NFL Week 1 Preview and Predictions

At long last, the NFL season is here.

Week 1 Headlines

Hurricane Irma: The Miami Dolphins home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been postponed until week 11. Which means now both teams will have to play 16 straight regular season games. The Dolphins, in particular, will feel the effects of this change since only two of their first eight games will be played at home.

Zeke Eligible: Despite his six-game suspension being upheld (for now), Ezekiel Elliot will be eligible to play in the Cowboys season opener against the New York Giants thanks to the decision timeline.

Fantasy Football Start Em/Sit Em

Starting Quarterbacks: Marcus Mariota, Derek Carr, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins

Sitting Quarterbacks: Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Dak Prescott

Starting Running Backs: Todd Gurley, Dalvin Cook, Danny Woodhead

Sitting Running Backs: Mark Ingram, Frank Gore, Ameer Abdullah

Starting Receivers: Michael Crabtree, Kelvin Benjamin, Pierre Garcon

Sitting Receivers: T.Y. Hilton, Kenny Britt, Jeremy Maclin

Starting Tight Ends: Zach Ertz, Kyle Rudolph, Evan Engram, Jason Witten

Sitting Tight Ends: Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle, Antonio Gates, Coby Fleener

Starting Defenses: Texans, Bills, Rams

Sitting Defenses: Seahawks, Giants, Cardinals

Game Picks

Chiefs vs. Patriots: For the second time in three seasons, the Patriots open the season as defending world champions. They’ll face a playoff team from last season in the Chiefs with their good defense. New England is the favorite and rightfully so. Since the traditional Thursday night kickoff game started, the Patriots are 3-0. The Chiefs will be once again reliant on a conservative offense, led by a conservative quarterback, and a rookie running back. The KC defense is normally an elite unit, but that’s meaningless against Tom Brady. The Patriots win this one.

Jets vs Bills: What we have here is one team that is crumbling before our eyes and a team that is allegedly tanking. Even if Tyrod Taylor doesn’t play, the Bills can at least run LeSean McCoy to victory. Against this Jets team, that should be enough to secure the Bills a win.

Jaguars vs. Texans: The Texans will be playing an emotional home opener following the events of Hurricane Harvey. That will likely put the Jaguars at an even greater disadvantage. Their main disadvantage? Blake Bortles is their starting quarterback and J.J. Watt will be chasing him around the field. The Texans offense will probably be pedestrian at best, but I expect the Texans defense to dominate and lead the way to victory.

Steelers vs. Browns: This is a moment to remember for Steelers fans. It’s the time where their offense is together and fully intact. Le’Veon Bell may want a bigger contract, but he won’t be missing a game check. Martavis Bryant returns from a year long suspension and says that he’s ready to get going. Big Ben is back for at least this season and Antonio Brown has hopefully left his cell phone at home. The Browns will be starting a rookie quarterback in DeShone Kizer while Myles Garrett also begins his career. Long story short, the Browns defense have no way to stop the Steelers offense. Expect Kizer to make the typical rookie mistakes as the Steelers win the game.

Cardinals vs. Lions: Arizona was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender a season ago before the wheels fell off. Carson Palmer showed regression and isn’t getting any younger. The defense has lost a few key pieces as well. Meanwhile, the Lions just broke the bank for Matthew Stafford. Their running backs are healthy this year, but passing will still be the bread and butter for this offense. Unfortunately, their defense isn’t much to fear. So expect a high scoring game and a Lions win. I think the Cardinals will make a few mistakes that will cost them.

Falcons vs. Bears: The Falcons should be opening the season as the defending world champions, but now will be regulated to the role of the team looking for redemption. Their first game shouldn't be that tough. The Bears are in the midst of a rebuild and starting an unproven quarterback while waiting for their project to be ready. I don’t expect the Bears to be able to keep up with the Falcons offense. Also, look for the Falcons defense to play a huge game. After all, the only player they need to worry about is Jordan Howard. The Falcons should win this one easily.

