David Helman
NFL Reporter
We’re truly living in a golden era of NFL football.
A league with more parity and more star quarterbacks than ever before is scheduling like it. The NFL has branched out into new time slots, new days of the week, new methods for airing games. There are more good games and more ways to watch them than ever before.
Still, there’s something so satisfying about a good Sunday slate. It’s fun to watch football on Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays, but it’s tough to beat the OG.
In honor of that, here are some of my favorite matchups we’ll see on Sundays — and an epic doubleheader on a December Saturday — this year on FOX.
*AGOTW = America’s Game of the Week
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11. Vikings at Seahawks: Week 13, 4:05 p.m. ET
I wish this game was happening a bit earlier in the season, before we had a clear idea of what these teams were going to be. Sam Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record last season, and now the guarantees on his Seahawks contract are more than the rest of his career earnings combined. How will he live up to that anticipation, and how will his 2025 compare to J.J. McCarthy, who will (presumably) lead the Vikings into Seattle at the end of November? This should be a really fun look at who’s handling the breakup better.
10. Eagles at Cowboys: Week 12, 4:25 p.m. ET (AGOTW)
It’ll be hard to top the anticipation sitting on their Week 1 kickoff game in Philadelphia, but the return matchup in this rivalry is still juicy. Either the Cowboys or Eagles have won the NFC East in eight of the past 10 seasons. Even with Washington’s emergence, it’s a good bet this is going to be a crucial game for playoff standing.
9. Lions at Bengals: Week 5, 4:25 p.m. ET (AGOTW)
The only other time Joe Burrow has played the Lions, they were 0-6 during an abysmal 2021 season. This time, Detroit comes to Cincinnati as one of the most complete teams in the league and a Super Bowl favorite. Sounds like a perfect time for the Bengals to announce themselves as legitimate in 2025. On the first Sunday in October, this is a big chance for both teams to make a statement about where they stand.
T7. Eagles at Commanders: Week 16, TBD (Saturday)
We don’t know kickoff times yet, but FOX’s Saturday doubleheader is the centerpiece of the Week 16 slate. Washington has a lot of big games on the schedule yet none bigger than a rematch of the NFC Championship Game. The Commanders were just happy to be playing on that stage in January, but a 55-23 beatdown couldn’t have left a good taste in their mouths. It’d be silly to say Washington can avenge that loss, given that the Eagles are hanging a new championship banner in their building this fall. But maybe the Commanders have closed the gap this year — and maybe a big win here could push them to a division title. Securing the NFC East crown in Week 16 might be necessary for Philadelphia, which travels to Buffalo the following week before closing out the regular season at home against Washington.
T7. Bears at Packers: Week 16, TBD (Saturday)
This game doesn’t need storylines to be good. Oldest rivalry in the NFL, two young teams with big expectations for the season. Even if that’s true, it’s that much more fun when there is some added intrigue. Ben Johnson made waves in January when he kicked off his introductory Bears press conference by saying how much he enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur when he worked for Detroit. LaFleur has done his best to downplay the comments, but it’s pretty easy to infer that the Packers’ head coach might have some added motivation to put the Bears in their place.
6. Commanders at Cowboys: Week 7, 4:25 p.m. ET (AGOTW)
We didn’t actually see Jayden Daniels square off against Dak Prescott in 2024. The Cowboys’ starter had already been lost to injury when Dallas and Washington met for the first time last year, so this will (hopefully) be their first NFL faceoff. On top of that, this should be an early look at how the Commanders and Cowboys measure up to the Eagles in the NFC East.
5. Eagles at Bills: Week 17, 4:25 p.m. ET (AGOTW)
I’d have put this game slightly higher on the list if it was happening earlier in the season. Given the success we’ve seen from the Bills and Eagles, we can’t guarantee that they’ll be playing all their starters with just two games until the playoffs. Still, there’s a lot to like. Star quarterbacks, loaded rosters, and the potential for winter weather in Orchard Park. This could be another classic, like their overtime game in 2023.
4. Rams at Ravens: Week 6, 1 p.m. ET
There aren’t many offenses that are more fun to watch when everything’s clicking. In 2023, Lamar Jackson and Matthew Stafford delivered one of the most fun afternoons of the season on a rainy day in Baltimore. I’m optimistic they can do it again on Oct. 12. Both of these teams will be gunning to win their divisions, and Davante Adams is now on hand with Stafford and Sean McVay. The potential for fireworks here is sky high.
3. Bears at Lions: Week 2, 1 p.m. ET
What a time Week 2 is going to be. Hours before the Super Bowl rematch between Kansas City and Philadelphia, Ben Johnson will make his return to Detroit for the first time since leaving for Chicago. The Bears’ new head coach oversaw one of the best offenses in football when he worked for the Lions, and the hope will be that he can hit the ground running with Caleb Williams & Co. There’s no better chance to prove he’s the man for the job than an early win on the road against the reigning division champs.
2. Bengals at Bills: Week 14, 4:25 p.m. ET (AGOTW)
In a season full of big-time quarterback matchups, this is one of the best. Not only are Josh Allen and Joe Burrow two of the best in the game, but they also haven’t played very often. The Bengals and Bills have only matched up twice since their star quarterbacks entered the league, with Cincinnati winning both contests. The Bills have had the better run of things over the past two years, but the Bengals absolutely have the talent to re-claim their spot as a real AFC contender.
1. Eagles at Chiefs: Week 2, 4:25 p.m. ET (AGOTW)
It’s a popular answer for a reason, because who doesn’t want to see the two best teams in the league face off again? The Eagles were the better team on Super Bowl Sunday, but I’m positive the entire Chiefs organization is desperate to prove they weren’t as overmatched as they looked that evening. If this game was later in the season, it wouldn’t intrigue me as much. There are too many variables, too many things that can change as the season wears on. But in Week 2, when both teams are still likely to be fairly healthy? Sign me up.
David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.
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