Football is back. Three of the best words that can grace our ears are finally being said, with NFL meaningful NFL action set to take place every week from this week to February. For week one, there is an outstanding slate of games with several impactful storylines across the league, including two quarterbacks facing their former team. Every week of the season, I will make my predictions for each game here. Let’s start with a potential Super Bowl matchup right out of the gate.
Thursday, September 8th (8:20 PM):
Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams lifted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1999-2000 season in February with a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams have the target on their backs and will host one of their most significant threats to kick off the season. The Bills are the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl entering 2022 due to the dynamic quarterback play of Josh Allen and outstanding defensive talent. With superstar talent all over the field for both teams, expect a hard-fought and entertaining battle to open the year.
Prediction: For the first time since 2017, the defending champions start the season 0-1. Josh Allen kicks his MVP campaign off with a bang and leads his team to a 10-point win over the Rams.
Sunday, September 11th (1:00 PM):
New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons
Week one rivalry game? Check. A matchup between Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the top two picks in the 2015 NFL draft? Check. On paper, this game doesn’t appear to be close. The Saints are a middle-of-the-pack team with enough talent to make a playoff push, while the Falcons are likely to compete for a top-three pick in the 2023 NFL draft. However, you never know with these heated rivalry games, and Atlanta is at home.
Prediction: Jameis Winston plays well against a weaker Atlanta defense, while the Saints’ secondary will be too much for Atlanta’s young crop of pass catchers to overcome. Saints win by 11.
Cleveland Browns @ Carolina Panthers
One of the top storylines of week one takes place in Carolina, as 2018 #1 overall pick Baker Mayfield starts his first season with the Panthers against the team that shipped him off in the offseason. The Browns are littered with talent throughout their roster but will be starting career journeyman Jacoby Brissett as Deshaun Watson serves his suspension. The Panthers have solid talent at the skill positions and on defense, and with Mayfield seeking revenge, this game could be much closer than many expect.
Prediction: The Browns won’t be able to overcome their quarterback play against a talented defense, while Baker Mayfield goes nuclear with his talented group of weapons. The Panthers win a close one by 3 points.
San Francisco 49ers @ Chicago Bears
Out with Jimmy Garappolo, in with Trey Lance. The 49ers head to Chicago to take on Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears. San Francisco is looking to start their season strong after coming within a dropped interception of the Super Bowl eight months ago. Chicago looks to see development from their second-year quarterback under new head coach Matt Eberflus. The Bears’ defense should cause Lance to struggle in his first NFL start, but the lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball will be their downfall.
Prediction: Justin Fields shows flashes of greatness to start year two, but San Francisco is just too talented for Chicago to win the game. 49ers by two touchdowns.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Ben Roethlisberger retired in the offseason, ushering in a new era for the Pittsburgh Steelers after his illustrious 18-year career. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals came so close to capturing their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history. With the best receiving corps in the NFL and a heavily improved offensive line, Joe Burrow is ready to explode into a perennial top-tier quarterback in year three. The Steelers’ defense presents an early challenge, but their offense will struggle to keep up.
Prediction: No Super Bowl hangover here. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase lead the Bengals’ offense to a dominant performance to beat the Steelers.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Detroit Lions
The Eagles went all-in during the offseason with the additions of wide receiver A.J. Brown and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They have one of the best rosters across the entire NFL outside the quarterback position. While Jalen Hurts is a talented runner, he is yet to show that he can throw the ball at a sustainable level in the NFL. On the other side, Detroit is coming off a season where they earned the second-worst record in the league. They have talent but are still clearly in a rebuild. This matchup is brutal for the Lions due to Philadelphia’s ability to shorten the game on the ground.
Prediction: Philadelphia controls the game in all three phases to win by three touchdowns against a talented but inexperienced Lions team.
Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans
After one season of the Carson Wentz experiment, the Colts shipped him out the door and brought in longtime Atlanta Falcon and former MVP Matt Ryan to lead the charge. Ryan joins 2021 rushing champion Jonathan Taylor in the Indianapolis backfield to take pressure off him. They open their season against a Houston team clearly in the middle of complete turnover. Davis Mills showed promise in his rookie season, but the roster lacks talent and will struggle to compete throughout the season.
Prediction: Jonathan Taylor shines against one of the weakest defenses in the NFL as the Colts cruise to victory in Houston.
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
Miami did everything in their power to put talent around third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the offseason, including trading for the most dynamic weapon in the NFL in former Chief Tyreek Hill. The Patriots have Joe Judge and Matt Patricia calling offensive plays for second-year quarterback Mac Jones. The two former Alabama products go head-to-head to open their seasons for the second straight year, and the result should be the same as in 2021.
Prediction: The Tua redemption tour starts in 2022 with a big win against the guy who took over for him at Alabama. Tyreek Hill starts his Dolphins career strong as Miami wins by 12.
