NFL Week 1 game picks: Packers nip Bears; Rams roll Raiders Published: Sep 06, 2018 at 07:55 AM Elliot Harrison Game day. Haven't been able to say that for a while, huh? The and tee it up Thursday night for the first time since -- a Divisional Round affair that was almost immediately overshadowed by . Kind of a memorable ending there. But don't forget about the final set of plays in Falcons- -- a goal-to-go series that ended with slipping out of his break and then having the ball go through his hands. Philly's 15-10 victory kick-started the ' unprecedented run to glory. . gets the 1on 1 v and wins the route and winwinwin. Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) As Baldy shows, the earned it. Yet, you can make the argument that the challenged the champs more than the (OK, definitely) or (debate fodder). Another Week 1 matchup -- taking Bowen Byram Kids Jersey place in the aforementioned Twin City -- has its own unique history ... All in all, we have 16 games to look forward to: division matchups, fun QB duels (Watson vs. Brady!) and bouts featuring new faces in new places (... like a certain pa s rusher you might be familiar with). So, take a gander below, and feel free to send your take: is the place. MONDAY, SEPT. 10 27, 23 There are a few folks who feel that the will deliver an upset in Detroit. That's putting a lot of confidence in , because the ' offense will move the ball. One of the things to watch in this matchup is the running-game mixture. Not only in how much support Todd Bowles and the staff will provide for their (uber-talented) rookie QB, but also in how the workload is split between projected RB1 and . That same point of interest is going on with Detroit, as well. The drafted and signed , with still contributing. If Johnson is as effective as many of his fans have predicted, Blount is a goal-line ho s and Riddick converts pa sing downs into first downs, this offense will hum in the Motor City. Key matchup: , vet and rookie vs. a solid offensive line. 30, 16 Did the get fleeced by the in ? Oakland fans sure seem to think so. All (financial) things considered, the trade made sense, but Mack's absence leaves the with significantly fewer concerns in this game. Ask left tackle , a star in his own right. We will see if the ' offense comes out slow, given that Sean McVay would've called Marc Bulger and Trung Canidate out of retirement to avoid playing or in the preseason. Those guys should find their footing against this defense, though. Poor will have to throw for 360 and three scores, ultimately morphing into a one-man gang. His brother, David, used to tell me he had to do the same thing when playing the Hoth level on "Star Wars Battlefront." Totally serious stuff. In not-related news, Monday night would be a great time for to pull a 2014 and rack up 125 yards on the ground. SUNDAY, SEPT. 9 27, 10 This is the 16th-most-anticipated game on this week's slate. Buffalo's offensive line will have to endure an onslaught from both the ' committee pa s rush and a raucous opening-day crowd. On that note, Nate Peterman can ill-afford to lose his poise under pre sure or dwell on mistakes, which is precisely what went awry for him in his first NFL start. Look for a heavy dose of in this game, like 20 to 25 carries' worth. Baltimore wins. 17, 13 Cale Makar Jersey Slow start for the revamped Giant offense, particularly the offensive line. The new-and-improved unit will face its toughest matchup all year right off the bat. The Jags are gonna eclipse 50 sacks again this year -- or at least they appear to be headed that direction. But make no mistake: This game is still a prime candidate for a Week 1 upset. With no Jacksonville wide receivers nece sitating bracket coverage, should have a few opportunities for picks. Yeah, so, can't be throwing much. 26, 20 The ' offense marches, albeit slowly, in this Week 1 division matchup. Tampa reworked its defensive front, which could make matters a little more difficult, especially with no to soften it up. 's workload should be quite heavy. And hey, Kamara fared pretty well in two games against the Bucs last season: 19 rushes for 112 yards and two touchdowns; 12 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown. Oh, and did I mention ? Absolutely electric. The Bucs' RB situation? Definitely not electric. 34, 30 This sucker might be a track meet, not di similar from . Can pull off his insane three-touchdowns-in-every-game act again? There is plenty of concern about the ' defense providing the kid with plenty of opportunities. After narrowly escaping with a win over the last year, New England's defense majorly flipped the script, going from Swi s cheese to the stingiest unit in the league the rest of the season. Houston's defense will have trouble covering the ' backs. Give 10 catches. 28, 16 The era begins with a quality home win. will have a big game, methinks, as I don't trust the ' secondary yet. Gue sing will see a lot of . Advantage: Thielen. The real battle to watch will be , and that Niners defensive front against a Minnesota O-line that can be had. The outcome can't all be contingent on Jimmy G. Despite all the breathle s offseason hype, he's no Steve Young -- at least, not yet. 24, 22 This is a tough game to call. The are a better team overall, and on defense. That said, heat can be a factor in these early-season games in Florida. The will be wearing their whites, not surprisingly. They are also better at quarterback than they were last season, when Jay Cutler was e sentially removed from the booth to run this offense. A huge factor for Miami this week (and, really, this ): wide receivers and , who must make up for the lo s of . So, basically, they need to catch 1,000 bubble screens. As far as tandems go, look for and to give Miami trouble. 