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.
Steelers win 30-17
New York Giants @ Washington Commanders
Could the New York Giants score an upset in Week 1? If nothing else, their defensive line is going to feast all year and get to the QB at a high level, and with Washington not having the best offensive line, there is a path for the G-Men to win if it's a low-scoring affair.
Giants win 17-16
Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Maybe the most boring game of Week 1, the Carolina Panthers are in Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars, who now have Liam Coen as their head coach. While I do believe the Jags might have the right guy in Coen, the Panthers are a bit ahead with their coaching staff and have a better overall roster, so I believe Carolina gets it done.
Panthers win 23-17
Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos
Maybe the most lopsided game of the week, the Denver Broncos host Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans, and while some wise guys out there could be predicting a Titans' upset, which I truthfully could see, this Broncos' team is the best we've seen since their Super Bowl title in 2015. Denver takes care of business in a blowout.
Broncos win 28-10
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
A fun NFC West division battle could definitely bring some fireworks. Robert Saleh is back in San Francisco as the team's defensive coordinator, and his aggressive, attacking defense is going to be too much for Sam Darnold and the Seahawks' offensive line.
49ers win 24-20
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
In a heavyweight NFC North showdown, the Detroit Lions have a huge test in front of them, and it feels like they are already trending toward a bit of a regression in the 2025 NFL Season. With Green Bay getting this game at home and them having an active defense capable of slowing down the Lions, the Packers could squeeze this one out late in the fourth quarter.
Packers win 28-24
Houston Texans @ Los Angeles Rams
Could this be a fun, frisky Super Bowl matchup in 2025? Perhaps. Both Houston and LA have pieces of being a contender and both have what it takes to make an insanely deep run this season. I do trust the Rams' coaching staff a bit more, and them being at home is also a factor here. LA wins by a touchdowns.
Rams win 30-23
Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills
Perhaps a preview of the AFC Championship Game in 2025, this contest could go either way, as both Buffalo and Baltimore are as close as you can get between two opponents. Since Buffalo's secondary is a bit weak and might be the weakest position group between these two teams, I would actually push toward the Ravens because of that.
Ravens win 27-25
September 8th
Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
Week 1 finishes up with the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago to play the Bears, and this is going to be the first regular season start for JJ McCarthy, Minnesota's de-facto rookie quarterback. If you ask me, the Bears' defense is going to feast and come out with a win. Sure, Chicago might be viewed as the more dysfunctional and weaker team, but this game being at home is going to be what seals the deal.