Football is back! Expert NFL picks, fantasy advice and all the Week 1 essentials you need
And, before we look forward to a promising slate of games Sunday, we look back on the season-opening game at Raymond James Stadium.
About last night: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Dallas Cowboys 29 — It wasn't pretty — one might say it was Buc-Ugly — but Tampa Bay prevailed in the NFL kickoff game despite four turnovers. Tom Brady and Dak Prescott didn't disappoint, combining for seven touchdowns and nearly 800 yards passing. And Prescott had a postgame message for Brady.
Game of the week: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs — The two-time reigning AFC champion Chiefs host a trendy pick to supplant them in the conference hierarchy, the Browns. This offseason, the Chiefs remade their offensive line and the Browns revamped their defense, adding Jadeveon Clowney to a pass rush that already features Myles Garrett.
Sneaky-Good Game of the Week: Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team — Last year's offensive rookie of the year (Chargers QB Justin Herbert) and defensive rookie of the year (Chase Young) square off in a classic offense vs. defense showdown. Also worth noting: Ryan Fitzpatrick is entering his 17th NFL season with his ninth team.
Survivor Pool Game of the Week: Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams — We're rolling with the Rams in Week 1. Coach Sean McVay's squad is in Super Bowl-or-bust mode, trading away more first-round draft picks to acquire QB Matthew Stafford. The Bears? Well, despite using a first-round pick on Justin Fields, they are going with veteran Andy Dalton as their QB1 to start the season.
NFL news, notes and analysis
- On Thursday, the Steelers made T.J. Watt the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
- Two key players for the Ravens — RB Gus Edwards and CB Marcus Peters —suffered severe knee injuries Thursday. Edwards' injury was just the latest to decimate the team's running back corps.
- Jarvis Landry's epic "it's contagious" rant on HBO's "Hard Knocks" helped change the culture in Cleveland.
Week 1: Pigskin prognostications
- Week 1 picks: Paste BN Sports' panel of experts has provided fans with the great public service of making prognostications for every game this weekend.
- 2021 season predictions: Paste BN Sports experts weigh in with their choices for Super Bowl 56 champion, playoff teams and individual award winners.
- 10 concerning storylines worth monitoring: The new season brings renewed hope for every team, but a few figures start the year in precarious situations.
- Power rankings: See how all 32 teams stack up heading into the new season.
Fantasy football: Get your lineup right
Of course you want to start the new season off with a win. We're here to help. Our fantasy football experts have valuable advice to get the most out of your lineup.
- Fantasy rankings for Week 1: For your convenience, these position-by-position rankings were updated for this week's games.
- Studs, duds and sleepers: Here are some names to know going into Week 1. After a promising rookie season, where does Justin Herbert land this week?
- How prop bets can make you a better fantasy player: NFL futures odds, over/under totals and other gaming staples can be useful tools for fantasy football managers looking for an extra edge.
NFL Week 1 schedule
Thursday
Sunday
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
Denver Broncos at New York Giants, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday
Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN2)
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