Week 1 predictions

Falcons vs. Eagles

Falcons come in with a bitter taste in their mouth for how the team lost in the Conference Championship to the Eagles. The team struggled on offense last year under offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, but Sark is in his second season and has developed a rhythm with QB Matt Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones. The two-headed backfield beast that is Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman will be a threat all season in the run game. With the defense back healthy and lean the team should see a promising outcome in 2018.

Eagles come in as the Super Bowl champion, but also without QB Carson Wentz for Week 1. Nick Foles won the Super Bowl for the team but this was with a completely different squad. Gone is wide receiver Torrey Smith, tight end Trey Burton and running back LeGarrette Blount. The team brought in wide receiver Mike Wallace to replace the deep threat of Smith this season and will lean heavily on running back Jay Ajayi in the backfield. Eagles defense is packed and stacked and should lead the NFC East again this season.

Prediction: Falcons


Bengals vs. Colts

Bengals come in after a disappointing season outside of the playoffs. QB Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green are really in a win now situation this season or this may be Marvin Lewis' last in Cincinnati. There looks to be promise in the run game this season with running back Joe Mixon which should take some of the burden off of the passing game. The defense looks good with Preston Brown in the middle of the line but they need to beat the toughest opponents in their division and this looks to be an uphill challenge.

Colts would like to erase 2017 from their memory and with the return of QB Andrew Luck they may get a chance to do just that. There may be some rust early on for Luck, but once he's up to speed the Colts will see a surge in their offensive production especially with Marlon Mack in the backfield. Their biggest question marks will be on defense which is young but healthy. They will get tested early and often in the AFC South.

Prediction: Bengals


Bills vs. Ravens

Bills biggest change in the offseason is trading quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The team is starting the season with Nathan Peterman at the helm. Peterman didn't have a good showing in his only start last season, but has looked good in the preseason this year. Peterman will have help with his big receiver Kelvin Benjamin able to stretch the field out speedy receiver Zay Jones healthy and LeSean McCoy able to ground and pound out of the backfield. The defense is young and ready to take the team back to the playoffs.

Any worries that Joe Flacco would lose his starting job to the rookie Lamar Jackson were laid to rest during the preseason. Flacco showed out and proved he is one of the better quarterbacks in the league. He'll have Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead to throw it up to..if Crabtree can live up to his potential and the defense can play up to the level from a few years ago this team will be a threat in the AFC North.

Prediction: Ravens


Buccaneers vs. Saints

Buccaneers are the biggest question mark of the NFC South. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will start the first three games of the season with Jameis Winston out on suspension. They will need more production out of Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson this season if they hope to remain competitive in one of the stronger divisions. Peyton Barber is stepping into the starting role this season in the backfield and have high expectations on his shoulders. The defense made positive changes in the offseason that should help them move out of the cellar of their division.

Saints start the season without running back Mark Ingram for four games. No worries as they do have offensive rookie of the year Alvin Kamara ready to pick up the slack. Drew Brees biggest weapon will be Michael Thomas who will need to catch more than the five touchdowns he caught last season to be a double covered threat. Saints defense is solid as they come and should make them the front runner in their division again this season.

Prediction: Saints


Texans vs. Patriots

Texans were decimated by injuries last season and finished with a paltry four wins. This season they have Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus all back healthy. Watson showed flashes of greatness in his rookie season prior to his injury and with DeAndre Hopkins having the best hands in football these two should be able to light up the scoreboard. With all their defensive weapons healthy this team can return to their playoff glory days.

Patriots start the season without the help of wide receiver Julian Edelman for the first four games. The team will go with Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan at receiver and James White in the backfield. The biggest questions are on the team's defense but the Pats are still the best team in their division.

