Lace Code readers, we are back!!
This time with Week 1 NFL picks!
We have officially made it back to the NFL season, but also football season in general. We had a Saturday full of college football last week, with another Saturday to follow, but what makes it even better?
We also have NFL football to follow it up on Sunday.
And the great thing is, we don’t even have to wait until Sunday for our first taste of NFL football.
Tonight is the night.
The NFL season kicks off with the Patriots vs. Seahawks in a rematch of this past year’s Super Bowl. This is the earliest the NFL season has started since, I think, around 2012. I believe the Cowboys and Giants also opened on a Wednesday that year because President Obama was giving a speech at the National Democratic Convention, so they didn’t want to compete with that.
But hey, I’ll take a game tonight and one more tomorrow as well.
Let’s dive into my Week 1 predictions and some of my NFL predictions for the season.
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks
Prediction: Seahawks 30-17
Let’s start with tonight’s Super Bowl rematch: the New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks.
We ended last season with these same two teams playing, so why not start the new season off on the same note?
The last time we saw them, Seattle won 29-13 in the Super Bowl.
This matchup is interesting because it isn’t just about the rematch. There is also the question of whether the offseason noise surrounding Vrabel and Russini caused any distractions for the Patriots, especially heading into the early part of the season.
While I do think the Patriots improved as a team, and I expect Drake Maye to take another step in his development after finishing second in MVP voting, I still like Seattle in this one.
The Patriots’ offensive line will be a huge key.
Seattle has a great defense, and that is expected to continue this year. While the Patriots made improvements by adding A.J. Brown, if he is blanketed by Witherspoon all night and the offensive line can’t give Maye enough time to make plays or get the run game going, Seattle could have an easy time with this Patriots offense
Seattle was able to get to Maye for six sacks when these teams played in February. If that trend continues, I expect another long night for the Patriots.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Prediction: Rams 27-17
Our Thursday night game is the 49ers vs. Rams, and this one is being played in Australia.
It will be the first time the NFL has played a regular-season game in Australia. The 49ers are spending basically a week getting adjusted to the time zone, while the Rams are arriving roughly 36 hours before kickoff.
We’ll see how each strategy plays out.
The Rams have been one of the biggest headlines of the offseason because of the rumors—which turned out to be true—that Aaron Donald would come back after they traded for Myles Garrett.
Well… it happened.
Donald is back, but he will not travel with the team to Australia, so he will miss Week 1.
I’m not expecting a prime Aaron Donald, but if he is even 80% of what he was, the Rams should be in really good shape going forward.
While they did deal Verse to acquire Garrett, adding Garrett and bringing Donald back should bolster that defense. The Rams also added Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs to help their pass defense.
The 49ers have some injuries on offense, and it will be interesting to see how rookie Stripling steps into that slot role.
San Francisco’s offense, along with the addition of Evans, should still be able to make some plays. If Evans can make an impact, it should open things up for CMC.
I think this will be close for the most part.
The Rams have a high-powered offense that should be able to create some big plays, and if that defense is on point, things could get ugly.
Sunday: The 1:00 Window
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Prediction: Steelers 20-17
The Steelers have reunited Aaron Rodgers with a former head coach of his from his time in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy comes over after a few years in Dallas and looks to have success with the team he grew up cheering for.
The Falcons also have a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski and a new starting quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa.
Atlanta has excellent skill-position players with guys like Bijan Robinson and Drake London. Their secondary should also be good, with A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes on the outside.
Atlanta used its second-round pick on Clemson corner Avieon Terrell, who should see some time in the slot, while Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts provide experience at safety.
For Pittsburgh, I think the Steelers might be able to exploit the middle of the field with their tight ends, Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. That could open things up for the entire passing game.
Atlanta didn’t allow huge games to tight ends last year, but they did allow six games where a tight end recorded at least 70 receiving yards. That is something I’ll be watching.
I think this will be a close game.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts
Prediction: Ravens 24-17
How does Baltimore look with a new head coach? How does Daniel Jones look after returning from his Achilles injury?
Those are two questions we should have some insight into on Sunday, but neither will truly be answered until we see these teams over a few games.
