2023 NFL schedule: Top 10 Alabama-roots games

The NFL has 272 games on its 2023 regular-season schedule, and there’s a good possibility that players from Alabama high schools and colleges will appear in all of them.

The NFL’s 104th season kicks off on Sept. 7, when the Detroit Lions visit the Kansas City Chiefs, who ended the 2022 campaign by beating the Philadelphia Eagle 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12.

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The 2023 campaign spreads across 18 weeks and features games on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and one Friday – the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets game on the day after Thanksgiving that will be the NFL’s first Black Friday contest.

The NFL released its schedule on Thursday night.

Ten matchups on the schedule that appear especially impactful for players with Alabama football roots are:

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens: Noon Sept. 10 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore

When the Texans traded up 24 spots to add Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, they knew he probably wouldn’t begin his rookie season on time. Metchie had sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Crimson Tide’s 41-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 4. But Houston couldn’t have known that Metchie would miss the entire 2022 season. It wasn’t the knee injury that kept Metchie sidelined. He was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia shortly before the start of training camp. Texans general manager Nick Caserio said last month that Metchie had “a long road ahead,” but the wide receiver has been working with his teammates in the Texans’ offseason program.

Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots: 3:25 p.m. Sept. 10 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts

Mac Jones took a redshirt season as a freshman at Alabama in 2017, when Jalen Hurts was in his second year as the Crimson Tide quarterback. The next season, Jones got mop-up duty as Hurts backed up Tua Tagovailoa. When Hurts transferred to Oklahoma in 2019, Jones moved up to backup and started the final three games after Tagovailoa got hurt. In 2020, Jones ascended to starter and was an All-American for an undefeated CFP national championship team. Jones and Hurts quarterbacks are entering their third seasons as starters – Jones with the Patriots and Hurts with the Eagles – and this will be their first NFL meeting.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1 at Wembley Stadium in London

To this point in his NFL career, all of Calvin Ridley’s 248 receptions for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns have come while playing for the Falcons. The former Alabama wide receiver hasn’t played in an NFL game since Oct. 24, 2021. Ridley stepped away from the team to “focus on my mental wellbeing,” and while doing that, bet on NFL games. That violation of league rules got Ridley indefinitely suspended by the NFL. The league reinstated Ridley on March 6. While he was suspended, Atlanta traded him to Jacksonville on Nov. 1 for a pair of draft picks.

Green Bay Packers at Las Vegas Raiders: 7:15 p.m. Oct. 9 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas

For the past 16 seasons, Mason Crosby has been the Packers’ kicker. But he’s no longer under contract, opening an opportunity for sixth-round draft choice Anders Carlson from Auburn to become the Green Bay’s kicker. If that happens, Carlson will be across the field from his brother when the Packers play Las Vegas. Also a former Auburn kicker, Daniel Carlson earned first-team All-Pro recognition as the Raiders’ kicker during the 2022 season.

Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles: 7:20 p.m. Oct. 22 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia

As a freshman in 2017, Tua Tagovailoa backed up Jalen Hurts as Alabama’s quarterback. But in the CFP national title game, he came off the bench in the second half to spark the Crimson Tide to a 26-23 overtime win against Georgia. In 2018, Hurts backed up Tagovailoa before transferring to Oklahoma in 2019. In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins took Tagovailoa at No. 5 and the Philadelphia Eagles chose Hurts at No. 53. But in 2022, Hurts led Philadelphia to the NFC championship and finished as the runner-up for the NFL MVP Award. This will be the quarterbacks’ first meeting as pros.

Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers: Noon Oct. 29 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina

The top three players picked in the 2023 NFL Draft could play in this game, including the quarterbacks. The Panthers picked Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the opening selection, and the Texans took Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2. After getting Stroud, Houston obtained the No. 3 choice from the Arizona Cardinals and added Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson. Are all the rookies on the field by this point – the eighth week of the 2023 regular season – and what will their performance say about the order in which they were selected?

Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs: 7:15 p.m. Nov. 20 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

The 2023 regular-season schedule features rematches of 14 postseason games from the 2022 campaign, including both conference championship games and Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs won the NFL championship by defeating the Eagles 38-35 on Feb. 12. Even though Philadelphia lost, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts became the only player in NFL history to have at least 300 passing yards, 70 rushing yards and three touchdown runs in the same game. The former Alabama QB tied the record for rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl and also threw a touchdown pass in the game.

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans: Noon Dec. 17 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, and noon Dec. 31 at NRG Stadium in Houston

Tennessee running back Derrick Henry rushed for 126 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries in a 19-14 loss to the Houston Texans on Dec. 24. For most running backs that would be a good game. For Henry against Houston, it was a letdown. In each of his previous four games against the Texans, Henry had run for least 200 yards and two touchdowns. No other player in NFL history has more than three games with at least 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in each. Henry has more than that against the Texans.

Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills: 3:25 p.m. Dec. 17 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs and Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs had fun covering each other during the Pro Bowl for the 2021 season (with the brothers switching positions for a few snaps during the all-star contest). This time, though, it’s not an exhibition. A former Alabama defensive back, Trevon Diggs will be facing his older brother in a game that counts in the standings. In Trevon Diggs’ three NFL seasons, he’s been a Pro Bowler twice and a first-team All-Pro once. During that same span, Stefon Diggs has been a Pro Bowler three times and a first-team All-Pro once.

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens: Noon Dec. 31 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore

On Sept. 18, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa rallied Miami from a 21-point deficit by throwing for four touchdowns in the fourth quarter against the Ravens. The former Alabama All-American reached career highs with 36 completions, 469 passing yards and six touchdown passes in the Dolphins’ 42-38 victory. Miami wide receivers Tyreek Hill (West Alabama) had 11 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns and Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) had 11 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.