After one of the most grueling offseasons in recent memory, the NFL finally returns on Thursday night. Then, the Super Bowl Champion, Kansas City Chiefs will be facing off against the Houston Texans. Week one is filled with plenty of intriguing matchups that could shape how the season goes. There are new faces in new uniforms and some teams have gotten better, while some have gotten worse.
In this article, all 16 will be ranked in terms of competitiveness with an overview of each game and a final prediction. Without further ado, let’s dive into week one of the NFL season.
16. Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars
This game is a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions. Indianapolis is seemingly in win-now mode with the additions of Philip Rivers and DeForest Buckner. They had an excellent draft that saw the Colts draft Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor in the second round. Meanwhile, Jacksonville has shipped off plenty of their most talented players in recent weeks with the departures of Leonard Fournette, Yannick Ngakoue, and Ronnie Harrison. Ultimately, it seems as though the high-powered offense of Indianapolis will be too much for Jacksonville’s inexperienced secondary to handle. This game is seemingly the easiest game to predict with Jacksonville’s recent trend for tanking for a higher draft pick.
Final Score: Indianapolis – 31, Jacksonville – 13
15. Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Football Team
Philadelphia has already had bad luck with injuries early into the season. While that may cause them to get out of the gate slow, expect the Eagles to get in a groove midway through the first quarter. The Eagles have enough pieces on the defensive line to wreak havoc against a mediocre Washington offensive line. The biggest matchup in this game will be Darius Slay against Terry McLaurin. The addition of Slay was huge for a Philadelphia secondary that desperately needed help. Ultimately, the Eagles will win this game due to the Eagles not having much turnover while Washington has a ton of moving pieces.
Final Score: Philadelphia – 30, Washington – 17
14. Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Giants
The first game on Monday night is between a championship-caliber team in the Steelers who were plagued by injuries last year and a young Giants team that is looking to improve upon last year. Once again, this is similar to the game above where Pittsburgh will take advantage of New York’s weaknesses. The Giants will be starting Andrew Thomas at the left tackle spot and either Cameron Fleming or Matt Peart at the right tackle spot. The trio of TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Bud Dupree will demolish the New York offensive line. New York’s secondary is a mess as well and will be picked apart by Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh receiving core. This will be a rough game for Daniel Jones against a lethal Pittsburgh defense.
Final Score: Pittsburgh – 27, New York – 16
13. New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills
This could very well be the lowest-scoring game of the weekend with two great defenses. Buffalo is the favorite to win in a seemingly re-branded AFC East. The Bills went all-in on Josh Allen by trading for Stefon Diggs to give him yet another weapon at the receiver spot. Buffalo’s secondary will lock up well against New York’s lackluster receiver room. This could be yet another game where we see the inconsistencies of Sam Darnold that could cost the Jets the game. Expect Le’Veon Bell to be peppered with targets as the receivers won’t find much separation.
Final Score: New York – 14, Buffalo – 20
12. Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
This is a battle between the two cellar-dwellers in the NFC North. Chicago is starting Mitchell Trubisky for this game and he will look to build some consistency to gain the coaching staff’s trust. Detroit could find some trouble on the offensive side of the ball with the offensive line against Chicago’s front seven. Detroit will likely let Matthew Stafford be himself by airing it out to both Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, both of whom should take advantage of the lackluster Chicago secondary. This game will come down to how Trubisky performs. If he doesn’t do well, the Bears have no shot at winning this game, and in this case, he doesn’t.
Final Score: Chicago – 17, Detroit – 24
11. Las Vegas Raiders @ Carolina Panthers
This is the first game where there is a lot of intrigue around both teams. Las Vegas has seemingly put all of the weapons around Derek Carr for him to succeed and added to an abysmal defense in free agency. For Carolina meanwhile, there is a ton of moving pieces all over, including the quarterback position. Teddy Bridgewater will now start for Carolina and has plenty of options to throw to with Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Robby Anderson. Unfortunately for the Panthers, their defense could potentially be shredded with new starters at all three levels. Carolina’s defense will cost them this game.
Final Score: Las Vegas – 27, Carolina – 23
10. Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons
This is a great first test for both teams. Seattle added Jamal Adams in the offseason and will look to use him and a new bundle of starters on defense against Atlanta’s explosive offense. For Atlanta, their secondary will be put to the test against Seattle’s underrated receiving core. Atlanta’s offensive line needs to give Matt Ryan time and the same could be said about Seattle’s offensive line for Russell Wilson. This is a big game for both teams and could be a high-scoring duel.
Final Score – Seattle – 34, Atlanta – 27
9. Los Angeles Chargers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Both of these teams have made plenty of moves during the offseason. For the Chargers, they are now rolling with Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback as well as Austin Ekeler as the three-down back. They have improved their offensive line and will look to run it down Cincinnati’s throat. For Cincinnati meanwhile, the same could be said as the Chargers don’t have a stout run defense. Expect Joe Mixon and Ekeler both to have big days as they try to keep it out of their quarterback’s hands. Joe Burrow could have a rude awakening this week if Zac Taylor throws him to the wolves behind Cincinnati’s awful offensive line against Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. This game could go either way, but the Chargers offensive line is the better of the two, earning the win.
