There’s always lots to ponder on a weekly basis when it comes to the National Football League. This year will be no different as the Philadelphia Eagles look to do what Andy Reid’s team did from 2022-23. That’s repeating as Super Bowl champions.
Here is a little taste from each of the 16 NFL clashes on opening weekend. It’s a slate that includes eight divisional matchups, as well as playoff rematch at Buffalo.
Football food for thought in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season
Thursday, Sept. 4
Dallas (7-10) at Philadelphia (14-3): A little history. The previous 58 Super Bowl champions are 39-18-1 in their first game the following season. Also consider that the Cowboys were swept by the Birds a year ago. Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley is coming off an amazing debut campaign with Philadelphia, which included an impressive postseason. Disappointing, Dallas ranked 29th in the NFL in run defense in 2024.
Friday, Sept. 5
Kansas City (15-2) vs. L.A. Chargers (11-6) (Brazil): The Chargers embark on their second season under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and will be looking to do something the franchise hasn’t done in nearly two decades and that’s make consecutive playoff appearances. The Bolts are also looking to snap a seven-game losing streak to Andy Reid’s team. Chargers’ rookie running back Omarion Hampton bears watching.
Sunday, Sept. 7
Tampa Bay (10-7) at Atlanta (8-9): The Bucs have ruled the roost in the NFC South each of the past four seasons and own the conference’s longest active playoff streak at five straight. However, Todd Bowles’s team was swept by the Falcons in 2024, and that was with quarterback Kirk Cousins at the helm. Atlanta may have fixed its pass rush with a pair of 2025 first-round picks in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.
Cincinnati (9-8) at Cleveland (3-14): This past season, the Bengals’ defense was once again a liability. Yes, Joe Burrow led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and TD tosses (43), but also committed 14 pf the club’s 22 turnovers. Joe Flacco is back with the Browns for the second time in three years, He hopes to recapture the magic that helped the club earn a playoff berth and Flacco NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2023
Miami (8-9) at Indianapolis (8-9): Two clubs that finished above .500 in 2023 (the 11-6 Dolphins were a playoff team) come off highly-disappointing seasons. A year ago at Indianapolis, Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t around for the team’s 16-10 loss in Week 7. Daniel Jones is Shane Steichen’s new starting quarterback. Worth noting that Jonathan Taylor wasn’t around for last year’s clash and the Colts still ran for 155 yards.
Carolina (5-12) at Jacksonville (4-13): Perhaps it’s only fitting that the Panthers and Jaguars kick off their 31st NFL seasons against each other. The teams both took the field for the first time in 1995. Carolina is in the midst of a rough spell, having posted seven straight losing seasons and owning a combined 36-80 record over that span. Jacksonville is a disturbing 5-18 in its last 23 games after opening 8-3 in 2023.
Las Vegas (4-13) at New England (4-13): After a year’s absence from the sidelines, Pete Carroll is in charge of the Silver and Black. He visits one of the teams that he used to coach in the Patriots (1997-99), now led by one-time Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel. He hopes to turn around a franchise coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons and last-place finishes in the AFC East. The Pats are just 3-14 at home dating back to 2023.
Arizona (8-9) at New Orleans (5-12): Although they fell short of a winning record and a playoff berth, the Cardinals were an improved team in 2024. Their eight wins equaled the team’s combined total in its previous two seasons. The Saints exploded out of the gates in ‘24 but faded and wound up losing their final four games. New Orleans owns the NFL’s longest-current winning streak (6) in season openers.
Pittsburgh (10-7) at N.Y. Jets (5-12): What a coincidence. New Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers played for the New York Jets this past season, while new Jets’ signal-caller Justin Fields played for Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. Pittsburgh brings a five-game overall losing streak into this revenge-ladened contest. Steelers’ wideout DK Metcalf and Jets’ corner Sauce Gardner is a matchup that’s worth a look.
N.Y. Giants (3-14) at Washington (12-5): All four NFC East teams are involved in divisional clashes this week. The Eagles and Cowboys kick off things on Thursday and the Giants and Commanders renew their longtime rivalry. The Commanders rebounded from a 4-13 showing in 2023 and reached the NFC title game this past year for the first time since 1991. The Giants were 0-6 vs. divisional rivals a year ago.
Tennessee (3-14) at Denver (10-7): The Titans are coming off their worst season since a 2-14 disaster in 2014. The club used the first overall pick in April to grab quarterback Cam Ward. It’s safe to say that the young signal-caller will be feeling the heat as Denver led the league in 2024 with 63 sacks. Sean Payton’s club reached the playoffs a year ago, and the Broncos seek their first AFC West title since 2015.
San Francisco (6-11) at Seattle (10-7): It’s now happened twice. Kyle Shanahan’s Niners followed up a Super Bowl appearance with a losing season and a last-place finish in the NFC West. The Seahawks and Rams both finished 10-7 in 2024, but the latter won the division via the strength of victory tiebreaker. Sam Darnold is Seattle’s new quarterback, but the Niners have won three straight games at Seattle.
Detroit (15-2) at Green Bay (11-6): The NFC East isn’t the only division having a round robin in Week 1. A series that was once owned by the Packers has now seen the Lions win five of the last six meetings dating back to 2022. Dan Campbell’s club lost coordinators Ben Johnson (Bears) and Aaron Glenn (Jets) to head coaching jobs this offseason. Green Bay was a shocking 1-5 vs. NFC North rivals this past season.
Houston (10-7) at L.A. Rams (10-7): This clash of 2024 division winners features the last two NFL Defensive Rookies of the Year in Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. (2023) and the Rams’ Jared Verse (2024). The latter had 4.5 sacks during the regular season and two more in the playoffs. Anderson totaled 14.5 QB traps in his 16 total outings. C.J. Stroud and Matthew Stafford may want to have their heads on a swivel.
Baltimore (12-5) at Buffalo (13-4): Including last season’s playoff encounter at Orchard Park, the Ravens and Bills are squaring off for the third time in less than a calendar year. Both clubs held serve at home in 2024. It’s also a clash between the last two NFL MVPs in Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (2023) and Buffalo’s Josh Allen (2024). Simply put, Sean McDermott’s defense must find a way to slow down Derrick Henry.
Monday, Sept. 8
Minnesota (14-3) at Chicago (5-12): The Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy and the Bears’ Caleb Williams were both part of the 2024 first-round quarterback class. The latter was a 17-game starter, while McCarthy never saw the field. Minnesota has won seven of the past eight meetings, and has prevailed in its last five visits to Solider Field. Williams was sacked 68 times in ’24, five or more times in six of his 17 outings.