Buffalo Bills @ LA Rams
The opening game of the brand-new NFL season is a big one as the reigning Super Bowl Champions Los Angeles Rams host the odds-on favourite to win the Super Bowl in the Buffalo Bills. The Rams won the Super Bowl at home last season and would love for it to repeat this year whilst the Bills suffered a devastating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. I had the Rams ranked 8th in my power rankings whilst I put the Bills at the top. In the official power rankings by Dan Hanzus, he had the Bills 1st and the Rams 2nd which just shows how big a matchup this is. Matthew Stafford comes into this season with more expected from him after winning the Super Bowl whilst Josh Allen is going for the MVP.
Prediction: Bills win
Philadelphia Eagles @ Detroit Lions
Jalen Hurts’ Eagles take on Jarred Goff’s Lions. The Eagles finished 9-8 last year and are aiming for the playoffs this season whilst the Lions recorded only 3 wins and they could be in for another tough year. I have Philadelphia ranked at 15th and Detroit at 28th. In the official power rankings, the Eagles are ranked 14th whilst the Lions are 25th. I would be very surprised if the Detroit fans see a home victory whilst a loss for the Eagles wouldn’t be a good start if they are aiming to make the playoffs.
Prediction: Easy win for Philadelphia
San Francisco 49ers @ Chicago Bears
Trey Lance starts his first game as an official number 1 QB in the NFL in Chicago as his 49ers take on the Bears. The 49ers lost in the NFC Championship game last season and a playoff spot for them this year would be a good result. As for the Bears, they finished last season with a mediocre record of 6-11. The Bears don’t look that great coming into this season, I have them at 26th whilst Dan Hanzus has them as the worst team in the league. I have ranked the Niners as the 17th best whilst the NFL Power rankings have them in third. I hope their right! Big year ahead in the careers of both Justin Fields and Trey Lance.
Prediction: Niners win
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinatti Bengals
An AFC North matchup occurs as the Steelers travel to Cincinatti to take on the Bengals. Both sides made the playoffs last year and the hosts nearly went all the way but sadly for them, they lost in the Super Bowl. I have the Steelers ranked at 20th and the Bengals ranked at 9th whilst the NFL rankings have Cincinatti at 5th and Pittsburgh at 21st. The Steelers have decided to start Mitch Trubisky over Kenny Pickett which is definitely interesting whilst Joe Burrow will aim to take the Bengals one step further.
Prediction: Cincinatti victory
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
AFC East rivals collide as the New England Patriots face the Miami Dolphins at the Hard Rock Stadium. The Patriots made the playoffs last season whilst the Dolphins were one game off. I have the visitors ranked at number 11 whilst I have the hosts at 21. Dan Hanzus however, has the Patriots ranked 18th and the Dolphins ranked 19th so this should be a close game. Personally, I think we could see a mega year from Mac Jones and the Patriots
Prediction: Patriots win
Cleveland Browns @ Carolina Panthers
Baker Mayfield makes his first regular season appearance for the Carolina Panthers against the team that drafted him at number 1 in 2018. Both teams failed to make the playoffs last season, the Browns finished 8-9 whilst the Panthers finished 5-12. I have the Browns ranked in 22nd and the Panthers in 27th whilst the NFL Power Rankings have the Browns at 22nd and the Panthers in 23rd. With Deshaun Watson suspended till Week 13, Jacoby Brissett is in charge of the offense, and this could hinder them against a Panthers team that do have an established QB.
Prediction: Home win for Carolina
Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans
Davis Mills’ Houston Texans host the Indianapolis Colts and Matt Ryan who, for the first time in his 14-year career, isn’t playing for the Atlanta Falcons. The Texans finished 4-13 last year whilst the Colts were 1 place above them in the AFC South with a record of 9-8. This could be a tough year for the Texans, I have them as the worst team in the NFL whilst Dan Hanzus has them as the 27th best. As for the Colts, I think this could be a good year for them and I have ranked them in 16th place. Dan Hanzus has the Colts in a very solid 12th.
Prediction: Easy victory for the Colts
New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons
A divisional matchup occurs as Jamies Winston, and the New Orleans Saints take on Marcus Mariota, and the Atlanta Falcons. Both sides failed to make the playoffs last season, but I think the Saints are a dark horse for a big playoff run. In my power rankings, the Falcons are 29th whilst the Saints are 13th. In the official NFL Power Rankings, the Saints are also ranked in 13th whilst the Falcons are seen as the second worst team.
