Week 1

THE FIRST TWO SHOWDOWNS:

DALLAS COWBOYS vs. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Thursday September 4 @ 8:20 PM E.T. on NBC

Before NFL training camp began, I expected this to be a very competitive game that would come down to the wire. Obviously, a lot has transpired over the last few months and now I am just hoping that the Cowboys do not get completely embarrassed. It is bad enough that they have to watch their division rival hang down their Super Bowl banner in front of a raucous crowd, but to trade away their best player Micah Parsons a week before the game begins just sank them to a whole new low that they have not felt since the Dave Campo years in the early 2000’s. Not only did they trade away Parsons, but sent him to the Green Bay Packers of all teams for two first round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. That’s right. The team that kicked Dallas’ ass in the Wild Card two years ago just reaped the rewards of a generational pass rusher in his prime because Jerry Jones was too stubborn and delusional to properly negotiate a deal with a franchise cornerstone. He will double down and say that their main defensive focus is to stop the run and that this was a unanimous decision, but we all know that this is the Luka Doncic trade of the NFL. Maybe Nico Harrison is not the most hated man in Dallas after all. At least the Cowboys extended Daron Bland?

As for the game itself, both teams have different outlooks for the 2025 season. One is hoping to defend their Super Bowl title while the other is hoping to shut the naysayers up and not only make it back to the playoffs, but potentially go on a deep playoff run. Yet, they still have a lot of questions to answer, more now that Micah is gone. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer will actually be calling the plays this time around, so now that Dak Prescott is coming back from a season ending injury, we will see just how much Mike McCarthy was restraining them from reaching their true potential. The passing game obviously has promising pieces like CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, and newly acquired George Pickens. We know that is going to be the trademark of this group. However, what we are uncertain of is who will be the focal point of the ground attack. The Eagles had the best defense in football last season and if they could manhandle Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl, what do you think is going to happen when they go up against a Dallas group that tends to go one-dimensional when they fall hopelessly behind?

On the other side, the Cowboys defense will have their hands full on Thursday night as well. Last year, they were one of the worst run defenses in the league and now they have to begin this season against the best running back in football, Saquon Barkley. He was just voted as the best player by his peers, coming off a 2,000 yard season in which he was single-handedly the missing piece that Philadelphia needed to get their comeuppance against Kansas City. However, let’s not sleep on their passing game as well. Jalen Hurts is still a top ten quarterback in the NFL, top five in my opinion, and the weapons he has at his disposal are going to be tricky for Dallas to slow down. They have a lethal receiving duo featuring AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, one of the best tight end security blankets in Dallas Goedert, and they have one of the best offensive lines in football. The Parsons trade just makes this more of a one-sided matchup, and unless they can force takeaways and shut down the running game, then the Cowboys are going to be stuck in a position where they have to play keep-up for most of the night.

FINAL LOCK: I have the Eagles winning this game by double digits. I believe that it can be a little scrappy early on, but I have more faith in their defense to thwart this Cowboys offense for as long as possible, before Barkley and company pull away down the stretch. 

FINAL SCORE: PHI 31-17

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS vs. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Friday September 5 @ 8:00 PM E.T. on YouTube

The second NFL game hosted in Brazil is going to be a fun one to watch as two AFC West rivals will go head-to-head on Friday night. However, even if this game was played in Los Angeles, I just do not see the Chargers winning this game. Don’t get me wrong, they have the pieces to be a legitimate playoff contender this year. Jim Harbaugh has always been a tremendous head coach, they have a talented quarterback in Justin Herbert, an efficient offense and a well-improved defense. However, the Kansas City Chiefs have always proven year after year that they are on a higher tier. They are better coached, they have the better quarterback, they show up in the clutch more often, and they know what it takes to win. Every game between Herbert and Patrick Mahomes has come down to the wire, and in some cases the last play, but the latter of the quarterbacks almost always pulls through in the end. He has yet to lose a road game to the Chargers in his career, so while this game might be played on a neutral field, Kansas City needs to make sure that they get off to a strong start this year after the dismal performance they had in the Super Bowl against Philadelphia. 

When it comes to these types of matchups, one side of the ball I am going to pay close attention towards is the Chargers offense. Anybody that has watched Jim Harbaugh coached football teams knows that his primary focus will be to run the ball as many times as possible. JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards both departed in free agency, so instead we will get to see rookie Omarion Hampton and veteran Najee Harris do their best to control the trenches. However, it is going to be insanely tough against a Steve Spagnuolo coached defense, especially with star right tackle Rashawn Slater out for the season with a torn patellar tendon. That means that Justin Herbert and this passing game are going to have to play at their very best for this team to have a chance. We all know what Ladd McConkey can do because he is an absolute stud, but what about the other guys? Quentin Johnston scored a lot of touchdowns last year, yet his tendency to drop the football has been a problem over the last couple of seasons, and this cannot be a game where that catches up with him. Maybe rookie Tre Harris can quietly put on a show and be tricky for Kansas City to slow down. Perhaps Keenan Allen turns back the clock and reminds everybody how great of a receiver he has been his entire career. Whatever the case may be, this offense needs to show up big, or else it will be a matter of time before their defense wears out and cannot hold on any longer.