I think the Colts have the weapons to have a good offense with Taylor, Warren, Downs, Pierce, and Keenan Allen.
The question is Daniel Jones.
The Colts were 8-2 with Jones last year before he got hurt, and they’ll be looking to recreate that success. They also added Sauce Gardner last year but lost him to injury, so he and Chavarius Ward should be key factors in that secondary.
The Ravens have some questions too.
How will Jesse Minter do replacing Harbaugh? Will anyone besides Zay Flowers step up at receiver?
We’ll see.
The Ravens still have the dynamic duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry running the football, and it seems like those tires on Henry still have plenty of tread.
I think Jones might struggle in his first game back from injury, and I think Baltimore’s offense will be able to take advantage.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Prediction: Buccaneers 27-24
One question that has followed Joe Burrow since he became the Bengals’ quarterback is simple:
Can Cincinnati protect him?
Burrow has been pressured at an extremely high rate since entering the league and only played eight games last year because of injury.
If the offensive line can give Joey B some time, the Bengals will be in great shape. That would allow Burrow to find Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while also giving Chase Brown opportunities to get going in the run game.
One thing I’ll be watching closely is Cincinnati’s defensive line.
The Bengals added Dexter Lawrence, Moye Mafe, and Jonathan Allen to bolster that front, and I want to see how quickly that group comes together.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, let probably the best receiver in franchise history, Mike Evans, leave this offseason. He is now with the Chargers.
Baker Mayfield also just inked a new deal with the Bucs for three years.
If Baker can take care of the football, I like Tampa Bay’s chances.
The Bucs were 7-1 last year in games where Baker did not throw an interception. He doesn’t need to be Superman. Let his playmakers make plays and take care of the football.
Baker can still run and make plays when needed. He just doesn’t need to force things.
With two high-powered offenses, time of possession could be huge. Whoever controls the run game and keeps the opposing offense off the field should have the advantage.
New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions
Prediction: Lions 30-17
The Lions are looking to bounce back after finishing 9-8 last year and get back into contention.
They still have plenty of pieces in place to do it.
Offensively, Detroit has weapons everywhere with Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta.
The Saints, meanwhile, are looking to build on their 6-11 season after winning four of their final five games.
New Orleans is hoping second-year quarterback Tyler Shough can take another step forward.
They also added Travis Etienne this offseason, bringing him home to Louisiana. He should take over the lead-back role.
The Saints also added three receivers and a tight end through the draft. We expect first-round pick Jordan Tyson to make some noise this year, but that will have to wait as he starts the season on IR with a hamstring injury.
I expect improvement from the Saints this year, but I still think Detroit has too much firepower.
Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Prediction: Jaguars 24-10
Two former Clemson star quarterbacks face off to begin the year.
Who would have thought Deshaun Watson would fall this far?
Not me.
We’ll see if he can have a bounce-back year. He hasn’t played since 2024, so I expect some rust from him, but maybe he’ll surprise us.
The Browns have a new head coach in Todd Monken, while the Jaguars are heading into Year 2 with Liam Coen at the helm.
One thing I’m interested in seeing is how much Cleveland relies on Quinshon Judkins.
If they give him a heavy workload, it should tell us a lot about the type of team the Browns want to be. They could be a very ground-and-pound team, which wouldn’t be surprising considering where Todd Monken came from.
The Jaguars lost running back Travis Etienne to New Orleans this offseason, but they still have one of the better defenses in football. I expect them to be in that conversation again this year.
Another player I’ll be watching is Travis Hunter.
Hunter is now a full-time corner but will still have some offensive packages, and I’m interested to see exactly how Jacksonville uses him.
I also think Trevor Lawrence can build on his season from last year and get back into the MVP conversation. He finished fifth last year, and I expect another strong season from him.
As for this game, I think the Jaguars spoil Monken’s debut.
Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers
Prediction: Bears 30-27
Both teams were playoff teams last year, and both will be looking to build on that success.
Chicago went 11-6 and won the NFC North, while Carolina went 8-9 and won the NFC South.
Caleb Williams will look to take another step in Year 3 and Year 2 in Ben Johnson’s offense.
Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, and Colston Loveland will all look to expand their roles now that DJ Moore is in Buffalo.
