The NFL regular season has finally arrived, and it couldn’t get here any sooner. The Philadelphia Eagles are the defending Super Bowl champions after blowing out the Chiefs. The Eagles and Chiefs opened the season with Primetime games on Thursday and Friday Night. The Eagles host the Cowboys on Thursday, while the Chiefs and Chargers play in Brazil on Friday. The Monday Night game will be a battle between NFC North foes, the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. My season ended last year with a 69.7% winning percentage. Let’s see how things will go this year. Check out Trav’s NFL Week 1 Predictions for the 2025 season.
We kick things off with one of the best rivalries in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles will host the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener. The Eagles are my top team in the NFC heading into this season after their Super Bowl win. Philadelphia still has its core of players on both sides of the ball. The Eagles did lose half of their defense in free agency and Brandon Graham’s retirement. Can the Eagles begin the season with a win on banner night? Dallas is out to prove that it belongs in the conversation with Washington and Philadelphia. Dak Prescott returns from injury, and he has a new weapon in George Pickens. The defense will suffer due to the losses of Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. The shaky secondary of the Eagles will be their downfall this season, but they pull out the win in the opener. Philadelphia Win 24-21
The Friday Night game will see the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil. Kansas City had an amazing season, finishing the regular season with a 15-2 record. The Chiefs will be hungry from losing their attempt to be the first team to 3-peat. Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes are bringing a different attitude this season. They have run the AFC West for years and are predicted to do so this season. Los Angeles is a threat to their AFC West supremacy, and this game begins. Justin Herbert finished last season with his fewest turnovers in his career. The rushing game of the Chargers will be the key in this one. They added Najee Harris and his physical style of running, along with Mekhi Becton on the line. In a close one, I’m picking the Chiefs to win this one. Kansas City Win 24-20
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers make that trip up north to Atlanta to battle the Falcons in the season opener. The Bucs and Falcons have been finishing atop the NFC South in the last couple of seasons. Tampa Bay edged out Atlanta for the last two years to win the division, and I’m picking them to do so this year. Tampa Bay beefed up both sides of the ball with the intention of challenging in the NFC. Can they begin the season with a win on the road? Atlanta has officially turned over the quarterback reins to Michael Penix Jr. The offense will be alright, which means the Falcons concentrated on the defense in the offseason. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. will have a chance to change the trajectory of the franchise. They will eventually, but I’m going with the Bucs to win this close one on the road. Tampa Bay Win 26-24
We have the battle of Ohio as the Cincinnati Bengals head to Cleveland to face the Browns. The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to begin the season better than in previous ones. The Bengals are known for starting the season slowly and finishing it on a high note. Cincinnati will have one of the best offenses in the league if the offensive line can keep Joe Burrow upright. The defense will be the issue even though they resigned Trey Hendrickson. Cleveland will turn to Joe Flacco to start their season as the starting quarterback. This was the right choice, but the Browns offensive line will need to keep him upright. The defense is still led by one of the best defensive players in the league in Myles Garrett. The Browns defense still has some great players on it, but can they contain the Bengals offense? The Bengals should win. Cincinnati Win 31-20
The Miami Dolphins will head up north to Indianapolis to face the Colts. The Miami Dolphins are looking to rebound from their disappointing season a year ago. Tua is looking to rebound and have a healthy season. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are one of the best WR duos in the league. The defense had a lot of injuries a season ago and hopes to turn things around. Can the Dolphins begin the season with a win on the road? Indianapolis turns the reins over to Daniel Jones after being named the starter over Anthony Richardson. If Jonathan Taylor can remain healthy all season, this Colts team could surprise some teams. The defense will have its hands full with the speedy offense of the Dolphins. It’s all about Daniel Jones and how he’ll handle the offense. In the end, the Dolphins will leave with the win. Miami Win 27-20
Las Vegas begins its season on the road in New England against the Patriots. The new-look Raiders will have Geno Smith at quarterback this season. Las Vegas drafted Ashton Jeanty to be their new running back, and they still have Brock Bowers. The defense still has Maxx Crosby chasing down opposing quarterbacks, and when healthy, he’s one of the best. Can the Raiders begin the Pete Carroll regime with a win on the road? New England is beginning the season with a new regime, also. Mike Vrabel takes over as the new coach in New England. The Patriots brought in Stephon Diggs to be their new No. 1 receiver. The defense will be much more physical this season after bringing in Milton Williams. This is a tough one, but I’m going with the Patriots to win this one. New England Win 24-20
The Arizona Cardinals will head east to New Orleans to battle the Saints. Arizona begins its season in New Orleans in what is a critical year for Kyler Murray. It feels like Murray and this Cardinals team is at a crossroads. They have continued to build this team around him and added pieces on the defense. Marvin Harrison Jr. is entering his second season and is expected to play a bigger part on the offense along with Trey McBride. The defense added Josh Sweat in the offseason to help rush the passer. New Orleans lost a leader on both sides of the ball. Derek Carr had to retire due to lingering shoulder issues. Tyrann Mathieu retired during training camp after 12 seasons. Spencer Rattler is the new quarterback, and I’m not sure how this will play out. I’m picking the Cardinals to win on the road. Arizona Win 27-17
The Pittsburgh Steelers will head to New York to battle the Jets in the opener. Aaron Rodgers will begin the season with his new team facing his former team. Aaron Rodgers is hoping to bring leadership and a return to his old self for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has a new No. 1 receiver in DK Metcalf after trading for him. The defense got a chance to be one of the best in the league. They signed Darius Slay and traded for Jalen Ramsey to be their new corners. The Jets will have Justin Fields as their new starting quarterback. Fields will add a different dynamic and will help the running game. The defense should be better with Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. The Steelers will want to win this for Rodgers, and I’m picking them to do so. Pittsburgh Win 24-21