Last year, the Chargers defense held Patrick Mahomes to under twenty points in two matchups, but still could not make enough plays to win the game. This is not just any quarterback that LA is going up against, and they all know that, so pulling off a week one upset is going to require perfection in all facets. The Chiefs have always had a fast-paced and high-tempo offense with plenty of speed and athleticism, so the conditioning and physicality is going to be of the utmost importance for any player on the other side. 

FINAL LOCK: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I have the Chiefs winning this game in close fashion. The only way I can believe the Chargers can pull off the upset is if I actually see it myself. As I said before, this is not going to be a blowout or cakewalk by any means necessary, but Kansas City has this edge that we have not seen from Los Angeles in quite a long time. Justin Herbert is going to need to have the game of his life or Patrick Mahomes is going to have to completely unravel for the Chiefs to lose on Friday night, and I think it is premature to predict either of those circumstances happening.

FINAL SCORE: KC 27-24

THE 1:00 SLATE:

ARIZONA CARDINALS vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Earlier in the summer, I actually had the Saints pulling off a huge upset against the Cardinals in the Superdome. My reason why was more of a historical one, rather than what I saw from each of their current rosters. Arizona has not won a road game against this team since 1996, but the longer I think about this matchup, the more I question myself. The reason why is very simple: the Saints quarterback room is scarily concerning.

After a long preseason, New Orleans announced that Spencer Rattler will be the guy under center for opening day, with rookie Tyler Shough as the backup. Personally, I do not have an issue with this decision because Rattler is the more experienced guy, but I honestly have no idea what to expect. The silver lining is that their offense will be fully healthy, or at least that is what I am hoping for on Sunday. In Kellen Moore’s first game as the head coach, you know that he is going to make Alvin Kamara the main focal point of the offense, with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed opening up the passing game. If Derek Carr was still the starting quarterback, I would actually be more hopeful. Yet in the games that Rattler started, there were few flashes with a lot more growing pains. Obviously, losing a lot of starters on the offensive side did not help whatsoever, but he did not do himself any favors with taking unnecessary sacks. It is not like the Cardinals have a horrid defense with next to no playmakers. They added size to the defensive line and it is a group that can match up well against a feeble New Orleans offensive line, even with rookie Kelvin Banks Jr. as the blindside blocker. I think that for things to turn the opposite way around, Rattler has to be more patient in the pocket and take what the defense is giving him, because Arizona’s secondary has some holes that can get exploited. 

This is going to be a huge season for Kyler Murray because throughout his entire career, we have heard the same song and seen the same dance. He will always get off to a strong start that signals a promising season, only for him and the entire team to fizzle out and fall apart down the stretch, ending with an elimination from contention most of the time. You look at the Cardinals offense on paper and there is just no way they can do the same this season. They have James Conner as their reliable workhorse at running back, a stud in Marvin Harrison Jr. poised for a breakout season, one of the highest paid tight ends in Trey McBride, and an offensive line that gave up the fifth fewest sacks in the league! Looking at the defense they are going up against in week one, they should have more highs than lows. New Orleans suffered a lot of turnover on that side of the ball with little key additions and more subtractions. This includes their top two cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, along with their starting safeties Will Harris and Tyrann Mathieu. That means that a lot of their younger guys are going to have to step up in bigger roles this season because Demario Davis and Carl Granderson are not getting any younger, so new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley is going to have his hands full. Bryan Bresee and Chase Young are going to have to take charge on the line, Pete Werner is going to need to have a complete 2025 season, and we need to know who is going to be the number one corner on this football team. Despite having a promising safety tandem of Justin Reid and Jordan Howden, that is nowhere near enough to solve all the issues this group has to deal with this year. 

FINAL LOCK: As much as I want to continue to side with historical trends, I cannot do that for this particular matchup. I believe the Cardinals will handle their business on the road to start the year and unfortunately I do not see it being close.

FINAL SCORE: ARI 30-10

MIAMI DOLPHINS vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

I am surprised that the Colts are actually favored to win this game by one and a half points. My guess is that the oddsmakers in Vegas were incredibly low on Anthony Richardson as a starting quarterback, but what makes any one of them think that Daniel Jones is a huge upgrade? He is an average at best player that was cut by the Giants last season, not too long after the organization panicked into giving him an extension worth $40 million per year for four years. I understand that the supporting cast around him has a lot of promise and that in a perfect world, he should probably play outstanding, but Colts head coach Shane Steichen is on thin ice entering this season. The main reason why he was hired was to improve the state of the offense and more importantly ensure that the starting quarterback develops and progresses into a promising player. He failed to achieve both of those objectives in his first two years with the team and if they somehow underachieve once again, which is most likely to happen, then the new bosses in charge will not hesitate to send him out the door. The same goes with general manager Chris Ballard because ever since Andrew Luck retired, this organization failed to have a contingency plan in place at quarterback, and all that has done has yielded unrewarding results. Entering this opening matchup, I expect the Indianapolis offense to have a promising showing since they are going up against a very feeble Miami defense, but Jones is going to be the biggest X factor every game that he starts this year. 

