The NFL preseason is over, which means that it is time for the regular season to begin. The first couple weeks are pretty crazy because all 32 teams are playing with no teams on bye. With 16 games going on, I will just go over some of the biggest games that are happening and provide the date, time, and channel they will be streaming on.
Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs
I have to start with the season opener, a match between the defending Super Bowl champions and a team that has been looking to prove themselves for the few years or so. This game will be interesting because it could very easily go either way and if the Lions manage to play well, they will very easily be playoff contenders. This is a game pitting a team that has been dominating the league for about 3-4 years now and a team that could very well take their place soon. My pick, despite the Chiefs being the 6.5 point favorite, is the Lions because I feel that this year is finally the year that they will be one of the lead teams in their conference and there is no better time for them to prove themselves.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
As someone from Illinois, the Packers-Bears rivalry is the biggest rivalry in the NFL. This year is the first year the Packers have played without Aaron Rodgers since 2004. Losing him could be a huge loss for them, but a lot of pressure is on Jordan Love to carry this team to a winning record this year. Both of these teams now have very young quarterbacks that have a lot to prove and will be rivaling for many years to come. The Bears have a very good chance to finally dominate this rivalry, after years of the Packers being a better team. It’s hard to pick this game because both teams are very hard to predict coming into the season, but the 2 point favorite is the bears.
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
The first sunday night football game of the season will be an NFC East match-up. We all know it is the Cowboy’s year this year, like it always is, so it will be interesting to see if they can win their first Super Bowl in 28 years. The Cowboys have a lot of advantages over the Giants, however the giants are a relatively young team that has not proven itself yet, but could succeed any season now. My pick for this game would be the Cowboys, only because the Giants’ talent hasn’t proven itself enough to compete with last season’s 12-5 Cowboys.
Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots
The recent NFC champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, are looking to have another great season this year, and they have the skill to do it. Last season, they took an unfortunate loss to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, and I think if they play just as well as last year they have a good chance at the Lombardi Trophy. The patriots, who already had a very good defense last year, have also acquired Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator, along with having Bill Belichick leading them once again. My pick for this game would still have to be the Eagles, though, as they picked up D’Andre Swift and might dominate the run game this year.
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
By far the most exciting game of next week is going to be the last one between one of the most fun to watch teams in the league (Bills) and a team that acquired one of the biggest off-season moves of 2023. The Jets acquired QB Aaron Rodgers and whether that is a huge win or loss is hard to see, because Aaron Rodgers is in the later part of his career and may not be the same for this new team. For the Bills, this season is yet another season to prove that not only are they playoff contenders, but that they are extremely capable of winning the Super Bowl. So, while the Bills are waiting for their year to win the Super Bowl, the Jets are waiting for their year to prove that they are a good team after they have been famously bad in recent history. My pick for this game has to be the Bills. While the Jets still have a lot to prove, I think that the Bills have more than proved themselves when it comes to being a great team all around.
All other games being played this next weekend are:
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons- 12:00 PM CDT on FOX
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts- 12:00 PM CDT on FOX
San Francisco 49ers @ Pittsburgh Steelers- 12:00 PM CDT on FOX
Arizona Cardinals @ Washington Commanders- 12:00 PM CDT on FOX
Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens- 12:00 PM CDT on CBS
Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Brown- 12:00 PM CDT on CBS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings- 12:00 PM CDT on CBS
Tennessee Titans @ New Orleans Saints- 12:00 PM CDT on CBS
Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks- 3:25 PM CDT on FOX
Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos- 3:25 PM CDT on CBS
Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers- 3:25 PM CDT on CBS
