Get ready, football fans! The official release date of the 2023 NFL regular season schedule has been revealed. Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 11th, as the much-anticipated schedule will finally be unveiled, per Adam Schefter. Ignites the new excitement and anticipation for the upcoming action-packed season.
However, there’s a report from ‘NBC Sports’ suggest that there may be a delay in finalizing the slate. The NFL is exploring options to complete the 272-game season. In addition, the resolution of high-profile player situations may impact which teams receive Primetime slots, and even the distribution of Thursday night games could change.
2023 NFL Season; Record-Breaking 14 Playoff Rematches.
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Schefter revealed that the 2023 NFL season will feature record-breaking 14 playoff rematches from last season. This is the highest number of playoff rematches in a single season in NFL history.
Among these rematches are the Super Bowl showdown between the Chiefs and Eagles, both Conference Championship rematches (Bengals vs. Chiefs and 49ers vs. Eagles), as well as all four Divisional games (Bengals vs. Bills, Jaguars vs. Chiefs, Cowboys vs. 49ers, and Giants vs. Eagles).
This season’s schedule will feature 14 playoff rematches from last season, the most in a season in NFL history, including rematches of the Super Bowl (Chiefs-Eagles), both Conf Championships (Bengals-Chiefs & 49ers-Eagles) and all 4 Divisional games (Bengals-Bills,… https://t.co/5KGmU2d00g
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2023
Nevertheless, as the league turns the scheduled release into a festive event, fans have varied reactions to the development. Here, one fan reminisces about a simpler time when the NFL schedule was released without much fanfare, expressing surprise at the current hype and considering it excessive.
I'm old enough to remember when they put the schedule out, you looked at it a few minutes, then went about the rest of your day. This whole event has become insane!
— C. Kennedy (@ck07712) May 8, 2023
This fan wants the Texans and Panthers to face each other in Week 1 of the NFL season.
Announce Texans panthers week 1
— Gerald (@GeraldBets) May 8, 2023
Another twitter user is excited about the Week 1 matchup between the 49ers and Cowboys.
We all want 49ers vs Cowboys SNF Week 1
— Alex☪️ (@G6KlayT) May 8, 2023
While this one considers the Dolphins vs. Bills as the best Wildcard matchup.
And the best Wildcard matchup: Dolphins-Bills
— Zak🔥🐬 (@ThaCreekFreak) May 8, 2023
Some believe that having more playoff teams will result in more playoff rematches.
More playoff teams = more playoff rematches pic.twitter.com/93uSQz7nlt
— 𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓻 (@SpencerG_24) May 8, 2023
One fan is eager to find out which team will be featured on the TV show “Hard Knocks.”
Schefty I just need to know who’s on hard knocks
— Dustin Schandy (@D_Schandy24) May 8, 2023
A fan expresses the opinion that a rematch can only be considered as such if it occurs in the playoffs again.
It’s not a rematch if it’s not in the playoffs again
— Marcus (@marcuskh97) May 8, 2023
Jets fan have been louder than ever:
Who cares post the jets schudule
— 💔💔💔💔 (@Lerodgers_6) May 8, 2023
Unexpected match ups are all around it seems.
wow i def didn’t expect the nfl to make a giants-eagles rematch when they just played in the divisional that was very unexpected
— lol (@maxeyslegacy) May 8, 2023
This fan analyzes the number of playoff rematches and identifies specific matchups, mentioning SF-SEA, NYG-PHI, BUF-MIA, and BAL-CIN as rematches, while noting that some playoff games do not have rematches in the 2023 regular season (DAL-TB, MIN-NYG, LAC-JAX).
Considering there are only 13 playoff games, this feels improbable. However, there are multiple inter-divisional games.
Multiple rematches: SF-SEA + NYG-PHI + BUF-MIA + BAL-CIN
Playoff games without a rematch in 2023 regular season: DAL-TB + MIN-NYG + LAC-JAX
— Eric Henrichs (@UncleEric) May 8, 2023
NFL Schedule 2023: Delays Threaten Excitement
However, a recent report by Peter King of NBC Sports suggests a potential delay in completing the 2023 NFL schedule. The scheduled crew will meet with Commissioner Roger Goodell in New York to discuss tentpole games, providing more clarity on highly anticipated matchups. The NFL is exploring options and using computer-generated alternatives to finalize the 272-game regular season slate.
NBC’s report also suggests, the resolution of Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson situations gives priority to the Jets as a Primetime team and makes the Ravens attractive for night games. The Jets may have 11 or 12 Primetime/Sunday doubleheader games, while each team can have up to six Primetime regular-season games. Furthermore, any team can play on Sunday night in week 18. Baltimore might have fewer Primetime games than the Jets but will still make multiple appearances.
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Lastly, also the distribution of Thursday night games on Amazon Prime Video might change. Stronger teams could receive two games, while weaker teams may be excluded, improving the streaming schedule and offering more Primetime exposure for competitive teams with a national following.
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As fans await the official release of the 2023 NFL regular season schedule, these updates and considerations add an extra layer of excitement for the highly competitive season.
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