The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are among the NFL teams that should be on upset alert in Week 1 of the season.
Every NFL fan is eagerly anticipating the start of the season with Week 1 action. Getting a win to start the campaign is a big confidence boost and could be the springboard to a postseason run but the chalk won’t always hold in the league where they play for pay.
Throughout the course of the season, we will use this space to take a look at three teams that are in jeopardy of getting upset in a given week. All lines referenced in this story each week will come from the DraftKings Sportsbook. Let’s get started with a look at a potential NFC favorite that should be on upset alert in Week 1.
Teams that should be on upset alert in Week 1
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The offseason has been an interesting one for the Buccaneers, who have seen a lot of turnover on offense with Rob Gronkowski opting not to return and some major reshuffling on the interior of the offensive line. Tom Brady also retired, returned, and left training camp for a few weeks for reasons that may or not be a cover for an appearance on The Masked Singer.
Tampa Bay hits the road in Week 1 for a rematch of last season’s thrilling opener against the Dallas Cowboys as 1.5-point favorites. While there is no doubt that the Buccaneers are the better team, all of the turnover and the unusual nature of their camp could leave them vulnerable to an upset on the road.
This game is also an important one for the Cowboys, who are trying to establish themselves as a threat in the NFC despite some significant personnel changes over the winter. Dallas’ strong defense could be the difference here and send the GOAT off to an 0-1 start if the Buccaneers aren’t careful.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were another perennial powerhouse that underwent some significant changes in the offseason. The biggest move was the trade of Tyreek Hill to Miami, creating a unicorn-sized hole in the Kansas City offense that will take time to fill.
Veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Juju Smith-Schuster were imported to help fill some of Hill’s roles while rookie Skyy Moore should also rotate into the offense. Andy Reid is an offensive wizard that does have a superstar quarterback in Patrick Mahomes so the long-term shouldn’t be an issue in Kansas City, but a big change like that may take some adjustments during the season.
The Chiefs are on the road in Week 1 with a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, who made the playoffs last year and are eager to rebound after a disappointing second-half slump. Oddsmakers have set the Chiefs as 4.5-point favorites but the Cardinals are more than capable of scoring enough points to keep pace with Kansas City.
If the offense flows smoothly right away this is a game that the Chiefs should find a way to win. That element of uncertainty, however, does open the door for an upset if Kansas City is out of sync from the jump.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
The teams that should be on upset alert most often in Week 1 are young teams that receive a ton of hype without really proving it on the field. The Eagles fit this description to a T after putting together a solid offseason to build on a 9-8 record that resulted in a 2021 playoff appearance.
Acquiring A.J. Brown on draft day to give Jalen Hurts a No. 1 receiver drew a ton of headlines but Philadelphia also added some key pieces on defense like cornerback James Bradberry. The fact that the Cowboys were forced to shed some talent and lost left tackle Tyron Smith to a potential season-ending injury in camp now has some experts projecting the Eagles as a legitimate NFC East title contender.
Week 1 sees Philadelphia hit the road as 4-point favorites against the Detroit Lions, who are coming off a three-win campaign that saw them earn the second pick in the NFL Draft. Dan Campbell’s team did finish the year as a much tougher out, however, playing a ton of close games as Detroit embodied the gritty personality of its coaching staff.
That kind of team is a dangerous matchup for the Eagles, who could get caught looking ahead to their home opener against the Vikings and underestimate the Lions. Forgetting to take Detroit seriously could lead to a tough loss that would raise some questions about Philadelphia’s upside going forward.