What we know about the NFL opener 2024? We are mere months away from the first Thursday Night Football game of the 2024 NFL schedule.
Though every NFL game typically garners great ratings, this Thursday Night Football matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens will feature two teams that you would normally find in primetime games like Monday Night Football or on Sunday Night.
The Chiefs are the first team to repeat as champion since the New England Patriots in the early 2000s. Though it is one game on the NFL schedule, and the second game between the two teams since the previous season, it will be one that has all eyes on it.
NFL Season Opener 2024: Chiefs vs Ravens
There is a lot to look forward to since the 2024 NFL schedule release. Though each NFL game matters in the long run, there are a few teams that stand out. Teams like the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and Philadelphia Eagles will feature heavily.
There are three games on the 2024 NFL schedule that are very enticing because we don’t see them often. The Miami Dolphins will visit Green Bay in Week 13 in an interesting AFC/NFC matchup. The New York Jets will be on Monday Night Football again this year, this time against the San Francisco 49ers. In the first Monday Night Football game of the previous season, Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles, ending his season. Finally, the NFL announced that there will be two games on Christmas featuring staples like Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Houston.
In addition to the opening game of the 2024 regular season, there are other preseason games worth checking out:
- Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears – NFL Hall of Fame Game
- Green Bay Packers vs. Cleveland Browns –Cleveland Browns Stadium
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Las Vegas Raiders – Allegiant Stadium
- Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams – SoFi Stadium
- Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants – MetLife Stadium
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Cleveland Browns – Cleveland Browns Stadium
- New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers – Levi’s Stadium
- New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers – Bank of America Stadium
- Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills – HighMark Stadium
The 2024 NFL schedule release has come and gone, creating an exciting regular season slate. Regular season games are all important featuring playoff implications every Sunday afternoon and Sunday night.
The 2024 Season Opener. pic.twitter.com/bFZvyUIyx1
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) May 13, 2024
NFL Season Opener 2024: Game Details
One game will be the focal point of the 2024 NFL schedule to start the regular season. Though NFL Network previously got select Thursday Night Football games, the NFL Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs will exclusively stream on Peacock. It is not the first regular season NFL game that the streaming platform has offered.
It will be held on Sept. 5, 2024, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Opening kickoff will be at 8:20 p.m. ET. Peacock/NBC will have exclusivity for the opening NFL game, one of the best opening game matchups in NFL history.
Historical Context
The opening game of the NFL schedule is meant to set the tone for the remaining regular season games. There will be plenty of Sunday afternoon games (and three Thanksgiving Day games), but there is something to be said about that first contest.
Though it has not always been the tradition, the defending Super Bowl champion often kicks off the season. Sometimes, it is a rematch of the previous year’s Super Bowl. Here are the best five games to kick off the regular season, many of which were on NFL Network in the early days:
- 2002: San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants (NFL Network) – 49ers won 16-13
- 2004: New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts- Patriots won 27-24
- 2007: New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts – Super Bowl rematch, Colts won 41-10
- 2011: Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints – Packers won 42-34
- 2017: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots – Chiefs won 42-27
There have been a million others, and you can see the same team during certain stretches of dominance like the Patriots and Chiefs. There will be a lot of regular season games and the average NFL game can’t feel bigger than the first.
Team Preparations
Since the NFL announced the schedule and the NFL season opener 2024, teams have been looking forward to specific matchups. More importantly, everyone is preparing to get the 2024 NFL season underway.
They have two games each against division opponents and some even have an international game (South America this year) to look forward to. With the 2024 NFL schedule release in the rearview mirror, here are a few important things each team has to consider.
Training Camp
Training camp is when each team gets ready before kicking off an NFL game. Coverage on NFL Network is comprehensive, and you may even be able to find some film of various teams throughout the training camp process. Each team has three preseason games to prepare for ahead of the regular season.
During camp, the incumbents get into the best shape possible and knock the rust off from the offseason. There are rookies and those trying to make the roster as well. It is a chance to find out what the very best version of the team will be going forward.
Roster Moves
For the Chiefs, things look favorable in the wake of the NFL schedule release. Their moves have been all over NFL Network, most notably drafting receiver Xavier Worthy. With him and the addition of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has more weapons than perhaps at any point of his career.
The biggest additions for the Ravens came in the NFL Draft. First-round pick CB Nate Wiggins and second-round pick OT Roger Rosengarten could start from day one. Derrick Henry will get all the attention of all the free agent signings, improving the already formidable Baltimore rushing attack.
Injury Concerns
At this stage in the season, injuries are few and far between. Most teams are battling nagging injuries or wear and tear as they get into game shape. Neither team has major injury concerns right now, but it will be tougher when the season begins.
For the Ravens, it is about replacing important pieces like Patrick Queen (signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers) and Gus Edwards (signed with the Los Angeles Chargers). There is turnover for every team and it’s hard to argue with the Chiefs’ moves over the last four seasons.
Fan Expectations and Excitement
Both teams have sky-high expectations. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson won the NFL MVP for the second season a year ago and should be in contention this year. Both teams are looking past the divisional round and into the final weekend of the AFC schedule for their goals.
Social media, both for the fan bases and from pundits around the league, have the two as favorites in the AFC. NFL Network has done comprehensive coverage of the season already and the two come up as division champions and Super Bowl contenders. For the Chiefs, having to play in the wild card round is a disappointment because they expect to earn the No.1 seed.
