Week 1 NFL Games to Watch

            Football season is finally here which means it’s time for me to dust off my old Games to Watch series! I will preview the upcoming slate of NFL games each week & clue you into which ones are must-see TV. There are plenty of great matchups this week, as the NFL schedulemakers have loaded the opening week slate with tons of revenge games, divisional tilts, & lots of drama. Basically, almost every game this weekend should be entertaining. After all, it’s week one, right? Without further ado, here’s my ultimate list of the best NFL games to watch on kickoff weekend.

Bills @ LA Rams on NBC (Thursday Night Football)

            Football is back, baby! We’ve got a primetime matchup for the ages here, as the defending Super Bowl Champion LA Rams take on this year’s SB favorites in the Buffalo Bills. Von Miller returns to LA after recently hoisting the Lombardi as a part of the Rams title team. This time around though, he’ll be playing for the opposing team; could this be a revenge game?  There’s also motivation for both teams here, as WR Odell Beckham Jr announced that he might sign with the winner of the game. Could we be watching a Super Bowl LVII preview in Week 1? I’m skeptical of that outcome; however, this will surely be an exciting Thursday night matchup!

Buccaneers @ Cowboys on NBC (Sunday Night Football)

Another primetime thriller! This time, it’s a rematch of last year’s kickoff game. Both teams are locked & loaded again, and this could certainly be an NFC playoff preview as well. Tom Brady returns for his 64^th season in the NFL, as he continues his defiance of Father Time. The Cowboys offensive line is suddenly in shambles after the recent injury to OT Tyron Smith. They signed Jason Peters to play a starting role for them, but will he be ready in time for week 1? Regardless, this Buccaneers defense seems like it could give Dak Prescott fits the entire night.

Broncos @ Seahawks on ESPN (Monday Night Football)

Russell Wilson makes his much-anticipated return to Seattle on Monday Night Football. The football gods are pleased with the scheduling here, as this is a great way to start the season. I’m expecting a Broncos win here, but the Seahawks & their 12^th Man won’t go down without a fight on their home turf. Can Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, & company rise to the occasion? Every win counts in the wild, wild AFC West, so the Broncos need this win more than anybody else.

Raiders @ Chargers on CBS (Sunday late afternoon)

            Speaking of the AFC West, the Raiders and the Chargers are the first two teams to duke it out head-to-head within thisloaded division. Last year, we watched a de-facto playoff game in Week 17 that secured a Raiders playoff berth while also putting an end to the Chargers season. This year, the Chargers loaded up on defensive players (Khalil Mack, JC Jackson) while the Raiders focused on adding offensive firepower (Davante Adams, Zamir White) to their mix. Perhaps the biggest addition the Raiders made though was the hiring of HC Josh McDaniels. McDaniels & new GM Dave Ziegler are in the process of changing the Raiders culture, notably trading away, releasing, and declining the options for many first round picks of the prior regime. Will the Raiders secure an early divisional lead, or will the Chargers pay them back for last year?

Browns @ Panthers on CBS (Sunday early afternoon)

            Okay, so this game may not be pretty with Baker Mayfield & Jacoby Brissett duking it out. That said, this is the ultimate revenge game for Baker Mayfield as the Browns unceremoniously dumped Mayfield in the Panthers lap two months ago for just a 5^th round pick. Mayfield’s always played with a chip on his shoulder as a former walk-on player at Oklahoma. He’ll need little motivation to prove the Browns wrong here as he attempts to revive his career. Meanwhile, the Browns may have set themselves up for failure this season after Deshaun Watson received an 11-game suspension for his role in sexual misconduct with 24 women. Brissett pulling off an upset here would go a long way towards the Browns remaining relevant.

Just missed: NO @ ATL, PIT @ CIN, NE @ MIA

            Divisional rivalries are in abundance on the schedule this week as these teams duke it out. Falcons-Saints is always a heated contest even when both teams are obviously rebuilding here. Mitchell Trubisky will try to upset Joe Burrow on the road in Week 1, good luck with that kid. Okay, so the Patriots seriously need to solve their problems in relation to competing in Miami. They’re trying something new this time around, making the trip to the Dolphins stadium early. Will this be enough to finally solve Bill Belichick’s kryptonite, a 9-13 all-time record in Miami?