The Dolphins are not in a much better position as an organization themselves. For all of the talent and speed that they have been fortunate to have over the past few seasons, it has gotten them nowhere far. The one time they did make the playoffs in 2023, they got absolutely shut down by the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the first round. The following year, not only did the team fail to learn from their past mistakes, but Tua Tagovailoa’s injuries played a key part in Miami getting eliminated from playoff contention at the final game of the season. Head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier might be safe for now, but both of them are on the hot seat just as much as Steichen and Ballard. When healthy, we know that this offense is capable of being a top ten unit in this league. But entering this 2025 season, the leaders really need to step up big time. In the regular season finale last year, Tyreek Hill demanded his way out and needed to go somewhere for a chance to compete, but then eventually backed out of his request. That showed to me that the culture in the Dolphins organization is starting to fall apart and this directly falls on McDaniel because this happened under his watch. From their perspective, they better win this game against the Colts, or else the media is going to be ruthless. I know the cliche is to never overreact after week one, but doing the same things expecting different results is not a viable formula for winning. That is the definition of insanity. 

FINAL LOCK: I actually think this will be a competitive high-scoring affair between these two offenses but I believe this will be the type of game that Miami finds a way to win. In my opinion, this is going to come down to who can close the deal in the fourth quarter, and I have more faith that Tua Tagovailoa can get the job done than Daniel Jones. Fun fact, this will be a revenge game for recently signed Colts cornerback Xavien Howard, but he has not taken a football snap in two years. To say that he is going to immediately return to the star that he was in his prime is not wise right now, especially when his team has to go up against the fastest offense in football.

FINAL SCORE: MIA 30-23

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS vs. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

This is going to be an entertaining grudge match between two of the most experienced head coaches in football entering their first seasons with their new teams. Mike Vrabel is back in Foxborough while Pete Carroll will don the silver and black, so expect this game to come down to the wire, potentially in overtime. While many do not have a lot of hopes for either team to make the playoffs, both sides are hoping to surprise a few people and show that they are capable of making some noise this season.

The Patriots spent a lot of money in free agency and made a lot of moves in the draft to make sure that they return to being the respectable contender they were throughout the 2000’s. They already have their quarterback in Drake Maye, but he did not have any help around him last year, and the defense was an absolute turnstile. That’s why New England overhauled the offensive line, improved the skill position depth, and revamped the defense in all three levels! They brought back Josh McDaniels to be the offensive coordinator and brought in Terrell Williams to boost up the defense. The results might not be immediate, but if you are owner Robert Kraft, you better hope that they have a respectable season. The fans in Boston have put up with two straight seasons where the team only won four games, but this roster on paper is capable of possibly winning more than nine! However, the Raiders present a ton of challenges on both sides of the ball that could engineer a pretty big upset on the road.

Let’s start with the starting quarterback, Geno Smith. He might not be an elite player at his position or one that many will have in their top ten lists, but he is somebody that will win you enough games in this league. After all, it was Pete Carroll that revitalized Smith’s career, so how are we going to expect any difference now that the pirate logo is on the helmet? One thing that the Raiders addressed this offseason was their lack of a running game, so that is why they drafted Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick. When they can run the ball, they can open up the passing game, but Las Vegas does not have too many guys that can create instant separation. Obviously, there’s the stud at tight end Brock Bowers, but the wide receiver room will be a big X factor this year. Jakobi Meyers is coming off a year where he totaled a thousand yards, but he also just recently requested a trade, so let’s see how things develop in that regard. Tre Tucker is a promising deep threat and they just signed Amari Cooper as a veteran depth option, but rookies Jack Bech and Donte’ Thornton are going to have to step up big or else the issues on that offensive line are going to fester. What was one constant flaw of Seattle’s offense since Pete Carroll was the head coach? The inability to protect their quarterback. Defensively, I am scared that the identity is going to be Maxx Crosby or bust, especially since they let go of a lot of pieces this offseason. Even if Tyree Wilson decides to have a breakout year, that is not going to solve their issues in the secondary, which was also vulnerable in Carroll’s final seasons with the Seahawks. 

FINAL LOCK: This game can honestly go either way since Pete Carroll has not lost to the Patriots in the regular season in quite a long time, but New England should be the ones coming out on top at the end of the day. This is not going to be an easy win by any means necessary, but I trust their defense to lead the way and for the offense to not screw up. One important injury to monitor for the Patriots, however, is their top cornerback Christian Gonzalez. He has been out with a hamstring injury for quite a while, and if he cannot be ready to go week one, then the younger players are going to have to step up big time, especially with Jabrill Peppers being released.

