Bet on Week 1!
The start of the NFL season may still be three months away, but with players participating in OTAs it’s hard not to feel excited about this upcoming season. Looking ahead to Week 1, here are 10 games worth watching once the regular year gets underway.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Denver Broncos (-8.5) v. Baltimore Ravens
A scheduling conflict sees the Super Bowl champion Ravens opening their season on the road. The Broncos will be out for revenge after their late collapse in the divisional round a year ago. With Peyton Manning breaking in his new toys, Wes Welker and Montee Ball, a blowout could be in order.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Buffalo Bills v. New England Patriots (-7)
The Patriots have owned the Bills in the Brady-Belichick era, but Wes Welker has moved on, and the Pats will also likely be without Rob Gronkowski to start the season. It will be interesting to see how quickly Tom Brady is able to develop a rapport with his new No. 1 target, Danny Amendola.
Chicago Bears (-3.5) v. Cincinnati Bengals
New Bears head coach Marc Trestman promised to bring more excitement to the Bears offense and he’ll get his first chance to put that on display. Keep an eye on how the Bears’ rebuilt offensive line holds up against a Bengals defense that ranked third in the NFL in sacks a year ago.
New Orleans Saints (-2.5) v. Atlanta Falcons
Sean Payton returns to the Saints in what they hope will be a bounce back year. These teams have alternated claiming the division crown over each of the last four years and this game could go a long way towards deciding which team finishes atop the NFC South this season.
New York Jets v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2)
These teams got together to pull off one of the bigger trades of the offseason when the Jets shipped Darrelle Revis to the Bucs in exchange for a pair of draft picks. The veteran cornerback will get an early opportunity to make some noise against his former club right out of the gates. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Carolina Panthers v. Seattle Seahawks (-3.5)
There are still some quietly holding out hope for a Panther breakout with the team holding post-hype sleeper status after failing to live up to expectations a year ago, but this game will be all about the Seahawks putting their new weapons on display and making a statement to the rest of the league.
San Francisco 49ers (-5) v. Green Bay Packers
These teams find themselves opening their schedules against one another for a second year in a row. The Packers will be looking for revenge after a pair of losses to the 49ers last season, including the one that ended their season in the divisional round.
Dallas Cowboys (-3) v. New York Giants
The Cowboys retooled their defense a year ago with the Giants in mind and those changes paid immediate dividends in a Week 1 win over the G-men in 2012. The Cowboys haven’t hosted a Week 1 game since 2007 when they beat these very Giants, 45-35.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Washington Redskins (-5) v. Philadelphia Eagles
The NFC East nabs a second prime time slot with the early Monday nighter. Washington hopes to have Robert Griffin III back on the field in time for this contest, but it could be Kirk Cousins at the helm for the Burgundy and Gold. Meanwhile, we’ll get some answers as to whether or not Chip Kelly’s offense will translate to the NFL level.
San Diego Chargers v. Houston Texans (-3)
Philip Rivers and the Chargers will look to turn things around after a forgettable 2012 campaign. New head coach Mike McCoy will face a stern test against a Texans team that is among the best in football. A year ago McCoy’s Broncos accumulated 330 yards and two scores through the air against the Texans, but that was with Peyton Manning at quarterback.
