Early NFL picks, predictions for Week 1 of 2023 season

Houston Texans (3-13-1) @ Baltimore Ravens (10-7)

Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

This matchup features two teams with very excited fan bases and for similar but also very different reasons.

The Houston Texans have been searching for a franchise quarterback for a few years now since Deshaun Watson’s off-field issues derailed a very promising future in Houston. They haven’t waited too long, at least relatively speaking. The Texans landed CJ Stroud with the second pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Stroud has the makeup of a legit franchise QB.

They not only were able to land Stroud, though. The Texans traded up with the capital they received from Cleveland in the Watson trade to land Will Anderson Jr. with the third pick in the draft as well. It’s possible they got the best QB and the best non-QB in this year’s class.

While Houston fans are excited to have found their potential franchise QB, Ravens fans have to be elated to know that they have locked in their franchise QB. Lamar Jackson is back on a mega contract and hopefully, all of the distractions that contract situation has brought with it the last couple of years will be eliminated.

Jackson only played 12 games this past year, but it was the best he’s looked since his MVP campaign in 2019.

I don’t think Jackson is going to waste any time regaining his MVP-caliber form now that he’s got the bag secured. Although I’m very much “in” on DeMeco Ryans’ Texans this year, I think the Ravens are winning this opener.

Prediction: Ravens win 27-17