FINAL SCORE: NE 23-20

PITTSBURGH STEELERS vs. NEW YORK JETS

There is only one reason why Jim Nantz and Tony Romo are going to be on the call for this game: both quarterbacks will have their shot at revenge against their former teams. Aaron Rodgers will be suiting up for the Black and Gold, while Justin Fields will be making his debut with the Jets. What am I expecting? Not a whole lot from their offenses, but plenty of fireworks from the defenses.

When I look at this particular matchup, I think both offenses are similarly constructed. The only difference is that Rodgers is a more proven quarterback with way more success. Pittsburgh is counting on him to be the missing piece that could get them very far in the playoffs, but that is expecting every single thing to go right. They have promising players for sure, but they have a lot to prove themselves. Najee Harris is gone, which means Jaylen Warren will be the lead back with rookie Kaleb Johnson hoping to work his way up the depth chart. George Pickens was traded to Dallas, but there was a reason why the Steelers acquired DK Metcalf, to be the number one alpha that he had been for quite a while in Seattle. But just last year, he ended up losing his spot as the number one receiver to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, so there is another Steelers player with a chip on his shoulder. There are younger players both at the receiver position and on the offensive line that will jump into bigger roles and their first challenge is against a Jets defense with a lot of continuity and chemistry together. Sure, Aaron Glenn is entering his first year as the head coach, but New York only lost one notable player within that group, which is their number two corner DJ Reed. The future Hall of Fame quarterback knows what type of game Pittsburgh is in for, but it is not like New York has an incredibly lethal offense ready to explode.

Justin Fields is getting another opportunity to prove to the league that he is more than deserving to be a starting quarterback, but the knock on him is that his ceiling is incredibly low. While he shows plenty of flashes with his athleticism, his ability as a passer leaves a lot to be desired and the fact that he has still yet to maximize his potential is incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, Fields has two cornerstones in Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson that will more than definitely be the focal points of the offense. They also have the better offensive line in this matchup with returning starters and a hopeful rookie Armand Membou filling the void at right tackle. The only problem is that the Steelers have the more feared defense, especially since TJ Watt is not going anywhere any time soon. Their pass rush is just as explosive, their run defense is ten times better, and the secondary just got better with the additions of Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey to complement a rising star in Joey Porter Jr. Losing Minkah Fitzpatrick does hurt, but he is coming off a down year with the team, so Juan Thornhill and Deshon Elliott should be a promising safety tandem this upcoming season. 

FINAL LOCK: While I do expect this to be a low scoring matchup, I predict that the Steelers will hang on towards the end. They have the better quarterback and I believe they have a more explosive defense, so while I am giving the Jets a 50% chance to get the win at home, I just do not know what type of performance I can expect from Justin Fields. It is going to require either a miraculous performance from him or a complete meltdown from Rodgers to even guarantee a New York victory. 

FINAL SCORE: PIT 20-17

NEW YORK GIANTS vs. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

The last time that Russell Wilson played against the Commanders was just last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, in which he willed his team to a victory on the road with a thrilling 28-27 finish. Now, he will be making his debut with the New York Giants in the same stadium against the same team, who is coming off an NFC Championship appearance thanks to their rising superstar Jayden Daniels. However, this is not exactly an even playing field as the Giants are coming off a dismal three-win season in which they clinched the third overall pick in the draft, so both Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are on the hottest of seats entering the 2025 season.

If you are a fan of New York, one fact that you can take comfort into knowing is that they kept it close against the Commanders last year and would have actually won the game in DC if they had a field goal kicker. From Daboll and Schoen’s perspective, they are hoping that Wilson can be a massive upgrade over whoever the team had at quarterback last year. The offense has a stud wide receiver Malik Nabers, a promising running back duo featuring Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo, and their offensive line is healthier with Andrew Thomas returning. However, hoping for perfection with “Mr. Unlimited” is asking a whole lot because not only is he not the same player he was in Seattle, but we all know what type of risks the team is taking with him under center: a lot of sacks, too much scrambling around, and an occasional moon ball down the field. He might have thrown three touchdown passes in the last matchup against Washington, but the Giants nowhere near have the roster as Pittsburgh, so believe me when I say that Dan Quinn is going to find out what it will take to make sure that this Giants offense does not even march its way into field goal range.

