The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Welcome to the Baker Bowl
CLEVELAND (8-9) at CAROLINA (5-12) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Panthers by 2 1/2
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Cleveland 7-10, Carolina 5-12.
SERIES RECORD: Panthers lead 4-2.
LAST MEETING: Browns beat Panthers 26-20 in 2018.
KEY MATCHUP: QB Baker Mayfield vs. Browns. Welcome to the
“Baker Bowl.” This game is all about the fiery Mayfield facing his former team, which traded him away after pursuing and eventually landing QB Deshaun Watson. Cleveland agreed to pay $10.5 million of Mayfield’s salary this season as part of a deal to trade him to Carolina. Mayfield took a $3.5 million pay cut to help facilitate the move and get out of Cleveland. Now the former No. 1 overall pick in 2018 has a new start with plenty of quality playmakers such
as McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robbie Anderson. The big question will be how Mayfield handles himself emotionally during the game.
FANTASY TIP: Panthers WR D.J. Moore has looked exceptional during training camp and appears to have developed good chemistry with Mayfield. But can he find the end zone? Despite three straight seasons with at least 1,150 yards receiving, the fifth-year pro has never caught more than 4 TD passes in a season.
PHILADELPHIA (9-9) at DETROIT (3-13-1) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FOX
OPENING LINE: Eagles by 3 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Eagles lead 18-16-2.
LAST MEETING: Eagles beat Lions 44-6 last October.
KEY MATCHUP: Philadelphia’s running game against Detroit’s defense. Last year, the Eagles led the NFL with 2,715 yards and 25
touchdowns on the ground. They had 236 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions, and if they come close to those numbers again on Sunday, they could win easily.
FANTASY TIP: The Lions struggle against mobile quarterbacks, and they didn’t have any answers for Hurts a year
ago. Hutchinson should help, but Hurts could be a clever play, especially in a two-QB league.
NEW ORLEANS (9-8) at ATLANTA (7-10) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox
OPENING LINE: Saints by 5 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Falcons lead 54-52-0.
LAST MEETING: Saints beat the Falcons 30-20 on Jan. 9.
KEY MATCHUP: The Saints offensive line vs. the Falcons pass rush. Three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead left New Orleans
in free agency. James Hurst will take over that key spot after spending last season as a reserve who filled in at both guard and tackle because of injuries. Now it’s Hurst who’s coming back from a broken left foot. He’ll have the job of protecting the blindside of QB Jameis Winston, who’s returning from season-ending knee surgery.
Fortunately for the Saints, they’ll be facing a Falcons pass rush that ranked last in the league with just 18 sacks. It’s not clear how the Falcons will be able to improve on those paltry numbers given their
bargain-basement spending in free agency. The 2021 sacks leader, Dante Fowler with 4 1/2, was let go after the season.
FANTASY TIP: Alvin Kamara remains among the Saints’ top threats as both a runner and receiver. He’s looked healthy
and effective throughout training camp after struggling with knee injuries for part of last season. Kamara is the only player in the NFL with 1,300-plus scrimmage yards in each of the past five seasons.
PITTSBURGH (9-8-1) at CINCINNATI (13-8) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BETTING LINE: Bengals by 6 1/2
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Steelers 8-10; Bengals 14-7.
SERIES RECORD: Steelers lead 67-38.
LAST MEETING: Bengals beat Steelers 41-10 last November.
KEY MATCHUP: Pittsburgh’s secondary against Cincinnati’s passing game. The Bengals bolstered their offensive line during the offseason in hopes of better protecting Burrow and giving him time to work with perhaps the best wide receiver group in the NFL. Burrow tossed four touchdowns as the Bengals swept their two meetings with the Steelers in 2021. With it likely harder to get to Burrow in 2022 than it was last year, Pittsburgh’s back end — led by star safety
Minkah Fitzpatrick — will need to find a way to keep Ja’Marr Chase in check.
FANTASY TIP: Bengals receivers Chase, Higgins, and Tyler Boyd will get their numbers this season, but if the Cincinnati offensive line is as good as expected, RB Joe Mixon could
have a big day against the Steelers run defense.
NEW ENGLAND (10-8) at MIAMI (9-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Miami by 3 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Dolphins lead 59-54
LAST MEETING: Dolphins beat Patriots 33-24 on Jan. 9 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
KEY MATCHUP: Parker vs. Dolphins secondary. Parker will be raring to go against his former team, and he knows how
good the Miami defensive backfield led by CB Xavien Howard and S Jevon Holland is.
