NFL Week 1 preview
JACKSONVILLE at N.Y. GIANTS
Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
OPENING LINE: Jags by 3
SERIES: Tied 3-3
LAST MEETING: Jags, 25-24, 2014
AP PRO32 RANKING: Jaguars No. 7, Giants No. 20
JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (1), PASS (17). JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (2), RUSH (21), PASS (1).
GIANTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (21), RUSH (26), PASS (19). GIANTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (27), PASS (31). FANTASY TIP: Odell Beckham pointing to game for 11 months. Plans to show why he’s top-paid receiver, even against top-ranked pass defense and All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey.
ETC.: Jags VP Tom Coughlin returns for first game against Giants. He led New York to two Super Bowls titles in 12 years as coach (2004-15) . ... Pat Shurmur starts coaching era for Giants . ... Jags coming off first division title since 1999 . ... Jacksonville ranked No. 2 in points allowed (16.8), total defense (286.1 yards) and sacks (55) last season . ... QB Blake Bortles threw for 3,687 yards and 21 TDs . ... Rookie RB Leonard Fournette led team with 1,040 yards rushing and nine TDs . ... WR Keelan Cole ranked No. 2 in NFL with 17.8 yard average, but top Jags WR Marqise Lee is out for season . ... All-Pro DE Calais Campbell tied for second in NFL with career-high 14½ sacks.
PITTSBURGH at CLEVELAND Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
OPENING LINE: Steelers by 6½ SERIES: Steelers, 73-58 LAST MEETING: Steelers, 2824, 2017
FANTASY TIP: Browns’ Jarvis Landry likely to be top target for Tyrod Taylor. Landry led league with 112 catches last season. ETC.: One-sided rivalry for two decades, Steelers are 33-6 against Browns since 1999 . ... Steelers without Pro Bowl RB Le’Veon Bell, who has been in extended contract holdout.
... Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is 21-2 as starter against Browns . ... Taylor will be 29th starting QB for Cleveland since ‘99. Taylor expected to start while Browns develop top pick Baker Mayfield.
DALLAS AT CAROLINA Sunday, 4:25 p.m., Fox OPENING LINE: Panthers by 2½ SERIES: Cowboys, 9-4
LAST MEETING: Panthers, 33-14, 2015
FANTASY TIP: Panthers coach Ron Rivera wants to get RB Christian McCaffrey “25-30 touches” per game.
ETC.: Dallas is 38-19-1 in season openers . ... QB Dak Prescott is 6-1 in last seven road starts with nine TD passes and two interceptions . ... Cowboys going with K Brett Maher after cutting Dan Bailey, NFL’s second-most accurate all-time kicker . ... New Panthers WRs include former Eagle Torrey Smith . ... McCaffrey led team with 80 receptions last season as rookie.
CINCINNATI AT BALTIMORE Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Colts by 1½ SERIES: Colts, 19-11
LAST MEETING: Bengals, 2423, 2017
FANTASY TIP: Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have connected for league-high 21 plays of 50 or more yards since 2011 and could take advantage of Indy’s new defense and young secondary. ETC.: Cincinnati has won three of last four openers and three of last five in series . ... LB Preston Brown makes Bengals debut after sharing NFL lead for tackles (144) in Buffalo last season . ... Andrew Luck expected to make first regular-season start since Jan. 1, 2017. Luck has at least one TD pass in 23 consecutive games, longest active streak.
SEATTLE AT DENVER Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Broncos by 1 SERIES: Broncos, 34-21
LAST MEETING: Seahawks, 26-20 in OT, 2014
FANTASY TIP: Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders looks for a monster season with Case Keenum at QB and should test revamped Seattle secondary. ETC.: Seattle QB Russell Wilson’s 34 TD passes led league in ‘17, including NFL-record 19 in fourth quarter . ... CB Shaquill Griffin’s 14 pass breakups fourth most among rookies in ‘17. Brother Shaquem, who has no left hand, will start at linebacker in first NFL game . ... Broncos own longest active streak in NFL with six straight wins in openers. ... Giants QB Eli Manning threw for 3,468 yards and 19 TDs in 2017. He has 13 consecutive seasons with 3,000-plus yards, tying brother Peyton for third-longest streak . ... RB Saquon Barkley makes debut. No. 2 overall draft pick had 3,843 yards and 43 TDs rushing at Penn State, missed most of preseason with hamstring injury.
TAMPA BAY AT NEW ORLEANS Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Saints by 7 SERIES: Saints, 32-20
LAST MEETING: Bucs, 31-24, 2017
FANTASY TIP: Saints RB Alvin Kamara led rookies and ranked second in NFL with 14 TDs last year; with Mark Ingram suspended for first four games, Kamara surely will get more touches. ETC.: With QB Jameis Winston suspended, Ryan Fitzpatrick starts 13th pro season . ... Bucs RB Ronald Jones to make NFL debut. Jones rushed for 3,619 yards with 39 TDs at USC . ... Saints have not won regular-season opener since 2013 . ... QB Drew Brees has 70,445 career yards passing, only active player with more than 70,000 yards.
WASHINGTON AT ARIZONA Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Pick ‘em SERIES: Redskins, 75-46-2 LAST MEETING: Redskins, 2015, 2017
FANTASY TIP: Cards RB David Johnson is back after missing 15 games with fractured wrist. Johnson led NFL in yards from scrimmage and TDs two seasons ago.
ETC.: Washington has lost all four season openers under coach Jay Gruden; new Redskins QB Alex Smith hasn’t lost an opener since 2014 . ... New Washington RB Adrian Peterson led Arizona in rushing last season with 448 yards before neck injury . ... Arizona was plus-17 in turnovers in four preseason games.
BUFFALO AT BALTIMORE Sunday, 1 p.m.
OPENING LINE: Ravens by 7 SERIES: Ravens, 4-3
LAST MEETING: Ravens, 13-7, 2016
FANTASY TIP: Take Ravens’ defense against untested QB Nathan Peterman, or Baltimore RB Alex Collins vs. defense that struggled against run in 2017. ETC.: Peterman makes third career start, Ravens QB Joe Flacco his 155th . ... Buffalo’s Sean McDermott seeks to become first Bills coach to win first two openers . .... McDermott and Ravens coach John Harbaugh worked together for Eagles from 1998-07 . ... Bills’ LeSean McCoy needs 69 yards rushing to jump three notches to sixth on team career list.
CHICAGO AT GREEN BAY Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC OPENING LINE: Packers by 7½ SERIES: Packers, 96-94-6 LAST MEETING: Packers, 2316, 2017
FANTASY TIP: Packers TE Jimmy Graham and Aaron Rodgers have already shown chemistry; connection should especially carry over into red zone.
ETC.: 197th meeting in NFL’s oldest rivalry, dating to 1923. ... WR Allen Robinson of Penn State makes Bears debut, first game since tearing ACL in Week 1 in 2017 with Jags . ... Packers open franchise’s 100th season . ... Rodgers’ career 104.7 passer rating against Bears is tops for QB with least 175 attempts.