With no disrespect to the highly anticipated 2019 NFL season-opener, a game in which the Bears lost to the Packers 10-3 on Thursday night to kick off the league's 100th year, many consider the first Sunday of a given NFL season to be the most exciting day on the football calendar.
Such eagerness is the result of a seven-month buildup capped by an increasingly excessive preseason. NFL teams, players and fans alike are ready for real games that will begin to shape the 2019 season. For half of the league, the elation of a new year will be met with the optimism associated with a season-opening win. Teams that lose in Week 1, of course, will be sent back to the drawing board immediately in an effort to avoid the dreaded 0-2 record.
MORE: Get the latest NFL odds at Sportsbook Review
The 2019 season begins with familiar contenders jostling for position atop the league. The final four teams from last season — the Patriots, Rams, Chiefs and Saints — are the top four teams in Sporting News' Week 1 NFL power rankings. Closely behind them is the Cowboys, the team SN picked to win Super Bowl 54.
The long road to that game is about to begin for Dallas and the 31 teams hoping to prove us wrong in our prediction. So, on the subject of predictions, here are our picks for Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season, all the way through the now-traditional "Monday Night Football" doubleheader on ESPN.
Week 1 NFL picks, predictions
- Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles (-10, -105)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
These season-opening division games can be tricky for teams like the Eagles, big favorites hosting their rivals in a game they have no business losing. Ask the Saints, who let the Buccaneers score 48 points in the Superdome to open last season. Of course, that loss did not impact New Orleans' run to the NFC title game, and Philadelphia would take the same trade-off should it drop its opener against Washington. Don't count on it, though, especially if Trent Williams isn't there to keep the Eagles' pass-rushers away from Case Keenum.
Prediction: Eagles 21, Redskins 10
- Kansas City Chiefs (-3, -120) at Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
This game (well, half of it) presents a sneaky-good matchup. We all know what the Chiefs' offense can do with reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes slinging the ball to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, but the Jaguars' defense is on a mission to prove it's just as stingy as it was two years ago. Now Jacksonville has Josh Allen to rush QBs like Mahomes and make life easier on its Jalen Ramsey-led secondary, a potentially lethal combination. On the other side of the ball, the presence of Nick Foles isn't as important in this game as the availability of Leonard Fournette, who the Jags can use to control the clock and keep Mahomes off the field as much as possible. If they can do that, the result will be one of those head-scratching Week 1 upsets.
Prediction: Jaguars 30, Chiefs 28
- Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-3 1/2, -108)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
These teams play in equally impressive, relatively new stadiums, and they are equally difficult to project as they enter the season. The Falcons and Vikings both have reasons for optimism, but they play in two of the NFL's toughest divisions. A good start in 2019 is vital for both after similarly disappointing 2018 seasons, too. Even though Atlanta is on the road, it has the better quarterback and, at this point, the more athletic defense. We'll take Matt Ryan's team in a close game.
Prediction: Falcons 31, Vikings 27
MORE: Week 1 NFL picks against the spread
- Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns (-5 1/2, -110)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
In many ways, these teams feel like they're trending in opposite directions, with Baker Mayfield's Browns looking like contenders and Marcus Mariota's Titans sliding out of contention. Yet this marks new Cleveland coach Freddie Kitchens' debut, and it's still fair to question whether the Browns' optimism will be met with victories, especially early in the season. Of course, the fans in Cleveland are feeling the same optimism, so the atmosphere at FirstEnergy Stadium should push the home team to a win.
Prediction: Browns 17, Titans 13
- Buffalo Bills at New York Jets (-2 1/2, -115)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Here's another one of those tricky, season-opening division games. In terms of trying to progress their second-year quarterbacks, the Bills and Jets are in similar places. New York feels a step ahead; Le'Veon Bell is much better than anybody Buffalo can feature in its rushing attack, and Gregg Williams' defense hopes to be as loud on the field this season as the coordinator is on the sideline. The Jets should beat the Bills in their fancy new uniforms. Again, though — weird Week 1 division game.
Prediction: Bills 24, Jets 17
- Baltimore Ravens (-6 1/2, -105) at Miami Dolphins
Sunday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
If the Dolphins win this game, it likely will be because Ryan Fitzpatrick started at quarterback and put up more inexplicably massive numbers to open a season. The Buccaneers benefited from this "Fitzmagic" phenomenon last year. The more likely scenario is Baltimore running all over Miami. At some point this season, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's supposedly more precise passing will be put to the test. Week 1 against the Dolphins will not be that point.
Prediction: Ravens 21, Dolphins 6
- Los Angeles Rams (-2 1/2, -103) at Carolina Panthers
Sunday, Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
This game is defined by unknowns, which are normal for Week 1 but compounded in this case. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is dealing with a sprained foot, and even though Carolina thinks he'll be able to play, the game plan might be tweaked to account for his injury. In LA, coach Sean McVay has kept his 2019 offense under wraps, so Luke Kuechly has no film to study in an effort to wreck everything the Rams want to do. Even with those unknowns, we do know this game has entertaining written all over it. Expect a bunch of points and, as long as Los Angeles doesn't get sloppy with turnovers, a Rams win.