30, 22 is a fantastic player when right. Whether he is a shadow of -- or -- himself will be a large determinant in both this game and the 2018 Adam Foote Women Jersey season in Indianapolis. Thinking the ' front four will be too much for the ' offensive line, forcing Luck to carry too much of the load by himself. Especially with LT banged up. Cincy's receivers should make hay on those Indy corners, unle s Frank Reich suddenly unveils a scary pa s rush. Doubtful. 17, 14 Despite the low score, this should be an exciting deal. A deal. One team is the traditional division powerhouse, the other a proverbial doormat that many think is about to shed that label. Both offenses have kinks to work out. The are still waiting on their queen on the che sboard, , so it will apparently be 's baby this weekend. Cleveland must prove it can get the ball down the field consistently with at the helm. So, what makes this AFC North tu sle so exhilarating? The energy in Cleveland, which I suspect will be something like this: 37, 24 Anticipate much offense in this AFC West cla sic. The ' offense will average 28 points per game this year, but there might be a few hiccups in what will be ' second career start. Kansas City's offensive line will have its hands full with , and Co., which makes an important figure in this game. If both teams enter into a track meet, it will be an advantage for Anthony Lynn's team. safety is questionable to play for a defense that already has major secondary questions. The Bolts have , and sophomore , who is ready to make a mark after a lost rookie season. It should be too much for Mahomes to keep up with -- at least in Week 1. 28, 14 Putting much faith in the bouncing back, with little faith in the visiting . should bolster the home team's chances this year after the poor quarterback play Denver produced, and received, last season. Too often the defense was asked to mitigate the negative impacts of a thoroughly compromised offense. Funny, whenever I think of , I think of those Case Logic CD binders for all my Faith No Andrei Mironov Men Jersey More LPs back in the '90s. Logic dictates might have to pull a rabbit out of a hat, unle s jump-cuts and squirts his way through the front seven. 24, 21 A familiar face to fans will make his debut as the ' OC against Dallas on Sunday. Norv Turner, a huge figure in the ascendancy of the ' offense that dominated in 1992 and '93, looks to tweak a Cam Newton-led attack. Much has been made of the QB's ability -- or inability -- to be a pocket pa ser. Newton could improve in that area without completely giving up the traits that have made him a tough out over the years. And he's still far superior to as a complete player, regardle s. Can't wait to see what Turner does with Run CMC and . 23, 20 What to make of either of these teams at this moment in time? Both have fresh new quarterbacks, and fresh new running backs ... sorta. has been in the league forever and will end up in the , but no one knows how much he has left in the tank. The were without star for almost Philipp Grubauer Men Jersey all of last season, with a multitude of players -- including Peterson -- trying to replace him. So, does DJ make the offense as good as new, like 2016? Not exactly. must prove he will go downfield. And going a sprint further ... Sans , who is the vertical guy in this offense? I'm taking the home team, especially with this being the ' first game with a new QB1, RB1 and WR1. 23, 20 In keeping with as , the 2014 and 2011 award winner takes this sucker in the waning minutes. Don't see Green Bay running much on the Chicago front seven. should endure no such i sues with the Pack being so thin at linebacker, but trust Green Bay's young secondary to thwart Mitch Trubisky when it counts. THURSDAY NIGHT'S GAME 21, 17 Many folks see Atlanta as a team. If so, the can start by getting a win against the defending champs. They lucked out in avoiding for the second time in a row. The real question is whether Atlanta's offense in Year 2 of Steve Sarkisian can topple a great defense -- that got even this offseason -- at their place. Saying no. Historical note: The ' first-ever road game, back in September of 1966, came at Philadelphia. The league's newest expansion team lost 23-10. These two have met in a few awfully big games, though. There was last year's Division Round bout with the now-famous goal-to-go sequence, and the 2004 NFC title game that sent the to their only under Andy Reid. Michael Vick burst on the scene in 2002 but ran into a Brian Dawkins buzz saw in the Divisional Round. Atlanta's first-ever postseason game -- a victory, on the strength of the "Grits Blitz" defense -- came against Philly back in 1978. Those pesky darn-near beat the defending champion the next week. 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