2024-2025 NFL Season Kickoff: Week 1 Predictions

The NFL season for 2024 is upon us and there are rule changes, a two-time defending league champions the Kansas City Chiefs, and plenty of fresh faces and exciting rookies to keep an eye on.

As I do every year for Abstract Sports, I will provide my weekly predictions for every game on the slate. What better way to start than with my team, the Pittsburgh Steelers who are playing in Atlanta against Kirk Cousins and his new team, the Falcons.

Pittsburgh at Atlanta. I like the Steelers to open some eyes from the opening gun and will be all over Kirk Cousins. Watch for big plays from Minkah Fitzpatrick and rookie Payton Wilson on defense with T.J. Watt being his usual self and Nick Herbig doing what he did last year with at least one big play. I can see Russell Wilson hitting George Pickens for at least one big play and at least a touchdown if not more than one. Final score? Steelers 30 Falcons 17.

Baltimore at Kansas City. The NFL season opener is on the field of the defending champions. The Ravens aspired to get to the big dance last season and fell short. Much has been made about Lamar Jackson playing at a M.V.P. caliber during the season and then falling on his face in the postseason. The talk in Baltimore this year is Super Bowl or bust and being the team that can oust the Chiefs from another title appearance. It does not start well for Baltimore. Chiefs 31 Ravens 17.

Green Bay at Philadelphia. Ex-Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickens went from starter to backup in Pittsburgh then demanded a trade which he receive sending him to the Eagles. Now he is backup once more. There is much turmoil between quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni in Philly, so it will be interesting to see how that pans out during this season. With that said, we have two playoff teams from 2023 here in a game that is too close to call. Eagles 20 Packers 17.

Arizona at Buffalo. The Bills lost their #1 receiver in the offseason as Stefon Diggs jumped ship and Josh Allen is under the gun to prove he can lead his team to an AFC title. With the personnel losses I do not see that happening. The Cardinals are still far from being a competitive playoff team and while the Bills will win this one, for their fans, this will not be a victory to get excited about. Bills 38 Cardinals 13.

Tennessee at Chicago. It is the Caleb Williams NFL regular season debut and Will Levis is at the controls for the Titans. How long can he remain a starter with Mason Rudolph breathing down his neck? That remains to be seen. Bears fans are super excited about the prospect that they may have finally found their franchise quarterback, something they have been waiting for since the days of Sid Luckman. The Bears are probably the better team here and they will kick start this new era with a win. Bears 23 Titans 14.

New England at Cincinnati. Even though they drafted a quarterback (Drake Maye), the Patriots are not starting him…just yet. Instead, new head coach Jerod Mayo will start Jacob Brissett. The Bengals are getting a healthy Joe Burrow back and that’s good news in Bengals town. Easy win for the stripes. Bengals 41 Patriots 13.

Houston at Indianapolis. Year two for CJ Stroud. Will there be a sophomore jinx? Time will tell. Meanwhile, in Indianapolis Anthony Richardson returns from injury and if he survives a whole season, it will be curious to see what kinds of numbers he finishes with. This will be a battle of attrition and could go either way. My gut says the home team pulls it out. Colts 21 Texans 20.

Jacksonville at Miami. Here we have another team in the Dolphins with Super Bowl aspirations. While their offense may be explosive and terrific, overall, I do not put them near the top yet. The Jaguars want to bounce back and prove 2023 was a fluke, but I am not a believer in Trevor Lawrence and in this battle of Florida teams, I like the Dolphins to jump on the Jags early and never look back. Dolphins 35 Jaguars 20.

Carolina at New Orleans. Not one of the more exciting open day games, but Bryce Young is hoping for a huge improvement over his rookie season, and he has an exceptionally good receiver in Diontae Johnson as a weapon. Derek Carr is now the starter in New Orleans which is nothing to get excited about. Saints 24 Panthers 13.

Denver at Seattle. Bo Nix makes his NFL debut on the road and will open in noisy Seatle. That sucks to be him. It will be a rough day for the kid. Seahawks 27 Broncos 10.

Las Vegas at Los Angeles Chargers. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL joining his brother John. Mark November 25 on your calendar because that is when sibling John brings his Ravens to town. For this one, the Raiders are not going to be particularly good this season…AGAIN. Chargers 33 Raiders 13.

Dallas at Cleveland. Jerry Jones said in the off-season is Cowboys are “all in.” Then he did little to improve the team. In Cleveland I personally believe Deshaun Watson will have one of his worst seasons yet and be benched sooner than later. Jameis Winston in my opinion has had a better career minus a few seasons Watson had in Houston. Myles Garrett got extremely lucky with his Defensive Player of the Year award last season as it should have been T.J. Watt, and I believe he is WAY overrated. Still, the Cowboys are going to be another huge disappointment this season. Browns 17 Cowboys 14.

Washington at Tampa Bay. Year two of the Baker Mayfield era in Tampa after an outstanding campaign in 2023. The Commanders will start Jayden Daniels, yet another rookie on the scene on opening day. The Bucs should win this one albeit close. Buccaneers 28 Commanders 24.

Los Angeles at Detroit. The Lions are one of the most highly rated teams in the NFC and deservedly so. They were one of the best teams in the league in 2023. They prove it on this day. Lions 34 Rams 24.

New York at San Francisco. Brandon Aiyuk played everyone in the offseason talking about wanting a trade and then finally re-signing with the Niners for far less than he expected. Can Brock Purdy continue an upward path? The team with this hottest seat might be the 49ers as they are the highest rated team to go “Super Bowl or bust.” They have a legitimate chance to return and are probably the odds-on favorites to take the NFC title. They are that good. The Giants do not stand a chance here. 49ers 45 Giants 17.