Bryce Young will also look to take another step forward, while Tetairoa McMillan will look to build on a tremendous rookie season.
The Panthers did make improvements to their defense, but I still think Chicago is going to win this Week 1 matchup.
I expect this to be close throughout.
Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans
Prediction: Bills 24-23
This should be a very entertaining game.
Two playoff teams from last year square off after both finished 12-5.
The Texans probably had the best defense in football last season and will look to continue that this year with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter rushing the passer and the rest of the unit behind them.
That defense was still excellent in the playoffs, but the offense came up short.
C.J. Stroud will look to bounce back from his postseason performance and return to form, especially with contract-extension talks looming. He’ll want to prove that he is worth whatever asking price comes with that next deal.
The Bills lacked a true No. 1 receiver last year, and they went out and got DJ Moore to fill that role.
While the Bills now have Moore and James Cook, this Texans defense is built to counter them.
Along with their pass rushers, Houston has Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter on the outside.
Josh Allen will look to continue his MVP-level play and try to get Buffalo over the hump and into the Super Bowl, something they have yet to accomplish with him at the helm.
The biggest question for me this season is whether Allen can be a little less “Superman.”
He sometimes tries to make plays that simply aren’t there. We saw that in the playoffs with that awful fumble.
I understand what he’s trying to do, and he has gotten much better at taking what the defense gives him over the years, but it’s still something he can improve on.
I think the Bills win this one, but it will be extremely close.
The 4:00 Window
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals
Prediction: Chargers 34-24
The Cardinals seem to be in the market for a quarterback next year after moving on from Kyler Murray and turning to Jacoby Brissett this season.
Brissett is a great bridge or backup, but he doesn’t seem like the long-term franchise guy. With the Cardinals drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. and adding other young pieces, they’re going to need a quarterback.
They could sign a veteran in free agency, but if this upcoming quarterback class is as deep as people say, I think they’ll look toward the draft.
But anyway, let’s get into this matchup.
One of the biggest storylines for me is how the Chargers offense and Justin Herbert look with Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator.
I think it’s a great pairing.
You get one of the most creative offensive minds in football working with a quarterback who is widely considered one of the top 5-10 quarterbacks in the league.
The Chargers also have both tackles healthy this year, which should be huge for them.
I’m also interested in seeing how Omarion Hampton performs in Year 2.
The Chargers have postseason aspirations, and how could you not with Justin Herbert at the helm? He’ll be searching for his first playoff win this year.
Arizona is a much-improved team and has the weapons to hang with the Chargers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Jordan Love, and Trey McBride should give the Cardinals plenty of options.
Ultimately, though, I think Los Angeles has too much.
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings
Prediction: Vikings 21-20
We have a rivalry game in Week 1.
We love divisional matchups, especially this early in the season.
One of the biggest questions is how Kevin O’Connell can help turn the perception of Kyler Murray around.
Sam Darnold had a good year with the Vikings that led to him getting a deal with Seattle and winning the Super Bowl this past season. Can he do something similar?
If he plays well, do the Vikings bring him back, or is this still JJ McCarthy’s team?
We’ll have to wait and see.
Kyler’s ability to run and extend plays should provide some new life to the Vikings offense after an uneven campaign last year. Injuries at the quarterback position played a role, too.
Justin Jefferson will look to have a bounce-back year with Murray at the helm.
Green Bay has questions of its own.
Josh Jacobs opens the year on the commissioner’s exemption list, so we’ll see if Marshawn Lloyd can step up and fill that void.
The Packers also traded for Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers last week, so we should expect to see him as well.
Green Bay should still have enough weapons to have a good offense without Jacobs.
The bigger question for me is the Packers defense.
The Packers did not win a single game when Micah Parsons went down with an injury, and he’s out to begin the year. Eyes will be on Green Bay to see if they can change the narrative that they cannot win without Parsons.
Even with Lloyd filling the void, I still think the Packers’ running game could struggle.
I expect this game to come down to Jordan Love making plays, and I’m confident he can do that.
But I think Kyler Murray gets a win in his first game as a Viking.
Miami Dolphins vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Prediction: Raiders 21-14
The Dolphins are expected to go into a rebuild this year.