Prediction: Patriots


49ers vs. Vikings

Jimmy Garoppolo went 5-0 last season and cashed in as the 49ers quarterback. He'll have the speedster Marquise Goodwin and the deep threat Pierre Garcon to keep his undefeated streak going. With Carlos Hyde gone, Matt Breida is going to crush it out the backfield. The addition of Richard Sherman on the defense didn't just shore up the secondary but added much needed leadership.

Vikings parted ways with Case Keenum and brought in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this season. Through the preseason he has looked like the right fit with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Dalvin Cook is back healthy and should pick up where he left off last season. This team is one of the toughest in the league and should be able to dominate in their division.


Prediction: Vikings


Titans vs. Dolphins

Can Rishard Matthews and Corey Davis help Marcus Mariota and the Titans back to the playoffs? That's the question they will need to answer right out the gate. Derrick Henry takes over the starting running back job with Dion Lewis splitting carries. The team brought in Kenny Vaccaro and Malcolm Butler to complete their secondary which should give them a boxer's chance in the AFC South.

Dolphins lost Ryan Tannehill before the season last year but with his return the team is in a show and prove year this season. The team added Danny Amendola to the slot and Frank Gore to the backfield in hopes of turning their luck around. Will the defense be able to keep pace with their biggest rivals this year?

Prediction: Titans


Jaguars vs. Giants

Jaguars fell one game short of the Super Bowl last season. Can Blake Bortles and the offense repeat the same kind of success in 2018? He'll have Donte Moncrief and Keelan Cole to help him. Leonard Fournette rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and should see even more production this year. Jaguars has one of the top as well as youngest defenses in the league.

Giants had an awful season last year that culminated in Eli Manning being benched and the team firing their coach early in the season. This year sees them with a new head coach in Pat Shurmur ready to get this offense back on track. Odell Beckham is newly paid and rookie running back Saquon Barkley has been impressive through the preseason. The team also shored up the left side of the line with the addition of guard Will Hernandez. The team traded Jason Pierre-Paul in the offseason so will rookie B.J. Hill be able to dominate at the same level?

Prediction: Giants


Steelers vs. Browns

Steelers were thrown through a loophole when running back Le'Veon Bell was a no-show for the first week of the season. This forces running back James Conner into the starting role. He may not be a Bell, but Conner is an efficient rusher and will have the benefit of running behind a great line. He also has the benefit of playing with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Their 3-4 defense is one of the best in the league and should finish top 10 this season.

Browns come in as the worst team in the league for the last two seasons. This year they hope to make a complete 180. This starts with bringing in a top wide receiver in Jarvis Landry on the other side of Josh Gordon (though rookie Antonio Callaway will make the start in Week 1) and trading for veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who led his team to the playoffs last season. Browns also picked up Carlos Hyde who was a great addition to that backfield which struggled to gain yards last season. The defense was already stacked but the addition of cornerback Denzel Ward should shore up the questions in the secondary. This team should be far more competitive this season and can easily pick up four wins on the season..

Prediction: Steelers


Chiefs vs. Chargers

Chiefs finished atop their division last season, but opted to trade quarterback Alex Smith in the offseason. This puts second year quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the starting role. Mahomes has a canon for an arm but can make poor decisions in his underneath game. However, the addition of wide receiver Sammy Watkins on the other side of Tyreek Hill should help him in this area. 2017 rushing leader will play a significant role this season and could finish the season in the top five again. With the return of vocal leader Eric Berry, the defense should lead this team back to the top of the division.

Chargers finished second in their division last season by going on a tear down the stretch. On paper, this team is one of the best in the league, can they prove that on the field? Philip Rivers has a healthy Keenan Allen to throw to and Melvin Gordon eating up yards on the ground. Bosa and Ingram are a crazy one-two punch on the defense. If the team can solve their kicking woes they will be hard to beat this season.

Prediction: Chiefs


Cowboys vs. Panthers

Cowboys released wide receiver Dez Bryant in the offseason and tight end Jason Witten retired. Dak Prescott will have to get used to Allen Hurns and Geoff Swaim to replace those yards and veteran presence. Fortunately he does still have Ezekiel Elliott as a dual rusher/receiver threat at running back. Can Sean Lee will this defense into the playoffs this season?