Raiders vs. Titans: Everybody’s sleeper from last season travels east to play everyone’s sleeper for this season. And the best part is both quarterbacks are healthy after breaking their legs last season. The Raiders opened the season with three road games last year and won them all. Their offense should be even better this year, but their defense is concerning. Their ability to stop the run will be tested immediately against the Titans. Expect a lot of running from DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. That will wear out the Raiders defense and keep that explosive offense on the bench. As long as Marcus Mariota doesn’t turn the ball over, I expect a close win for the Titans.

Ravens vs. Bengals: It looks like Joe Flacco’s back is healthy enough to prevent Ryan Mallett from playing. The Ravens are still missing players elsewhere, but they have one big thing working in their favor. The Bengals offensive line looks like it will be terrible this year. Even if this isn’t your father’s Ravens defense, they should be able to take advantage of that. Also, the Bengals will be missing Vontaze Burfict since he’s gone and gotten himself suspended again. It will be close, but I think the Ravens win this one.

Eagles vs. Redskins: Possibly the beginning of the last season in Washington for Kirk Cousins begins on Sunday. It’s only right given the turbulent offseason they had. The Eagles are another popular sleeper pick to get to the playoffs. Expectations are high for Carson Wentz in his second season to take the next step. With both teams having defenses that lean more towards average than great, I expect a high scoring game. The Eagles have lost five straight to Washington, but I expect the Eagles to end that trend and win the game.

Colts vs. Rams: With Andrew Luck out due to injury, Scott Tolzien will get the start for the Colts against the Rams. Tolzien already has great news since it’s beginning to look like Aaron Donald is willing to miss games in his quest to get paid. So maybe he’ll have a little extra time to throw. As for the Rams, this is a perfect opportunity for Jared Goff to feast on a suspect defense. If he struggles in this game, expect the Rams fans to begin raining down boos. In any event, I expect the Rams to seize the opportunity and win this game.

Panthers vs. 49ers: San Francisco begins their throw away season hosting the Panthers. This game will a good start for Cam Newton and the Panthers. They should be able to feast on the weak Niners team and pick up an easy win.

Seahawks vs. Packers: This could be an NFC Championship Game preview if the Packers have fixed their issues on defense. Offensively, everything is fine as long as number 12 is throwing the ball. I can’t recall the last time he’s played a horrible game at Lambeau. Even with the Seahawks defense playing against him, I expect solid production from Aaron Rodgers. This will also be a chance to see the Seahawks offense at work. Russell Wilson is often the scapegoat when things go wrong, but against the Packers defense, he should find success. Meanwhile, the defense should do just enough to steal a close win in Green Bay.

Giants vs. Cowboys: The one team that the Cowboys just can’t seem to figure out are the Giants. The Football Giants have won three straight games against the Cowboys and looked poised for a fourth. That was until Ezekiel Elliot was cleared to play and Odell Beckham’s status became relatively unknown. This is the perfect opportunity for the Cowboys to snap the streak and beat the Giants. And I expect them to do just that.

Saints vs. Vikings: Adrian Peterson makes his return to Minnesota on Monday to play his old team. It’s the worst kept secret in the league right now that he wants to stick it to his former team, and his new team will likely give him chances to do it. But against a Vikings defense built to stop the run, it will be easier said than done. Good thing Peterson has Drew Brees as his quarterback (the best he’s had since an old Brett Favre). The Saints offense will find their typical success, but I don’t expect the Vikings to do much on that side of the ball. And that is why I think the Saints will be winning this one.

Chargers vs. Broncos: The newly minted Los Angeles Chargers get a good test to start the season. Not only do they have to figure out the Broncos defense, but they also have to snap their trend of Monday Night meltdowns. They’ve lost five of their last six on Monday night, and each loss featured a choke job of some sort. The Broncos have issues of their own on offense since they still don’t have a trustworthy quarterback. The Chargers defense looks good on paper this season. Combine that with the Broncos suspect offensive line and quarterback and the Chargers should win this game.