NFL Week 1 matchups: An insiders' guide

THURSDAY

Green Bay at Chicago, 8:20 P.M. ET

Inside Packers numbers: Aaron Rodgers has failed to throw a touchdown pass in his past two games at Soldier Field. Over the past three years, those two games are the only ones in which he did not throw for a touchdown (not counting games in which he left due to injury). Last season at Soldier Field, Rodgers struggled against Bears All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson. When throwing in Jackson’s direction, Rodgers completed two of five passes for 18 yards (3.6 per target). He also was intercepted by Jackson.

Inside Packers roster:  After their previous extensions -– five-year deals for Clay Matthews and Nick Perry -– did not produce a desirable pass rush, the Packers became the boldest team in addressing edge-rush issues. They made Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith the third- and fifth-highest-paid 3-4 outside linebackers –- with $16.5M and $13M deals, per year -– despite the duo being 0-for-8 in Pro Bowls in their respective careers, and then drafted Michigan’s Rashan Gary at No. 12 overall. Known for free-agency stinginess under past GM Ted Thompson, the Packers will get a first look at the fulcrum of Brian Gutekunst’s aggressive makeover effort.

Inside Bears numbers: Stud slot defender Bryce Callahan bolted to the Broncos in free agency. To replace him, Chicago added former Jets nickel corner Buster Skrine. While capable of breakout performances now and then, Skrine would often put forth some brutal performances -– as he did in a matchup against Rodgers last season. In that game, Rodgers completed eight of nine passes in Skrine’s direction for 88 yards. (Skrine also committed two penalties.)

Inside Bears roster: The Packers and Bears took disparate approaches in replacing departing safeties. While the teams ended up essentially swapping safeties -– with Adrian Amos going from Chicago to Green Bay and four-plus-year Packers starter Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix now a Bear -– the defending NFC North champions landed better value. Not overreacting to an over-correcting safety market, the Bears landed Clinton-Dix for $3M; the Packers paid market price (four years, $36M) for Amos. Bears GM Ryan Pace said the team graded Clinton-Dix better than Amos throughout their careers, despite the latter being a Pro Football Focus darling.

SUNDAY

Buffalo at New York Jets, 1 P.M. ET

Inside Bills numbers: Buffalo cornerback Tre’Davious White aims for more success against Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson. White has allowed a touchdown reception to Anderson in each of the past two meetings between the pair. On the flip side, Buffalo seeks continued success against Jets receiver Quincy Enunwa. In his two games against the Bills last seasons, Enunwa posted only 40 yards receiving on 12 targets, a measly average of 3.3 yards per target.

Inside Bills roster: After the Bills’ 2018 Week 1 offense featured six new starters, this year’s unit will open with nine new first-stringers. Most notably, middle-class contracts for John Brown and Cole Beasley ($9M and $7.25M average annual value – 30th and 37th among wide receivers) will give Josh Allen vital support after he spent some of last season scrambling largely because of Buffalo’s lack of coverage-beating targets. Brown was on pace for over 1,100 yards last season with Joe Flacco at the helm in Baltimore, and Beasley has two 65-plus-catch showings. This may not be a good offense, but it looks much better than last year’s anemic edition.

Inside Jets numbers: Sam Darnold aims to continue the success he had at MetLife Stadium last season. In his rookie year, Darnold threw for 268.7 yards per game at home, the best mark posted by a rookie quarterback (minimum six home starts). He also averaged 7.8 yards per attempt, ranking 14th of the 30 quarterbacks with at least 150 passing attempts at home last season.

Inside Jets roster: Joe Douglas expressed a desire to add cornerbacks at multiple offseason junctures, but the new Jets GM’s four-waiver claim Sunday included no corner additions. The Jets have been without Forbes list cornerback Trumaine Johnson for weeks now because of a hamstring injury; New York’s CB1 is questionable for Sunday’s game. Johnson missed six games in his 2018 Jets debut season. The Jets -- with career part-timer Darryl Roberts and Brian Poole, Pro Football Focus’ No. 81 corner last season, flanking Johnson -– do not enter the season in a strong position to deter passing attacks.

