New York Giants @ Washington Commanders
Sunday, September 7, 1:00 PM ET
All offseason, the Washington Commanders have gotten sort of the same exact treatment as we saw last year for the Houston Texans. After showing themselves to be ahead of schedule last year, everyone is expecting the Commanders to pick up right where they left off, but this is not a team without concerns right now.
Specifically in the pass rush department. The Commanders might get a bit of an easy on in Week 1 as Russell Wilson takes a lot of unnecessary sacks, but the Giants are a really improved team on paper and a lot of the key people in that organization are fighting for their NFL jobs right now.
The defensive front in New York should come through big in this game. Week 1 is where weird stuff often happens and I’m taking the Giants to upset the Commanders on the road with a month to go. We’ll see how I feel when Week 1 actually rolls around.
Prediction: Giants win 26-24
Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, September 7, 1:00 PM ET
This one’s for all the 90s kids out there. The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars are two teams looking to rebound in 2025 after rough years last year.
For the Panthers, it’s going to be figuring out a way to bounce back after having the worst defense in the league. For the Jaguars, it’s the beginning of a new era entirely.
The Panthers have a chance to take a pretty big stride forward this season if a few of their young players defensively can be hits, because Bryce Young showed big-time progression in the second half last season after being benched for Andy Dalton.
This will mark the NFL debut of Travis Hunter, who has apparently been nearly impossible to cover in training camp at receiver. The Jags are hoping Liam Coen can unlock the best of Trevor Lawrence, and this will be a great early test for both teams.
Prediction: Jaguars win 24-22