2023 NFL Schedule Release

[21&500]

Dont forget Waddle, he runs 4.3

I DID forget Waddle.
can't let Tua make completions to these track stars.

[21&500]

The timing details of the Chargers’ 2023 schedule were released Thursday night. We have known the Chargers’ opponents for months. We have also known if those games are home or away. Now, after Thursday night’s league-wide announcement, we know the specific dates of the games and in what order they will be played.


This will be a pressure-packed season for coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco as the Chargers look for their first playoff win since 2018 and their first division title in 2009.

Let’s break the schedule down — Week 1 matchup, must-watch game, toughest stretch, record prediction and more as the Chargers prepare to play a schedule featuring six prime-time games, tied for the most in the league.

2023 Chargers schedule

1	Sept. 10	Dolphins	1:25 p.m. PT
2	Sept. 17	at Titans	10 a.m. PT
3	Sept. 24	at Vikings	10 a.m. PT
4	Oct. 1	Raiders	1:05 p.m. PT
5	BYE
6	Oct. 16	Cowboys	5:15 p.m. PT
7	Oct. 22	at Chiefs	1:25 p.m. PT
8	Oct. 29	Bears	5:20 p.m. PT
9	Nov. 6	at Jets	5:15 p.m. PT
10	Nov. 12	Lions	1:05 p.m. PT
11	Nov. 19	at Packers	10 a.m. PT
12	Nov. 26	Ravens	5:20 p.m. PT
13	Dec. 3	at Patriots	10 a.m. PT
14	Dec. 10	Broncos	1:25 p.m. PT
15	Dec. 14	at Raiders	5:15 p.m. PT
16	Dec. 23	Bills	5 p.m. PT
17	Dec. 31	at Broncos	1:25 p.m. PT
18	Jan. 6 or 7	Chiefs	TBD

Week 1 keys to victory

This is a rematch of a turning-point game for the Chargers last season. Staley came up with perhaps his best defensive game plan of the year on that Week 14 Sunday night, slowing down a Dolphins offense that, to that point, had been nearly unstoppable. The Chargers won and then rattled off four straight victories to clinch a playoff spot. Dolphins coach and play caller Mike McDaniel should come with a counterpunch in Round 2 this season. How does Staley respond? Schematically, this will be a fascinating one to watch and analyze. As with 2022, I think the keys defensively will be the cornerbacks playing physical at the line of scrimmage and forcing Tua Tagovailoa to throw outside the numbers. We’ll also get an early test of a Chargers run defense that was inconsistent last season.


Must-watch game: vs. Cowboys, Week 6

Kellen Moore Revenge Game? Sign me up. The new Chargers offensive coordinator was let go by the Cowboys this offseason despite leading one of the best offenses in football over the past four seasons. Moore has something to prove with the Chargers. And he will get a chance to do so against his former team in prime time — with Justin Herbert as his quarterback.


Toughest stretch: Weeks 16-18

The Chargers will likely have a lot on the line as they head into their Week 16 home matchup with the Bills. It is a Saturday prime-time game two days before Christmas. Two weeks later, they close the season at home against the Chiefs. These two teams are currently first (Kansas City) and third (Buffalo) in Super Bowl odds. Two of the toughest games of the season come at the most critical juncture of the season. Remember, the Chargers clinched their playoff spot in Week 16 last year at the Colts. The stakes are always high this time of the season. And sandwiched in between is a road divisional game. The Week 9-12 stretch — at Jets, home against Lions, at Packers, home against Ravens — is a close second.

The Chargers will host Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Week 18. Will a playoff spot or AFC West title be on the line? (Harry How / Getty Images)


Game that has gotten tougher: at Jets, Week 8

The Chargers were going to be facing Aaron Rodgers either way in 2023, as they had both the Jets and Packers on the schedule. The Jets game gets increasingly more difficult with Rodgers under center for New York compared to what Robert Salah was working with in 2022. The Jets defense is really, really good. The skill players are really, really good. They added to the offensive line by taking center Joe Tippman in the second round. The Jets will be very competitive this season with a motivated Rodgers and an excellent, ascending young roster around him.


One game the Chargers can'€™t afford to lose: at Broncos, Week 17

This game comes in between the Bills and Chiefs home games to close the season. Expecting to beat both Kansas City and Buffalo is unrealistic. Even winning one of those games would be a massive development. With two of the hardest games of the season coming in the final three-game stretch, winning at the Broncos feels like an essential victory to make the postseason.


Best offense the Chargers will face: Chiefs, Weeks 7 and 18

The Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill away and got better last season. They finished first in offensive DVOA, Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric. They finished first in TruMedia’s offensive expected points added per play by a huge margin. Their 2022 season actually ranked sixth in the last decade in EPA per play. Patrick Mahomes is just from another planet. I picked the Chiefs as my answer to this question in last year’s schedule release reaction. I will continue to pick the Chiefs as my answer until Mahomes is no longer the quarterback and Andy Reid is no longer calling plays. The Chargers also face the Bills (No. 2 in offensive DVOA), Lions (No. 5) and Dolphins (No. 7) this season.


