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| Tom Brady is back on the field after U.S. District judge Richard Berman overruled Roger Goodell's four game suspension. |
Thursday September 10, 2015 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
Tom Brady is back, so this game is everything the fans want, and even Roger Goodell and the NFL. Goodall will not be in attendance for this one, and it's best he stays away from those fans and Robert Kraft. In a funny twist, both teams will be without their starting running backs due to an incident in which they were arrested together. When the Steelers' Leveon Bell and the Patriots' Legarrette Blount were on the Steelers last year, they were both arrested for marijuana possession. Both have been suspended as a result of that incident. Blount joined the Patriots midseason last year after being cut by the Steelers. So who's affected more by the loss of their running back? I'll say the Steelers, and that may be the difference in the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers 20 New England Patriots 30
Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets
Sunday September 13, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Greg Gumbel, Trent Green
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
The Jets are loaded on both sides of the ball, but we all know the quarterback position is the most important position in football. It remains to be seen what the Jets can get from Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Geno Smith when he returns and if he's given the starting job back. It helps the Jets get the Browns at home for the season opener. It's a nice way to get off to a good start, but the Jets did win their first game last year before losing the next eight games, essentially running Rex Ryan and John Idzik out of town. Expect the Jets to get off to a good start in this game, and a better start to this season than last season.
Cleveland Browns 13 New York Jets 23
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday September 13, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
The Bears drafted Kevin White in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft to replace Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the Jets in the offseason. White is now out with a shin injury, which means Jay Cutler will have Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal to work with, provided both are healthy as well. The Packers are dealing with injuries to their wide receiving corps as well, as Aaron Rodgers' favorite target, Jordy Nelson, is sidelined for the season with a torn ACL. Randall Cobb also injured his shoulder in preseason, but it doesn't appear to be serious and he and Davante Adams will have to shoulder the load in Nelson's absence. In all, the Packers are a much better team than the Bears, and should win this opener against their rivals.
Green Bay Packers 34 Chicago Bears 17
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
Sunday September 13, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon
NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
The Chiefs are removing former first round draft pick Eric Fisher from left tackle over to the right side, as the Chiefs favor Donald Stephenson over Fisher. Who knows if this is a move to properly and effectively block J.J. Watt, but Watt will most likely be moved around so Stephenson and Fisher will most likely be tasked with handling him. Jadeveon Clowney doesn't figure to be playing in this game, and the Texans will love to see what Clowney and Watt can do together. Both teams finished 9-7 last year, but the Chiefs figure to be the better team this year. They should be the better team on the road in this one as well.
Kansas City Chiefs 20 Houston Texans 17
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| Rex Ryan will make his Bills' head coaching debut at home against the Colts. |
Sunday September 13, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
The Tyrod Taylor era for the Bills begins at home, but the matchup everyone will be interested in is Andrew Luck against the Bills' defense. The Bills were terrific last year defensively, led by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. However, Schwartz didn't stick around when the Bills hired Rex Ryan as their new head coach. Ryan and new defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman figure to pick up where Schwartz left off with the defense. This appears to be a game ripe for an upset.
Indianapolis Colts 21 Buffalo Bills 24
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| Both quarterbacks were drafted by the Redskins in 2012, but it's the late round draft pick Kirk Cousins who will be getting the start. |
Sunday September 13, 2015 1:00pm
CBS -- Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts
FedEx Field, Landover, MD
The soap opera that is the Redskins start the season at home, and Kirk Cousins will probably look to not be killed by Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh. Ryan Tannehill just received a nice new deal, but is he really deserving of it? His numbers were solid last year, but he came up short in moments where they needed him, especially during the final game of last season losing to the Jets once again. Tannehill also lost to the Jets during the final game of the 2013 season at home, so some have scratched their head at Tannehill's new contract. The Dolphins should win this game since they have the defense to rattle Cousins, but do not be surprised if the Redskins win this at home.
Miami Dolphins 20 Washington Redskins 10
Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday September 13, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Chris Myers, Ronde Barber
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Many eyes will be on the development of Blake Bortles, who impressed at times in his rookie season last year. They signed Julius Thomas to a deal, so they're hoping Thomas can come in and be a receiving target to help Bortles move the offense. For this game, Thomas won't be around, as a broken finger will sideline him probably for the first month of the season. Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson will have to deliver if the Jaguars want to win this game. The Panthers are two time defending NFC South champions, and with Devin Funchess aboard, the Panthers look to improve upon last season. It would've been a lot better with Funchess teaming up with Kelvin Benjamin, but that will not happen this year. The Panthers won't need Benjamin to win here though.
Carolina Panthers 24 Jacksonville Jaguars 14
Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams
Sunday September 13, 2015 1:00pm
FOX -- Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO
The Rams shocked the Seahawks last year with a victory in the dome over the then defending champions. I have a feeling the Seahawks will not be caught off guard this time around. It appears they will be without Kam Chancellor, as he has yet to report to the team. This seems to be a serious holdout from Chancellor, so it'll be worth watching the developments between Chancellor and the team, in addition to who fills in for him. This is the first game for Nick Foles as the starter. Foles was the Eagles's starter last season until he got a midseason injury. In Chip Kelly's weird offseason, he traded Foles for Sam Bradford straight up. Bradford has received a lot of hype for his performance in preseason. Let's see how Foles is with his new team.
