After months of waiting, it has finally arrived! The NFL season is back. No more trade talks. No more obsessing about your fantasy football team. No more suffering through a boring preseason game. The regular season has returned. There are so many great games going down this week, but here are our Top 3 2024 NFL Games Week 1.
Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs – Thursday Night Football
Who doesn’t love a conference championship game rematch in week one? It’s becoming a tradition to watch Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Opening Night. They lost this game last year to the Detroit Lions which at the time shocked everyone but made more sense as the year went on. The Ravens are on the hunt to prove that they can be the best team in the NFL this year. They ended last year as the top overall seed, but Lamar Jackson and his playoff struggles got the best of him versus this very talented Chiefs team. With a new arsenal of weapons for Patrick Mahomes and another ring secured on his resume, this could be a fun Chiefs team to watch or one that struggles mightily with a Super Bowl hangover. Give me the upset on opening night. Prediction: Ravens 28 Chiefs 24
Los Angeles Rams vs Detroit Lions
This was a wild card playoff game a year ago and an incredibly fun one at that. Matt Stafford returned to Detroit and lost, allowing the Lions to advance in the playoffs for the first time in most of our lifetimes. This Detroit team was just a few good plays away and an insanely lucky catch from the opposition from going to the Super Bowl and facing the Chiefs. All signs point to another successful season for the Lions who gave Jared Goff a new deal and bolstered their secondary to prevent a QB like Stafford from throwing all over them. The Lions weren’t meant to compete last year, but they didn’t get the message. After defeating the Rams in the wild card round, they beat Tampa Bay in the divisional round. Finally, they gave the Niners a run for their money in the NFC championship game. However, they blew a 17-point halftime lead that led to their defeat. After losing the playoff game last season, I like Sean McVay to be more prepared this time around. Prediction: Rams 20 Lions 17
New York Jets vs San Francisco 49ers – Monday Night Football
What isn’t there to like about this matchup? Last year, we saw Aaron Rodgers jog out onto the field, take four snaps, and immediately end his season during his first year away from the Packers. That was Week 1, Monday Night Football a year ago. He’s back on MNF for a second straight season and is hoping for a drastically different outcome. The first opponent won’t be taking it easy. Leonard Floyd is the Niners big new addition and the guy who sacked Rodgers on the play that tore his Achilles tendon. Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, and Mooney Ward are also ready to wreak havoc on this Jets team that might start slowly with Rodgers easing into action. The Niners have had a billion distractions from contract negotiations to their 2024 first round draft pick being shot last week. However, they seem to be the better team and will win a close one here. Prediction: Jets 20 49ers 27