The NFL season is finally upon us and the week 1 schedule comes out firing with a bunch of key games.
We have a bunch of games to look forward to in the first week of the season.
The Detroit Lions going on the road to take on the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs kicks off the season on Thursday, September 7.
Three rookie QBs will start in week 1. Bryce Young will be under center for the Carolina Panthers, CJ Stroud will start at QB for the Houston Texans, and Anthony Richardson will start under center for the Indianapolis Colts.
Week 1 has eight divisional matchups and many non-divisional games to look forward to.
Below, we will look at six key games to watch for week 1.
NFL Week 1: Key Games To Watch
For hardcore NFL fans, week 1 feels like every game is a key game to watch as the season finally starts.
Whether your team is in a divisional matchup or not, this is the most exciting time of the year for NFL fans.
We will list and discuss six NFL key games to watch for week 1.
Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs (-6.5) (O/U:54.5)
The first game of the season of course is a key game to watch in week 1.
Detroit has more hype entering the season than almost any team in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes is always must see and this is shaping up to be a great game.
There would be no better way for the Lions to make a statement than to defeat the defending Super Bowl Champions on their home turf.
It will be interesting to see if the Lions can live up to the hype and the first game will be telling.
Detroit fans hope the Lions can battle the Chiefs and keep the game tight, which would be a big indicator the hype around the Lions is real.
Chris Jones is Kansas City’s best defensive player but he is holding out and seems unlikely he will suit up in week 1.
Mahomes seems to always overcome the odds but missing the best defensive player will be a tall task to overcome for Mahomes until Jones returns.
Detroit’s offensive line is one of the best in the league and their job becomes much easier if Jones does indeed miss the game.
The Detroit Lions versus the Kansas City Chiefs matchup will be an exciting one as it kicks off the 2023 NFL season.
Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5) @ Cleveland Browns (O/U:48.0)
This is one of eight divisional matchups in week 1.
Two AFC North teams will battle it out.
The reason this game is so key is the AFC North is stacked with four good teams. AFC North teams need to have a winning record against divisional opponents to have a shot at winning the division.
Joe Burrow has led the Bengals to two straight AFCCGs and a Super Bowl appearance two years ago.
Burrow is not entering the season healthy. He suffered a calf injury that kept him out of practice for six weeks.
The Bengals are preparing as if Burrow will be ready to start week 1 as he recently returned to practice.
A healthy Burrow is one of the best QBs in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson is looking to return to 2020 form when he was one of the best QBs in the NFL.
Off the field trouble caused Watson to miss all of 2021 and most of the 2022 season.
Watson played six games last year for the Browns but was a shell of himself.
Cleveland is hoping Watson returns to the way he played in 2020.
This game has a lot of question marks.
Burrow’s health will be something to monitor on the Bengals side and Watson’s play will be on top of mind for all Cleveland fans.
This is a critical divisional matchup and a key game to watch in week 1.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (-1.0) (O/U:43.5)
The Green Bay Packers versus Chicago Bears is one of the most historical rivalries in NFL history.
Once again, despite it being only week 1, this matchup has a lot on the line.
On the Green Bay side, the biggest question is whether Jordan Love is the future franchise QB.
The Packers are hoping to strike lightning for a third straight time.
They went from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers and are now hoping Jordan Love will be the starting QB for years to come.
Green Bay has a good all-around team and if Love plays well, the Packers will contend for the NFC North crown.
The Bears are hoping they take a major step forward, most notably starting QB Justin Fields.
Fields has flashed signs of being a star QB but has not done so consistently and has not had the team around him to let him be successful.
Chicago brought in DJ Moore to be the team’s number-one wideout and give Fields a good WR.
They made changes to the offensive line to improve protection for Fields.
Not only is this a significant NFC North matchup but both teams want their starting QB to shine.
With this being a divisional matchup and both team’s fanbase craving for their QB to look good, this is a key matchup to watch in week 1.
Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers (-3.0) (O/U:50.5)
This is one of two key games that is not a divisional matchup but this game will have major playoff implications down the line.
The Dolphins and Chargers are both expected to be good and make the playoffs this season.
This matchup could be huge later in the season for playoff seeding and whoever wins this contest will have an edge.
It is also a great game featuring two of the top QBs in the NFL.
When Tua Tagovailoa was healthy last season, he was one of the best and most efficient QBs in the league.
However, concussions limited him to just 13 games and there was some concern it could have ended his career.
This will be the biggest worry for the Dolphins and their fanbase.
They will hold their breath each time Tua gets hit or goes down.
One more serious concussion could end his season and possibly his career.
If Tua can stay healthy and play a full season, Miami’s offense has the potential to be a top 3-5 offense in the NFL.
They have two dynamic WRs, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
The Chargers are led by star QB Justin Herbert, who has solidified himself as one of the best QBs in the league.
Herbert has weapons around him in RB Austin Ekeler and WRs Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, and rookie Quentin Johnston.
The Chargers also have a good offensive line, which Pro Football Focus ranks ninth best in the league entering the season.
This matchup features two of the top offenses in the NFL and will play a pivotal role in playoff seeding at the end of the season, which makes this a key game to watch in week 1.
Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) @ New York Giants (O/U:46.5)
Another divisional matchup is a key game to watch as two NFC East teams battle it out on Sunday Night Football.
Dallas is one of the top teams in the NFC and is hoping to make a Super Bowl push this season.
The Cowboys are hoping Dak Prescott can play all 17 games, after only playing in 12 games last year.
They are also hoping he reduces throwing interceptions, as he threw 15 interceptions in 12 games last season.
The pressure is on Dak as the Cowboys traded for QB Trey Lance to be his backup.
Cowboys fans are hopeful this move does not backfire and just motivates Dak to have his best season yet.
The New York Giants made the playoffs last year and won a playoff game in Brian Daboll’s first year as head coach.
Saquon Barkley held out of camp until he signed a new one-year deal with the Giants and he will be the focal point of the offense once again.
Dallas is hoping to see a better Dak in week 1 and the Giants are hoping to build on an impressive 2022 season and be better in 2023.
This NFC East battle is a key game to watch in week 1.
Buffalo Bills (-2.5) @ New York Jets (O/U:46.5)
The final game of week 1 on Monday Night Football is a must-watch contest.
This is a huge divisional game featuring Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills taking on Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.
Buffalo has been a Super Bowl contender the last couple of years but has not achieved what they hoped to.
They remain one of the elite teams in the NFL and Josh Allen is a top QB in the league.
Buffalo will be even better when Von Miller returns but he is going to miss at least the first four games of the season.
No team has been talked about more than the Jets in the offseason.
After acquiring future HOF QB Aaron Rodgers, no team has been discussed or hyped more than the Jets.
New York had an elite defense last year and will once again have a top defense in 2023.
Their offense, most notably QB play held the team back big time last year.
Rodgers is a significant upgrade at the position and he will improve their offense drastically.
The AFC East is stacked with three teams that are excellent and the Patriots can never be counted out.
Not only is this a critical divisional contest but it will be Rodgers’ first game with the Jets and it will be at MetLife Stadium, which makes this a key game to watch in week 1.
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