Key Story Lines for Each NFL Week 1 Game
Brady Vernon
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Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs (Thur. 8:20 PM EST, NBC)
The Texans Using the Clock
These two teams split their two games last season, with the Chiefs taking the Divisional Round contest. However, as everyone remembers, the Texans rocketed to a 24-point lead in the first half before seeing it evaporate in the blink of an eye.
Kansas City will score points, there’s been zero evidence that will change with any defensive scheme. But, the Texans need to go back to their plan from the regular season of long, time-consuming drives. The difference between Houston’s win back in Week 6 last year was that it had six drives of 10 plays or more, including a 8:32 long drive for the go-ahead touchdown.
Don’t be shocked if Bill O’Brien’s new acquisition, David Johnson, get a lot of work in his Texans debut.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Football Team (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, FOX)
Terry McLaurin vs. Darius Slay
The Eagles are likely to win this game, but the path for a Washington victory is a big game from Terry McLaurin. It’s likely the second-year wide receiver will see a lot of Philadelphia’s biggest offseason addition,Darius Slay.
The former Detroit Lion faced off against McLaurin last season as well. Slay earned two passes defended, while McLaurin caught five passes for 72 yards in Washington’s Week 12 win. The day could’ve been bigger for McLaurin because multiple times he got a step on Slay in the one-on-one matchups but the throw was just off.
This individual matchup will be one of the most fun in the NFL’s opening weekend.
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, CBS)
Dolphins’ pass catchers vs. Patriots’ secondary
Miami shocked New England in the last week of the regular season last season, and a big part of that was due to the success of the Dolphins’ passing game.
After going catch-less in the team’s first matchup last year, DeVante Parker had one of the best days against 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore. Parker was one of five Dolphins with at least four catches in the Week 17 win. Miami also gets back Preston Williams and Jakeem Grant.
New England has the players in Devin and Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson and Jonathan Jones to go against Chan Gailey’s spread offense. Keep an eye on how much action Patriots second round pick Kyle Dugger sees in his NFL debut.
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, FOX)
The new-look Vikings’ cornerbacks vs. Davante Adams
It’s no secret defensive coordinators aren’t exactly scared of the Packers wide receivers outside of Davante Adams. Nevertheless, Adams can still take over a game on his own.
Adams, one the league’s best route runners, will face a Vikings cornerback group that went through an overhaul this offseason. Gone are Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander. Third-year players Mike Hughes and Holton Hill slot into starting positions, with 2020 draft picks Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler filling in at the other spot depending on who plays the slot and the outside positions.
There’s plenty of talent in the Vikings secondary, but will the inexperience shine against Adams?
Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, CBS)
How good is the Colts defense?
Indianapolis fell from 11th in 2018 to 19th in 2019 in Football Outsiders Defensive DVOA. Injuries and man coverage struggles can be blamed for the Colts’ drop off. The defense’s ceiling could be the difference between winning the division title and missing the playoffs again.
Now, playing the Jaguars might not be the greatest measuring stick. However, D.J. Chark made a name for himself last season and Jacksonville spent a second round pick on Laviska Shenault, who can be used in a lot of creative ways.
The defense will center around Darius Leonard, of course, but question marks go to everyone else. Will DeForest Buckner be worth the first round pick and match his level from San Francisco? Can Rock Ya-Sin take a leap in year two at cornerback? With Jacksonville being the favorite to land next year’s top pick, can the Colts defense build confidence moving onto the rest of the season?
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, FOX)
Matthew Stafford vs. Mitch Trubisky
Each quarterback comes into Week 1 under different circumstances. Stafford returns after a season-ending back injury to a team in a make-or-break season for its future path. The former first overall pick had a career-high 8.6 yards per attempt before he went down.
Trubisky won the starting quarterback role despite the Bears trading for Nick Foles over the offseason. Whether that means Trubisky has taken steps to be better or Foles simply couldn’t beat out the incumbent will be seen.
Stafford and Trubisky enter a year in which their current teams might decide to move on from them after this season. They’ll both face solid defenses and it’ll help judge where they are this season.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Carolina Panthers (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, CBS)
Can Either Team have Big Plays?
According to Sharp Football Stats, the Raiders and Panthers finished in the back half of all teams in explosive play rate. It’s known that Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater aren’t the gunslingers that toss the ball down the field.
Yet, each team hopes to change that with its new additions. Carolina’s new coaching staff of Matt Rhule and Joe Brady look to bring their success from Baylor and LSU at the college level to the Panthers playmakers, Christian McCaffery, D.J. Moore, Curtis Samuel and Robby Anderson.
Las Vegas’ use of its first round pick on speedster Henry Ruggs should indicate that they want Carr to stretch the field more. Week 1 won’t showcase the rest of the season, but it might give a glimpse of things to come.
New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, CBS)
Offensive Firepower
Each of these AFC East teams finished in the bottom half of offensive DVOA last season, with the Jets dead last. There’s plenty of question marks for both teams.
In Buffalo, of course, it’s how good can Josh Allen be? The Bills going out and getting Stefon Diggs should help Allen’s progression. How good can the connection be though with an unusual offseason? Buffalo will also look for production from young backs Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Will one be the workhorse or will it be a committee?
