Atlanta Falcons (@ Pittsburgh Steelers)
When Tua Tagovailoa initially signed with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, I was optimistic, as the Falcons do have a very stable group of players on offense, which includes a solid offensive line and both Pro Bowl and All-Pro caliber playmakers.
However, Tagovailoa just didn't truly do much of anything to earn that starting job, as it seems like he only 'won' the job because Michael Penix Jr just did not get enough practice time.
We could be trending toward a scenario where Taogvailoa's leash is quite small and Penix takes over as the starter sometime early in the regular season. And while the Pittsburgh Steelers are far from a great team, they do know how to win games and have reliable veterans all over the place.
Pittsburgh's defense is getting older and slower, but it's almost impossible to envision how the Steelers lose this game. Pressuring Tagovailoa just a little bit would likely have him frazzled enough to make some horrific decisions with the football, perhaps leading to multiple turnovers.
The Steelers will win this game.
Cleveland Browns (@ Jacksonville Jaguars)
The Cleveland Browns will not win this game, as the Browns take Deshaun Watson as their starter to begin 2026, and this is kind of a similar situation to what the Falcons are doing. Watson likely has a short leash, and in Week 1, he'll have to deal with a very stingy Jacksonville Jaguars' defense. Watson simply hasn't been a playable quarterback for much of his Browns' tenure, and it's still baffling how far he's fallen.
Cleveland does have some neat young talent on both sides of the ball, but it's never going to fully come together unless the QB position is settled. Jacksonville is also coming off a 13-win season and have, potentially a high-end QB in Trevor Lawrence.
They'll hardly break a sweat here.
Carolina Panthers (vs. Chicago Bears)
The Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears combined for a 19-15 record last year, but both teams won their respective divisions. Carolina did it with an 8-9 record and truly didn't do much of anything well. And heading into 2026, you really struggle to see what exactly the Panthers can do well.
As for the Chicago Bears, they saw a sizeable year two jump from Caleb Williams, and in this matchup, the QB advantage is significantly tilted in the Bears favor. While the Panthers get this game at home and should be able to hang around, Williams is clearly a special talent, which isn't something that can be said about Bryce Young.
The Bears and Panthers are in two totally different team tiers - Chicago is noticeably better and will win this game.
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