Prediction: Rams 35, Panthers 28
- Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Chargers (-6 1/2, -105)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
The bad news for the Colts is their quest to compete in the AFC without Andrew Luck begins with a game against one of the conference's best teams. The good news for the Colts is Jacoby Brissett doesn't have to deal with a rowdy crowd at the Chargers' temporary home. Even without Luck, Indianapolis has enough talent to compete with the likes of Los Angeles, and in many games, Brissett will be able to make enough plays to push his team to victory. Against Philip Rivers, though, it won't be enough.
Prediction: Chargers 30, Colts 21
- Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks (-9, -108)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Unless first-year Bengals coach Zac Taylor has some early-career tricks up his sleeve, it's hard to imagine Cincinnati getting the best of Pete Carroll's team in Seattle. Personnel-wise, the talent gap between these two teams is not large, so the Bengals could leverage a couple timely turnovers and walk out of CenturyLink Field with an upset victory. That is, of course, only if Russell Wilson turns the ball over a couple times. Don't count on it.
Prediction: Seahawks 31, Bengals 14
- New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-7, -115)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
One of two things will happen when the Cowboys host the Giants to start the season. Either the Cowboys will win with Ezekiel Elliott fresh off returning from his holdout, or the Cowboys will win without Elliott. If New York manages to upset Dallas — which, in all seriousness, is possible — it can be chalked up to "weird Week 1 division game." The Cowboys are good enough to make a Super Bowl run this year. Unless Daniel Jones quickly takes the starting quarterback job from Eli Manning and proceeds with a Patrick Mahomes-like breakout, the Giants are not.
Prediction: Cowboys 27, Giants 14
- San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1, +102)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
Both of the starting quarterbacks in this game are capable of throwing five interceptions. Jimmy Garoppolo can do it because he did so — somehow consecutively — in a recent practice. Jameis Winston can do it because he's Jameis Winston. At the risk of being overly simplistic, the winner of this game will be the team that makes fewer mistakes. Kyle Shanahan's 49ers offense is more conservative than Bruce Arians' "no risk it, no biscuit" methods, so take San Francisco on the road.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Buccaneers 20
- Detroit Lions (-2 1/2, -110) at Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, Sept. 8, 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox
We can see it now: The overreactions that come from Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season will include the hype around the Cardinals' new-look offense. First-year coach Kliff Kingsbury has been hiding the details of the Kyler Murray-led scheme everyone is curious to see, and because that "everyone" includes the Lions, the Cardinals have an advantage. Detroit has no idea what to expect, and for at least a week, Arizona will be able to keep its opponent guessing.
Prediction: Cardinals 31, Lions 21
- Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (-5 1/2, -105)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
These are the teams that probably still feel they were robbed of the Thursday night season-opening stage (and therefore a long week for extra rest), so they'll have to settle for the Sunday night stage (and less rest), instead. The Steelers and Patriots are similar in that they're tasked with replacing star power and production this season, and both are built to rely more on their running games as opposed to their aging quarterbacks. Of course, if a team has to be stuck with an aging passer, the GOAT will do just fine.
Prediction: Patriots 28, Steelers 24
- Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints (-6 1/2, -115)
Monday, Sept. 9, 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN
Speaking of aging quarterbacks, the Saints know they're running out of time with Drew Brees, and while the season is a marathon, they prefer to get off to a good start in an increasingly competitive division and conference. Defensively, New Orleans is still stacked up front, which is bad news for Houston and its hopefully-not-completely-terrible offensive line. That matchup is even uglier for the Texans in a game scheduled to be played at the Superdome.
Prediction: Saints 34, Texans 21
- Denver Broncos (-1, -105) at Oakland Raiders
Monday, Sept. 9, 10:20 p.m. ET, ESPN
The first thing Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown will see through the facemask of his custom helmet (if he even plays) is Chris Harris and the Broncos' still-stingy pass defense, which is aided by Derek Carr's worst AFC West nightmare, Von Miller. Denver is flying under the radar as the 2019 season begins; the opposite, of course, applies to Oakland. Joe Flacco is bound for some struggles this season as the Broncos' bridge to Drew Lock, but not against the Raiders.
Prediction: Broncos 20, Raiders 17
- Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (-3, -115)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
There's a lot going on here beyond the obvious reasons the NFL chose its second-best rivalry as the showcase to open its 100th season. Much will be made of the Packers' offensive revelation, but on the other side of the ball, they plucked safety Adrian Amos from the Bears in the offseason as part of their defensive personnel overhaul. If our predictions for the season play out, the result will be Green Bay topping Chicago in the NFC North. The defending division champions will have plenty to say about that as the season plays out, but in Week 1, put your money on a fresh Aaron Rodgers, with last season's opener providing the reminder as to why.
Prediction: Packers 27, Bears 23