2025 NFL Week 1 Predictions

The Super Bowl champions are kicking off the season at home against a division rival. The Eagles ran roughshod through the playoffs last year, while the Cowboys failed to reach the postseason.

The Cowboys haven’t improved much since last season, and star edge rusher Micah Parsons is actively trying to get traded. The Eagles’ defense lost some players, but their roster remains largely unchanged. Philly is the new juggernaut; they’re the favorite until they lose.

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Kansas City Chiefs Vs. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chiefs’ revenge tour begins on Friday in Brazil. They’ll travel to Corinthians Arena in São Paulo to face their AFC West rival. The Chargers are entering year two under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and they’ve made some great strides this offseason. Justin Herbert has struggled to reach his potential, but it seems the Bolts are on the right track. 

The Chiefs, on the other hand, are coming off the most embarrassing moment of the Patrick Mahomes era. They didn’t play to their standard last season, and it cost them on the biggest stage. 2025 will be a return to business for Kansas City, and it starts in Brazil.

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons

Tampa Bay has the most well put-together team in the NFC South, even when they’re riddled with injuries. They’ll be missing Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan going into the season, putting Mike Evans and rookie Emeka Egbuka at the forefront.

The Falcons had a strong start to 2024 with Kirk Cousins under center, then they crumbled fast. Unproven second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. is taking the reins, so his progression will be interesting to follow. The Bucs have experience, and they have the better roster.

Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

The Bengals are the most lopsided team in the NFL today. They have an offense that can put up 50 points, but their defense couldn’t stop a paper bag in the wind. Lucky for them, they’re facing a dysfunctional offense in Week 1.

The Browns are seemingly throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Deshaun Watson’s time in Cleveland is all but over, so they signed Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. They followed that up by drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Flacco is the Week 1 starter, but this team has a lot to figure out.

Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts

The Colts named Daniel Jones their starting QB for 2025, a move that can’t possibly blow up in their faces, right? They’ve put together a solid roster, but they just can’t seem to make things click. They’re actually not that different from their Week 1 opponent.

The Dolphins have a franchise QB, a top-10 receiver duo in the NFL, and a top-10 running back. They also heavily invested in their defense during the 2025 Draft. Head coach Mike McDaniel might be on the hot seat, so Miami needs to turn it up this season. 

Winner: Miami Dolphins

Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Week 1 matchup between the Jaguars and the Panthers could be a sneaky good game on Sunday. Trevor Lawrence and Bryce Young are both healthy with something to prove, and both teams made big splashes in the offseason.

2025’s second-overall pick, Travis Hunter, will get a taste of the big leagues, and the Panthers are a good team to do it against. Carolina is still finding its footing, and Bryce Young is still adjusting to the NFL level. This could be a fun game, but the Jaguars have the better roster right now.

Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders @ New England Patriots

The Patriots and the Raiders might be a must-see matchup on Sunday. Pete Carroll is taking over in Vegas, and he’s started a full-on rebuild, while Mike Vrabel is trying to continue New England’s rise back to power.

Drake Maye, Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Will Campbell, and Jack Bech are all young names to watch through 2025. The Raiders are on a good track, but the Patriots might be an underrated team all season. New England kicks off the Vrabel era strong on Sunday.

Winner: New England Patriots

Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints

The Cardinals are a team that just can’t seem to get the puzzle right, but they’ve made some strong improvements in 2025. With the rest of the NFC West on their heels in some way or another, the Cards are looking to swoop in.

All that can be said about the Saints here is that they’re lucky they’re not kicking things off against a juggernaut. This team is a mess, and new head coach Kellen Moore has his work cut out for him. They’ll only win a handful of games this season, and this won’t be one of them.

Winner: Arizona Cardinals

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields are going head-to-head in a double-revenge game to start the season. The script writers knew what they were doing with this one.