Los Angeles Rams at Carolina, 1 p.m. ET

Inside Rams numbers: Jared Goff struggled on the road last season, performing at a below-average level. His passer rating of 82.7 on the road ranked 28^th among the 34 quarterbacks with at least 100 passing attempts away from home. His nine interceptions on the road tied him for the fourth most in the league. Ron Rivera’s ball-hawking defense should present Goff with a good challenge. Over the past two seasons, the Panthers have recorded 18 interceptions at home, tied for the sixth most in the league.

Inside Rams roster: Los Angeles’ high-end contracts for Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Aaron Donald and now Goff over the past 13 months forced some cost-cutting. Two such decisions will be magnified Sunday, with 2018 draft picks Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen (36 combined snaps) replacing veterans Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan at left guard and center, respectively. These first-time starters have a stiff initial test, with the Panthers adding Gerald McCoy to a stout defensive tackle corps featuring Kawann Short and Dontari Poe.

Inside Panthers numbers Longtime Panthers kicker Graham Gano was placed on injured reserve, putting the spotlight on budding, young star Joey Slye. The 23-year old Virginia Tech product had a terrific preseason, connecting on 4-of-4 extra point attempts and 7-of-8 field goal attempts, including 3-of-3 from 50-plus yards.  

Inside Panthers roster: Cam Newton’s inconsistency and injuries plagued the Panthers in recent years, but the franchise has benefited from the ninth-year quarterback’s contract. Agreed to during 2015’s team-friendlier quarterback marketplace, Newton’s five-year, $103.8 million deal has dipped to 18th among passers. Newton’s recent issues still leave the Panthers in a difficult spot long term. But the former MVP’s through-2020 contract helped the team sign key role players, including center Matt Paradis, right tackle Daryl Williams and defensive linemen McCoy and Bruce Irvin.

Baltimore at Miami, 1 p.m. ET

Inside Ravens numbers: Baltimore's defense was fantastic last season, ranking third in defensive DVOA. One of the core pieces of that elite unit was cornerback Brandon Carr. In 2019, he'll aim to replicate the tremendous success he had a year ago, in his second season as a Raven. The former Cowboy allowed no touchdown passes over 540 snaps in coverage in 2018.

Inside Ravens roster: After adding Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead to patch up Joe Flacco’s final Baltimore receiving corps, the Ravens smartly avoided free agency to form Lamar Jackson’s first crew. Jackson’s early work, and the Ravens perhaps set to boast the NFL’s most run-oriented offense since the Tim Tebow Broncos experiment, would have likely scared away veterans anyway. Baltimore now has two potential building blocks in first- and third-round receivers Brown and Miles Boykin, who join second-year tight ends Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst. Snead being the only key Raven aerial cog not in his first or second season could cause issues early, however.

Inside Dolphins numbers: Furthering their tank efforts, the Dolphins traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil and WR Kenny Stills to Houston for two first-rounders and a second-rounder. The loss of Tunsil will certainly not make life easier on Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen (or whomever else goes under center for Miami). In 2018, Tunsil was credited with allowing only 23 pressures in pass protection, fourth fewest among qualified left tackles.

Inside Dolphins roster: Much is made of Miami’s Tunsil-less offensive line, but the NFL’s latest scorched-earth rebuild effort houses a stunningly unproven defensive front. The 2018 Dolphins’ defensive end quartet of Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn, Andre Branch and William Hayes entered last season with 214.5 combined sacks. This year’s Charles Harris- and Christian Wilkins-led seven-man defensive line group includes three rookies, three third-year players and one seventh-year veteran. Combined sacks for that septet: 5.5. 

Kansas City at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. ET

Inside Chiefs numbers: Kansas City boasts one of the more fearsome pass-rush duos in the NFL. To replace Dee Ford, they traded for Seahawks terror Frank Clark, pairing him with Chris Jones as the core of their defense. In 2018, Jones tied for fifth in the NFL with 29 quarterback hits; Clark tied for eighth with 27. The question is, can Clark adequately replicate what Ford was able to do in KC’s system? Ford had similar numbers to Clark last season, posting the same sack total (13).

Inside Chiefs roster:  The John Dorsey regime erred by not coming to terms with Justin Houston and Eric Berry in advance of their contract years, and those now-ex-Chief stalwarts’ dominant seasons forced the franchise to pay more the following offseasons. Jones is on that track. The fourth-year defensive tackle recorded a sack in an NFL-record 11 straight games last season and finished with a somehow not-Pro Bowl-worthy 15.5. For a team with Patrick Mahomes set to command north of $40 million per year, and one that just paid Clark -– who has as many Pro Bowls as Jones -– this could prove costly down the line if the parties cannot finalize a deal soon.