FANTASY TIP: Telling fantasy owners to “play Tyreek Hill” isn’t much of a tip, but it’s a safe bet that the Dolphins will have Tua Tagovailoa targeting his highest-paid receiver early and often. And if nothing else, history says Patriots QB Mac Jones could have a big day; the only 400-yard Week
1 passing performances in Patriots history were posted by Tom Brady (517 in 2011) and Drew Bledsoe (421 in 1994), and both were against Miami.
BALTIMORE (8-9) at N.Y. JETS (4-13) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Ravens by 6 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Ravens lead 9-2.
LAST MEETING: Ravens beat Jets 42-21 in 2019.
KEY MATCHUP: The Jets’ defensive front vs. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. New York has an improved, faster defense on paper, but will get a huge test right out of the gate. Jackson can take over games with his legs or arm, so the D-line — the Jets’ top strength — will need to apply constant pressure while also trying to contain him.
FANTASY TIP: Many fantasy managers are excited about Jets rookie RB Breece Hall, and rightly so. The second-rounder out of Iowa State showed great burst and playmaking ability in the preseason. But plugging him into your lineup as a starting RB right away is risky, considering New York also has second-year RB Michael Carter. It might be smart to see how offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur uses the duo first because it could be split to start.
INDIANAPOLIS (9-8) at HOUSTON (4-13) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Colts by 7 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Colts lead 31-9.
LAST MEETING: Colts beat Texans 31-0 last December.
KEY MATCHUP: Ryan vs. Houston’s revamped secondary.
Ryan joins the Colts after a 14-year career in Atlanta where he was a four-time Pro Bowler and the 2016 MVP. Sunday he’ll test a new-look Texans secondary that will feature two rookie starters. Third-overall pick Derek Stingley will start
at cornerback and second-round selection Jalen Pitre is starting at one of the safety positions. Stingley is expected to have no restrictions in the opener after coming along slowly in camp while recovering from foot surgery that limited him to just three games last season.
FANTASY TIP: Pierce could be a good pickup as the Texans are expected to go to him early and often as they attempt to improve a running game that was the worst in the NFL last season.
JACKSONVILLE (3-14) at WASHINGTON (7-10) Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BETTING LINE: Commanders by 2½
SERIES RECORD: Washington leads 6-1
LAST MEETING: Washington beat Jaguars 16-13 in 2018.
KEY MATCHUP: Jacksonville’s new-look offensive line, featuring 2020 All-Pro and longtime Washington standout RG Brandon Scherff, is tasked with keeping Lawrence upright against a Commanders pass rush missing Chase Young.
There’s still edge rusher Montez Sweat and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne to deal with in the passing and running games.
FANTASY TIP: If Robinson is not limited in his return from the Achilles injury, that may push Etienne into more of a pass-catching role out of the backfield. But his familiarity with Lawrence from their time together at Clemson could still make Etienne valuable.
N.Y. GIANTS (4-13) at TENNESSEE (12-6) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox
OPENING LINE: Titans by 5 1/2
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Giants 9-7; Tennessee 7-9.
SERIES RECORD: Tied 6-6.
LAST MEETING: Titans 17-0 on Dec. 16, 2018, at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
KEY MATCHUP: The Titans’ run game against the Giants’ defense. Tennessee has two new starters on the offensive line
in left guard Aaron Brewer and rookie right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere. Even with Derrick Henry missing nine games last season, they finished fifth in the NFL in rushing. The Giants have three defensive players on their initial injury report led by LB Kayvon Thibodeaux who was limited by a
knee issue. DE Azeez Ojulari has an injured calf. New Giants DC Wink Martindale is trying to improve a New York defense that ranked 25th defending the run.
FANTASY TIP: Henry. His worst game last season was in an opening loss to Arizona, and the two-time NFL rushing champ, who led the league when he broke his right foot on
Oct. 31 and still finished ninth in rushing despite missing the final nine games of the regular season. Henry is fourth in team history with 6,797 yards rushing.
LAS VEGAS (10-8) at L.A. CHARGERS (9-8) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE: Chargers by 3 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Raiders lead 66-56-2.