The best case scenario for Washington is that Jayden Daniels has an outstanding performance and carries his team to victory with incredible numbers. However, I do not think that the Giants defense is going to let him off the hook and it all starts in the trenches. Their pass rush is incredibly scary featuring Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie Abdul Carter. Washington’s offensive line, on the other hand, allowed fifty sacks the year before. They did trade for Laremy Tunsil., but he is coming off a pretty shaky season mired with a lot of penalties, so he has a lot of ground to make up for in a new change of scenery. With all the struggles that New York faced on the defensive side of the ball, they still finished with the eighth most sacks in the league, so there is no question that the front four will be the backbone of that group. But then you remember that their run defense and pass defense were atrocious last season. Hopefully, the added size on the line will improve the former, but New York made sure to fix the secondary in free agency. They gave lucrative contracts to Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland, but the depth is still a little concerning. Deonte Banks has not lived up to his first round pedigree, so if he continues to struggle, then younger players like Cordale Flott and Dru Phillips are going to surge their way up the depth chart and completely take him out of the rotation. 

FINAL LOCK: I expect the Commanders to take care of business at home on both sides of the ball and start the season off strong with a win. Even though the Giants made plenty of changes on both sides of their ball, I still wonder if they are going to be enough to completely put them back on the map, especially with the insanely tough schedule that they have this year. From Washington’s perspective, as long as they do not get in their own way, everything will be fine.

FINAL SCORE: WAS 27-13

CAROLINA PANTHERS vs. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Two former number one overall picks and Heisman trophy winners will square off head-to-head in week one and all I can think is that this might be the highest scoring game of the week. Part of it is because I believe both Bryce Young and Trevor Lawrence can have strong performances, but the other half of it is due to the fact that each of their defenses are absolutely abysmal. 

Entering this game, the Panthers offense looks a little different than it did at the start of training camp. Adam Thielen was eventually traded to the Vikings  and Jalen Coker was placed on IR due to a quad injury, so the top two receivers that Young will have are rookie Tet McMillan and sophomore Xavier Legette. However, there is still a lot to look forward to for the Panthers offense this year. They have an outstanding running back in Chuba Hubbard, we will get to see Hunter Renfrow return to the football field and we might have a chance to see what Jimmy Horn Jr. could do, but the biggest hope for the Panthers is that they pick up where they left off last year and continue to blossom. They are an incredibly well coached group with so many likable players, so for them to return to being a doormat is going to be more depressing than it would be infuriating. In free agency, Carolina did its best to fix the defensive side of the ball. They signed plenty of respected veterans including Tershawn Wharton, Pat Jones II, and Tre’von Moehrig. They are getting Derrick Brown back from a season ending injury and just gave Jaycee Horn a huge contract extension. However, will these moves be enough to make sure they do not finish dead last in several categories the way they did the season before? 

As for the Jaguars, this is a huge season for Lawrence. Last year was nowhere near what Duval wanted as the team only won four games, sending both the head coach and general manager out the door as a result. The former Clemson quarterback missed a huge part of the year due to a shoulder injury and concussion, but he was 2-8 as the starter, just after the team gave him a huge contract extension. Hopefully, new head coach Liam Coen does the same he did for Baker Mayfield last year, which will help him transform into a top ten quarterback. Obviously, that is a high ceiling for Lawrence, but everybody is counting on him to be the face of the franchise. The offense lost a lot of faces like Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, but they also drafted Travis Hunter with the second overall pick and have another emerging star in Brian Thomas Jr. that will open up this passing game. They also have a decent running back tandem featuring Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne that will run behind an offensive line that only let up thirty-two sacks last year. When I look at the Jaguars defense, there are only two players that stand out and they are both edge rushers: Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Their only notable addition in the secondary was signing Jourdan Lewis in free agency and did not change anything in the linebacking room, so unless Travis Hunter proves to be a better corner than receiver, then I do not see this unit getting any better than it was in 2024.

FINAL LOCK: This is another game that can honestly go either way. The Jaguars are at home with more continuity on both sides of the ball, so that is why they are being favored to win, but the Panthers are the hopeful underdog that everybody wants to see play well. Initially, I had Carolina winning for that reason alone, but I am more convinced that Jacksonville will win at home. This will be a really fun game to watch, though, so I am hoping we do not get disappointed by either side.

FINAL SCORE: JAX 34-31

CINCINNATI BENGALS vs. CLEVELAND BROWNS

On the surface, this should be an easy blowout win for the Bengals. But this is also the same team that has lost the opening game of the season five times out of the six years since Zac Taylor has been the head coach, and Joe Burrow has been the starting quarterback in four of them. One of those losses was at Cleveland in 2023 with Deshaun Watson as the opposing quarterback, so the Browns are hoping that they can do the same with Joe Flacco. 

Last year, Burrow finally managed to get a win in Cleveland and played pretty well to earn that against a Browns defense that has normally had their number in that city. The supporting cast around him has not changed dramatically. He still has Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as his two options, he has an emerging star in Chase Brown as his running back, and unfortunately his offensive line has not gotten better or worse. The only notable subtraction was losing Cordell Volson for the season with a shoulder injury. Despite the fact that Cincinnati hired Al Golden to be the new defensive coordinator, that group is still the biggest liability for this football team, even with Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart agreeing to new deals. They better hope that they do not get torched by a forty year old quarterback and a subpar Cleveland offense, or else Myles Garrett will make sure there is hell to pay.