Inside Jaguars numbers: The Jaguars hope Nick Foles can be the stabilizing presence under center that they have lacked. But which version of Foles will show up? Over the course of his career, the average change in Foles’ regular-season passer rating versus the previous season has been a whopping 28.4 points. Last season, that was approximately the difference between Philip Rivers and Blake Bortles. Foles’ performance could fall anywhere in that range.

Inside Jaguars roster:  The Jags had to strip parts off their acclaimed defense, due largely to the $16.5M dead-money figure the Blake Bortles contract left on their 2019 cap sheet. Jacksonville faces the NFL’s most explosive offense without multiyear starters-turned-cap casualties Malik Jackson and Tashaun Gipson, and five-year linebacker Telvin Smith abruptly left football in May. While this revamped defense should remain among the league’s best, the Chiefs are the unit’s worst possible Week 1 opponent.

Tennessee at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

Inside Titans numbers:  Tennessee made a big move on its offensive front in free agency, adding veteran left guard Rodger Saffold on a four-year, $44 million deal.  Saffold, 31, emerged as one of the best guards in the NFL over the course of his nine-year career with the Rams. In 2018, the Rams led the league in first downs on rushes to the left side. Saffold finished the season graded as Pro Football Focus' third-best run-blocking guard.

Inside Titans roster:  Amid the Browns buzz, they boast suspect tackles in Greg Robinson and Chris Hubbard. The Titans will throw their new pair of edge defender starters, Cameron Wake and 2018 second-round pick Harold Landry, at them. Tennessee’s outside linebacker tandem of the past four seasons, Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan, had declined –- each retired this offseason -– and combined for all of two sacks last season. Tennessee should have superior pressure capabilities this season.

Inside Browns numbers: Cleveland made a lot splashy offseason additions, but perhaps the most underrated one was the signing of Sheldon Richardson. He racked up 47 pressures for the Vikings last season, ranking as the 14^th-most among interior defensive linemen. He, along with Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, and Olivier Vernon, could form a special group up front.

Inside Browns roster: When Cleveland’s pass-catchers match up against Tennessee’s secondary, it will be one of Week 1’s top showdowns – featuring elite talent and major investments across the board. Four members of this competition -– Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Malcolm Butler and Kevin Byard –- are among the 11 highest-paid players at their respective positions, and Titans corner Logan Ryan comes in at 17th. Former first-round picks David Njoku, Adoree’ Jackson and Kenny Vaccaro round out a mix that will make for one of the season’s most well-stocked battles.

Atlanta at Minnesota, 1 p.m.

Inside Falcons numbers: Linebacker Deion Jones aims to return to elite status after his 2018 season was limited to six games due to a foot injury. Jones is one of the more athletic linebackers in the NFL, and he uses those gifts to thrive in coverage. He was graded as the best coverage linebacker in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2017. That season, the Falcons allowed only four receiving touchdowns to tight ends, tied for the sixth fewest in the league.

Inside Falcons roster:  Part of the Falcons’ contention formula involves a defensive resurgence, with Jones and safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen back from injury. But Atlanta will rely on two former first-round defensive ends entering crucial years, Takkarist McKinley and Vic Beasley. The Falcons brought back Adrian Clayborn and added Allen Bailey, but McKinley and Beasley (PFF’s No. 70- and No. 104-graded 2018 edge defenders) must play better for the team to return to the playoffs. It was curious when Atlanta chose two first-round offensive linemen in a defensive line-dominated draft; is the organization placing too much trust in its incumbents?

Inside Vikings numbers: To improve their struggling offensive line, the Vikings selected North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury 18^th overall in the 2019 Draft. His freakish athleticism makes him one of the more tantalizing young offensive linemen in the league. At the 2019 Combine, Bradbury ran the 40 in 4.92 seconds (97th percentile among OL) and registered 34 reps on the bench press (93rd percentile). 