Final Score: Los Angeles – 22, Cincinnati – 20
8. Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
Miami will look to see how the new faces work out against the league’s best coach. For New England, it may be difficult for the receivers to create separation against Byron Jones and Xavien Howard. Unfortunately for Miami, their lack of a pass rush will hinder the secondary as they won’t be able to get to Cam Newton often. With so many moving pieces for both of these teams, it could come down to whichever defense performs better, perhaps earning Miami an upset victory if all goes well.
Final Score: Miami – 16, New England – 21
7. Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
This could be a lot closer than most expect. Cleveland’s new front office and coaching staff finally seem to have the group the most prepared it’s been in a long time. Baker Mayfield needs to show that the organization made the right decision by taking him with the first pick after an up-and-down sophomore campaign. Lamar Jackson is back and armed once again with one of the best teams in the league. Baltimore added plenty of pieces on the defensive side of the ball, including Calais Campbell and Patrick Queen. Two battles to watch in this game are Cleveland’s receivers against Baltimore’s secondary, as well as Cleveland’s subpar run defense against the Ravens’ elite rushing attack.
Final Score: Cleveland – 27, Baltimore – 30
6. Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers
Arizona’s offense is now one of the most exciting in the league with the addition of Deandre Hopkins. Unfortunately, they could be overmatched defensively with Kyle Shanahan‘s offense. Arizona’s front seven has a ton of new faces and could have some difficulties against San Francisco’s high-powered offense. The Cardinals will also be tasked with handling San Francisco’s front seven which is one, if not the best in the league. The 49ers are looking to come back from their Super Bowl defeat and come out firing against their divisional opponent. With injuries piling up at the receiver spot, the 49ers could very well focus on the rushing attack early and often on Sunday.
Final Score: Arizona – 23, San Francisco – 30
5. Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
This will be an early look at who could take the NFC North trophy this year. Minnesota had possibly the best draft this year while Green Bay…. well we all know how Green Bay’s draft was. While Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers, the team around him hasn’t gotten much better. Green Bay will be relying on a receiving core that has Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, and two players who must step up in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St Brown. Fortunately enough, Minnesota is relying on a bevy of new players in the secondary. Green Bay’s pass rush should be able to cause some havoc on Kirk Cousins but the rushing attack should be the main priority for Minnesota. Green Bay’s run defense was ranked 26th in the league last year and the Packers didn’t do anything to improve upon that ranking besides adding Christian Kirksey. It will likely be Ty Summers who will be playing opposite Kirksey, which could result in a big day for Dalvin Cook. This is a great early-game on Sunday and will be one of the closest of the weekend.
Final Score: Green Bay – 23, Minnesota – 21
4. Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos
The late Monday Night game is one of the most underrated games of the weekend slate. Both teams are in contention for playoff spots in the AFC and need to get off to a hot start. Denver has put a ton of weapons around Drew Lock and is poised for a deep playoff run. Tennessee advanced to the AFC Championship behind a revamped Ryan Tannehill and a rushing attack led by Derrick Henry. Both of the defenses are very underrated and the Titans just added Jadeveon Clowney to team up with Harold Landry on the edge. The Broncos are hoping third-round pick, Michael Ojemudia will be a factor as the starter opposite of AJ Bouye. These teams are very evenly matched but Denver has the home-field advantage regardless of there being fans or not.
Final Score: Tennessee – 16, Denver – 20
3. Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs
The first game of the season ranks as the third-best game this week. The Chiefs are looking to continue their success past their Super Bowl victory. Kansas City didn’t lose as many pieces as most Super Bowl champions lose during the offseason and most of their starters are returning. Houston is full of uncertainty currently. Without Deandre Hopkins, the Texans are relying on Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb, and Will Fuller as the main receiving options, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see at least one of those three not finish the game due to an injury. Houston’s secondary might not be able to hold up against Kansas City’s high-powered offensive attack. Along with that, it seems as though Houston’s only chance of winning is if Deshaun Watson puts the team on his back, more than usual that is.
Final Score: Houston – 24, Kansas City – 30
2. Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams
The Sunday night game is one of the best games this weekend as well. Dallas is relying heavily on their offense against the Rams defense and new defensive coordinator, Brandon Staley. For the Rams, they are looking to continue their success from the end of last year. The Rams could have the edge this week as they have most of their offensive starters returning this year against a Dallas defense that lost their top cornerback and is relying on a ton of young cornerbacks to defend the receiving core the Rams have.
Final Score: Dallas – 23, Los Angeles – 27
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
This is by far the best matchup of the weekend as the Saints look to square off against the new-look Buccaneers. Tom Brady will face off against Drew Brees for the first time this year. Both teams have great rosters but the Saints return most of their starters while Tampa Bay has brought in a ton of new faces. The Saints offense led by Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas could be too much for a young defense for Tampa Bay. This game could come down to the final seconds with either team kicking a field goal to win the game.
Final Score: Tampa Bay – 27, New Orleans – 30
Thankfully, football is back. After months of wondering if this season would even occur, we finally are ready for action.
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