NFL Week 1 Preview
Thursday Night Football
Cowboys @ Eagles: The 2025 NFL Season kicks off in Philadelphia as the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles host NFC East rival, Dallas Cowboys. If there is a team just as bad as the Cincinnati Bengals when it comes to wasting the prime of a really good offense, it's the Dallas Cowboys. In the 10 years since drafting Dak, the Cowboys have mounted a 2-5 record in the postseason with 2025 marking 30 years since their last NFC Championship appearance. Heading into Thursday Night, the Cowboys are banged up and they just traded their best defensive player to the Green Bay Packers. Trevon Diggs will play giving a boost to that secondary as is OT Tyler Guyton who will have his hands full with the best defensive line in the NFL. gives himself a chance to play but if he doesn't? That means Daron Bland and newly acquired CB Kaiir Elam will have to stop AJ Brown and Devonta Smith.
Friday Night Football
Chiefs @ Chargers: Jim Harbaugh & The Los Angeles Chargers head to Brazil to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in their quest to win their first AFC West Crown since 2009. Unfortunately for the Chargers and the rest of the AFC, it's the Kansas City Chiefs world and we are just living in it. Is this the year someone finally dethrones the Chiefs? The Chargers sure do hope so as they head into this one pretty healthy, even though losing Rashawn Slater for the season is a pretty big blow to the offensive line. That's good news for Chris Jones and Steve Spagnolo who will gladly take advantage of that, but there might be concern on the offensive side of the ball. Sure, Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes but in what may be Travis Kelce's final season, Travis is out to prove he still has enough in the tank and hasn't had a 1000+ yard season since 2022. As for his receiving core, Rashee Rice is serving a suspension, rookie Jaylen Royals saying it would be a stretch for him to play meaning Mahomes will have to lean on veteran Hollywood Brown Friday Night. Mahomes with limited weapons may just be enough for the Chargers to give them their first win over the Chiefs since 2021.
Sunday 1PM Games
Buccaneers @ Falcons: The Atlanta Falcons play host to NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they look to reach the postseason for the first time since 2017. The Kirk Cousins era didn't turn out quite as planned for the Falcons but now it's time to see if Michael Penix was worth the first round selection one year ago. Very questionable decision by Raheem Morris not playing any starters this season, especially with a young QB who needs as many reps before the regular season. The Bucs on the other hand are looking to keep their strangle hold on the NFC South looking for a record 5th consecutive NFC South crown. Since leaving Cleveland, Baker Mayfield has had a resurgence in Tampa and has kept Tampa atop the NFC South following Tom Brady's retirement. The addition of rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka should lessen the blow of not having Chris Godwin for the first few games of the season. Tampa's offense may just be able to shock the NFL this season, perhaps putting Baker in the MVP conversation and perhaps another Super Bowl appearance.
Bengals @ Browns: I'm putting the Cincinnati Bengals on upset alert, in fact not only is it my upset of the week, Zac Taylor will be fired at the end of the year. Cincinnati has gotten off to a slow start in recent seasons including a 1-4 start to last season where they ended up just missing the playoffs. Overall, Zac Taylor has a 7-14-1 coaching record in September and it's time to change that if the Bengals are to get back to the postseason. As for Cleveland, Joe Flacco returns to get them back to the postseason just like he did in 2023. The Bengals despite re-signing Trey Hendrickson still has a bad defense that may allow Joe Flacco and company to pull off the upset. The questions in Cleveland will revolve around the starting quarterback all season wondering when Dillion Gabriel and Shedur Sanders play. Joe Burrow himself has a losing record against the Browns but perhaps playing in the preseason will allow Burrow and company to have knocked the rust off in order to prevent a slow start to the season. If the Bengals once again get off to a slow start, and end up missing the playoffs, Zac Taylor's days in Cincinnati may just come to an end on Black Monday.
Dolphins @ Colts: Speaking of Black Monday, both Miami and Indianapolis find themselves entering 2025 with huge questions in regards to their General Managers & Head Coaches. Colts GM Chris Ballard is just 62-69-1 since 2017, still searching for stability at quarterback after Andrew Luck’s retirement. Daniel Jones becomes the latest Week 1 starter, and if head coach Shane Steichen can’t coax strong play from him, his own job may be at risk. Miami, meanwhile, has under performed under Mike McDaniel, who struggles in big games, while GM Brian Grier’s top draft picks haven’t panned out, including the much-hyped “Tank for Tua” era. This matchup features two talented but directionless teams trying to avoid major changes after the season.
