5 NFL teams that must win in Week 1

1. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons had Super Bowl LI in the palm of their hands. Holding a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, they let it slip away and the rest is history. It will go down in NFL history as one of the worst blown leads we’ve ever seen.

But the 2016 season is over and a new year provides a clean slate. The Falcons must put the bad memories behind them and there’s no better way to do that then to win in Week 1. All that frustration will be able to be taken out on a struggling Chicago Bears team. The Bears aren’t expected to be in contention this season and are in play for a top five draft pick in 2018. We’ll likely see Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky on Sunday and both are going to have a tough time.

The Falcons return one of the most talented teams in the NFC and have what it takes to make it back to the Super Bowl, but their road isn’t easy. The top teams in the NFC have restocked and the NFC South is quietly one of the more competitive divisions this season.

Next: Best NFL games of Week 1: Packers, Seahawks showdown in Lambeau

If the Falcons can come out firing on all cylinders, this game should be over by halftime. Once the Bears go down, they’ll be hard-pressed to find a way to come back. With a Sunday night showdown against Packers next week, the Falcons need to make sure they are winning the easy games. A convincing win on Sunday will drown out any Super Bowl sorrows and get Falcons on the right track as they look for revenge this season.