2024 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 1

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Miami Dolphins

Sunday, September 8, 1:00 PM ET

Get your popcorn ready, because this matchup between the Dolphins and Jaguars could end up being one of the highest-scoring games of the Week 1 slate.

We all know the Miami Dolphins and their newly extended head coach Mike McDaniel bring the fireworks almost every week. The Dolphins have an electric offense and they are fully healthy going into the season with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leading the charge at receiver along with Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, and rookie preseason stud Jaylen Wright being added to the mix.

Just what the Dolphins needed, right? Another playmaker.

The Jacksonville Jaguars did some upgrading in the playmaker department on their own this offseason, adding Brian Thomas Jr. in the 1st round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU. Throughout the preseason, Thomas was as-advertised and looks like he’s poised to have a big year with Trevor Lawrence slinging him the rock. The Jaguars also went out and added Gabe Davis who left the Buffalo Bills in free agency.

The biggest question for Jacksonville in this game will be: Are the changes and additions made to the defense going to be enough for 2024?

It may be an extremely unfair game to determine the answer to that question. The Jaguars hired Ryan Nielsen to be their new defensive coordinator and brought in the likes of Arik Armstead, Darnell Savage, and Ronald Darby to upgrade personnel on that side of the ball. The Jags are hoping that those guys can be the missing pieces of a defensive unit that helped lead to this team’s demise after starting 8-3 in 2023.

But again, the Dolphins are not a fair barometer to start the season. They are a well-oiled machine offensively, so if the Jaguars come out and put on the clamps, that defense might be championship-caliber.

Prediction: Dolphins win 28-23