.

Take Cardinals vs Jets in Week 15. If their seasons go as NFL odds expect, we’re staring down the barrel of Brady Cook vs. Carson Beck in the desert.

But for every Cardinals vs. Jets there’s an equally intriguing matchup at the other side. Early on, the NFL treated us to a Bills vs Lions showdown on TNF in Week 2.

Here are my five most intriguing games across the entire 2026 NFL schedule.

Ranking the 5 Best Games of the 2026 NFL Schedule

Bears at Seahawks: Week 8, MNF

I expect we’ll learn a lot about both these teams when they clash in the Pacific Northwest.

Chicago enjoyed an offensive resurgence in Ben Johnson’s first year. Driven by a powerful rushing attack, the Bears ranked ninth in offensive DVOA.

Seattle finished as the league’s top defense by DVOA. However, they also finished fourth highest in defensive variance.

How Caleb Williams fares against this secondary could provide valuable insight for the latter half of the season.

Bengals vs Chiefs: Week 14

I broke down this matchup as a huge scheduling edge for the Bengals. Compounding the intrigue? It’s a game featuring massive AFC seeding implications.

Most of the high-leverage matchups between these teams played out in Kansas City. This year, the Bengals get the Chiefs at home.

Assuming the Chiefs regain their footing, it’s going to tell us a lot about the defense. Cincinnati provides a massive challenge for the Chiefs’ secondary.

At the same time, Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz packages could exploit a weak Bengals line. How Cincinnati fares in those situations likely decides the game.

Broncos vs Rams: Week 3, SNF

I enter this season questioning the true quality of Denver’s defense. Anytime they played a decent opponent last season, the unit struggled.

Week 1 at Kansas City – depending on Patrick Mahomes’ health – could provide an initial reading. The Week 3 SNF game against the Rams, though, is the first real test.

How Los Angeles looks after a Week 1 Australia game and Week 2 MNF game remains unknown. A full-strength unit, though, provides the opportunity to score at will.

LA’s powerful offensive line and strong receiving corps directly contrast Denver’s strengths. Those factors will have me watching this game closely.

Bears vs Eagles: Week 3, MNF

Week 3 may possess my favorite SNF/MNF combo of any week upon release.

Chicago, against a defense that included Jalen Carter, dominated on the ground last year in Philly. But the inverse matchup provides more intrigue.

Chicago struggled mightily against the run last year. When they played the Eagles, the hosts operated without Lane Johnson and failed to establish the run.

I don’t expect we’ll learn much about the Bears defense against Carolina and Minnesota to open the season. But a meeting with Philadelphia could tell us if this team can stop the run.

Bills vs Chiefs: Week 12, Thanksgiving

What a way to close out the Thanksgiving Day action.

Buffalo, historically, dominates this head-to-head during the regular season. It also marks the first of three straight road games for the Chiefs.

From a matchup standpoint, this version offers a ton of intrigue. Mostly, I’m excited to see how a Kenneth Walker-led Chiefs rushing game fares against a bad unit from last year.

All the other matchups are weakness-on-weakness at full health. That element could decide who comes out on top in what should impact AFC seeding.