Raiders @ Patriots: Both The Patriots and Raiders come into 2025 with a new Head Coach, Mike Vrabel for the Patriots and Pete Caroll returns to the sidelines following a year off. It's been a reunion of sorts for New England this off-season as not only have they hired Mike Vrabel but also brought back Josh McDaniels to help second year quarterback Drake Maye.The Raiders meanwhile reunited Pete Caroll and Geno Smith in Las Vegas harping back to their days in Seattle together. The Raiders took Boise State Runningback Ashton Jeanty with the 6th overall pick in this year's draft to give Geno some relief in the ground game, once again something Pete Carroll is familar with dating back to his Seattle days with Marshawn Lynch. The Patriots are hoping Rookie Left Tackle Will Campbell is up to task when it comes to keeping Maye upright as they do have four new starters, including two rookie offensive lineman. The addition of veteran WR Stefon Diggs will give Maye a reliable receiver but whether the offensive line holds up against Maxx Crosby, remains to be seen.
Cardinals @ Saints: The Arizona Cardinals are that team we are all waiting on to breakout and live up to expectations since drafting Kyler Murray. After firing Kliff Kingsbury, the team hired Jonathan Gannon to take over the helm hoping to replicate the success of the Philadelphia Eagles. The team finished 8-9 after starting 6-3 last year, made a ton of defensive improvements like signing Josh Sweat to boost the pass rush, bringing veteran Defensive Lineman who started his career with the Cardinals, Calais Campbell back for what might be his final season and the team will hope he will mentor first round draft pick Walter Nolen. The Saints meanwhile seem to be heading for one of the worst records in the NFL under first year Head Coach Kellen Moore. The Saints have pushed money back keeping them limited when it comes to the salary cap and it seems they have finally embraced a full on rebuild. After announcing Spencer Rattler as the starting quarterback, it's only a matter of time before we see rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and the tank for Arch Manning gets underway.
Steelers @ Jets: The NFL was smart to put this game week one as both teams will see their former starting quarterback play for the other team. The Steelers are hoping to get something out of Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf can turn the Steelers offense around in 2025 after some bad offenses these past couple seasons. The Jets hired Aaron Glenn from the Detroit Lions who brought in Justin Fields to be their new starting Quarterback. While having Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall will certainly help Fields, a struggling passing game will play right into the hands of the Steelers who had one of the best run defenses in the league last season. Can Aaron Rodgers show he still can sling it at the age of 41, will going all in on Aaron Rodgers be what it takes to get Pittsburgh over the hump? Or will Justin Fields and the new look Jets shock the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Giants @ Commanders: The Washington Commanders have got to be thinking Super Bowl this season following their run to the NFC Championship Game last year. Led by second year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Daniels looks to build off his rookie season in which he threw for 25 Touchdowns and 3,568 yards. Jayden has to feeling good knowing Terry McLaurin won't be holding out and is sticking around in Washington for the foreseeable future. The addition of Deebo Samuel gives the Commanders offense a new wrinkle that will only add to last year's success. As for the Giants, they signed Russell Wilson to try to turn things around for Brian Daboll and company. They also drafted Jaxson Dart who is the backup QB and the first signs of struggle for Wilson will see calls for Dart to play. The addition of Carter Abdul looks to be a big boost as he has flashed lots of what made him the third overall pick in this year's draft. He'll have his first test with a mobile QB in Jayden Daniels but all seems well for the Giants top pick in the draft.
Panthers @ Jaguars: Thirty years after entering the league together, Carolina and Jacksonville meet in a fitting anniversary clash. Both clubs turned to offensive-minded head coaches from the Baker Mayfield coaching tree — Dave Canales to revive Bryce Young and Liam Coen to finally unlock Trevor Lawrence. Each team also invested heavily at receiver: Jacksonville shocked everyone by trading up for Colorado sensation Travis Hunter, who may play both corner and wideout, while Carolina drafted Tetairoa McMillan after moving on from Adam Thielen to give its young pass catchers more reps. With both teams in winnable divisions, this matchup could be an early indicator of surprise playoff hosts come January.
