How to Watch Week 1 of the NFL Season, and Who’s Playing?
After months of waiting, regular season NFL football is back. The NFL week 1 schedule has been out for months, but the waiting is virtually over.
On Thursday, September 5, 2024, the first game will be played, followed by another special attraction the following night. All that action takes place before the first Sunday of NFL football arrives. Today, find out more about who’s playing in week one and how you can watch.
How to Watch the NFL
The NFL has been a staple on major broadcast television stations for years. However, many fans ran into problems as they were limited by the market that they were in.
For instance, people in South Florida were going to get Miami Dolphins games, unless they were in a nationally-televised slot, even if they didn’t want to watch that game. NFL Sunday Ticket changed all of that, and with its deal with YouTube, you can now watch out-of-market games.
Prices vary depending on the package you choose and whether you have any discounts available, so be sure to look around if you don’t live close to your favorite team.
Now that you know how to watch the NFL in 2024, let’s get into the 2024 NFL season preview for the first week of games.
Thursday Night Football
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs
8:20 PM ET (NBC/Peacock)
We get a rematch of the AFC Championship Game to kick off the 2024 NFL season, and fans are already excited. The AFC title game was odd in the sense that Baltimore largely gave up running the ball, even though they led the league in rushing yards during the season.
With the addition of Derek Henry in the offseason, it’s safe to assume that Baltimore plans on building around the run game. That’ll be put to the test against the defending Super Bowl Champion, Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes is the best player in football, and getting to see him in primetime action to start the season is a perfect opening act.
Friday Night Special
Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil
8:15 PM ET (Peacock)
When the announcement of an NFL game in Brazil came out, there was a lot of mystery surrounding who would be playing. Those questions were answered when the league announced that the Eagles would be the default “home team” when they play against the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers started slowly last year as Jordan Love took over for Aaron Rodgers. Will their young offense be able to put up points against the talented Eagles' defense?
Jalen Hurts is in a lot of preseason MVP conversations, and the game being in Brazil makes this potential playoff matchup even more exciting.
Sunday
Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons
1 PM ET (Fox)
The NFL is taking Saturday off before kicking off a full slate of games on Sunday. Both the Falcons and the Steelers have new signal callers under center this season, as Russell Wilson was traded from the Broncos to the Steelers, and Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons after years in Minnesota.
That’s the biggest storyline going into this game. Which QB will start his new era with a win?
Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears
1 PM ET (Fox)
Speaking of new quarterbacks, the Chicago Bears made USC’s Caleb Williams the first pick in the draft, and have handed him the keys to the kingdom.
Chicago has a talented receiving group with DJ Moore, rookie Rome Odunze, and Keenan Allen, so Williams is set up for success.
Meanwhile, the Titans lost their best offensive player (Derek Henry) to the Ravens in the offseason. The Bears were bad enough last year to earn the top pick in the draft, and they’re depending heavily on rookies and new faces to turn the corner.
Will it work, or will the Will Levis-led Titans kick off the season with a road win?
Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins
1 PM ET (CBS)
Tua Tagovailoa came into the league as the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, a year before the Jaguars took Trevor Lawrence first overall.
Neither QB has been able to lead their team to a lot of postseason success, but they’re both considered two of the best young QBs in the league today.
On paper, Miami looks like the favorites in this one, but the Jaguars shouldn’t be underestimated. Jacksonville did lose Calvin Ridley, so it’ll be interesting to see how T-Law performs with another new-look group of receivers.
Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills
1 PM ET (CBS)
The Cardinals were an interesting study last year, largely because of injuries to QB Kyler Murray. He’s back, and they’ve added Marvin Harrison Jr., the highly-coveted rookie out of Ohio State.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen lost Stefon Diggs, his top receiver from a year ago. Bills fans will undoubtedly be jumping through tables in anticipation of this game, but it won’t be an easy home opener.
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals
1 PM ET (CBS)
The injury bug bit Joe Burrow again last year, limiting the Bengals’ franchise QB to only 10 games. He’s back and healthy, while the Patriots are in the first year of the post-Belichick era. The Pats grabbed UNC’s Drake Maye to be their new QB in the 2024 Draft, and the roster is still a little thin.