Chiefs Expectations
The Kansas City Chiefs expect to not only go back to the Super Bowl, but to win it all. Head coach Andy Reid is one of the greatest to ever do it and has a quarterback in Mahomes that will threaten Tom Brady for all-time status.
In addition to Reid, the Chiefs have a great defensive coordinator (the team finished 2nd in team defense in the playoffs) and even a linebackers coach who gets the most out of his guys. The best teams find production everywhere in the lineup and the Chiefs are no different.
With a veteran core and three Super Bowls in four seasons, the Chiefs aren’t going anywhere. So long as Reid, Mahomes, and Travis Kelce are in town, the Chiefs will be favorites more often than not. In the fourth quarter when the pressure is high, Mahomes has proven to be better than everyone else.
Ravens Expectations
Head Coach John Harbaugh has made it clear that the Ravens are shooting for the Super Bowl every year. The Ravens have one of the most consistent front offices in the NFL and find success in the regular season virtually every year.
Even losing players like Edwards and Queen, the Ravens will no doubt plug new pieces in and not miss a beat. The AFC North is perhaps the toughest division in the NFL and a topic of conversation regularly on NFL Network. When you’re a great team, you get a lot of coverage, to say the least.
The Ravens return the reigning NFL MVP in Jackson. They bring Henry, one of the most dominant running backs over the last five years, into the fold. The defense should be nasty once again and playing in Baltimore is one of the toughest things to do in the NFL. If anyone can threaten the reign of the Chiefs in the AFC, it is the Ravens.
Other League Contenders
Before we go further into the opening night of the NFL schedule, it bears mentioning other potential contenders for the Super Bowl. In the AFC alone, there are numerous contenders either looking to take the next step or to rebound from a down year in 2023.
The Cincinnati Bengals will be dangerous now that QB Joe Burrow is back from injury. The Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen have been trying to get over the hump for years. The Cleveland Browns have the talent to go further in 2024 after an injury-ravaged 2024 season.
In the NFC, there is no shortage of challenges. The Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and others are there to bring the title back to the NFC. All of these teams no doubt have the Chiefs in their crosshairs now and throughout the season.
Broadcast and Viewing Options
The opening game of the 2024 NFL schedule will stream exclusively on Peacock, the streaming platform of NBC. Typically, NBC has been the home of Sunday Night Football but will expand its lineup to include the first game of the season.
Viewers will need to sign up for the Peacock platform in order to view the game. The network streamed one game exclusively on the platform last season and it could be the start of a trend of streaming platforms getting exclusive rights to individual games.
Predictions and Expectations
What about the game itself? Though there is still more than a month before we kick the NFL season off, that hasn’t stopped experts and pundits from making their choices. Here is what the experts are saying about the game and the players you should be watching going into it.
Expert Picks
At most sportsbooks, the Chiefs are favored over the Ravens. The line is somewhere around three points, meaning the Chiefs need to win by more than three in order to cover the spread. The Ravens, meanwhile, would need to win outright or lose by less than three to cover.
It is easy to see why the Chiefs are favored. Being defending Super Bowl champions would be enough. Playing at home in front of the raucous Arrowhead crowd might be enough on its own, too. With the additions the Chiefs have made, they are going to be favored in virtually all of their games this season.
Players to Watch
Let’s start with the Ravens. On the offensive side of the ball, you have to start with Jackson. The two-time NFL MVP is one of the most dynamic players in the game. He can burn defenses with his arm or legs and now has Henry to work with in the backfield.
Defensively, the Ravens are retooling a bit but haven’t changed all that much. They had one of the best units in the NFL a season ago and that shouldn’t change. Zach Orr is the new defensive coordinator after serving as linebackers coach, but he’ll have all the talent in the world around him.
For the Chiefs, the offense could be one of the most dynamic in the league once again. Mahomes and Kelce are back, the offense running through them. Running back Isaiah Pacheco is one of the best in the league and Mahomes now has new weapons in Worthy and Brown.
Defensively, the Chiefs are so much better. They were the catalyst to the Super Bowl win a year ago and virtually everyone comes back. They lost L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans, but All-Pros Trent McDuffie and Chris Jones are back. They have the pieces in place to be a top defense again.
The stage is set 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/GsSqJ4OQai
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) May 13, 2024
FAQs
When does the 2024 NFL season kick off?
The 2024 NFL schedule will begin with a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. The game will be held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The AFC championship game was held in Baltimore, with the Chiefs beating the Ravens 17-10 to advance to the Super Bowl.
How much are tickets to the 2024 NFL season opener?
Tickets to the opening night of the 2024 NFL schedule at Arrowhead Stadium between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are still available. The lowest ticket available to see the defending champion take on the AFC North champions is $245 with the most expensive being $3,500 according to Ticketmaster.
Which teams are playing in the NFL season opener?
The opening game of the 2024 NFL schedule will feature a rematch of the 2024 AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. It was the first game between the two since the 2021 regular season.
Are there any traditions as it relates to the NFL season opener?
The opening regular season NFL game typically generally features the defending Super Bowl Champion. Since losing to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs have won a pair of Super Bowls. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2024 (it was the second time the Kansas City Chiefs defeated San Francisco in the Super Bowl).
Learn how to bet on the moneyline in the NFL season opener 2024.