They released Tua and brought in a new head coach in Jeff Hafley. They also brought in Malik Willis, who played well with the Packers as a backup to Love and earned a three-year, $67.5 million contract this offseason.
The Raiders also have a new head coach in Klint Kubiak.
Las Vegas will start Kirk Cousins, which doesn’t come as a surprise to me. I expected them to bring Mendoza along slowly, and it seems like that’s what they’re going to do.
I expect the Raiders to lean heavily on Brock Bowers this year along with Jeanty.
Maxx Crosby is also still with the Raiders after he was supposedly traded to the Ravens before the deal ultimately did not go through.
I expect Maxx to be on a mission.
He’ll want to prove that he’s still one of the best pass rushers in football after coming off an injury last year.
Miami should be in a rebuilding year, and I expect the Raiders to take advantage.
I think Kirk will use Bowers as a safety net, and Bowers should have a great game. If Jeanty is able to suit up, I expect them to lean on him as well.
Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Prediction: Eagles 24-21
Another divisional game!
The Eagles have some questions after last year, and it seemed like they weren’t always in sync offensively.
They traded away A.J. Brown and drafted Mekhi Lemon in the first round. DeVonta Smith should slide into more of a true No. 1 role this year.
I also expect Philadelphia’s offensive line to play better than it did last year, and I expect Saquon Barkley to have a bounce-back season.
Obviously, it will be hard to replicate what he did in 2024, but 2025 was still a down year by his standards.
For Washington, one of the biggest keys will be protecting Jayden Daniels.
I’ll also be watching how the Commanders defense performs under Daronte Jones. This will be his first season as an NFL play caller, so it will be interesting to see how that unit looks.
I think this will be a close one, and both quarterbacks will start the season strong.
But I like the Eagles to take this one.
Sunday Night Football
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants
Prediction: Cowboys 21-17
Sunday Night Football is back, and we open with Dallas vs. the Giants.
The Cowboys come in with an offense that I expect to be very good with Dak Prescott at the helm, along with CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Javonte Williams, and Jake Ferguson.
Dak is one of the best quarterbacks in football, but Dallas continues to come up short in the playoffs.
Is this finally the year he gets them over the hump?
We’ll see.
The Giants have plenty of questions surrounding their team as well.
They have a new head coach in John Harbaugh coming over from Baltimore. There are some people who have him as the Coach of the Year favorite and have the Giants making the playoffs.
Can Harbaugh, along with Dart, Skattebo, and Nabers, lead them there?
We’ll see.
Dallas added Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline last year, which helped give them a dominant force in the middle alongside Kenny Clark.
I think the Cowboys win this game, but the Giants make it interesting.
Monday Night Football
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Prediction: Broncos 27-20
Plenty of question marks surround the Chiefs this year.
How do they bounce back after their season last year? How does Patrick Mahomes perform after his ACL tear?
We’ll find out Monday.
Mahomes is set to start, and if he is healthy, I do expect the Chiefs to be a playoff team.
They also have Eric Bieniemy back, so we’ll see what the offense looks like.
I’m especially interested in seeing whether Worthy takes on more of a Tyreek Hill-type role in terms of using his speed and getting him involved in different ways.
Kenneth Walker should also help provide some needed relief in the backfield and allow Kansas City to run the ball.
Denver has questions too.
Bo Nix is returning from the ankle injury he suffered in the playoffs, so we’ll see how he looks.
I’m also interested in seeing how their new weapon, Jaylen Waddle, is used.
I would expect Denver to use him to spread the field while also complimenting Sutton. I think Waddle will be their WR1.
The Broncos should have a great defense again, with arguably the best corner in football in Patrick Surtain.
I think Surtain might have some rust from his injury and will need to find his groove.
Ultimately, I like Denver in this one.
New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans
Prediction: Jets 17-14
Now it’s time for the Jets vs. Titans.
The reason I held off on this one is, of course, because I had to talk about my team a little more in-depth.
I won’t go super in-depth on the matchup because this piece is already long, but there is plenty to talk about.
This is a revenge game for Robert Saleh and members of the Titans organization.
