NFL Week 1: Everything You Need to Know for Sunday's Games
It's time to celebrate, folks. Football is officially back.
Tom Brady and the reigning champion New England Patriots made a statement on Thursday night by knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers in convincing fashion. Step one of New England's title defense is complete.
Every team wants to be in New England's position this time next year. For many of them, the journey begins Sunday.
On Sunday, 26 other teams will get an opportunity to make their first statements of the 2015 regular season. We have 13 exciting matchups to fill the first Sunday of meaningful football in more than seven months.
Where did the time go? Who cares? Football is here.
To help get you ready for the first Sunday of the 2015 season, we're giving you a guide to everything you'll need to know.
Biggest Questions
1 of 7
Can Anyone Knock Off the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC?
The Patriots are defending Super Bowl champions, but it's important to remember that if not for the most questionable play call in postseason history, that title would belong to the Seattle Seahawks.
In fact, we'd be talking about Seattle as back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
As things stand, we're still talking about the Seahawks as one of the most dominant teams in the NFC. On paper, this is a team that looks even better than it did a year ago. With tight end Jimmy Graham and rookie receiver Tyler Lockett on the roster, Seattle's offense could finally be catching up with its historically dominant defense.
"This Seattle team is every bit as talented as the two that preceded it," Brady Henderson of ESPN.com recently wrote. "Which is why, even with issues on the offensive line and in the secondary, there's no reason to believe that the Seahawks can't make it back to another Super Bowl."
The St. Louis Rams also appear to be an improved team on paper, and they'll get first crack at trying to best the mighty Seahawks. They did so at home a year ago and can definitely do it again. However, it isn't going to be easy.
Can the Dallas Cowboys Repeat Last Year's Success Without DeMarco Murray?
Last season, the Dallas Cowboys won 12 games, won the NFC East and came within a few plays (or one catch) from advancing to the NFC title game.
In many areas, the Cowboys appear to be an improved team over the 2014 version. The defense has been bolstered by rookie pass-rusher Randy Gregory and rookie cornerback Byron Jones. The offensive line has the addition of rookie guard La'el Collins.
The one area where Dallas is significantly weaker is at running back. Reigning NFL rushing king DeMarco Murray is now a member of the rival Philadelphia Eagles and the Cowboys are looking at a committee approach at running back.
If Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle and Christine Michael can combine to replicate Murray's level of production (1,845 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns), then the Cowboys can have another successful season.
Murray received a five-year, $40 million deal with the Eagles. The Cowboys will have their first opportunity to show they made the right decision by passing on a similar deal on Sunday against the New York Giants.
How Quickly Can Peyton Manning Adjust to Gary Kubiak's Offense?
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is undoubtedly nearing the end of his career and may be looking at his last real shot at a Super Bowl title.
Manning has been incredibly productive since arriving in Denver (14,863 passing yards, 131 touchdowns in three seasons), but he's entering his first year in the balanced and often run-oriented offense of Gary Kubiak. He'll also have to operate without Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason.
NFL Media's Gregg Rosenthal recently explained why the changes are cause for concern:
"Manning's arm didn't look any stronger this preseason. His comfort level in Kubiak's offense is an even bigger issue. Kubiak's offenses historically don't use the shotgun formation much, and often line up two tight ends or a fullback. That's diametrically opposed to what Manning has been running lately, and the transition to a run-based offense could be tricky for both Manning and Kubiak.
"
Pro Football Focus lists Manning with just 63 snaps in Kubiak's offense and has him rated a lowly 93rd overall among quarterbacks for the preseason. It's probably going to take a little time for him to get in a rhythm with Kubiak's system.
Manning and the Broncos will probably be just fine by the time the regular season hits its stride, but early struggles could heavily impact the course this team takes.
Game of the Day
2 of 7
Who: Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos
When: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Where: CBS
A case could certainly be made for Sunday night's game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. However, we're going with the Ravens-Broncos tilt as the game of the day.
This isn't a traditional rivalry like the Giants and Cowboys have, but you can bet Denver fans still haven't forgotten when the Ravens knocked off their Broncos in double overtime en route to a Super Bowl following the 2012 season.
