The opening week of the 2019 season is 13 weeks away. Never too soon to take a look at the games of Week One. Which are the best and which are the least appetizing?
16. 49ers at Buccaneers
Bruce Arians returns to the sidelines and facing a team he used to coach against twice a season when he was in Arizona. It will be interesting to see how Jimmy Garoppolo is doing after his season-ending knee injury in 2018. And who will fill the void for the Bucs left by the exit of Gerald McCoy to Carolina. Otherwise, this one lacks much appeal.
15. Lions at Cardinals
There’s only so much hype Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury can bring to a game between teams that finished in last place, respectively, in 2018. If this game were played later in the season, there would be less than limited interest. The good news for K&K is the Lions are the perfect fodder for the Cardinals’ home opener.
14. Bills at Jets
This easily could be the worst matchup of most weeks. There’s not much new to Adam Gase facing an AFC East team. Josh Allen and the Bills begin the first of consecutive weeks at MetLife Stadium. Pretty soft way to open the season for New York’s team, facing teams claiming to be from New York while playing in New Jersey.
13. Broncos at Raiders
Another dud. Will it be Joe Flacco at quarterback for Denver or will Drew Lock force Vic Fangio’s hand in his head-coaching debut. Highly unlikely but one never knows. As for the Raiders, Derek Carr is going to have to find a way to keep Antonio Brown happy … early and often.
12. Ravens at Dolphins
The Josh Rosen Show goes from the desert to South Beach and should be tested early by the Ravens, who add Earl Thomas in the secondary. Another second-year quarterback who is no stranger to headlines is the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson. He will need to continue to develop as a passer. Having Mark Ingram in the backfield should be a boost.
11. Redskins at Eagles
Quarterbacks figure to be in the spotlight as these NFC East rivals meet for the first time in 2019. Will Jay Gruden have to turn the keys to the offense to first-round pick Dwayne Haskins? Will Carson Wentz be fit enough to start for Philly? That’s not enough to turn this into a juicy battle. Will be intriguing to see how Jordan Howard fares in Philly’s backfield.
10. Chiefs at Jaguars
Will KC have Tyreek Hill? Will Doug Marrone last the season in Jacksonville? Always intriguing to see what Patrick Mahomes can do. Will the Jags’ secondary be up to the test against the star quarterback entering his second season as a starter. Mahomes vs. Nick Foles, making his debut for Jax, brightens this a bit.
9. Titans at Browns
Heisman winners should duel as Marcus Mariota and Baker Mayfield meet in Cleveland. Will the oft-injured former Oregon star be able to stay healthy throughout an entire season? And will the Browns keep their egos in check and remember wins are earned on the field, not through quotes.
8. Bengals at Seahawks
Zac Taylor knows what it is like to go up against Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks from his time on the staff of Sean McVay with the Rams. Not the ideal game your brass would want as a team begins a new era. Expect the 12th Man to be fired up in Seattle and for Taylor to take some lumps on his rookie journey. Starting here.
7. Falcons at Vikings
This is a game that could be fun and high-scoring as teams meet that need to step it up big time from a disappointing 2018. Kirk Cousins got the big bucks and only delivered eight wins. That won’t fly in Minnesota. Matt Ryan is always good for lots of yardage and touchdowns but Atlanta has not been the same since the Super Bowl meltdown. Time for each of these teams to show what they are — or aren’t — made of in 2019.
6. Giants at Cowboys
This one gets the slot more based on the history of the rivalry than the sexiness of this game. Dallas should be interesting with Prescott, Elliott (if he can stay out of his own way), Cooper and Witten should be far too much for Big Blue to handle.
5. Rams at Panthers
Interesting test for the team that lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots. Sean McVay and the Rams will be facing a Carolina Panthers team looking to rebound off a sluggish 2018. Will Cam Newton’s shoulder hold up over an entire season? Christian McCaffrey and Todd Gurley should be a fancy RB matchup but there is no guarantee the Rams’ star can handle a full workload.
4. Packers at Bears
NFL finds a great way to kick off its 100th season as the NFC North rivals battle. One can only hope the matchup brings anywhere near closer to the drama their opener last season brought when Aaron Rodgers was hobbled and miraculously came back in the second half to lead the Packers to a 24-23 victory.
3. Colts at Chargers
This game gets third billing on the undercard and easily could have found a bigger spot on a different week. Andrew Luck and the Colts journey to Los Angeles to face Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Both teams come off a season that saw them win a playoff game.
2. Steelers at Patriots
On most weeks, this would be the marquee matchup. Ben Roethlisberger visits Tom Brady. Mike Tomlin matches wits with Bill Belichick. Talk about starting off with a boom on Sunday Night Football.
1. Texans at Saints
Monday Night Football kicks off with a beauty. Offensive firepower will be on display as Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins & Co. visit the Superdome to face Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Division winners from 2018 battle in quite the tussle.