Cam Newton is ready to play up to his 2015 MVP level. He'll have deep threat Torrey Smith and Devin Funchess to help get there. Christian McCaffrey is now the full time starting running back and his dual threat ability makes him hard to cover. Can Panthers defense break into the top five and lead the team back to a Super Bowl?

Prediction: Panthers


Redskins vs. Cardinals

Redskins signed quarterback Alex Smith in the offseason. Smith has playoff experience and should help this team get over the hump finally. If Jordan Reed can stay  healthy this season he'll be a great option at tight end but Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder give Smith enough options in the downfield game. The team lost rookie running back Derrius Guice before the season so veteran running back Adrian Peterson will have to shoulder the load. Nose tackle Da'Ron Payne will be the one to watch on the defensive line.

Sam Bradford won the starting job at quarterback for the Cardinals. When healthy, Bradford has one of the strongest arms in the league. He will have a healthy David Johnson back at running back and veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to help him over the top. The defense is strong and will finish in the top 15 but the team is likely to only finish second in their division.

Prediction: Redskins


Seahawks vs. Broncos

Can the Seahawks offensive line protect Russell Wilson effectively this season? This is probably the biggest question besides the team's secondary. Russell Wilson does have the benefit of having Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett, and Chris Carson at running back. There are a lot of new faces on the defense which may play against them this season.

Broncos struggled at quarterback last season and made the bold move to sign Case Keenum. in the offseason. Will this pay off in their favor? He has Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders to help him. Rookie running back Royce Freeman has looked impressive in preseason, but will it translate to the season? The addition of rookie linebacker Bradley Chubb to the defense should bring them back into the top five and make the Broncos a winner in their division.

Prediction: Broncos


Bears vs. Packers

Second year quarterback Mitch Trubisky got a helping hand with the additions of wide receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel this offseason. This gives him a compliment of receivers in addition to two great running backs in Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. The defense has been waiting for their offense to catch up and this season may finally be that time.

Aaron Rodgers is back healthy and ready to lead the Packers back to the top of the NFC North. He won't have Jordy Nelson there to throw to, but Davante Adams and Randall Cobb are ready to make those catches. Jamaal Williams has great hands and quick feet and should be a consistent runner for them this season. Mo Wilkerson and Mike Daniels are a pass rushing threat that should dominate their division.

Prediction: Packers



Jets vs. Lions

Rookie Sam Darnold takes over the starting quarterback job for the Jets this season. He is the only rookie quarterback to do so, which says a lot about how impressive he has been in the preseason. Isaiah Crowell comes over from the Browns this season to add depth to the running game. Can Gang Green defense help their team finally come out of the cellar of their division?

Lions brought in a new head coach to help improve their defense but on the offensive side of the ball they brought in running back LeGarrette Blount to try to break the curse of the team not having a thousand yard rusher since 2013. This will be the year that curse is broken. The defense under head coach Matt Patricia will become a force in the NFC North.

Prediction: Lions


Rams vs. Raiders

Rams come in off a playoff berth last season and spent the offseason vastly improving their defense. The team brought in cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib as well as nose tackle Ndamukong Suh and locked up defensive tackle Aaron Donald to a long-term deal. The offense looked strong under Jared Goff and Todd Gurley last season so the changes at defense should help the Rams head back to the top of the division and the playoffs.

Raiders lost one of their biggest defensive weapons in defensive end Khalil Mack. The team isn't lost without him, it just pushes Tank Carradine into the starting role. The biggest addition on the offense was wide receiver Jordy Nelson who has been a long time deep threat in the league and should give Derek Carr the deep ball target he needed last season. Raiders are the biggest question mark and may struggle this first season under head coach Jon Gruden.

Prediction: Rams