The Broncos embarrassed the Ravens 49-27 in the 2013 season opener and this marks the fourth time in four years (the two also played in the 2012 regular season) that these two regular AFC contenders face off.
This could easily be another playoff preview.
Sunday's game will also mark the first regular-season game in which we see Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning in Gary Kubiak's offense. Manning will be going up against Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley and the rest of the vaunted Ravens defense (just 18.9 points per game allowed in 2014).
We're not likely to see Manning in many more season openers, so enjoy it while you can. Greatness doesn't last forever.
Stats of the Week
3 of 7
Number of sacks produced per game, on average, by the Bills in 2014. The Colts line is going to have its hands full.
Average number of combined rushing and receiving yards produced by DeMarco Murray per game in 2014. This is what the Cowboys are trying to replace.
Consecutive seasons in which the Browns have lost their opener. Can the Jets keep the streak alive?
Yards per carry Marshawn Lynch averaged the last time the Seahawks played the Rams in St. Louis. Seattle lost that game 28-26.
Weeks since the Bears last defeated the Packers in Chicago. Can Green Bay help keep this streak alive?
Times Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked in 99 preseason snaps. Things aren't likely to get any easier against Dick LeBeau and the Titans defense.
.jpg?w=256 "NFL Draft Football")
.JPEG?w=256 "Super Bowl Football")
.jpg?w=256 "Texans Giants Football")
Who Is Favored?
4 of 7
Here are the odds for Sunday's games, courtesy of OddsShark.com:
| Game Time | Away Team | Home Team | Favorite |
| 1 p.m. ET | Seattle | St. Louis | Seattle -4.5 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Green Bay | Chicago | Green Bay -7 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Kansas City | Houston | Houston -1 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Cleveland | NY Jets | Jets -3 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Miami | Washington | Miami -4 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Carolina | Jacksonville | Carolina -3 |
| 1 p.m. ET | Indianapolis | Buffalo | Indianapolis -3 |
| 4:05 p.m. ET | Detroit | San Diego | San Diego -3 |
| 4:05 p.m. ET | New Orleans | Arizona | Arizona -2.5 |
| 4:25 p.m. ET | Cincinnati | Oakland | Cincinnati -3 |
| 4:25 p.m. ET | Tennessee | Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay -3 |
| 4:25 p.m. ET | Baltimore | Denver | Denver -5 |
| 8:30 p.m. ET | NY Giants | Dallas | Dallas -6 |
Matchups to Watch
5 of 7
The Dolphins Pass Rush vs. Washington's Offensive Line
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III may have made his offensive line look worse than it actually was at times in the preseason. Once he left the playing field for good, the passing game improved. Kirk Cousins (passer rating of 103.9) and Colt McCoy (115.8) both performed better than Griffin (54.6).
For the preseason, Washington was rated 15th overall in pass protection by Pro Football Focus.
The Washington line will have an opportunity to prove itself by protecting Cousins, who has been named the starter moving forward. However, its first test of the year will be a tough one.
The defensive front of the Miami Dolphins features such fearsome defenders as Cameron Wake, Ndamukong Suh and Olivier Vernon. These three players alone combined for 26.5 sacks in 2014.
If the Washington line cannot keep Cousins upright, the Redskins will have no chance to pull off the home upset.
Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. the Cleveland Secondary
The New York Jets got surprisingly efficient quarterback play out of journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick (24-of-36 for 261 yards and two scores) in the preseason, but the team will be facing one of the league's better secondaries on Sunday.
The Cleveland Browns haven't gotten a lot of things right in recent years, but they have assembled quite the secondary. Starters Joe Haden, Tramon Williams, Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson have all appeared in a Pro Bowl.
The Browns don't have a ton of weapons on offense and will likely have to force Fitzpatrick into making some mistakes in order to seal a victory. If Fitzpatrick can continue playing like he did on the exhibition field, the Jets should be able to start the season 1-0.
Matt Forte vs. the Green Bay Run Defense
Even without star receiver Jordy Nelson (torn ACL), the Green Bay Packers have the type of offense that should be able to create a sizable scoring gap against the Chicago Bears.
