NFL Week 1 predictions: Projecting every game, including Ravens vs Chiefs

Plenty changed since these teams met up in the AFC Championship Game (17-10). The Baltimore Ravens lost defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, along with several starters, who shut out Patrick Mahomes in the second half. Baltimore also added running back Derrick Henry, someone who can definitively exploit the Chiefs’ run defense. However, the Ravens are weak at the offensive line and Kansas City’s pass rush is one of the best in football. Pair that with the new weapons on the Chiefs’ offense and the losses in Baltimore defensively, we have Kansas City winning a close one.

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While this game is being played in Brazil, there is a huge contingent of Green Bay Packers fans making their way to Sao Paulo for Friday’s game. Both teams have elite quarterbacks, but the Philadelphia Eagles have the disadvantage of introducing new play-callers on both sides of the ball. We believe this will be one of the highest-scoring NFL games in Week 1, with Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense winning it late in the fourth quarter.

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Among the most intriguing games on Sunday’s slate, the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Atlanta Falcons matchup is a good litmus test for both teams. The Falcons’ offense can certainly be one of the best in football this season, but the defense is a major concern. It’s the opposite situation in Pittsburgh, who is poised to have a top-10 defense but this offense will be hamstrung by Russell Wilson. We’re not seeing a lot of points scored between the two teams, but Kirk Cousins will start his Falcons’ career with a win and a fourth-quarter comeback.

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The Arizona Cardinals certainly have the firepower offensively to challenge Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately for the young Cards, Arizona’s defense isn’t nearly good enough to match the Bills’ defense stop for stop. We think this will be a relatively close game late into the second half, but a fourth-quarter turnover allows Buffalo to walk out with a 10-point win to open the season.

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What better way to start your NFL career than with a win? Caleb Williams is truly walking into one of the best situations a rookie quarterback has had in years. The Bears’ defense is excellent and the supporting cast offensively offers a ton of big-play threats and chain movers. However, the Tennessee Titans did make some big improvements this offseason and they should have an edge in creating penetration through the Bears’ offensive line. This should be a close game, with home-field advantage and a slightly better roster giving Chicago the win.

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It’s going to be a very ugly season for the New England Patriots and it all starts in Week 1. Trading Matthew Judon and the absence of Christian Barmore (blood clots) are a blow for this Patriots’ defense, though, New England’s secondary should hold up fairly well. While we aren’t high on the Cincinnati Bengals defense, it’s got enough juice up front to cause havoc in the Patriots’ backfield. Cincinnati should win this one fairly comfortably, even if Ja’Marr Chase (holdout) is limited.

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The Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts series is going to be one of the best intradivision battles in the NFL for years to come. For now, though, the Colts’ inexperienced secondary and early shakiness from Anthony Richardson will keep Indianapolis from reaching its potential this soon. Still, Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson will keep things interesting, but Houston has the better quarterback, offense, defense, roster and coaching staff.

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In the last three seasons, Tua Tagovailoa is 6-1 as the Miami Dolphins starting quarterback with a 16-5 TD-INT ratio in September. The warmer temperatures suit this Dolphins offense and they’ve beaten some to NFL teams early in the year. As for the Jacksonville Jaguars, this defense might be the unit that gives them the best chance to upset the Dolphins in Week 1.

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The New Orleans Saints will really struggle this season against teams with a quality defense. Fortunately, that’s the last way anyone would describe the Carolina Panthers. Carolina will be able to generate some pressure on Derek Carr, but there are no answers for Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara. It sets up for New Orleans to start the year undefeated.

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Don’t count on there being a ton of points this Sunday between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. The Giants’ defensive line is one of the best in the NFL, which means putting Sam “ghosts” Darnold under consistent pressure. When the Giants offense is out there, though, the results might be even worse for Daniel Jones against a very good Vikings defense. Ultimately, the difference-maker (Justin Jefferson) wins this game for the Vikings.

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We’re not especially high on either the Los Angeles Chargers or Las Vegas Raiders this year. With the Raiders, it has to do with rostering one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL behind a spotty offensive line. As for Los Angeles, this receiving corps and defense leave a lot to be desired. What you get is a back-and-forth game, where a takeaway from the Raiders’ defense sets the team up for a victory.

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The Seattle Seahawks could put up some fireworks in Week 1. While the Denver Broncos do have star corner Patrick Surtain, that’s about all there is going for this unit. It leaves Seattle – with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njogba, Noah Fant and Kenneth Walker – with a golden opportunity. We also can’t wait to see the chess match between Mike Macdonald and Sean Payton, with the edge going to the Seahawks’ defensive-minded head coach.

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If you love watching great defenses, the Cleveland Browns vs Dallas Cowboys is the matchup for you. We might’ve underrated the young Cowboys offensive line coming into the season, but it’s at an obvious disadvantage against Myles Garrett and the Browns’ pass rush. With that acknowledged, Miek Zimmer and the Cowboys’ defense will cause all kinds of problems for Deshaun Watson. Ultimately, the Cowboys’ inexperience on the offensive line and the lack of weapons beyond CeeDee Lamb prevents them from executing a game-winning drive.

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The Washington Commanders are a team in transition and while there’s plenty of excitement surrounding quarterback Jayden Daniels, this defense remains a glaring issue. That’s music to the ears of Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The Buccaneers’ trio should do more than enough to carry Tampa Bay to a 1-0 record.

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One of the best matchups in Week 1 comes under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. Both the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams can compete in shootouts with anyone, especially with MVP-caliber quarterbacks under center and Offensive Player of the Year candidates at wide receiver. However, the Lions’ defense is poised to be much better than what Los Angeles is running out in 2024. That will be the difference-maker in this game. Sunday Night Football will also be the start of Goff’s MVP candidacy.

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Closing out our NFL Week 1 predictions, we’ll first say that Aaron Rodgers will play more than 4 snaps. In fact, he’ll finish the whole game and the New York Jets roster will come out of the season opener healthy. Unfortunately, New York is tentatively set to play without Haason Reddick and that’s a fairly sizable blow for the Jets’ pass rush. It will come down to the fourth quarter, but the San Francisco 49ers pull it out with Brock Purdy sealing it on the final drive.

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