Ranking Monday Night Football matchups following 2025 NFL schedule release

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Take a look at the full schedule before jumping into our rankings.

Monday nights are better with football. @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/RjA68hUI3g

Now, it's time to rank all 21 announced Monday Night Football matchups.

Tier 1. Potential Championship Previews

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

1. Washington Commanders @ Kansas City Chiefs: Week 8, October 27

Rookie sensation, Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders shocked the world, last season, when they went from winning four games in 2023 to the NFC Championship Game in 2024. Despite being walloped by the eventual Super Bowl Champions in the Philadelphia Eagles, a mid-season Monday Night Football showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the AFC Champion, Kansas City Chiefs will be a great test to see if the Commanders can repeat their success in 2025.

On the other side of our top-ranked matchup are Patrick Mahomes and the three-time defending AFC Champions in the Chiefs. The defense looks ready to compete but it'll be down to Mahomes, an aging Travis Kelce, and a not-so-star-studded offense to lead Andy Reid's squad back to the mountaintop after being outclassed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Could Daniels vs. Mahomes be a Super Bowl preview?

2. Detroit Lions @ Baltimore Ravens: Week 3, September 22

Two-time NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have re-loaded and are seemingly ready to be amongst the AFC's elite after their heartbreaking exit from the playoffs this past season in Buffalo. Defensive injuries ended up ultimately doing the Lions in, last season. With a fully-healthy squad heading into 2025 can Dan Campbell's squad finally reach their potential?

The two odds-on favorites to make the Super Bowl in 2024, could oddsmakers have been a year early in predicting the Lions and Ravens meeting up with the Lombardi Trophy on the line?

3. Philadelphia Eagles @ Green Bay Packers: Week 10, November 10

The defending Super Bowl champions seem primed to run it back in 2025. Any time Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown, an co. take the field is must-see TV. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers look to have Jordan Love healthy for a full season and if their young receiving corps, now led by 2025 first-round pick, Matthew Golden realize their ultimate potential, the ceiling could be limitless for Matt LaFleur's Pack.

Are the Eagles and Packers on a potential collision course for the NFC Championship Game?

Tier 2. Showtime.

Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Jordan Magee (58) celebrates after the Washington Commanders beat the Chicago Bears on a Hail Mary pass with no time left at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

4. Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders: Week 6, October 13

Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels II. Last year, the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft met up in what ended up being one of the best games of the entire NFL season. Jayden Daniels connected with Noah Brown (after a tip-drill from Bears cornerback, Tyrique Stevenson) on a 65-yard Hail Mary as time-expired to secure the 18-15 victory for the Commanders.

With the Commanders looking to get back to the NFC Championship Game and the Bears roster overhauled around their franchise signal caller, will we have another Game of The Year contender on our hands in the rematch?

5. Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears: Week 1, September 8

In what will be J.J. McCarthy's first career NFL start, the Vikings hope their 2024 first-round pick will be able to quickly develop a relationship with perennial All-Pro wideout, Justin Jefferson. If McCarthy can replicate his success during his time in college with the Michigan Wolverines, the sky could be the limit for Kevin O'Connell's squad...and a Week 1 prime-time showdown with their NFC North rivals in Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears will be a massive test for McCarthy and co.

6. Cincinnati Bengals @ Denver Broncos: Week 4, September 29

Joe Burrow. Ja'Marr Chase. Tee Higgins. The three-highest paid players on the Cincinnati Bengals will set the pace for what will likely be a top-five offense in the NFL for a second-straight season. With more history likely in the future for Burrow and the offense, can the Bengals' front office find common ground with the reigning league's sack champion, Trey Hendrickson and help the defense return to at least league average in 2025?

While Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, and Drake Maye stole the show in 2024 as the potential new big three of the league's quarterback rankings once Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow age, Bo Nix was perhaps the biggest surprise of all of last season's first-round quarterback selections.

Nix and new head coach, Sean Payton led the Broncos to the playoffs in 2024 and with another year of development and perhaps the best defense in the league, can Denver take another step in 2025?

Full Rankings

1. Washington Commanders @ Kansas City Chiefs: Week 8, October 27
2. Detroit Lions @ Baltimore Ravens: Week 3, September 22
3. Philadelphia Eagles @ Green Bay Packers: Week 10, November 10
4. Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders: Week 6, October 13
5. Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears: Week 1, September 8
6. Cincinnati Bengals @ Denver Broncos: Week 4, September 29
7. Philadelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Chargers: Week 14, December 8
8. Buffalo Bills @ Atlanta Falcons: Week 6, October 13
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions: Week 7, October 20
10. Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars: Week 5, October 6
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Houston Texans: Week 2, September 15
12. Houston Texans @ Seattle Seahawks: Week 7, October 20
13. Los Angeles Rams @ Atlanta Falcons: Week 17, December 29
14. Arizona Cardinals @ Dallas Cowboys: Week 9, November 3
15. New York Giants @ New England Patriots: Week 13, December 1
16. Dallas Cowboys @ Las Vegas Raiders: Week 11, November 17
17. Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers: Week 15, December 15
18. Carolina Panthers @ San Francisco 49ers: Week 12, November 24
19. San Francisco 49ers @ Indianapolis Colts: Week 16, December 22
20. Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders: Week 2, September 15
21. New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins: Week 4, September 29

The NFL's regular season kicks-off with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles hosting NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, September 4.