The NFL 2023 season just cannot come quick enough.
In the meantime, we’ll keep doing our best being distracted by the AFL and NRL seasons, plus perhaps jump in some fantasy drafts and binge Netflix’s The Quarterback docu-series (which is pretty good!).
But there’s nothing quite like the realisation that the season-opener has arrived.
But for those just starting to wrap their head about America’s top tier football comp firing up, here are the key burning questions.
Here’s our NFL 2023 guide.
When’s the NFL 2023 season start?
SEPTEMBER 9 (AEST) | Week 1 season opener
Week 1 for NFL 2023 is the second week in September and it all kicks off on Friday morning down under, September 9; the Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs, starting at 10:20am AEST.
Here’s our breakdown of the NFL schedule release.
How to watch the NFL 2023
As per usual, select games will be on Kayo and Foxtel, via ESPN. Most featured games are included — Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, plus selected games in the busier slots that start early Monday in Australia.
But for the full smorgasbord of games, including one of the greatest products on television, Red Zone, that’s now available through DAZN — a newish streaming app pronounced ‘Da-zone’, that frankly still has a bit of work to do. Let’s hope the glitches and kinks have been ironed out by NFL 2023 Week 1.
The full selection of content will remain branded as Game Pass, but accessed through DAZN. You will need a subscription, so have your credit card / Apple ID ready.
What’s the best NFL Fantasy app or platform?
Forget the NFL’s official destination and even ESPN — they’ve been severely trumped by Sleeper. The user experience is far better on Sleeper; better for drafts, in season management and way cleaner. Sleeper also does NBA and now MLB too, but football is its bread and butter.
Here’s the download link.
Who won the Super Bowl last season?
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Head Coach Andy Reid let Kansas City to a second Super Bowl victory in four years, as both further cemented their Hall of Fame legacies. And Mahomes still has plenty of good football ahead.
Kansas City is once again in the mix to make a major splash.
Much of the Chiefs’ road to the Super Bowl was captured through The Quarterback.
Who are the NFL 2023 contenders?
Here’s where we start to notice the lop-sided nature of the NFL right now, with so many of the contenders and teams with great quarterbacks residing in the AFC (conference) and not the NFC. Nine of the top 13 teams, as far as Super Bowl betting odds are concerned, compete in the AFC.
AFC contenders: Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, Ravens, Jets, Jaguars, Chargers, Dolphins, Browns
NFC contenders: Eagles, 49ers, Cowboys, Lions
It’s not impossible the one of the franchises not listed goes on to claim the Lombardi trophy. Just highly unlikely. It’s also crazy to think that at least two of the above AFC teams will miss the Playoffs altogether.
NFL 2023 storylines to follow
The strength of the AFC: As mentioned above, the AFC will be a murderer’s row for a bunch of the teams in the mix across the NFL 2023 season.
Bragging rights to secure honour of second-best quarterback in the NFL: There are several ‘contending’ QBs for this mantle, with it being widely understood that Patrick Mahomes is in his own tier. The signal-callers in the mix are Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, LA Charger Justin Herbert and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts. Or perhaps a wildcard emerges…?
The New York Jets, featuring Aaron Rodgers: One of the AFC contenders that has lofty expectations is the Jets, after going ‘all-in’ and trading for Green Bay Packers great Aaron Rodgers in the off-season. It’s going to be a dramatic journey for the outfit that hasn’t made the post-season in 12 years. Rodgers was named league MVP in back-to-back years as recently as 2020-21.
There are countless other storylines, of course. But it’ll be fun to also track whether one of the competing NFC teams goes where they haven’t gone before… or at least in a very long time. Detroit will be looking to win a Playoff game for the first time in 32 years, San Fransisco Head Coach Kyle Shanahan still hasn’t won a Super Bowl and the heavyweight franchise the Dallas Cowboys hasn’t been to the NFC title game since 1996.
Biggest Week 1 games
Lions @ Chiefs | The season-opener is always huge.
Raiders @ Broncos | Will new Head Coach Sean Payton fix Russell Wilson and Denver?
Cowboys @ Giants | Two NFC East teams with huge followings.
Bengals @ Browns | AFC North encounters are always classics and both of these sides are in the mix.
Packers @ Bears | Another instalment of one of American sport’s most historic rivalries.
Bills @ Jets | New York’s rough schedule starts by hosting Josh Allen’s Buffalo, an incredible way to end Week 1 for Monday Night Football.
When is the 2024 Super Bowl?
FEBRUARY 11, 10:30am AEST, Allegiant Stadium in Paradise (Las Vegas), Nevada
The Super Bowl is heading to Vegas, baby. It marks the first time the NFL’s championship game will take place in Nevada and the third straight year it’s in the Western half of America.
Officially, it’s Super Bowl LVIII, or Super Bowl 58.