After demanding a trade at the beginning of the 2025 offseason, the future Hall of Famer eventually agreed to a four year contract extension worth $160 million, so Garrett is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. However, this defense took a major slide from the year before , but that is not even the biggest concern of their football team right now. It is their offense. Yes, Flacco is going to be the starting quarterback, but who knows how long that will last? For as good of a coach as Kevin Stefanski has been, this is not exactly a star-studded offense. The only two that come to mind are Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku. They have two rookies as their starting running backs, the offensive line allowed the second most sacks in the league last year, and their receiver room has little to no depth. This is a very challenged football team right now, so even though I will not be surprised if they somehow pull off a week one upset, the odds are not in their favor right now.

FINAL LOCK: This better be the week where the Bengals start the season 1-0, or else Zac Taylor is going to get scalded by the media. I personally see this matchup going either way because we know what Cleveland is capable of against a hated division rival, but Cincinnati should easily have the better football team. Having said that, I am going to give the Bengals one last chance to show some respectability. Otherwise, the last bits of their dignity are going to get thrown in the shredder.

FINAL SCORE: CIN 24-10

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS vs. ATLANTA FALCONS

The 1:00 slate ends with a highly entertaining rivalry game between the Buccaneers and Falcons, two teams that will more than likely go toe-to-toe with one another for the NFC South title. Atlanta has come so close in the first half of the season over the last few years, but Tampa always managed to snatch the crown from their hands. Last year, the Falcons beat the Buccaneers twice with Kirk Cousins, but it was Baker Mayfield that got to host a home playoff game. Will things change with Michael Penix Jr. or will things stay the same?

I am really excited to see how Penix performs this year now that he has the keys to this offense. He’s got one of the best running back combos in the league featuring Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, along with plenty of receiving depth that includes Drake London and Darnell Mooney, but there are still some holes that Atlanta has to patch up. Tight end Kyle Pitts has been on the trade block for quite some time and the reason why is because he has not lived up to his pedigree as a fourth overall pick. The offensive line just lost right tackle Kaleb McGary with a season ending knee injury, so while it is known for being one of the best run blocking units in the league, how is it going to hold up in pass protection? Todd Bowles is one of the most aggressive defensive coaches in football that loves to blitz any chance he gets, so Penix is going to have to handle the pressure and stay composed, or else this Bucs defense that is fully healthy now will eat him alive.

When these teams played each other last week, scoring points was not the issue for the Buccaneers offense. It was ball security. Atlanta might have made a ton of moves on the defensive side of the ball in the offseason, which included drafting two edge rushers in the first round, but that does not mean that Baker Mayfield should not have a promising game on Sunday. He has an emerging star at running back in Bucky Irving and thousand yard magnet Mike Evans, but it will be tough entering Mercedes Benz Stadium without Chris Godwin or Tristan Wirfs. But I am excited to see how rookie Emeka Egbuka will look in his first NFL game against a Falcons secondary that did not do well against the pass last year. As long as this offense does not screw up along the way, Tampa Bay should be in good shape.

FINAL LOCK: We’re going to be in for one heck of a grudge match between two division foes, but just look in the two previous games last year, it is going to come down to which quarterback will show up more in the fourth quarter. Right now, I have to go with the more experienced guy in Baker Mayfield, but I will say this one more time. The last thing that Tampa can do in this game is turn the ball over or stall out down the stretch, or else Atlanta will take advantage of those mistakes.

FINAL SCORE: TB 31-24

THE 4:05/4:25 SLATE:

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The late afternoon window begins with another division rivalry matchup, this time between two teams in the NFC West. Neither team was able to make the playoffs for different reasons. Besides dealing with a plethora of injuries, the 49ers were emotionally exhausted from their second Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and now are hoping to re-emerge as one of the elite teams in the NFC. The Seahawks won ten games last year, but fell short of that mark and are hoping that a few tweaks in the offseason can allow them to earn a spot this time around. 

At first, I thought this would be a promising game for Brock Purdy and the San Francisco offense. Now, I don’t even know who is even going to be able to suit up and play. It’s great that the quarterback got the contract extension he deserved, but now I am curious how he is going to perform in his first game of the season. The silver lining is that Christian McCaffrey will hopefully be back at full strength and when he is on the field, he is one of the top three running backs in football. Even if McCaffrey does get hurt again, which is not what anybody wants, they have Brian Robinson Jr. that can hopefully blossom in a new change of scenery with Kyle Shanahan running the show. The 49ers also have George Kittle, still playing at a supremely high level as one of the best tight ends in the league. But then we get to the wide receiver room and it does not look promising. Fortunately, Ricky Pearsall is fully healthy and will be able to showcase his abilities as a first round pick. But this is also a group that is very thin in terms of depth. Brandon Aiyuk will be out until week six as he is still recovering from a torn ACL. Demarcus Robinson is suspended for the first three games due to substance abuse. Jacob Cowing is on IR due to a hamstring injury. Jauan Jennings should be good to go, but he is dealing with a calf issue, while Russell Gage has a sprained MCL. Thankfully the offensive line will be at full strength with Trent Williams back, but the Seahawks have a really formidable defense, so the 49ers have a challenging road trip ahead.