Inside Vikings roster:  The Vikings having nine starters earning top-12 money at their respective positions. GM Rick Spielman could either be lauded for fitting high-end deals for Anthony Barr and Adam Thielen into this contract matrix or criticized for anchoring his host of well-paid veterans with a Kirk Cousins accord that jumps out in terms of 2019 salary. The Vikings are projected to be $5.5M over the 2020 cap, and with restructuring Cousins’ fully guaranteed deal not an option, Minnesota faces high 2019 stakes to make this expensive roster worthwhile.

Washington at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

Inside Redskins numbers: Case Keenum will start the season as QB1 in Washington while Dwayne Haskins awaits his opportunity to take the reins. Keenum will be returning to Philadelphia for the first time since he and the Vikings took a beating in the NFC Championship Game two years ago. Keenum posted a 63.8 passer rating in that game, the worst mark he posted during his magical 2017 season in Minnesota.

Inside Redskins roster: Not helping Washington’s cause: a historically unproven receiving corps. The Redskins now boast three rookies (none of whom are first- or second-round picks), 2018’s Mr. Irrelevant in Trey Quinn and a third-year player in Robert Davis, who has played in one NFL game. Although Paul Richardson signed a five-year, $40M contract in 2018, he is 1-for-5 in reaching at least 300 receiving yards in a season. Haskins may soon be walking into a situation worse than Josh Rosen’s last year.

Inside Eagles numbers: In his first game back in Philadelphia as an Eagle, DeSean Jackson will get the opportunity to face former Redskins teammate Josh Norman, who was a magnet for touchdowns last season. In 2018, Norman was credited with allowing eight touchdown receptions, the highest total allowed by a single player in the NFL.

Inside Eagles roster: The Eagles gave modest contracts to Torrey Smith and Mike Wallace to fill their deep-threat role the past two years. Their offense should be more dangerous after GM Howie Roseman brought back DeSean Jackson. Roseman paid up, at three years and $27M, for a 32-year-old receiver after acquiring him for a mere pick-swap price. The two-stint Eagle has four times led the NFL in yards per catch – including last season, at 18.9. Smith posted 430 yards in 2017; Wallace did not catch a pass last year.

Indianapolis at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m.

Inside Colts numbers: With Andrew Luck out the door, Jacoby Brissett is the man at QB. The 26-year old will not be able to replicate Luck, but he can still be good enough to lead this talented Colts roster to the playoffs. Brissett’s best attribute is ball security. In 2017, he threw only seven interceptions among 469 passes, an interception rate of 1.5 percent.

Inside Colts roster: The Colts’ decision to carry more than $50M in cap space into the season (prior to the details of Brissett’s deal being released) may make their 2019 assignment tougher. Indianapolis entered free agency with over $100M in cap space, but GM Chris Ballard opted to continue his limited outside investment strategy. With Luck, leaving potential roster-improvement opportunities on the table qualified as somewhat risky because of a possible Super Bowl chance. Without the accomplished passer, the Colts’ margin for error in building a hopeful AFC South champion is slimmer.

Inside Chargers numbers: Melvin Gordon’s contract situation continues to be a question for Los Angeles. Until he returns, Austin Ekeler will be the bellcow in the backfield. He appears ready, as he has been an absurdly efficient player for the Chargers over his two-year career. Ekeler has averaged 5.3 yards per carry in his career, ranking third among running backs with at least 150 carries over the past two seasons. As a receiver, he has averaged 7.8 yards per target, ranking third among running backs over the past two seasons (minimum 50 targets).

Inside Chargers roster: Football Outsiders’ adjusted games lost metric, which attempts to measure injuries’ annual impact on teams, has slotted the Chargers 26th, 31st, 16th and 23rd since 2015. This year’s most notable Bolts injury will shelve All-Pro safety Derwin James for at least eight games, but the team is less prepared to replace left tackle Russell Okung during a minimum six-game hiatus. Second-year undrafted free agent Trent Scott and third-round rookie Trey Pipkins represent Los Angeles’ options to fill in for Okung, who is dealing with blood clots, on a line Pro Football Focus rated 29th with the longtime starter.

Cincinnati at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.

Inside Bengals numbers: A.J. Green remains sidelined due to injury, so John Ross will get another opportunity to fulfill his potential. The speedster hauled in seven touchdown passes last season, but he still struggled on the whole. He averaged only 16.2 receiving yards per game, catching only 36.2 percent of his targets and averaging a measly 3.6 yards per target.

