WEEK 1 MATCHUPS
SEATTLE AT GREEN BAY, 4:25 P.M.
What a juicy matchup to help kick off the first Sunday of a new NFL season as the two best teams in the NFC face off this afternoon at Lambeau Field. (Sorry, Atlanta, but that Super Bowl meltdown remains too fresh.) Unlike the AFC — where New England appears to be a hefty favorite despite being stunned in a 42-27 loss to Kansas City in Thursday night’s season opener — the NFC seems wide open. With a 17-week schedule, sometimes clarity doesn’t come until December, but it’s fair to label the Packers and Seahawks as prime contenders.
N.Y. GIANTS AT DALLAS, 8:25 P.M.
Much of this game — well, the buildup to it — has been about Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott. He was already eligible to play tonight because of the league’s appeals process, and on Friday his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s conduct policy was blocked by a federal judge. The Giants tend to play well at Dallas, going 5-3 in AT&T Stadium, and they have the defense to slow down Elliott, QB Dak Prescott, TE Jason Witten and WR Dez Bryant. But will Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. be recovered enough from his ankle injury to catch passes from Eli Manning?
BALTIMORE AT CINCINNATI, 1 P.M.
The glory days are well behind the Ravens now, and they haven’t made the postseason since 2014 after a great run under head coach John Harbaugh. Defense and special teams will be their calling card again. The Bengals’ Marvin Lewis has the second-longest tenure among NFL head coaches at 14 seasons and counting. He also has the ignominious distinction of an 0-7 playoff mark.
PITTSBURGH AT CLEVELAND, 1 P.M.
One of the NFL’s best (if recently lopsided) rivalries is renewed. The Steelers seem primed for a run toward a seventh Lombardi Trophy, though there should be at least some concern that star RB Le’Veon Bell reported just this past week. The Browns are improved over the team that went 1-15 last season.
ARIZONA AT DETROIT, 1 P.M.
Now that veteran QB Matthew Stafford has become the league’s highest-paid player, it’s time for Detroit to use his ample skills to do more than lose in wild-card playoff games. A victory over the revitalized Cardinals would stamp the Lions as legitimate — at least in early September. Arizona needs a fast start after flopping early in 2016 and not being able to rally to earn a postseason berth.
PHILADELPHIA AT WASHINGTON, 1 P.M. While Washington QB Kirk Cousins makes mammoth bucks under the franchise tag and wonders where his Stafford-like long-term deal is, the Redskins must show they have upgraded their defense. It could be tested by the Eagles’ upgraded receiving corps, particularly Alshon Jeffery.
JACKSONVILLE AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M.
After what the Houston area has been through because of Hurricane Harvey, a victory would provide some happiness. To get it, the defense that just might rival Seattle’s will need to be dominant. Having J.J. Watt — the All-Pro defensive end and philanthropist (he helped raise more than $29 million for storm relief) — back on the field is huge. Jacksonville will bring a tough-guy mentality to the field under coach Doug Marrone and football operations chief Tom Coughlin. What the Jaguars probably don’t bring is enough talent to move up much in the standings.
CAROLINA AT SAN FRANCISCO, 4:25 P.M
That malaise referred to with the Falcons hit Carolina hard last year. So did injuries. If QB Cam Newton can return to anything close to his MVP form and the defense is stout — especially the secondary that leaked in 2016 — the Panthers will be a factor in the NFC South two seasons after reaching the Super Bowl. For the 49ers, new coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch have brought an aggressive approach that should pay off eventually.
INDIANAPOLIS AT L.A. RAMS, 4:05 P.M.
The Luckless Colts — QB Andrew Luck’s shoulder has not healed enough for him to play — do have some luck. After all, they open against the injury-maligned Rams, whose best player, DT Aaron Donald, didn’t end his holdout until Saturday. He won’t play today. A tough game to get excited about, although Indianapolis has Frank Gore to run the ball and L.A. has Todd Gurley.
N.Y. JETS AT BUFFALO, 1 P.M.
An impossible game to get excited about. Buffalo hasn’t made the playoffs since the turn of the century. The Jets’ offseason moves might set football in Florham Park back a century.
NEW ORLEANS AT MINNESOTA, 7:10 P.M. MONDAY In the first of two matchups on Monday night — an opening-week tradition now more than a decade old — the prime-time spotlight will shine on Adrian Peterson’s return to Minneapolis. He’s not even the top RB in the Big Easy, with Mark Ingram holding that role, but Peterson will be the focal point against a Minnesota defense that needs more consistency. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer got testy when asked about Peterson, saying “I’m just going to talk about my players.”
L.A. CHARGERS AT DENVER, 10:20 P.M. MONDAY If the Broncos felt comfortable releasing T.J. Ward, they must feel very secure in what they have on defense. Having Von Miller, Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby and Brandon Marshall can give a team that security. Much depends on what QB Trevor Siemian can deliver in the passing game. The Chargers moved up from San Diego with two mainstays, QB Philip Rivers and TE Antonio Gates, and two notable developing youngsters, RB Melvin Gordon and DE Joey Bosa. But they are still likely to be a last-place team in the tough AFC West.