Do you hear that? That’s the sound of the kids running down the driveway to hop on the school bus, but going back to school isn’t the only thing that is just around the corner. We are mere days away from the start of the 2025 NFL season. There is a lot to unpack for this upcoming season, in many facets of the game and with individual teams.
Who will come out on top of the NFC North? Many consider the toughest division in football. Can Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl for the sixth time in seven years? Is Bryce Young able to take the next step forward in his quarterback progression to make the Panthers a good football team? That and much more will be answered in the next six months, but what games of the regular season have the most hype?
Let’s break down five regular-season games that I think really have potential to be the best of the 2025 NFL season.
The Top Five Most Anticipated NFL Games of the 2025 Season
Week 1: Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills – Sunday Night Football on NBC (Sept. 7)
What a way to put an exclamation point on the opening Sunday of the NFL! On Sunday Night Football of Week 1, we get a rematch of the AFC Divisional Round from last year’s playoffs in which the Bills ended up winning 27-25 in large part due to the play of their defense. In that game, Buffalo forced three turnovers that solidified their victory. Josh Allen and the offense struggled for the most part, only putting up 273 total yards to Baltimore’s 416, but defense wins games and that is what the Bills did.
When the coin toss happens, it’ll be nearly nine months later and anything can happen. Both the Bills and Ravens are heavyweight contenders for the AFC title once again in 2025 and starting their season against one another is a real treat for NFL fans. Can the reigning MVP, Josh Allen, turn in a better performance to knock Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on their butts to start the regular season? It’s definitely a possibility, but they may in fact need to rely on their defense once again.
Derrick Henry will also be a key factor if the Ravens want to take down the Bills. In last year’s playoff match-up, Henry averaged 5.3 yards per carry, totaling 84 yards and a touchdown. Look for the Ravens to give Henry a decent workload until the Bills slow him down. That is, if they can slow him down. Either way, this has the makings to be a really fun game to top off the first Sunday of the 2025 NFL season.
Week 2: Philadelphia Eagles @ Kansas City Chiefs – 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX (Sept. 14)
Who doesn’t love a good Super Bowl rematch? If you do, then Week 2 has the game for you! The Philadelphia Eagles head to Kansas City to see if they can beat the Chiefs twice in a row. Now laway, Chiefs fans, this next part is going to hurt a bit. The Eagles took it to the Chiefs in last year’s Super Bowl with a 40-22 shellacking. The only way to describe it was ugly. So ugly that the Chiefs didn’t even score until the third quarter of the game and by then, it was all but wrapped up.
The Eagles’ defense flexed their muscles all night against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. They forced three turnovers, and one of them went for a touchdown. That was courtesy of Cooper DeJean, who got the best 22nd birthday present I can think of with a pick-six. The Eagles have arguably the best defense in the league and that night, they showed the world why. Jalen Hurts was no slouch either, leading his offense to score two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. All that led to a Super Bowl MVP trophy and a night to remember for the Eagles.
The upcoming rematch will again test the Chiefs’ offense against the Eagles’ potent defense. To make matters worse for the Chiefs, stud wide receiver Rashee Rice will be serving his six-game suspension when kickoff happens. Can Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco do enough to get revenge on the Eagles? If they want to have a shot, those three and their defense will need to show up big time. Otherwise, we might be in for another romp of a game in favor of the birds.
Week 10: Detroit Lions @ Washington Commanders – 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX (Nov. 9)
Let’s fast-forward a bit to Week 10 of the NFL season and circle this one on your calendar because it could be fireworks for the entire game. The Lions head to Washington to take on the Commanders in another playoff rematch. These two faced off last year in the Divisional Round and left no one unentertained. Taking down the top seed in the NFC is no easy feat, but the Commanders did just that, and by two touchdowns no less. Combined, these two offenses put up over 1,000 yards in this game. The killer was the Commanders’ defense, forcing five turnovers on the Lions, and had it not been for that, this game most likely would have gone the opposite direction.