Best defense the Chargers will face: Cowboys, Week 6

This was a tough call. The Chargers will have to face a number of really good offenses this coming season. They will also have to face a number of really good defenses. That is the nature of their 2023 schedule. It is going to be a grind with the quality of teams on the slate. The Cowboys have put together back-to-back impressive defensive seasons under coordinator Dan Quinn, finishing No. 2 in DVOA both seasons. And Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy continued investing in that side of the ball this offseason, trading for cornerback Stephon Gilmore and spending two top-100 picks on first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith and third-round linebacker DeMarvion Overshwon. The Patriots (No. 3 in defensive DVOA in 2022), Bills (No. 4) and Jets (No. 5) are three other really good defenses the Chargers face this season that deserve some consideration. Predicted record: 9-8


The Chargers are playing a tremendously difficult schedule, and I have some concerns about the depth of the roster. That is why I have a hard time envisioning 10 or 11 wins. I worry about their depth at corner, both inside and outside, as J.C. Jackson rehabs from his torn patellar tendon. I worry about the run blocking and overall talent/reliability at tight end. I worry about the depth at safety, especially with JT Woods in line for a pretty sizable role in his second season. I worry about the Chargers relying heavily on 32-year-old Khalil Mack and 31-year-old Eric Kendricks. The Chargers should stay healthier this season compared to 2022. Even so, I think the lack of depth in some areas of the roster will be a major storyline all season. We are making this prediction on May 11, of course, and the Chargers could make moves in the coming weeks and months to shore up some of those areas of concern.

Predicted AFC West finish: Second

1. Chiefs
2. Chargers
3. Broncos
4. Raiders

This was supposed to be a super division in 2022, but that never materialized for several reasons. The Chiefs ho-hummed their way to a seventh AFC West title. I think they will make it an eighth. We will see what Sean Payton can get out of Russell Willson. I think it might be a little more than some people expect. But I do not think Payton will do enough to leapfrog the Chargers this season. The Raiders are in rebuilding mode. It will the Chiefs and then everyone else for another year.

(Top photo of Justin Herbert: Harry How / Getty Images)
​

[Velo]

Even more embarrassing when you haven't won anything and trying to flex on other teams...yeah yeah I get the marketing aspect, but it just invites ridicule.

This is how I feel too. It do think it is embarrassing.

[Boltx]

Not a chance, unless you meant 3-0

I think 0-3 is more likely than 3-0.

Probably split it and say 1-2.

[Bolt4Knob]

I think 0-3 is more likely than 3-0.

Probably split it and 1-2.

Do you think they beat lose to the Fish and beat TN and lose to Minnesota

[Boltx]

Week 5 for a bye stings...would have preferred a bit of a later bye week given all the injuries we'll likely need to plan around.

This is all around just a brutal schedule.

[Boltx]

Do you think they beat lose to the Fish and beat TN and lose to Minnesota

Likely lose to Dolphins. Titans and Vikes probably a coin flip for each.

[Maniaque 6]

Lose to the Dolphins ? Naaaaaa !

[Boltx]

B]Predicted record: 9-8[/B]


The Chargers are playing a tremendously difficult schedule, and I have some concerns about the depth of the roster. That is why I have a hard time envisioning 10 or 11 wins. I worry about their depth at corner, both inside and outside, as J.C. Jackson rehabs from his torn patellar tendon. I worry about the run blocking and overall talent/reliability at tight end. I worry about the depth at safety, especially with JT Woods in line for a pretty sizable role in his second season. I worry about the Chargers relying heavily on 32-year-old Khalil Mack and 31-year-old Eric Kendricks. The Chargers should stay healthier this season compared to 2022. Even so, I think the lack of depth in some areas of the roster will be a major storyline all season. We are making this prediction on May 11, of course, and the Chargers could make moves in the coming weeks and months to shore up some of those areas of concern.

Predicted AFC West finish: Second

1. Chiefs
2. Chargers
3. Broncos
4. Raiders

This was supposed to be a super division in 2022, but that never materialized for several reasons. The Chiefs ho-hummed their way to a seventh AFC West title. I think they will make it an eighth. We will see what Sean Payton can get out of Russell Willson. I think it might be a little more than some people expect. But I do not think Payton will do enough to leapfrog the Chargers this season. The Raiders are in rebuilding mode. It will the Chiefs and then everyone else for another year.

This is a reasonable take.

I think some people are underestimating how brutal this schedule is, especially with an early bye week. Granted, teams have injuries or underachieve so a tough team right now might not be that way in October/November.

What this article fails to mention is our injury history, and it's anyone's guess which unit(s) get decimated this year.

And also that history is not on our side - the last time this team made the playoffs in consecutive years was 2008-2009. I think 9 wins is possible, but not sure it will be enough in the AFC. Likely end up between 7 and 9 wins depending on injuries, bounces, luck, etc. We'll see.

[Xenos]

Umm...3 good teams to start, 2 of those on the road.

If Tua is right in the head the Dolphins are even better than last year, and a better team than the Bolts.

Titans will just run the ball at will. Vikings usually start strong and would be the second long road trip in back to back weeks.

Tua did real great last year against us when he was right in the head…

[Velo]

Likely lose to Dolphins.

Tua will have to find some arm strength for this to happen. Staley has Tua figured out - take away the middle and shallow outside, worry less about deep outside because Tua doesn't make those throw. Staley's defensive game plan against the Dolphins last year was his best since joining the Chargers. I'm betting he'll have a good plan to shut down Tua again. Win for the Bolts.

[chargeroo]

I think the AFC is loaded with good teams and most of them have a very capable QB. Every time I read a comment that says the Chargers won't do well because they have a tough schedule, I think - so does every team in the AFC. I doubt any team will win more than 12 games.