Sam Darnold will be making his first start as a Seahawk just a year after having his career revitalized with the Minnesota Vikings, so while Purdy is the bigger star on the field, it is the former third overall pick from USC that will get a huge chunk of the spotlight. Although he will have Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp as his top two receiving options, there are two areas that truly concern me when it comes to this matchup: the running game and the offensive line. I like the tandem of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, but the Seahawks had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league. If they cannot run the ball against a Robert Saleh coached defense, then that is going to put even more pressure on that front five. They allowed fifty-four sacks last year, so not only is Darnold at risk of being under duress the entire day, but he has a tendency to hold onto the ball too long, which is exactly what San Francisco wants to happen. Their defense might have lost a ton of pieces in the offseason, but Saleh is still an exceptional coordinator and Nick Bosa is not exactly a player that lost his step or burst.

FINAL LOCK: Even though the injuries in the 49ers wide receiver room do scare me, I still think that this team is good enough to get an opening day win against an inferior divisional foe. I do not think it will be an easy win, and in fact, I think we will get a surprisingly low scoring contest. We have seen Purdy struggle and falter without his top weapons available, so this Seattle defense can force their opponent to make a couple bone-headed mistakes that can swing the momentum toward their side. But this is a quarterback that has not lost a road game against the Seahawks just yet and with Darnold adjusting to a new offense, I do not see that streak ending any time soon.

FINAL SCORE: SF 23-20

TENNESSEE TITANS vs. DENVER BRONCOS

Cam Ward will be making his first regular season start in the National Football League and it unfortunately will not be against an easy opponent as the Titans have to travel to Mile High to play the Denver Broncos, who had one of the best defenses in football last year. As much as Ward wants to hype up his teammates and the supporting cast around him, which is the right thing to do in his position, I just see it as a complete and utter mismatch.

The Titans have decent pieces  like Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Lockett. I like their two rookie receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. But not only is their offensive line a huge question mark, but the Broncos have feisty playmakers on all three levels of their defense. They have a ferocious pass rush led by Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper, a linebacker room that will be headlined by Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton, and a secondary that has the reigning defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain II. There are playmakers everywhere on that Denver defense, so as much as I like Cam Ward, I think he is going to struggle big time to start the year.

You would think that because of all the hype I gave the Broncos defense, I would do the same for their offense, but I am surprisingly not. Obviously, I do not think that Bo Nix is going to play terribly at all. However, this Titans defense is not as bad as many people think. They did allow the third most points in the league, but surrendered the second fewest yards. That is what happens when your offense turns the ball over at an alarming rate. Your defense is put in the worst situations possible and they can only do so much. I think that Tennessee getting L’Jarius Sneed back will be huge after he missed most of last year with a quad injury, because somebody else has to be a face of the defense besides Jeffery Simmons or Amani Hooker. Even then, the Titans do not have Sean Payton on their sideline. As long as Nix takes care of the ball and they put together a couple of promising drives, then the Broncos will be in front from start to finish. However, one little slip up and that might be the spark that Cam Ward needs to really come alive, if that is even possible.

FINAL LOCK: I have the Broncos taking care of business and I unfortunately do not see this as a close game. Again, I have hope that Cam Ward could potentially do what Jayden Daniels and CJ Stroud did and take their franchises out of the brink of destruction, but it is too early to say that right now. Denver is hoping to prove that they can be the biggest threats to the Kansas City Chiefs in the division, and I know that Payton is going to have his men more physically and mentally prepared for this game.

FINAL SCORE: DEN 31-10

DETROIT LIONS vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS

This is going to be the most viewed game of the late afternoon slate of the week for two big reasons. Number one, we have an outstanding division rivalry matchup between the Lions and Packers, two teams that are well respected playoff contenders. The second is because we get a chance to see Micah Parsons wear another uniform for a different football team just a week after the Dallas Cowboys traded him away. Just like the Los Angeles Lakers were with Luka Doncic, the Packers were happy to acquire Parsons for two first round picks and Kenny Clark, ultimately ending the deal by giving Parsons a four year contract extension worth $47 million a year. I will not overreact and say that this makes Green Bay a surefire Super Bowl threat, but there is no question I see them making the playoffs.

