2026 NFL schedule: The top 10 must-watch games of the season includes many Thanksgiving and Christmas matchups

The NFL’s oldest rivalry is alive. Ben Johnson backed up some trash talk with two huge wins over the Packers, including an overtime victory late in the regular season and a comeback from 18 points down in a wild-card playoff game. The Bears are an exciting team coming off an NFC North crown, with Caleb Williams entering his third season. And scheduling this game to kick off a Christmas tripleheader — all three Christmas games could have been on the top 10; Rams-Seahawks will make an appearance on the list and Bills-Broncos was a close miss — gives it a great platform. The NFL’s oldest rivalry hasn’t always been this engaging because historically it has been rare that both teams have been good at the same time. That adds extra heat to the two matchups this season.

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears took two of three games against the Green Bay Packers last season. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

(Todd Rosenberg via Getty Images)

8. Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, Week 12 (Thanksgiving)

The Lions have gone from an unfortunate appetizer every Thanksgiving to a delicious main dish. And while the Lions missed the playoffs last season, that was a bit unlucky. They should rebound this season. By Thanksgiving the NFC North race should be red hot, and this will be a good spotlight for where Detroit stands. Especially against the Bears, who won the division last season and are an exciting team on the rise. This is a fun one to kick off Thanksgiving, which has three marquee games. We can all give thanks to the Lions for a massive improvement under coach Dan Campbell and becoming a prime Thanksgiving attraction.

7. Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills, Week 2

The NFL is giving Buffalo a full spotlight for the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium. The Bills will get a fun opponent in the Lions and they’ll be on Thursday night, giving them a standalone game to celebrate the new stadium that cost more than $2 billion to build. And it’s not just the stadium celebration; this could end up being one of the best Thursday night games of the year between two exciting teams.

6. New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, Week 1

The traditional opener featuring the Super Bowl champions is always a football holiday. The NFL had some strong candidates to be the team to open the season at Seattle. But it went with a Super Bowl rematch.

Super Bowl LX wasn’t a great game. The Seahawks won 29-13 and the outcome was rarely in doubt. But we don’t always get a Super Bowl rematch the following regular season, and the Patriots visiting Seattle has a rightful place among the most anticipated games of the regular season. Both teams won 14 games last regular season, and should be good again this season. The Patriots will be looking for a better performance against the Seahawks this time around.

5. Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills, Week 12 (Thanksgiving)

As you go down the list, you’ll notice that all three Thanksgiving games made the top nine. Well done, NFL schedule makers. The Chiefs and Bills have given us some classic battles in the Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen era. There is a small chance that the Chiefs don’t rebound to their dynasty form after a rough 2025 season. It seems way more likely that they’ll be back in the playoff mix. Here’s a spoiler for the rest of the list: Christmas and Thanksgiving games make up more than half of the top nine. The NFL decided to go all out for those holidays.

4. Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, Week 12 (Thanksgiving)

This could be the best Thanksgiving slate we’ve seen, with Bears-Lions followed by this big NFC clash, then Chiefs-Bills finishing up the night. It’s also perhaps the best Christmas schedule we’ve seen, and the best international set of games too. Last season more than 57 million people watched the Cowboys beat the Chiefs on Thanksgiving, which was a record for an NFL regular-season game. This game could top that, given the rivalry and the huge market for each team. The game could lose its luster a bit if the Cowboys don’t improve, but if this is for first place in the NFC East — it very well could be — the ratings will be staggering.

3. Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams, Week 5

The last time the Bills and Rams met in 2024, Josh Allen made NFL history by becoming the first player ever with three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in the same game, but the Rams overcame that to win 44-42. Getting a game between the past two NFL MVPs at quarterback is fun, and this Monday night matchup could end up being repeated in Super Bowl LXI.

2. Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills, Week 8

Yep, another Bills game in the top five. Last season the Ravens and Bills gave everyone an absolute thriller in Week 1. The Bills trailed 40-25 with less than four minutes left but Josh Allen rallied Buffalo to a 41-40 win. That started a rough season for the Ravens that ended without a playoff berth. Lamar Jackson wasn’t at his best last season, but he and Josh Allen are still two of the NFL’s most electrifying players. It’s also a matchup between two rookie head coaches, Buffalo’s Joe Brady and Baltimore’s Jesse Minter. If it’s anywhere near the game these two teams played last season, it will be another classic.

1a and 1b. Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams, Week 16 (Christmas) and Week 18

We got three fantastic games between these teams last season, including the NFC championship game. These were probably the two best teams in the NFL last season and the same could be true again this season. The two matchups between these teams will go a long way in shaping the championship chase all season. The Christmas game at Seattle caps off a great tripleheader for the holiday. And a Week 18 rematch in Los Angeles has serious Sunday night flex for the NFC West title possibilities. We couldn’t pick just one for the top spot, so both Rams-Seahawks games lead the list.