The 2025 NFL regular season is right around the corner. Let's make some early picks and predictions for the first week. Team will cut down their roster through Tuesday and will probably make some key roster decisions.
In many instances, players who get cut actually end up on the active roster of another team, so there is going to be a ton of player movement here in the next couple of days. The first game of the 2025 NFL Season is on September 4th. The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles get us started.
With less than two weeks until the start of the 2025 NFL Season, let's roll out some early game picks and predictions.
2025 NFL picks and predictions for Week 1 action
September 4th
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
The first game of the 2025 NFL Season is a classic NFC East showdown, and while I do believe the Cowboys can go into Philly and takedown the Eagles in an upset, the home team is going to be riding their Super Bowl ceremony, and the crowd is going to be on fire. I am not sure this Cowboys' team is capable of the Week 1 upset.
Eagles win 24-20
September 5th
Kansas City Chiefs @ Los Angeles Chargers
The LA Chargers have a better roster than the Kansas City Chiefs, and LA gets this game at home. With the Chiefs winning all of their one-score games in 2024 by razor-thin margins, they could be due to regress in that way in 2025. KC has lost an opening game before, and they'll be defeated by Justin Herbert and the Chargers
Chargers win 27-20
September 7th
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons
A fun NFC South matchup, the Atlanta Falcons hope that Michael Penix Jr takes a huge step in year two, but this is going to be one of his first NFL starts, so the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be able to secure a relatively easy win in this one.
Buccaneers win 31-23
Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns
Are we sure the Cincinnati Bengals are going to be a legitimate football team in 2025? This team has historically started out very slow in the Zac Taylor era, and heading into Cleveland against a fierce crowd and a stingy defense could bring a common Week 1 result.
Browns win 20-16
Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts
Both Miami and Indianapolis aren't going to make the playoffs in the loaded AFC this year, so they can forget about that. The Dolphins, though, do have the better QB situation and should be able to use that to their advantage in a very solid 'away' win.
Dolphins win 23-21
Las Vegas Raiders @ New England Patriots
I am very high on the New England Patriots for the 2025 NFL Season, and frankly, they are a better football team than the Las Vegas Raiders at this point in time. New England is going to have Geno Smith running for his life, and the Raiders hollow roster just isn't designed to win these types of games.
Patriots win 23-16
Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints might be the worst team in the NFL this year, so the Arizona Cardinals should win this one, period.
Cardinals win 26-14
Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields are facing off against their old teams in this one. The Pittsburgh Steelers are simply a better team. Fields and the first-year coaching staff in New York are going to take quite a while to get off the ground, and the well-coached Steelers just know how to win games each and every season.