For Chicago to pull off the upset, the team will probably have to control the clock and keep Aaron Rodgers and Co. off the football field as much as possible. This is where running back Matt Forte comes into play.
Forte is still an effective weapon at 29 years of age. He racked up 1,846 combined rushing and receiving yards a season ago. After an offseason of rest (just 14 preseason carries), he should be ready to test the Packers' defensive front.
The Packers gave up an average of 119.9 yards per game on the ground last season, 10th most in the NFL. If the Bears can gash the Packers on the ground, they can win.
Andrew Luck vs. the Fearsome Buffalo Defense
The Buffalo Bills had one of the league's better defenses a year ago. The team was ranked fourth overall in total defense (312.2 yards per game allowed) and produced more sacks (54.0) thank any other team.
This is what Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has to look forward to in his first game of the 2015 season. Luck has a number of weapons, sure, but he also plays behind a questionable offensive line.
"The Colts have a problem, despite the fact they beat the Rams, 23-14. And it’s this offensive line," Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com wrote after Indianapolis' "dress rehearsal" in the Week 3 of the preseason. "It’s this offensive line that general manager Ryan Grigson has thus far failed to build into one that can run the football in the cold and muck of December and January."
With Buffalo's stout defensive front standing in the way, Luck is probably going to have to do much of the heavy lifting on offense himself. He'll have to do so while avoiding a pass rush that's as good as any in the NFL.
Andrew Whitworth vs. Khalil Mack
On paper, the Cincinnati Bengals are a much better team than the Oakland Raiders. They are definitely more experienced and more accustomed to success. However, the Raiders definitely have a chance to pull off the home upset, especially if they can rattle Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.
Dalton has a history of making mistakes when under pressure (remember that 2.0 passer-rating game in 2014?), and he is likely to face consistent pressure form second-year pass-rusher Khalil Mack. Mack (two sacks, seven hurries) has been a terror in the preseason.
"He's fast, he's sudden, he's strong, he's got spin moves, he's got karate moves. The guy is a rolling ball of butcher knives," Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said of Mack, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.
Mack will likely spend much of the game going against Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth, a second-team All-Pro last season. This is a matchup that could change the course of the entire game.
Injury Report
6 of 7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans (questionable)
Evans has been dealing with a hamstring issue, but did take part in Friday's practice.
“I feel great,” Evans said after the practice, per Zach Shapiro of PewterReport.com. “I was able to run some routes full-speed and it felt good.”
New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz (out) and linebacker Jon Beason (out)
The Giants have already announced that Cruz and Beason will miss Sunday night's game against the Cowboys, according to James Kratch of NJ Advance Media.
Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb (probable)
Cobb has been dealing with a shoulder injury, but the Packers recently upgraded him from questionable to probable, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com.
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (out)
Lotulelei has missed time because a stress reaction in his foot. According to Steve Reed of the Associated Press, head coach Ron Rivera expects to have Lotulelei back in Week 2.
Chicago Bears receivers Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson (questionable)
Officially,the Bears have Jeffery (calf), Royal (hip) and Wilson (hamstring) all listed as questionable. According to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, however, all indications are that Jeffery will try to play.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Greg Toler (out)
Toler, who started 15 games for the Colts last season, has been ruled out with a neck injury. According to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, Toler is considered week to week with the injury.
Baltimore Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman (out)
Rookie receiver Breshad Perriman missed all of Ravens camp and the preseason with a knee injury. According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, the rookie won't be returning this week against the Broncos.
Arizona Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd (game-time decision)
Floyd has been out since dislocating three fingers early in training camp. According to Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com, the wideout returned to practice this week, and playing on Sunday remains a possibility.
Expert Predictions
7 of 7
Each week, we'll take a look at picks and predictions from some of the top Bleacher Report NFL writers. We'll also take a look at the experts' results on a week-to-week basis.
Since the 2015 season is just getting started, here are some long-term predictions to enjoy:
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Draft Football")
.JPEG?w=480 "Super Bowl Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Texans Giants Football")
.jpg?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Draft Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Mel Kiper's Lowest Draft Grades ❌")
.jpg?w=600 "Deion's Message to Pavia 💯")