Inside Bengals roster: Joe Mixon could be an NFL-knowledge litmus test for fantasy drafters, because just about everything that could go wrong for Cincinnati’s offensive line has. The standout running back will be affected. Guard Clint Boling retired, first-round tackle Jonah Williams likely will miss the season with a shoulder injury and eighth-year left tackle Cordy Glenn remains in concussion protocol for a third week. Four-stint Bengal Andre Smith, whom the 3-13 Cardinals cut midway through a dismal 2018 season, is filling in at left tackle.

Inside Seahawks numbers: For the second year in a row, the NFL was rocked by the trade of a big-time pass rusher mere days before the start of the season. Last year, it was Khalil Mack, and this year, it was Jadaveon Clowney. Seattle took advantage of a desperate Texans team and scooped up Clowney for a bargain price, adding a much-needed boost to its run defense. Seattle allowed 4.94 yards per carry last season, the third-highest mark in the league. Clowney is one of the best run defenders in the NFL, ranking third league-wide in tackles for loss over the past two seasons with 37.

Inside Seahawks roster:  Edge rushers played an essential part in Seattle’s 2010s success. Clowney will fill the shoes of Frank Clark, who developed behind Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. Keeping Clowney beyond this season will be difficult for the Seahawks, who authorized market-setting contracts for Russell Wilson and a player at a less valuable position in inside linebacker Bobby Wagner. With Seattle not having any edge rusher or cornerback signed to a big-market deal long term, Wagner’s $18M average annual value contract -– and defensive tackle Jarran Reed’s possible extension -– will make it difficult for the franchise to fortify the defense’s most valuable areas.

San Francisco at Tampa Bay, 4:25 p.m.

Inside 49ers numbers: San Francisco hopes the trio of Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle and Tevin Coleman can be one of the most dynamic in the league. Kittle set the NFL record for receiving yards (1,337) by a tight end last season. Coleman, a free-agent pickup from Atlanta, is one of the league’s best receiving backs. He has recorded 11 receiving touchdowns since 2016, tied for the second most among running backs over that span.

Inside 49ers roster: In adding Dee Ford and Nick Bosa, San Francisco now has five defensive linemen -- Ford, Bosa, Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas -– who arrived as first-round picks. This franchise has not seen an edge defender reach the seven-sack threshold since Aldon Smith in 2013. This array of options should help the 49ers force quarterbacks into bad decisions, providing a vital upgrade for a team that caused an NFL-record (by four) seven turnovers in 2018.

Inside Bucs numbers: Former Jets head coach Todd Bowles is the new defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers, and he has a huge task ahead of him. Tampa Bay registered the league’s worst defensive DVOA last season and ranked 31^st in scoring defense (29.0 ppg). The Bucs added Ndamukong Suh, but they received bad news just before the start of the season when they learned Jason Pierre-Paul will miss at least six weeks. 

Inside Bucs roster:  No NFC team is within four years of Tampa Bay’s 11-season playoff drought, yet Bucs ownership opted to extend the architect of over half of this futile stretch. Jason Licht enters his sixth season as Bucs GM; the team is 27-53 in his tenure. For a franchise with an underwhelming No. 1 overall pick (Jameis Winston) entering his contract year and a defense that’s 1-for-5 in top-20 finishes since 2014, extending the architect through 2024 was an interesting choice.

New York Giants at Dallas, 4:25 p.m. ET

Inside Giants numbers: Big Blue has the potential to see a big jump in performance from its offensive line. The addition of right guard Kevin Zeitler, from Cleveland via the Odell Beckham trade, is a big reason why. Zeitler was graded as the best pass-blocking guard in football last season, as he allowed only 11 pressures in pass protection, fewest among qualified guards.  

Inside Giants roster: New York’s defensive depth chart will place a lot on Eli Manning this season. The Giants have replaced Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul with two ex-Cardinals supporting-casters (Kareem Martin and Markus Golden, who have combined for five sacks since 2017) and third-rounders Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines. Big Blue finished 26th in pass defense DVOA last season and supplements its edge crew with a thin cornerback corps -- one that just lost third-round supplemental draft pick Sam Beal for another full season. It will be harder for the Beckham-less Giants to compete in shootouts.