LAST MEETING: Raiders beat Chargers 35-32, OT, on Jan. 9.
KEY MATCHUP: Raiders RB Josh Jacobs vs. Chargers DL Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson. Jacobs delivered his best performance of a disappointing third NFL season in the finale against Los Angeles with 132 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. The Chargers signed Joseph-Day, who played for coach Brandon Staley in 2020 when he was defensive coordinator for the Rams, and Johnson, who had 72 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks with the New York Giants last year,
to revamp the middle of their front. If they can’t keep Jacobs under wraps, it will make it that much harder to contain the
Raiders’ potent pass attack when it uses play-action. FANTASY TIP: Chargers WR Keenan Allen is always a reliable option in formats that reward receptions, but he has just one touchdown catch in his past six games against the Raiders.
KANSAS CITY (14-6) at ARIZONA (11-7) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Chiefs by 5 1/2
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Arizona 10-8; Kansas City 10-10.
SERIES RECORD: Chiefs lead 9-3-1.
LAST MEETING: Chiefs beat Cardinals 26-14 2018.
KEY MATCHUP: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes could have some juicy targets in Week 1 considering the Cardinals are thin at cornerback. The Cardinals also have an unproven pass rush since star LB Chandler Jones left for Las Vegas in the offseason.
FANTASY TIP: Arizona’s defense emerged as a solid play last
season under DC Vance Joseph, but there might be some regression due. The team is thin at corner and is trying to figure out its edge rush situation after losing Jones to the Raiders. Steer clear for now, particularly against the Chiefs.
GREEN BAY (13-5) at MINNESOTA (8-9) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox
OPENING LINE: Packers by 1½
SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 64-56-3.
LAST MEETING: Packers beat Vikings 37-10 on Jan. 2.
KEY MATCHUP: Packers OL vs. Vikings pass rush. Minnesota has fared best against Green Bay when Rodgers is consistently pressured. New Vikings OLB Za’Darius Smith, who
had 26 sacks for the Packers over the 2019-20 seasons before being limited to one game because of a back injury in 2021, will be eager to stick it to his former team after being released this spring. Danielle Hunter and his 60½ sacks in 85 games mans the other OLB spot, creating a daunting assignment for Green Bay’s two best blockers David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins. They were limited in training camp in their recovery from torn ACLs, but if cleared to play they’ll likely be the starting tackles.
FANTASY TIP: With Jefferson and Adam Thielen likely to draw most of the attention from the Packers secondary led by standout CBs Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, Vikings WR K.J. Osborn might find more space to produce. He had 290 yards and five TDs over the last six games last year.
TAMPA BAY (14-5) at DALLAS (12-6) Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
OPENING LINE: Buccaneers by 2 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Cowboys lead 15-5.
LAST MEETING: Buccs beat Cowboys 31-29 last September.
KEY MATCHUP: Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady vs. Dallas CB Trevon Diggs. The first of Diggs’ 11 interceptions last season
came against Brady in the opener and started a streak of at least one pick in each of the first six games. It was the first such streak in the NFL since 2003. Logic says he’ll draw Evans most of the time, but the deep receiving group for the Bucs could mean some other matchups.
FANTASY TIP: The teams combined for 782 yards passing and seven touchdowns compared to 112 yards rushing with no scores in last season’s opener. There were 11 pass plays of at least 20 yards and only two runs of more than 10 yards,
one of which was on a desperation final play after the goahead field goal. The safe play is to stick with quarterbacks and receivers from these rosters.
DENVER (7-10) at SEATTLE (7-10) Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN
OPENING LINE: Broncos by 6.5
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Broncos 8-9; Seahawks 9-8.
SERIES RECORD: Broncos lead 35-21.
LAST MEETING: Broncos beat Seahawks 27-24 in 2019.
KEY MATCHUP: Broncos OL vs. Seahawks pass rush. If Wilson is to succeed in Denver, he must stay upright, which was one of his ongoing complaints in Seattle. Denver’s offensive line will be tested by a bolstered Seattle pass rush
with burgeoning star Darrell Taylor and safety Jamal Adams the biggest headaches the Broncos will have to deal with.
FANTASY TIP: It seems as if Wilson should be poised for a
big game in his return and Seattle is likely to be starting at least one rookie at cornerback. Wilson has thrown four touchdown passes in Week 1 in each of the past two seasons.