Saleh got his first head-coaching job with the Jets before they fired him during the 2024 season.
I expect the Jets to be more improved this year.
Better quarterback play with Geno Smith over Justin Fields should help, and the Jets have added a couple more weapons to take some defensive pressure off Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.
The Jets added Omar Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq in the draft to help compliment the offense.
I’m interested to see how often the Jets use 12 personnel to get Mason Taylor and Sadiq on the field together.
Sadiq is also a matchup nightmare in the slot.
I also expect this defense to perform better than last year.
The Jets added pieces like Demario Davis, DeAngelo Ponds, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. They brought in some veterans and drafted one of the best corners in college football last year.
I expect us to be much improved and possibly win around seven games this year.
That will all depend on Geno’s play, but I’m confident he can lead us to more than the three wins we had last year.
I also fully expect this defense to finally get a turnover.
Please.
The Titans will look to improve under Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. We’ll see if Cam Ward can take another step in his development.
Carnell Tate was drafted fourth overall and is someone they’ll look to be a key contributor on offense.
Honestly, I expect this to be a competitive game.
I have confidence in my team this week, and I think we start the year 1-0.
My 2026 NFL Award Predictions
Alright, real quick, I’m just going to briefly dive into my awards for the year, who I think wins each division, and my possible Super Bowl champion.
MVP: Justin Herbert
I think with McDaniel’s creativity and Justin Herbert being one of those top 5-10 quarterbacks, he finally gets his MVP here.
He has not finished higher than ninth in MVP voting, but I think he takes that leap to actually win it.
Even if he doesn’t, I expect him to be firmly in the conversation.
I think Herbert will get back over the 4,000-yard mark and cut down on some of his interceptions. Leading the Chargers to the division title could also help his case.
If they’re able to do that, I like Herbert to have a legitimate shot.
Offensive Player of the Year: Bijan Robinson
He is one of the favorites to win this, and it’s no surprise.
He is coming off more than 1,400 rushing yards with seven touchdowns, while also adding 800 receiving yards and four more touchdowns.
I fully expect similar production from Bijan because he is simply too dynamic not to give him the ball.
If the Falcons can be somewhat competitive, I think that will bolster his chances.
If Atlanta is a bottom-five team, even if Bijan has a tremendous season, I could see him not winning it.
Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett
He is the favorite, and how can he not be?
Coming off a record-breaking sack season and now playing on a much better team that can help give him more one-on-one opportunities, especially with Aaron Donald returning, I think Garrett will follow it up with another tremendous season.
If the Rams are the best or one of the top defenses in football and Garrett has another monster year, I think he goes back-to-back.
Myles Garrett wins DPOY again.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jaden Price
While I think Love will have a tremendous year, they might bring him along a little more slowly in terms of workload, especially since they signed Tyler Allgeier.
Now, with Charbonnet on IR, I think that allows Price to step in and take that lead-back role and get a nice jump on the award.
I expect Love to get a much heavier workload later in the year, but if they limit his workload early on, I don’t think he gets enough production to win it.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: David Bailey
To me, this is either Ruben Bain or David Bailey.
I think both are primed to have big roles on passing downs for their teams, and I think whichever player gets more sacks could ultimately win the award.
I think Bailey will be really good, and I think to start the year, he might have more opportunities than Bain.
I just expect us to rely on Bailey more than the Bucs might need to rely on Bain based on their defensive roster.
Tampa has Vita Vea and Haason Reddick, which could actually open up more opportunities for Bain.
I think it will be one of those two.
But I had to go with my guy.
David Bailey wins DROY.
Coach of the Year: Kellen Moore
I like the momentum they had to end last year, winning four of their final five games, and I think they can build on that going into this season.
If they can be competitive and get into the conversation for a Wild Card spot, I can see Moore getting this award.
Now, if Harbaugh has a tremendous year in New York, then he is probably winning it.
But right now, my pick is Kellen Moore.
My Division Winners
I’m just going to give you who I have winning each division.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC West
Los Angeles Chargers
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
Los Angeles Rams
NFC North
Detroit Lions
And now we wait.
The NFL is officially back.
Let’s see how wrong I am.
Lace up. Tap in.
– Jett Garden
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