Seattle Seahawks 28 St. Louis Rams 17
New Orleans Saints vs. Arizona Cardinals
Sunday September 13, 2015 4:05pm
FOX -- Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
This should be an entertaining game, as the Cardinals' solid defense look to use their crowd noise to rattle the Saints' high-powered offense. The Saints' offense figures to be high-powered because they have Drew Brees at the helm. However, they did get rid of maybe the best tight end in football in Jimmy Graham, in addition to Kenny Stills. They also have elected not to re-sign Pierre Thomas, as he remains a free agent. It'll be very interesting to see who Brees relies on other than Marques Colton. He does have an explosive receiver in Brandin Cooks, who was putting up great numbers before he was injured in his rookie season last year. He figures to be a big part of the offense. The Saints haven't played well on the road recently, and Carson Palmer will be returning for the Cardinals. The Cardinals should get the win.
New Orleans Saints 20 Arizona Cardinals 24
Detroit Lions vs. San Diego Chargers
Sunday September 13, 2015 4:05pm
FOX -- Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Tony Siragusa
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
The Lions lost Ndamukong Suh in the offseason, and many regard him as the best defensive tackle in football. It remains to be seen how that'll impact the Lions' defense, who were #1 during several stretches of last season. They did acquire Haloti Ngata from the Ravens, but Ngata isn't as young and as explosive as Suh is. Ngata still figures to be an important part of the Lions' success on defense this year. However, it should be very warm in San Diego this Sunday, which means the Chargers may wear their white uniforms, forcing the Lions into a darker color. Many folks may not believe that actually makes a difference, but the Chargers pulled that tactic on the Seahawks last season, and many of the Seahawks' players were exhausted from the heat. Then again, the Seahawks do have dark colored home uniforms. The Lions don't.
Detroit Lions 17 San Diego Chargers 20
Tennessee Titans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday September 13, 2015 4:25pm
CBS -- Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
The schedule makers certainly figured both teams would be drafting Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota in some order in this year's draft. That makes this game worth watching. However, with the way Mike Glennon has played, do not be surprised if Lovie Smith gives the start to Winston, and then pulls him in favor of Glennon after a couple of mistakes. The Titans, meanwhile, believe they have their future quarterback in Mariota. It has been weird for the Titans, as they tabbed Zach Mettenberger to start last year after Jake Locker went down with yet another injury. Locker inexplicably retired, but the Titans were probably looking to get Mariota anyway. I believe Mariota will impress here, and pull off a good road win.
Tennessee Titans 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Oakland Raiders
Sunday September 13, 2015 4:25pm
CBS -- Tom McCarthy, Chris Simms
O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Those who will watch this game should be interested in the debut of Amari Cooper, who looked really good in the preseason. It remains to be seen whether Derek Carr can elevate his game, but it appears the Raiders have solid receiving options with Cooper and newcomer Michael Crabtree. As for the Bengals, it appears to be the same old story for them. They come in with a solid defense, but their success largely depends on Andy Dalton. Can Dalton move past the game manager phase and start to win games with his decision making and right arm? This game looks ripe for an upset, as the Raiders will get the home fans pumped after a season-opening victory.
Cincinnati Bengals 14 Oakland Raiders 17
Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos
Sunday September 13, 2015 4:25pm
CBS -- Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
Normally, the game of the week in the 4:25pm slot has a very interesting matchup, but this matchup just seems to be any other game. Both teams were eliminated in the division round last year, so they'll look to improve upon that. These two met in the season opener two seasons ago, and Peyton Manning threw for seven touchdowns in a rout. Let's see what happens here. Manning is usually at his best early in the season, when the weather is warm and the ball is coming out well from his hands. I expect for him to have a great game in this one.
Baltimore Ravens 20 Denver Broncos 35
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| Lining up across from Odell Beckham Jr. may bring bad memories for Brandon Carr. |
Sunday September 13, 2015 8:30pm
NBC -- Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
The Cowboys lost DeMarco Murray in the offseason, but many believe his success was attributed to the dominant offensive line. Joseph Randle appears to be the starter, and their brass believes a running back by committee option can duplicate Murray's success. For the Giants, they struggled in the preseason, but their offense is still expected to do well. Their defense, on the other hand, has caused Giants' fans to sound the alarm early. It remains to be seen who will be starting at safety opposite Landon Collins, who's expected to get the starting gig. Also, the Giants are still trying to sign Jason Pierre Paul and determine when he can return. The Giants also haven't won a season opener since they opened MetLife Stadium in 2010. Look for that streak to continue here.
New York Giants 20 Dallas Cowboys 31
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons
Monday September 14, 2015 6:55pm
ESPN -- Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
This could be a shootout, as both teams have explosive offenses. However, the Eagles have improved a great deal on defense, so it'll be interesting to see how they perform here. The health of Sam Bradford will always be on the minds of Eagles' fans, so any hit to Bradford will be cringeworthy. However, a healthy Bradford seems to be clicking, so look for the Eagles to get their season off to a good start.
Philadelphia Eagles 41 Atlanta Falcons 24
Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers
Monday September 14, 2015 10:20pm
ESPN -- Chris Berman, Trent Dilfer
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
The 49ers have had the worst offseason of any team in quite some time, so it'll be interesting to see how they look in regular season play. They still have Colin Kaepernick, who they still believe is their franchise quarterback. They also have added Torrey Smith as a deep threat, so let's see what the 49ers can actually do. For the Vikings, having Adrian Peterson in the backfield with Teddy Bridgewater will help the young quarterback a lot. Look for the Vikings to feed Peterson early and often, and get Bridgewater in a lot of play action. Still, I expect the 49ers to win at home.
Minnesota Vikings 20 San Francisco 49ers 23
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