Sunday 4PM Games
Titans @ Broncos: The Tennessee Titans head to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos who made waves last season finishing 10-7 under Sean Payton in his second season with the team. Denver's success came off rookie quarterback Bo Nix who threw for 3,775 yards and 29 Touchdowns. Denver looks to build off that and get back to the postseason while taking the next steps to eventually challenge the Chiefs for AFC West supremacy. Tennessee meanwhile starts a new era under center with Cam Ward, who they selected with the first overall pick. Head Coach Brian Callahan, who came from Cincinnati is hoping to recreate Joe Burrow's development in Tennessee with Cam Ward. As I said with the Jaguars, the AFC South is very winnable as CJ Stroud who came in as a rookie led the Texans back to the playoffs in his rookie year. If Cam Ward is advertised, playoff football may return to the music city sooner than later.
49ers @ Seahawks: The Super Bowl hangover hit the 49ers hard, finishing 6-11 just after being in overtime in the Super Bowl. The Madden curse was not too kind to Christian McCaffrey as he missed multiple games in 2024 and looks to rebound to 2023 form. The 49ers have the star power to get back to the postseason but remaining healthy seems to be the key. As for Seattle, they traded Geno Smith away and signed Sam Darnold as a free agent to replace him. Seattle better hope Sam Darnold wasn't a product of Kevin O'Connell's offensive system and he can replicate his Minnesota success in Seattle. It should be interesting to note how Seattle handled their quarterback situation in 2025 mirroed what they did in 2012. Made a free agent splash signing Matt Flynn, then drafted Russell Wilson in the third round. They signed Sam Darnold in free agency, and drafted Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 Draft.
Lions @ Packers: This match up took a wild turn when Green Bay traded for Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons — a blockbuster move reminiscent of the Reggie White signing. The Packers also finally drafted a receiver in the first round for the first time in 20 years, landing Matthew Golden to give Jordan Love a new weapon. In a stacked NFC North, Green Bay clearly wants to dethrone Dan Campbell’s Lions, who are 6-2 against them under Campbell. Detroit comes off a historic 15-2 season as the NFC’s No. 1 seed but saw its run end against a red-hot Commanders team led by rookie Jayden Daniels. Both teams view this opener as a statement: the Lions looking to defend their crown, the Packers chasing their first division title since 2021.
Texans @ Rams: The defending AFC South champs visit Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Houston addressed its biggest issue — 52 sacks on its QB last season — while hiring Rams passing-game coordinator Nick Caley as offensive coordinator, making this a chess match between similar schemes. Their rebuilt line gets a baptism by fire against Jared Verse and an aggressive Rams defense. With Stafford nearing the end of his career, McVay’s window to return to the Super Bowl is shrinking, making this a pivotal early test for both teams.
Sunday Night Football
Ravens @ Bills: This showdown will decide playoff seeding in the AFC, but for both teams the real hurdle remains the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have fallen short in the playoffs to the Chiefs in recent seasons, but Sunday Night could go a long way toward where a potential playoff rematch is played. For the Ravens, it's about two things. Turning regular season success into postseason success and creating turnovers, which the Ravens have failed to do in the postseason while they have been the ones turning the ball over. The Ravens added first-round safety Malaki Starks to pair with Kyle Hamilton, hoping turnovers follow, and bolstered their passing game with the addition of veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins. After routing Buffalo last regular season, Baltimore seeks playoff redemption. Buffalo counters with reigning MVP Josh Allen and a defense now featuring Joey Bosa, aiming to finally break through in January. But injuries to both starting cornerbacks could open the door for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to strike big on Sunday night.
Monday Night Football
Vikings @ Bears: Week 1 ends with a NFC North showdown in the Windy City. There are lots of unknowns coming into this game when you look at both of these teams. For the Bears, they hired their 4th Head Coach in the past ten years in Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson. Chicago hoping Ben Johnson can turn things around offensively and develop Caleb Williams into their franchise quarterback. Lots of questions still when it comes to Caleb Williams entering his third season, but you can't say the Bears front office is trying to help him. Chicago revamped its line, trading for Joe Thuney, acquiring Jonah Jackson, and signing Drew Dalman, plus adding first-round TE Colston Loveland. It’s a make-or-break year for Williams to prove he’s the franchise QB. Can he become the first Bears Quarterback to throw 4,000 yards or will there be doubt by the end of the year about his time in Chicago.
The Minnesota Vikings finished 14-3 but unfortunately that did not translate into post season success as they loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round. After losing Sam Darnold in free agency to the Seattle Seahawks, the Vikings turn to J.J. McCarthy who will be making his NFL debut coming off a season-ending knee injury last year. It will help that he has one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Justin Jefferson to throw to, but many question whether the Vikings can have the same success as last year. Was Sam Darnold a product of Kevin O'Connell's offense or can J.J McCarthy lead the Vikings back to the postseason in his first year as a starter?
