10 best games on the 2023 NFL schedule: Chiefs, Cowboys and Eagles to define the season

3. Best Games On The 2023 NFL Schedule — Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9

NFL scheduling chief Mike North recently described the Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Chiefs as the top three teams in terms of fan interest at the moment. Any matchup featuring two of those three will be highly coveted by all of the league’s broadcast partners, but Bills-Bengals has a lot of storylines involved outside of the field.

This game was one of the most highly-anticipated on last year’s schedule before getting canceled after Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field. Hamlin has made a full recovery and is planning on playing football again, so the Bills’ return to Cincinnati will be an emotional moment as the league will surely plan to honor the first responders who saved Hamlin’s life prior to the game.

The Bengals also played Buffalo in the playoffs and beat them badly in a snow game, giving Buffalo a revenge angle to play as well. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow appears to have surpassed Allen in terms of being one of the league’s best quarterbacks, but any matchup with both of them could lead to plenty of points.

This game will also be extremely important to the AFC playoff picture since the winner will secure a critical tie-breaker for seeding purposes. Expect this contest to draw a huge audience for both the Hamlin factor and a showcase of two of the league’s top quarterbacks.