Inside Cowboys numbers: In the 2018 regular season, the Cowboys went a remarkable 9-3 in games decided by eight points or less, tying them with the Dolphins for the greatest margin between one-score wins and losses. Pro Football Reference’s “expected win-loss” formula suggested that Dallas played like an eight-win team last year, but they ended up winning 10 games. Unless the Cowboys can somehow replicate their incredible close-game luck yet again (which will be highly difficult), they are going to have to play better football on the whole to match last year’s success. 

Inside Cowboys roster: While the Cowboys have taken heat for their inability to extend Dak Prescott, they shrewdly executed deals for Jaylon Smith, La’el Collins and now Ezekiel Elliott. The team managed to convince two key starters to sign five-year extensions, respectively, and an All-Pro to agree to a six-year deal despite a looming collective bargaining agreement. The next CBA stands to change the marketplace. If the Cowboys can sign Prescott soon, that will continue a successful offseason –- even if Prescott’s middling ceiling will feature less margin for error across the roster.

Detroit at Arizona, 4:25 p.m. ET

Inside Lions numbers: Northern Illinois product Kenny Golladay has quietly become a big-time playmaker in Detroit. He ranked 17^th in the NFL with 1,063 receiving yards last season, averaging sparkling marks of 15.2 yards per reception and 8.9 yards per target. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they will not have stud cornerback Patrick Peterson around to stop Golladay, as he will be serving a six-game suspension. 

Inside Lions roster: Only 10 tight ends have been chosen in the first round since 2009; the Lions are responsible for three of those selections. T.J. Hockenson, who fell to the Lions because of the Giants’ unexpected Daniel Jones choice, faces a tough road toward consistent 2019 contribution – at least statistically. Of the 187 tight ends to catch a pass as rookies, only one (Evan Engram in 2017, on a team that missed Beckham for 12 games) recorded more than 575 receiving yards. Neither Brandon Pettigrew nor Eric Ebron exceeded 350 yards as Lions rookies.

Inside Cardinals numbers: What will Kyler Murray do? That is all anybody on the outside seems to want to know about the Cardinals. His preseason performance wasn’t anything otherworldly: In 36 pass attempts, he failed to throw a touchdown pass and picked up only 193 yards (5.4 per attempt). Murray was shaky, but there were flashes of the unique talent that made him a top selection. The Lions allowed the third-highest passer rating in the NFL last season, and they did not change much on that unit in the offseason. 

Inside Cardinals roster:  In addition to Peterson’s absence, $7M-plus-per-year signee Robert Alford is out for at least eight games. This will mean second-round pick Byron Murphy, journeyman Tramaine Brock, second-year undrafted free agent Chris Jones and two Sunday waiver claims -- former undrafted free agents Kevin Peterson and Charles Washington -- comprise Arizona’s cornerback contingent.

Pittsburgh at New England, 8:20 p.m. ET

Inside Steelers numbers: JuJu Smith-Schuster is the new head honcho in the Steelers wide receiver room. Without Antonio Brown, he will be a huge focus of defensive coordinators. The former USC Trojan has been an efficiency behemoth in the NFL, as his soft hands and electric speed have led to a ton of big plays. Smith-Schuster has averaged a remarkable 9.6 yards per target in his career. He has caught 69 percent of his targets and averaged 13.9 yards per reception.

Inside Steelers roster: Pittsburgh paid for an insufficient effort in replacing Ryan Shazier last year, with its Jon Bostic and Morgan Burnett additions leading to the team ranking 31st in DVOA against tight ends. With Devin Bush and Mark Barron joining Vince Williams on the team’s defensive second level, the Steelers revealed their 2018 misfire with historic augmentation. The Steelers have drafted a linebacker in five of the past seven first rounds, but Bush (No. 10 overall) represents the team’s top investment in an off-ball ‘backer since the draft’s inception in 1936.

Inside Patriots numbers: New England suffered a big loss on its offensive line just before the start of the season when it learned center David Andrews would miss the season with a blood clot issue. Replacing him will be Ted Karras, who has provided the Patriots with spot starts at center and right guard since being drafted by the team in the sixth round of the 2016 Draft. He has been credited with allowing only one sack over 240 career pass-blocking snaps.

Inside Patriots roster: The defending Super Bowl champions are currently carrying just two tight ends into Week 1 – 2018 seventh-rounder Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse. The latter entered last season as the Broncos’ No. 3 tight end. New England, which is without Benjamin Watson and Lance Kendricks due to suspensions, added seven tight ends this year. Just one is on the Week 1 roster. The retired Rob Gronkowski scored eight touchdowns and averaged 97.8 yards in seven games against the Steelers.