Prediction: Saints win
Baltimore Ravens @ New York Jets
Lamar Jackson looks to start the Ravens season off on a high as his team travels to New York to take on the Jets. Both sides finished bottom of their division, but the Ravens won 4 more games. I have the Ravens ranked as the tenth best team whilst I have the Jets as the 8th worst. Dan Hanzus has the Jets ranked as the 7th worst team and the Ravens as the 10th best so we both have similar thoughts on the two sides. I think that this is a big year for the Ravens and Lamar Jackson as a second season with post season football isn’t good enough.
Prediction: Ravens win in a dominant display
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Washington Commanders
The newly renamed Washington Commanders kick off their season at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Neither team was really close to the playoffs but the then Football Team were a lot better than the Jags. I have the Commanders at 24 and the Jaguars at 23 in my power rankings. I feel like Trevor Lawrence could be in for a solid season and also, surely the Jags can’t be any worse than the last two seasons. As for the official rankings, Jacksonville are 29th and Washington are 30th so both teams could be in for a real struggle.
Prediction: Close one, I’ll say Washington
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings face off live on Sky Sports. The Packers earnt the number 1 seed last season, but they ended up losing to San Francisco in their first post season matchup. The Vikings didn’t make the playoffs, but an 8-9 record is totally respectable. I have ranked the Vikings in 19th and the Packers in third. I just don’t see the Vikings making the playoffs whilst the Packers are always contenders. As for Dan Hanzus, he has Green Bay in 6th and Minnesota in 20th. Should be a decent game though, both Quarterbacks are playoff worthy.
Prediction: Packers start the season with a W
New York Giants @ Tennessee Titans
Daniel Jones and the New York Giants could be in for another tough season, and they start their campaign against the Titans in Tennessee. The Titans were actually the number 1 seed in the AFC last year, but they also lost in their first matchup. I don’t think that the Titans have a particularly great squad on paper which is why I have them ranked in 18th and as for the Giants, they look poor, and I have them as the third worst team in the entire game. However, in the official power rankings, the Giants are ranked 28th which is a slight improvement whilst Tennessee are in 17th place. Having Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill will definitely help the hosts this season.
Prediction: Titans win comfortably
Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers
Another big week 1 matchup takes place in LA as this time, the Chargers host the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders made the playoffs last season whilst the Chargers just missed out. Both teams are good, this division matchups are going to be even more key when it comes to their position come the end of the season. I have the Raiders as the 12th best team and the Chargers as the 5th best team. Dan Hanzus has the Chargers in 9th spot and the Raiders in 11th place. Derek Carr is an excellent QB, but I think that Justin Herbert is going to win MVP come the end of the season. The Chargers are also my pick to win the Super Bowl too.
Prediction: Chargers win
Kansas City Chiefs @ Arizona Cardinals
This should be a good one! Both sides made the playoffs last year and both teams definitely plan to do so again this year. Kyler Murray is a really good QB whilst Patrick Mahomes is one of the best. I have the Chiefs ranked 6th and the Cardinals ranked 14th whilst in the NFL power rankings, the Cardinals are 16th, and the Chiefs are 7th. The Chiefs want to start the season positively as I think they are aiming to win the Super Bowl this year whilst a Cardinals win would be big for them.
Prediction: Kansas win on the road
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Dallas Cowboys
The first Sunday Night Football of the year is exciting as Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against Dak Prescott’s Dallas Cowboys. Both sides made the playoffs last year and both sides lost at home. I think both of these teams are pretty good, I have the Cowboys as the 7th best team in the league and the Bucs as the best team in the NFC. Dan Hanzus has the Bucs as the fourth best team in the league and surprisingly, the Cowboys as the 15th. Tom Brady is the Greatest NFL Player ever and he will aim for another Super Bowl ring this year, but I also think that Dak Prescott is pretty good, and his side should be challenging come January.
Prediction: Maybe a surprise, I’m going with the Cowboys
Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks
This is typical. Russell Wilson plays his first ever regular season game for the Denver Broncos against the team that he made his own. It’s a very different Seattle to the one he won the Super Bowl with though as I have them as the second worst team. Losing Russell is one thing but replacing him with Geno Smith is a horror show for the entire organisation. They’ve also lost Bobby Wagner which doesn’t help in the slightest. The Seahawks fair a bit better in the NFL Power Rankings though as they are ranked in 24th place. As for the Broncos, Dan Hanzus has ranked them 8th whilst I have them as the 4th best team in the entire league. Considering how well they did with a poor Quarterback; they should be pretty good given the fact that they now have a Top 5 Quarterback in Russell Wilson.
Not even close!! That hurts