Week 1 picks
This is a pivotal season for both John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco in Baltimore. The Bills figure to struggle this season. Nathan Peterman isn’t going to blow anybody away, especially on the road.
Eli Manning looks comfortable in Pat Shurmur’s scheme, and the Giants will take the wrapper off budding star Saquon Barkley. Still, the Jaguars are ultra-talented on defense and have the edge here.
The expectation of some is that the Saints will come out and run the way they did last year, but watch for Drew Brees to light up the scoreboard. The Buccaneers will struggle without Jameis Winston.
Deshaun Watson is going to be fun to watch, but this one will fall to the Texans defense, which will be smothering as long as the starters stay healthy. The Patriots have come out flat at home before — as in last year.
Improved as the 49ers are, they’re getting too much hype. They’re banged up and facing an opponent that could wind up with a top-five offense and defense. Expect a big debut for Kirk Cousins.
The Dolphins are an underdog at home, although they might be a little better than expected. They’ll have a tough time stopping the run, though, and the Titans are going to grind it out on the ground.
It’s great that Andrew Luck is back, but the last Colts regime did a lousy job of building a top-notch roster around him. The Bengals are loaded with offensive talent, and they could do some damage on that side.
The Browns are going to be vastly improved. Then again, they were 0-16 last year. That said, Ben Roethlisberger owns Ohio, and the Steelers are going to make it clear there’s still an AFC North pecking order.
The Chiefs have an explosive offense, and Patrick Mahomes is an intriguing talent, but they are old and vulnerable on the other side of the ball. Philip Rivers will take advantage of that and get his team started right.
It’s hard to pick against the Broncos at home. Case Keenum is solid if not spectacular, and he has a dangerous weapon in rookie receiver Courtland Sutton. The overhauled Seahawks defense will need some time.
Everybody is going to load the box against the Cowboys and make Dak Prescott beat them with his arm. The Panthers do a good job of stopping the run anyway. The Cowboys will struggle to score.
Both of these teams figure to struggle this season. The Cardinals have David Johnson back, and he could be a pivotal factor in this one. The Redskins’ Adrian Peterson could put up some yards against his old team.
It’s dangerous to bet against Aaron Rodgers, especially at home, and the Packers have won 16 of their last 20 against the Bears. Still, the Bears defense will keep this close and interesting.
There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Jets rookie Sam Darnold, but it’s tricky to bet on a rookie making his debut on the road. The experienced Matthew Stafford gets the nod in this one.
The Rams could be rusty, considering their starters stayed on the sideline this summer, but that shouldn’t hold them back long. The Raiders are still regaining their equilibrium after trading Khalil Mack.
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