The Bengals should probably win this game, but it’ll be interesting to see how the new-look Patriots perform in their opening game.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
1 PM ET (CBS)
When the Texans took CJ Stroud in the 2023 Draft and the Colts selected Anthony Richardson, experts were salivating at the QB matchups to come.
Unfortunately, Richardson missed most of his rookie year with an injury, but he’s slated to be a full-go in Week 1 this year. The Texans shocked the world and made the playoffs, and they only got better in the offseason with the addition of Stefon Diggs.
While the NFL usually schedules “big games” for later in the day, this one has the potential to be the Game of the Week.
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
1 PM ET (Fox)
Bryce Young had a rookie season to forget, but he’s looking to make a giant leap in his sophomore campaign.
Meanwhile, the Saints are going into their second year with Derek Carr under center. Neither of these teams is expected to win the NFC South, but the division is also pretty wide open.
It’s rare for NFL Week 1 games to have potential long-term ramifications, but in a winnable division, this one might matter.
Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
1 PM ET (Fox)
The Vikings had a lot of hope following the NFL Draft when they took National Champion QB, JJ McCarthy out of Michigan. Unfortunately, he got injured in camp and is going to miss the entire season, leaving the team under the care of Sam Darnold.
The Giants are running it back with Daniel Jones, who many believe is the most overpaid QB in the league. In a week full of must-see matchups, this one may not be the best game, but it should still be a fun affair.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
4:05 PM ET (CBS)
Jim Harbaugh makes his return to the NFL in a home game against AFC West rival Las Vegas. The first-year Chargers head coach is coming off a national title win at Michigan, but the Chargers look very different from a year ago.
Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen are all gone, but the defense still looks stout. The Raiders are missing Josh Jacobs, who signed with Green Bay in the offseason, and they will have a new QB. This is another divisional matchup that should be fun to watch.
Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks
4:05 PM ET (CBS)
A couple of years ago, this game would have been a homecoming for former Seahawk, Russell Wilson. Now it’s the debut of Bo Nix, the rookie QB from Oregon. The Seahawks begin life after Pete Carroll with a home game against a Broncos team coming off a terrible 2023.
The Seahawks are sticking with Geno Smith, though they have a new head coach. The Broncos have a Super Bowl-winning coach with a rookie QB. This game should be a lot of fun for viewers.
Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns
4:25 PM ET (Fox)
Fox’s first Game of the Week sees the Dallas Cowboys head to Cleveland for a Week 1 matchup of two great defenses. Dak Prescott has been the focus of a lot of debate since the Cowboys don’t seem ready to offer him a huge contract, while the Browns hope to finally see Deshaun Watson in extended action.
Both offenses have potential, and the Cowboys looked great last year. But, this one should be a good defensive battle.
Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4:25 PM ET (Fox)
Baker Mayfield resurrected his career in Tampa, and he’s back to build on that. Meanwhile, the Commanders are rebuilding again, this time with a new head coach and a rookie QB.
If Jayden Daniels can live up to his pre-draft hype, the Commanders should be much better than a year ago, and this early-season matchup will be a good test on the road.
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
8:20 PM ET (NBC)
The first round of Sunday Night Football for 2024 sees Matt Stafford return to Detroit, where he spent the bulk of his career before going to the Rams and winning a Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, former Ram, Jared Goff, has been instrumental in the Lions becoming one of the best teams in the NFC. Both rosters look great, and both coaches know how to win. This is a marquee matchup.
Monday Night Football
New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers
8:15 PM ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes)
Last season, the Jets were thrilled to have four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers under center. That all ended on the third play of the season when Rodgers went down with a season-ending injury.
A year later, they’re trying it again, this time, against the vaunted San Francisco 49ers, the team who passed on Rodgers in the draft years ago.
Will the 49ers begin their march toward another Super Bowl with a home win, or does Rodgers get a win in what will (hopefully) be his first full game?
There you have it! Week one is here, and these previews can help you choose which game to tune into.