Sam Darnold is quickly running out of time to prove he’s the future. Can he make dowith the weapons around him? The Bills defense will certainly be one of the toughest this season again, and these are the games Darnold needs to show he can elevate what is around him.
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, CBS)
The Browns Offensive Line Meshing
Cleveland spent a lot of resources upgrading the offensive line by getting Jedrick Wills and Jack Cocklin. However, with Kevin Stefansi’s new system and new pieces in a short offseason, can the offensive line mesh quickly?
They’ll need to because Baltimore blitzed the most out of any team last season. If the Browns can limit the hiccups enough to keep Baker Mayfield upright and running lanes open for Nick Chubb, Cleveland will keep themselves in the game.
Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons (Sun. 1:00 PM EST, FOX)
Will Russ Cook?
Adventuring into Seahawks Twitter can be a scary place, although they are right about one thing: letRussell Wilson throw the ball more. And the Falcons may be one of the best teams to let it fly against.
Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf will go up against Falcons rookie A.J. Terrell and Isaiah Oliver, PFF’s 81st ranked cornerback of 115. There’s no reason that the Seahawks can’t spread the field against the young Atlanta cornerbacks.
Will Fuller of the Texans had a historic day against Atlanta last season using his speed to his advantage, Lockett and Metcalf pose the same threat but will Seattle use it? Probably not.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Cincinnati Bengals (Sun. 4:05 PM EST, CBS)
Will the Bengals Offensive Line Hold Up?
Cincinnati has its quarterback in Joe Burrow. Joe Mixon offers a lot out of the backfield. Tyler Boyd, A.J. Green, John Ross, Auden Tate and Tee Higgins certainly offer one of the deepest wide receiver groups. The Bengals have a chance at a good offense, right? That depends on how well the offensive line plays.
Jonah Williams, the team’s 2019 first round pick, will play his first NFL game on Sunday. The Bengals also don’t have a single offensive linemen that finished as a top 50 rank by PFF. Put that against Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa, the start of the Joe Burrow era in Cincinnati might be a rough one.
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers (Sun. 4:25 PM EST, FOX)
The Isaiah Simmons Effect
The Arizona Cardinals spent their first round pick on the do-it-all defender Isaiah Simmons. Now, in his first NFL game, he’ll be given the duty of limiting 49ers tight end George Kittle.
Anyone who plays fantasy football knows that the Cardinals couldn’t stop any tight end last year and they’re hoping Simmons is the solution to that issue. Hopefully Simmons won’t just be used in coverage — as he has the tools to do a lot more — but going against arguably the best tight end in the league is the reason Arizona grabbed Simmons.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints (Sun. 4:25 PM EST, FOX)
Tampa Bay’s Defense Leads the Way?
Tom Brady making his debut in Tampa Bay is the biggest news in this contest. But New Orleans seems to be the consensus favorite in the NFC because of its talent up and down its roster. For the Buccaneers to make noise in the NFC with the Saints, it’ll depend on their defense.
Having Brady will certainly make things easier for the Bucs after dealing with 30 interceptions from Jameis Winston and giving other teams a short field. Tampa Bay finished sixth in DVOA, but allowed the fourth most points per game last season.
The high-powered Saints offense will test where exactly the Buccaneers defense is.
Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams (Sun. 8:20 PM EST, NBC)
The Rams secondary vs. Cowboys receivers
Jalen Ramsey will likely do well against any Dallas receiver he goes up against. However, the Cowboys have three uber-talented ones in Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb. Because of that, the Rams can only ask so much of Ramsey.
Troy Hill has the responsibility of one of the other receivers as well, whether he is in the slot or on the outside. For the Rams, Hill and Ramsey both ranked among the top 25 cornerbacks per PFF, but who else is there. David Long and Darlous Williams are the only other cornerbacks listed on the roster.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Giants (Mon. 7:10 PM EST, ESPN)
Steelers’ Pass Rush vs. Giants’ Offensive Line
T.J. Watt, PFF’s number one edge rusher last year, and Bud Dupree are each coming off career years. Their first task in 2020 is to line up against the Giants rookie Andrew Thomas and Cameron Fleming, who started six games the past two seasons.
In his 13 games last season, Daniel Jones was sacked three times or more on seven occasions. New York only won one of those contests.
Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos (Mon. 10:20 PM EST, ESPN)
Drew Lock vs. Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill’s revival last season was one of the biggest stories from 2019. Drew Lock has received a ton of hype heading into this season. Whoever is able to create the biggest plays for their team in this game might come out the winner.
Tannehill was one of the most efficient passers last season, thanks in large part to the connection with A.J. Brown. Denver finished top 10 in least explosive passing plays allowed last year according to Sharp Football Stats. If Tannehill is able to find those big plays again, especially against a defense that doesn’t allow many, the Titans will be in good shape for Week 1.
For Lock, he’s like a kid in a candy shop for Week 1. Denver added offensive weapons Jerry Jeudy, Melvin Gordon and K.J. Hamler for the young signal caller to use. Fans will get a first glimpse of the connections on the national stage.