The Jets are starting over with a new general manager, a new head coach, and a new QB. They have strong pieces, but this is a rebuild. The Steelers are going all-in on 2025 after signing Rodgers and trading for Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, and DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh is more equipped to win now, and the Jets are a project.

Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

New York Giants @ Washington Commanders

The vibes are high in New York surrounding the Giants, and they might finally be on the right path. They are, however, saddled with the toughest schedule in the NFL this year.

The Giants historically take Washington to the limit, and this might be more of the same. This could be a close game, but the Commanders are contenders right now, and the Giants are not.

Winner: Washington Commanders

Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos

The Titans’ number one overall pick, Cam Ward, has been widely overlooked since the Draft. He has his work cut out for him, starting the season against one of the league’s best defenses in Denver.

The Broncos shocked everyone last season when Bo Nix put up crazy numbers, and the team secured a playoff berth for the first time since 2015. This team is dangerous, and it’s only gotten better over the offseason. Cam Ward could be a stud in the NFL, but he has a rough matchup in his debut.

Winner: Denver Broncos

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

This NFC West matchup will hinge entirely on what version of Sam Darnold hits the field. After a lackluster start to his career, Darnold struck gold with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, earning himself a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seahawks.

The 49ers have Christian McCaffrey back, and a fully healthy defense once again. They’ve done a great job building the roster back up despite losing several key players. Seattle has only won one game against the Niners since 2021, and Darnold is still a question mark for the team. If he can recapture the magic he had in Minnesota, the Seahawks could win this. San Francisco is too hungry to lose this one though.

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers

The NFC North is arguably the toughest division in the NFL, and this matchup is a great example of that. The Lions were the number one seed in the NFC last season, but injuries ruined their season. Now they’ve hired new coordinators on both sides of the ball after losing Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn.

The Packers finally got Jordan Love a number one receiver, Matthew Golden, in the first round of the 2025 Draft. Green Bay is on the rise, but it seems to be a slow ascent. Detroit needs to prove it can succeed without Johnson and Glenn, and this is where it begins.

Winner: Detroit Lions

Houston Texans @ Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams will host the Houston Texans on Sunday, and the big question should be “Is Matt Stafford healthy?”. After dealing with back issues during the offseason, the 37-year-old starts the season against one of the NFL’s toughest defenses.

After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, C.J. Stroud’s 2024 was painful to watch. His three starting receivers were injured at various times throughout the season, and he was behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. 

Houston has made big strides this offseason, and by all accounts, things are looking up. Stafford might be slow in this first game, and the Texans have a chance to start the year hot.

Winner: Houston Texans

Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

The script writers once again cooked in Week 1 by setting up a Divisional round rematch between two of the best QBs in the NFL. Not only did Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills eliminate the Baltimore Ravens, but he also took the NFL MVP award over Lamar Jackson.

Every time these two face off, it’s cinema, and this will be no different. The Ravens won the first meeting last season, and the Bills fired back in the Playoffs. This probably won’t be the only time they meet this season, but the back-and-forth will continue. Baltimore narrowly wins this one.

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams vs. J.J. McCarthy could be a massive rivalry down the line, and it begins here. McCarthy is still a question mark. After suffering an injury ahead of his rookie season, he’s taking the reins in Year Two. 

Minnesota has a terrific team, and if a young QB can succeed anywhere, it’s there.

Caleb Williams has a new head coach, a new offensive line, and a wealth of weapons in Chicago. After he suffered through a tough rookie year, things are heating up for him. The Bears will make a statement in Week 1, and they’ll welcome McCarthy to the NFL properly.

Winner: Chicago Bears

End Of My NFL Rant

The Giants, Titans, and Jaguars were among the worst teams last season, but have made significant improvements. The Eagles are looking to continue their dominance after an insane Super Bowl run. 

It feels so good to be back. Every team is 0-0 going into this week, and it’s truly anyone’s year. This is the time for everyone to get excited, because in just a few weeks, plenty of us will be back in a painful reality.