MONDAY 

Houston at New Orleans, 7:10 p.m. ET

Inside Texans numbers: Out with a monster pass-rusher, in with a monster pass protector. Completing a series of  unexpected trades on a single day, the Texans drastically overhauled the core of their team in the blink of an eye. Houston sent stud edge defender Jadaveon Clowney to Seattle, and brought in top-tier left tackle Laremy Tunsil via a trade with Miami. Tunsil, the 13^th overall pick in the 2016 Draft, is widely regarded as the best left tackle in football, shining with his fluidity in pass protection. He provides a mammoth upgrade for a Houston offensive line in dire need of one. After taking 62 sacks last year, Deshaun Watson gets a big boost in his blindside protection.

Inside Texans roster: Overpayment or not, Tunsil is the Texans’  left tackle of the future. But Houston will still turn to two members of its highly criticized 2018 line –- center Nick Martin and right guard Zach Fulton -– and a Division I-FCS tackle (first-round pick Tytus Howard) will man left guard while a player with two starts in the past three seasons (Seantrel Henderson) lines up at right tackle. This unit should not be considered out of the woods. More struggles will shine a brighter spotlight on de facto GM Bill O’Brien.

Inside Saints numbers:  Veteran center Max Unger decided to call it a career, so the Saints needed to find a replacement at center. They found their man in the second round of the draft, taking Texas A&M center Erik McCoy with the 48^th overall pick. McCoy allowed no sacks and only seven total pressures in his final season with the Aggies. In addition, McCoy was a force in the run game, as the Aggies averaged 7.3 yards per carry on rush attempts up the middle.

Inside Saints roster: An overlooked member of New Orleans’ 2018 draft class stands to provide vital aid to Drew Brees. Deep fantasy leaguers did not see 2018 third-rounder Tre’Quan Smith establish consistency, but the Central Florida product posted the third-best DYAR figure among wideouts with between 10 and 49 catches last season. With Ted Ginn the league’s second-oldest receiver, at 34, and the Saints adding no one of note to the wideout equation, expect more from the burgeoning Michael Thomas sidekick.

Denver at Oakland, 10:20 p.m. ET

Inside Broncos numbers: Denver already had one of the league’s best slot defenders in Chris Harris, but now they’ve added even more star power in that area with former Bears cornerback Bryce Callahan. Good slot corners are hard to come by in the NFL, and now the Broncos have two of the best. In 2018, among the top 50 qualified cornerbacks, Callahan ranked second in fewest yards allowed per cover snap in the slot; Harris ranked fourth.

Inside Broncos roster: The Broncos placed three players -– Drew Lock, Jake Butt and Theo Riddick -– on injured reserve after finalizing their 53-man roster, meaning two of them could return after Week 8. This plan does not seem to account for inevitable early-season injuries, potentially to higher-profile players, that could require IR trips. With Lock needing to come off IR to practice, he seems certain to take one of the two return spots. Considering other injuries will occur, it now may be likely Riddick (given a one-year, $2.5M deal) will miss the season with a malady that was projected to shelve him for barely September.

Inside Raiders numbers: The Raiders pass rush post-Khalil Mack was anemic last season, as their defense ranked last in quarterback hits (48) and sacks (13) by extremely wide margins. It’s no surprise they went with an edge rusher at the top of the draft, taking Clelin Ferrell fourth overall. The Clemson product was unable to notch a sack in the preseason, but his length and power at the point of attack were on display. Whether or not Ferrell can make an instant impact will be crucial for the Raiders defense.

Inside Raiders roster: While the team hyped up converted wideout-turned-suspension risk Darren Waller throughout the offseason, it is still rather hard to believe how committed the Raiders are to a player with 18 catches in four NFL seasons. Considering Jon Gruden’s team targeted Jared Cook 101 times last season, the Raiders carrying only blocking tight end Derek Carrier (43 receptions in seven seasons) and fourth-round rookie Foster Moreau behind Waller is a bit surprising. A former receiver in Georgia Tech’s option offense who ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the 2015 Combine, Waller will be one of the NFL’s most interesting players in 2019.