2018 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 1

Atlanta Falcons (0-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (0-0)

Thursday, Sept. 6, 8:20 PM ET

I’d like to think that Nick Foles starting at quarterback would be a big disservice to this Philadelphia Eagles team. Unfortunately, making that ill-advised assumption has already bitten me in the derriere once before. I’m not making that mistake again.

This Eagles team is legit. Even without Carson Wentz under center, the dynamic offensive weapons and overwhelming talent on defense more than makes up for the small drop in talent at quarterback. As we saw back in January and February, Foles manning the offense isn’t exactly a bad situation.

As for the Falcons, they’re coming off a disappointing 2017 campaign only a year after making it to the Super Bowl. This season will be all about figuring out if this offense can function properly without Kyle Shanahan calling the shots. We know the talent is there, but it wasn’t fully utilized a year ago. Will that change in 2018?

Probably. And yet, I’m not expecting it to be enough to earn the victory in Week 1. As great as this Falcons squad can be, the Eagles look like the more dangerous team right now. Even with Foles at the helm, Philadelphia walks away with a home win to start the season.

Prediction: Eagles win 35-24