With all of that being said, I want to see just how special this Packers defense can be this year. Obviously, the front seven got a whole lot better after the Parsons trade. It was already strong, featuring a group that includes Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt. Their linebacking room is stacked with Edgerrin Cooper, Quay Walker, and Isaiah McDuffie. However, a lot more pressure is going to be on their secondary this season. They posted respectable numbers last year, but now that Jaire Alexander is officially no longer on the team, it is up to the remaining guys to step up and really live up to their roles. Nate Hobbs will be their number one corner, who is a good player but not a great one. Keisean Nixon and Javon Bullard are not coming off great statistical seasons, but Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams can say the opposite. Before being the defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley spent a lot of time in the NFL being a defensive backs coach until he accepted the head coaching position at Boston College. He knows better than anybody that this is a group that will be this team’s X factor and they need to click on all cylinders so that way the pass rush can get home. This is especially the case against a Lions offense that is not afraid to walk into Lambeau Field and put on a show, whether Ben Johnson is their coordinator or not.

I also want to see what Green Bay can do with a fully healthy Jordan Love. Last year, his season was somewhat stained with a few lingering injuries involving his groin, MCL, and shoulder. Just this past training camp, he had to have a procedure on a broken ligament in his thumb. As capable as Malik Willis is as a backup quarterback, Packers fans do not want to see Love miss another game. We already know that he is going to be without Christian Watson for most of the year as he is rehabilitating from a torn ACL, but that is why the Packers drafted Matthew Golden in the first round. The rookie out of Texas will be a huge addition to a receiving corps featuring Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, but we need to figure out who “the man” will be this year. This offense already established the running game with Josh Jacobs as the main focal point, but somebody has to step up as the number one option of this passing attack, or else there will be games where Love will struggle to find an open man. The Lions defense definitely has its flaws, especially as the season heads into the latter weeks, but they will be getting Aidan Hutchinson back fully healthy and ready to explode onto the scene. They proved last year that when they were at full strength, there was nobody in their way, until everything came crashing down in the Divisional Round against the Commanders.

FINAL LOCK: I had the Lions winning this game before the start of training camp and I am not backing off that prediction. Detroit has beaten the Packers in Lambeau Field for three straight years, so as I said earlier, they are not scared of the challenge that is ahead. Everybody is looking forward to seeing what Micah Parsons can do, but that is even if he is on the field because he has a persistent back issue that might prevent him from playing! Right now, I am going to pick the better team and say that the Lions will make more than enough plays to hang on, but this is going to be a fight until the very end.

FINAL SCORE: DET 27-24

HOUSTON TEXANS vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS

Ever since the schedule was released, I always had a hard time picking the winner of this game. Fast forward to the first week of September, and I still cannot feel fully confident about who I think will win. One day I think it is Houston because I don’t know what is going on with Matthew Stafford’s back injury, but the next day I believe it will be the Rams because Houston’s running game and offensive line look absurd. Let’s see who I am rolling with at the end of the day.

It is highly unlikely that Joe Mixon is going to be cleared to play for this game due to a foot and an ankle injury. You might see who the backup is and think “Wow! Nick Chubb, they should be fine!” Then you realize he was a shell of himself last year as he was trying to recover from a gruesome knee injury, so there is not a whole lot of confidence that he can explode against a vaunted Rams front seven with a feeble offensive line trying to open up the lanes. CJ Stroud is trying to have a strong bounce back year after throwing just twenty touchdown passes and twelve interceptions the season before, but his receiving room is thinned out at the moment. He still has Nico Collins, that is always a plus. The bad news is that he is going to be without Tank Dell for perhaps the entire season due to a fractured kneecap. Christian Kirk will most likely be WR2, but he only played eight games last year, so maybe Jayden Higgins or Jaylen Noel can emerge onto the scene. This offense is going to tell us all how the Texans are going to perform this year: either they establish themselves as a respected playoff contender or they automatically get in due to a weak division and flame out early once again. The Rams defense might not be great, but it is opportunistic and is capable of forcing the opposition to make a couple of boneheaded mistakes to steal the momentum of a football game.

The good news for Matthew Stafford is that he will be a full participant in practice this week, but this is the first time will see him play in 2025 because he did not play in the preseason and he was heavily limited in training camp. In come the Houston Texans, who have a top ten defense featuring a stacked pass rush and a lethal secondary. Fortunately for him, he has Sean McVay calling the plays and a well-rounded supporting group. With touchdown magnet Kyren Williams in the backfield, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as his top two receivers, and an offensive line that surrendered the sixth fewest sacks in the league, the Rams offense should be in decent shape. The worst thing that can happen, however, is if Stafford looks like a shell of himself and puts the team in harm’s way with self-inflicted mistakes. Demeco Ryans is one hell of a defensive coach and has more than enough pieces to make him uncomfortable, so his poise and composure in the pocket needs to be the key focus in this game.

FINAL LOCK: I have been bouncing back and forth with this matchup for weeks, but in the end, I think the Rams will win at home. This is not going to be a blowout whatsoever, yet I have more faith in their offense and I think that their defensive front four is going to dominate the line of scrimmage against CJ Stroud. The way for Houston to prevent this outcome from happening is to keep their quarterback in the pocket and to have a good day running the ball, or else all hell is going to break loose.

FINAL SCORE: LA 27-20