The NFL season kicks off Thursday, and FanSided has spotlighted the three games you need to watch in Week 1.
Congratulations football fans: you’ve survived the long offseason and the annoyingly meaningless preseason. Real football games begin on Thursday, when the Chicago Bears host the Green Bay Packers to kick off the NFL’s 100th season.
There’s a lot of football every week, and we’re going to help you out by suggesting the best games to watch every single week of the year. With that in mind, let’s get started with that Thursday night opener.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (TNF)
The first game of any NFL season is always going to be appointment viewing for football fans, and this year is no exception. While most years kick off with the defending Super Bowl champs raising their title banner at home, the NFL decided to showcase its oldest rivalry this season to commemorate the league’s 100th season.
The Packers and Bears are very familiar with the prime time spotlight, playing plenty of night time thrillers over the years, including the first Sunday night game of the 2018 season. That game went down in the history books after seeing Aaron Rodgers go down with what looked like a major injury in the first half only to emerge from the locker room and guide the Packers to a stunning victory.
The Bears got their revenge later in the year, beating Green Bay at home on their way to an NFC North title. While Chicago was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, Green Bay fired coach Mike McCarthy, hiring former Sean McVay assistant Matt LaFleur to try and modernize the Packers’ offense.
This will be the first meeting of the year between the NFC North rivals, and it could set the tempo for what should be a fascinating division race. Expectations are sky high in Chicago after last year’s 12-4 campaign, and a loss to the Packers could set off alarm bells in the Windy City.
Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers
The schedule is full on the first regular season Sunday of the year, but the most intriguing game will be taking place in Charlotte. The defending NFC champions, the Los Angeles Rams, hit the road for an early test against the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers did finish just 7-9 a year ago, but its important to remember that this team was 6-2 and cruising towards a division title at one point. An ill-timed injury to Cam Newton’s shoulder along with some tough close losses sent the Panthers spiraling out of the playoffs.
Newton is dealing with a foot sprain now, but he is expected to give it a go in this one, and both teams have a lot to prove here. The Rams were embarrassed in the Super Bowl, scoring just three points while Bill Belichick coached circles around McVay, while the Panthers are eager to put the stench of last year’s collapse behind them as soon as possible.
That’s a lot of stakes on a Week 1 game that doesn’t involve divisional opponents, so be sure to find a TV to check out this big NFC showdown.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (SNF)
The next game you have to check out this week is the proper Sunday Night Football opener, and it should be a doozy. The Patriots, who will be raising their banner for winning Super Bowl LIII, begin their latest title defense against a new-look Steelers squad.
The Steelers don’t have a great track record against the Patriots, but this group appears to be more united than last year’s Pittsburgh squad that failed to make the postseason. With Antonio Brown dealt to Oakland and Le’Veon Bell departing for New York in free agency, the Steelers should be free of locker room drama and focused on winning football games again.
The Patriots also have a new look as well, with Rob Gronkowski retiring and Chris Hogan leaving in free agency, but don’t overlook the loss of center David Andrews. Andrews is out for the year with a blood clot issue, forcing the Pats to trade for Russell Bodine to shore up the center position, meaning their offensive line may need time to develop chemistry.
People aren’t paying as much attention to the Steelers either, with all of the headlines going to the overhauled Browns in the AFC North. Pittsburgh could put the league on notice again by ruining the party in Foxboro on Sunday night.