Baltimore Ravens @ New York Jets
Baltimore was a team decimated by injuries in 2021 en route to a last-place finish in the AFC North. Entering 2022, this team is healthy and much more talented than they were a season ago after a great draft in April. They start their rebound tour in the Meadowlands against a Jets team that likely starts backup Joe Flacco at quarterback. New York has intriguing young talent on their team but will struggle to keep Lamar Jackson in check in their first game.
Prediction: Whether Zack Wilson plays or not, Baltimore is just too talented for the Jets to pull the upset in week one. Ravens by 13.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Washington Commanders
Carson Wentz’s 2021 season and Indianapolis career ended at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 18. His 2022 season and Washington career start against the Jacksonville Jaguars. These teams are both middle-of-the-pack on paper, but Jacksonville has the better quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and brought in a Super Bowl-winning head coach to develop him this off-season. With Washington missing Chase Young on the defensive line, the Jaguars’ offense should be able to take advantage and squeak out a victory.
Prediction: Carson Wentz struggles against the Jaguars’ defense for the second straight game, as Trevor Lawrence and company open 2022 victorious.
Sunday, September 11th: (4:25 PM):
New York Giants @ Tennessee Titans
2022 is Daniel Jones’ last chance to prove he can be the guy in New York for the foreseeable future. He has talent around him and the offensive line to protect him, but he no longer has the staff that drafted him in the building. He starts his campaign against the Tennessee Titans, who had the top record in the AFC in 2021 while missing their workhorse Derrick Henry for most of the season. Tennessee is missing their best pass rusher in Harold Landry after he tore his ACL in the offseason, but they should control this game and get out with a win.
Prediction: Derrick Henry returns to form following his injury last season and runs the Giants’ defense into the ground en route to a 17-point Titans win.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Arizona Cardinals
After trading Tyreek Hill to Miami in the offseason, all eyes are on the Kansas City Chiefs in the loaded AFC West division. Patrick Mahomes’ weapons, outside of Travis Kelce, are relatively average entering 2022. They face an Arizona team that will be down their best receiver but still features talent with Rondale Moore, Marquise Brown, and Zach Ertz. However, the defense in Kansas City looks good on paper and should develop into one of the better units in the league in 2022. Arizona will have to score early and often to have a chance.
Prediction: Kansas City goes into the desert and takes advantage of a depleted Cardinals’ secondary to win by a touchdown.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers
A rivalry game featuring new faces all over the field is a great way to start the season. For the Raiders, superstar pass rusher Chandler Jones and elite wide receiver Davante Adams. For the Chargers, superstar pass rusher Khalil Mack and shutdown cornerback J.C. Jackson. The moves these two teams made in the offseason made this division one of the tightest in NFL history. This game also features a week 18 rematch that sent the Raiders to the postseason. Justin Herbert enters year three looking to cement himself amongst the NFL’s elite. A win here would go a long way towards securing that status.
Prediction: Justin Herbert starts his MVP case strong and leads his team to a 3-point win in a game of the week contender.
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
Aaron Rodgers has won the last two NFL MVP awards. However, he enters 2022 without his longtime number one receiver Davante Adams, who got traded to Las Vegas in the offseason. He will open the 2022 season in Minnesota, taking on the rival Vikings, one of the NFL’s most intriguing teams entering the year. This matchup is always a dog fight for both teams that could go either way. With the game in Minnesota and the uncertainty surrounding Green Bay’s receiving corps, the recipe is there for the Vikings to pull the upset.
Prediction: Aaron Rodgers does Aaron Rodgers things, but Minnesota protects their home field and picks up a big division win in week one. (Upset of the Week)
Sunday, September 11th (8:20 PM):
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Dallas Cowboys
Tom Brady retired early in the offseason and quickly announced his return for a 23rd season. With Brady back at the helm, Tampa Bay is one of the top contenders for a championship in the NFL. They open their season in Dallas against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. Dallas is a talented team, but they got worse in the offseason and have already faced a significant injury with left tackle Tyron Smith out until December. Dak Prescott and the defense should keep Dallas in every game this season, but going against the greatest to ever play the game will be too much to overcome.
Prediction: Dallas stays afloat due to the quarterback play of Dak Prescott, but the Buccaneers’ pass rush is too much for Dallas’s line to overcome. Bucs win by 8.
Monday, September 12th (8:15 PM):
Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks
What else could have been the Monday Night Football game? Russell Wilson returning to Seattle for his first game in a Broncos uniform is the biggest storyline of the week. Denver is the better team, they have the better quarterback looking for revenge, and this game will not be close. Seattle’s quest for a top-five draft pick starts early.
Prediction: Russell Wilson makes a statement as Denver cruises past Seattle in a 17-point victory. (Lock of the Week)