The three NFL teams that got the most standalone games are a curious mix.
The league leaders, at eight standalone games each (barring games being flexed): Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL’s current dynasty, Washington Commanders coming off a breakthrough season with exciting young star Jayden Daniels, and the Dallas Cowboys, the league’s biggest brand.
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A 7-10 Cowboys season didn’t dissuade the league from putting it on prime time and other exclusive windows.
One proven contender, one potential contender and a team whose popularity doesn’t wane despite its record.
When the NFL put together its regular-season schedule, which was released Wednesday evening, an easy way to gauge which teams the league considers its most popular draws is by looking at standalone games: prime-time games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights, international games, holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a late-season Saturday doubleheader for Fox (there will also be games on the Saturday of Week 17 that will be scheduled late in the season).
Some things, like the perception of the long-suffering Commanders, have changed. Others things stayed the same.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will have plenty of prime-time games in 2025. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
(Kevin Sabitus via Getty Images)
Chiefs still the big draw
If you find yourself suffering from Chiefs fatigue, you won’t like the NFL’s prime-time schedule.
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As has been the case for most of the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs are one of the biggest draws in the NFL. The league put the Chiefs in prime time for Week 1, sending them to Brazil to face the Los Angeles Chargers on the Friday of the first week, and also has them on Thanksgiving against the Dallas Cowboys and on Christmas against the Denver Broncos. Those are three of the NFL’s most coveted slots in the entire schedule.
Kansas City also gets three Sunday night games and two Monday night games. That means almost half of its schedule is in a predominant slot in the NFL’s broadcast slate.
Kansas City’s loss in the Super Bowl didn’t slow down the NFL’s desire to feature the Chiefs.
Cowboys, Commanders both get big spots
You’d never know the Cowboys had a losing season in 2024 based on the NFL schedule.
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The league picked Dallas to start the season against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. The Cowboys will play on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and also received two games each on Thursday night, Sunday night and Monday night. As long as they have the star on their helmet, the NFL will feature the Cowboys.
This season will be a big difference for the Commanders. They have gone from a franchise that usually got the minimum amount of prime-time exposure over the past couple decades to being in eight exclusive window games. They will be the Cowboys’ opponent on Christmas, get two Sunday night games, two Monday night games, an international game, a Thursday night game and are part of a Week 16 Saturday doubleheader. That’s what a star like Daniels will do for a franchise.
The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings each got seven standalone games, as did the Eagles coming off their Super Bowl win.
Titans, Saints shut out
The NFL used to make sure each team got a prime-time game. The league has eased off that, and the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints got shut out. All of their games kick off at 1 p.m. ET or in the 4 p.m. hour on Sundays.
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The Cleveland Browns came close to not getting a standalone game. Their only standalone exposure is an international game against the Vikings.
The Titans not getting a single standalone game is a surprise. The Titans were the worst team in the NFL last season but they have No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward at quarterback this season. That’s usually enough to get one exclusive window game. But the Titans, along with the Saints and Browns, have all their nights free this season.
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