Both teams have very strong offenses that can both score a ton and do it in big play action. Jayden Daniels will look to build off his 2024 Rookie of the Year performance with some new faces. Brian Robinson Jr. is out, Deebo Samuel is in. Not only that, but Terry McLaurin FINALLY signed a huge contract extension that solidifies Daniels’ number one target through the air. There is also a hype train building for seventh-round rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, or “Bill” as he likes to be called. It will be interesting to see how much gets used this season, especially when they still have Austin Ekeler in the backfield, who can produce at a high level.
Meanwhile, Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions had their Super Bowl dreams crushed by the Commanders, and you better believe that Head Coach Dan Campbell has a plan. Goff and the Lions’ offense is one of the fastest-paced, highest-flying groups in the league. With an absolute stud running back in Jahmyr Gibbs, who ran all over the Commanders in the last game, and ol’ reliable receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, you know Campbell will use them to his advantage. Go mark November 9 on the calendar; it should be a fun game!
Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears – 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS (Nov. 23)
In my opinion, the big storyline here is: “Does Aaron Rodgers still own Chicago?” For those who don’t know, Rodgers has been an absolute nightmare for the Chicago Bears since his time in Green Bay. In 29 regular-season games against the Bears, Rodgers has a record of 24-5. Absolute domination. It’s not just the record, though; his stats are through the roof. In those 29 games against the Bears, he’s amassed 6,965 passing yards, 64 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. Sad stats to look at for the Chicago faithful.
But Rodgers isn’t a spring chicken anymore at the ripe age of 41, and he’s on his second team since leaving the Packers. Not only that, but the Bears are also much different than the last time they faced off. They have a new second-year quarterback in Caleb Williams and a new Head Coach in Ben Johnson, who is very creative in his play calling. If Rodgers wants to continue his “Chicago Bears ownership” with the Steelers, he’s going to have to revert to his younger self. He’ll need to establish a connection with newly-acquired stud wide receiver DK Metcalf, otherwise it might be another long afternoon in the Windy City.
Week 18: Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings – TBD (Jan. 3, 2026 or Jan. 4, 2026)
This is personally my most anticipated game of 2025. However, the season has to play out as I think it will for it to hold true to the hype. But if it does, I truly believe that this game will be the deciding factor in who wins the NFC North this season. It happened last year between the Lions and Vikings, and it could happen again this year, but with the Packers taking the Lions’ spot. Lions fans won’t like to hear this, but I don’t think they’ll have the season they had last year. Losing both of your coordinators is a significant concern for me, and I think they will take a substantial step back in 2025. But this isn’t about them. This is about the Packers and Vikings.
This is known as “The Border Battle” up here in the Midwest, and it’s a tradition unlike any other. The Chicago Bears are the Packers’ all-time rival historically, but you can bet your bottom dollar that we Minnesotans despise Green Bay just as much. This season, I think the Vikings and Packers will take the top two spots of the NFC North, and the final positioning will all come down to the first weekend in January.
If this comes to fruition, it’ll be a major test for second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The kid is a winner; he has been his whole football career. But if this game holds the magnitude I believe it could, he’s going to have to be at his absolute best. The Vikings have one of the most high-powered offenses in the league, largely in part to Head Coach Kevin O’Connell‘s love of throwing the football. That and having the best wide receiver in the league, Justin Jefferson. But it’s beyond just Jefferson; Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, former Packer Aaron Jones and now a reunion with Adam Thielen all spark a very talented offense. They should put up points, and the Vikings will have to if they want to win this game. Just don’t forget about Brian Flores’ pesky defense that creates turnover after turnover.
As for the Packers, they’ll need to follow suit in the scoring department. They know the Vikings can score, but so can the Packers. Jordan Love looks to have a bounce-back year after being riddled with injuries much of 2024, and he’ll have to lead the way. But don’t count out running back Josh Jacobs, who statistically had the second-best season of his career last year. The guy has a nose for the endzone and found it 15 times in 2024. Then there is the hype for rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden, who looks to finally be the WR1 the Packers have been searching for since Davante Adams‘ departure. It’s been a pretty bumpy road, but they’re hoping Golden can take that title.
It should be an absolute battle to the end, and I can guarantee that U.S. Bank Stadium will be shaking from all the noise.
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*Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan – USA TODAY Sports*