We have an NFC East battle as the New York Giants head to Washington to face the Commanders. New York revamped their team to get out of the bottom of the division. Russell Wilson was brought in to be the new starting quarterback. The defense of the Giants will be much improved after drafting Abdul Carter. New York will have to get after Jayden Daniels for them to have a chance in this one. Washington made a surprising run to the NFC Championship game a year ago. Daniels had arguably the best rookie season from a quarterback ever. The trade for Deebo Samuel will give this offense a new dynamic. Washington will continue to ascend and be a Super Bowl contender this season. The Commanders are the real deal and should leave their home opener with a win over a division opponent. Washington Win 31-21
The Carolina Panthers will head down to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars. These two teams came into the league together and they’re celebrating their 30th anniversary. Carolina and Bryce Young are hoping to continue to build after finishing the season strong. The offense should be better after adding protection for Young. The defense will welcome Derrick Brown back on the defensive line. Can the Panthers open the season with a big win in Jacksonville? The Jaguars are hoping that Trevor Lawrence becomes the quarterback they’d hope he would be after being a top pick. Liam Coen is the new head coach, and they’re hoping he can turn Lawrence into a top QB. The defense is looking to rebound from a bad season, also. I’m picking the Jaguars to win this game in a close one. Jacksonville Win 27-24
The Tennessee Titans will head to the Mile High City to face the Denver Broncos. The Titans had an awful season that resulted in them having the top draft pick. Cam Ward is the new quarterback after being selected with the No. 1 pick. The Titans are still a work in progress on both sides of the ball. Tennessee added help on the offensive line to help Cam Ward. The Titans will have a tough time against one of the top defenses in the league. Many people are looking at Denver to make a huge jump and contend in the AFC. They are one of my top 5 AFC teams heading into the 2025 season. Bo Nix had an amazing rookie season, and his second year is promising. The Broncos should walk away with the win over the Titans. Denver Win 31-17
We have an NFC West matchup as the San Francisco heads north to Seattle to battle the Seahawks. The 49ers are a couple of years removed from the Super Bowl. San Francisco had a disappointing season last year. They dealt with a lot of injuries on both sides of the ball a season ago. Brock Purdy is looking to prove that he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The defense is still led by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner and that’s enough. Seattle revamped their whole team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Sam Darnold signed a three-year deal to become the new starting quarterback for Seattle. The defense added help on their defensive line to go with their amazing secondary. In a tough game, the 49ers will escape Seattle with the win. San Francisco Win 24-21
The Detroit Lions will head to Green Bay to face the Packers in a battle of the two best teams in the NFC North. Detroit had a magical season a year ago, but injuries caught up with them. The defense basically ran out of people to put on the field by the end of the season. The offense is still one of the best in the league. How will this offense look without having Ben Johnson calling plays this season? Green Bay is looking to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season. The Packers drafted Matthew Golden to add to their receiving core. The big move on the defense was the addition of Micah Parsons. How will Parsons and his bad back hold up against this tough Lions offensive line? The Packers will find a way to win this one. Green Bay Win 31-28
The Houston Texans head west to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. Both teams are expected to make noise in their respective conferences. C.J. Stroud is entering his third season as the Texans quarterback. Stroud had a great rookie season, but last year was one he’d like to forget. Nico Collins was having a record season before going down with an injury. The defense is still one of the better ones in the league. Can the Texans pull off the upset in Los Angeles? Los Angeles is one of the Super Bowl favorites in the NFC. The addition of Davante Adams moves this team to a championship. The back issues of Matthew Stafford will be one to watch all season. The defense is as physical as it comes in the league. The Rams should win this one tough at home against Houston. Los Angeles Win 31-27
The Sunday Night game will see the last two league MVPs in Lamar Jackson and the Buffalo Bills. The Baltimore Ravens head to Buffalo to take on the Bills. The Ravens fell to this Bills team in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season. These are two of my top three AFC teams heading into the new season. It feels like this is the season where Baltimore will put everything together and make a Super Bowl run. Can this defense slow down Josh Allen and the Bills offense? Last season, Josh Allen eliminated his turnovers, and it garnered him the league MVP. The Bills defense will have a tough time trying to stop Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. This could be a preview of the AFC Championship game in January. I’m picking the Ravens to find a way and beat the Bills. Baltimore Win 26-24
The Monday Night Game will see the Minnesota Vikings head to Chicago to battle the Bears. The Vikings will have a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy was a top 10 pick last season for the Vikings but was injured and missed the entire year. Minnesota still has Justin Jefferson, and they brought back Adam Thielen after the Jordan Addison suspension. The Minnesota defense is still one of the best in the NFC. Can they begin the season with a division win on the road? The Ben Johnson Era begins in Chicago. Caleb Williams enters his second season as the starting quarterback for the Bears. They added Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland to an already impressive offense. The defensive side added Grady Jarrett to beef up their defensive line. I’m picking the Bears in a tightly contested game to win. Chicago Win 26-24
What do you think about my NFL Week 1 picks for the 2025 season? What games would you pick differently? Below, you can check out my playoff matchups based on my picks. Leave some feedback below about anything related to my NFL Week 1 picks for the 2025 season.
