NFL Season is upon us. The time of year when fans of all ages and dedication convince themselves that this season will be different and you won’t be tuning out by week 7. Unless you’re the Cardinals and you’re already scouting college players.
Each week I, DJ Rat, music journalist and casual football fan will predict the winner and loser of every NFL game.
Yes, I will be keeping track of my record, and yes you should trust me with this and bet the house.
5 Must See Matchups.
Bills-Jets
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!
The new look Jets are set to take off at Metlife with Aaron Rodgers behind center for his first time in green and white, instead of green and yellow. They’re also set to face off against AFC East juggernaut Buffalo Bills.
In five of the last six seasons under head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills have made the playoffs with varying success.
This year many in the NFL sphere are stepping back from the unwavering faith that we’ve all had in them for half a decade because of an aging defense and an offense that outside of superstar Josh Allen, is kind of mid. Also, do we know what’s going on with Diggs?
Where there’s smoke there's fire?
The Jets offense is attempting to beat the pitiful highs of last season where they fell 29th in points per game and 25th in yards/game. Thankfully they don’t have Zach Wilson as their starting QB.
Their defense is still as elite as ever with all pros Quinnen Williams and Ahmad Sauce Gardner.
Can the Bills hold onto their AFC supremacy early on?
Cowboys-Giants
It’s always fun when two playoff teams fight off week one. For the Cowboys Giants, this long-standing rivalry is back on and both teams have aspirations of first place but more realistically second.
The Cowboys had an embarrassing loss to a remarkable season. The Cowboys offense finished third in points, tenth in yards, and eighth in rushing yards. Safe to say this is a top offense that suffered significant losses this offseason. Less significant is the release of Ezekiel Elliot, the long-tenured Cowboy RB.
Ezekiel Elliot had a career-low in just about everything. For the first time in his career Elliot failed to reach 900 yards. He finished 4.0 yards per attempt for the first time, and finished with his lowest rushing attempts yet. This is because of the emergence of Tony Pollard who has solidified himself as RB one.
Although the running game is a major identity for the Cowboys, the biggest change for this offense is Kellen Moore’s departure, former offensive coordinator, now OF for the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, the offensive mind behind the Cowboys is Mike McCarthy.
Dak Prescott, the long time Cowboys QB finished first in interceptions last year playing fewer games than almost any other starting QB due to injury. A stat that sounds like the making of an awful QB, but Dak’s actually pretty good. Kinda. But now the offense really runs through him and in order to keep this offense in the top ten Dak needs to cut that out.
Also, did anyone see the study that sacks are actually worse for an offense than an interception?
Also crazy, the Giants are good again. Yes the Giants were in the playoffs last year to the surprise of surprise. Now everyone looking around like, okay is this sustainable?
With the Giants defensive line, Maybe!
The NFL has so many star DT and DL men that picking the best is difficult, but Dexter Lawrence is in that conversation. He was ranked fifth in solo tackles with 45, tied for seventh in sacks with nine, and tied first in forced fumbles with two.
New TE addition Darren Waller looks like a star in training camp. Maybe he can help that passing game which has very very little big play ability last year.
Packers-Bears
Packers Bears might be a mid off. A must-see matchup in week one between two teams that will be outside of the playoff hunt by week 13.
But how could you not want to see if Fields can actually take the leap Bears fans want him to? Also, can Jordan Love play?
So far Justin Fields has had little success against the Packers with a passer rating of 70.7 with 722 yards, 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 4 games against the Packers in his career.
With very little game tape and footage of Love it’s hard to comment on if he’s going to be good or not. With a green light, Love is the starter.
Lions- Chiefs
We got a good old-fashioned offensive showdown.
The Lions offense was deadly last year. Points per game top five, yards per game, top four tds per game, top five. This team is an easy SB contender if you don't look at the defense.
Of course, the Mahomes- Kelce- Reid offense is amazing. As a sports fan, you kind of get tired of writing about how good the Chiefs offense is. Similar to those fun facts about how vast space is and how big numbers are hard to comprehend. They are beatable though but it’s usually due to an insane defense which is just not the Lions.
Still, Goff went toe to toe with Mahomes once upon a time in an offensive showdown and won. It could happen again!
Dolphins-Chargers
Tua vs Herbert round two.This is the agenda bowl.
The 2020 fifth round pick, Tua Tagovailoa goes up against the 2020 sixth round pick, Justin Herbert.
Tua Tagovailoa has played 3 seasons for the Dolphins. He has thrown for 8,015 yards and 52 touchdowns. Pretty astounding also considering half of those came last year when his success as a passer got the Dolphins in arm's reach of a playoff appearance.
in 2 games played vs the Chargers Tua completed 47% of his passes for 314 yards and 3 TDs.
His last game against the Chargers ended in a loss to ROY winner Justin Herbert.
Justin Herbert has played 3 seasons for the Chargers. He has thrown for 14,089 yards and 94 touchdowns nearly double that of the pick above him.
Last year Herbert put up 25 TDs and 4,739 yards in a season very similar to Tua only ending one week later in a loss to the Jaguars in the wild card.
Last year the Chargers defense found an answer to Tua and his explosive weapons Hill and Waddle. Can Tua answer back?
My LOCK of the Week
Jaguars-Colts
This one won’t be close. The Jaguars are coached by a Superbowl winning coach, Colts have a rookie coach.
The Jaguars have one of the most talented QB’s in a SUPER talented QB conference, the Colts have project Anthony Richardson playing his first game (who I think will be good! Just not in this game)
The Colts have ___ as their starting running back. I’m not googling it they have no run game. Pay Taylor?
The Colts have a bad cornerback room that is supposed to compete against a revived WR room with Ridley and a surprisingly good Kirk!
Should be an exciting matchup for the first three series.
Also, this is probably how the division is gonna go all year. Bet the house or the station.
My RAT TRAP game of the Week.
Unstoppable force vs immovable object.
Of course I’m talking about a Brock Purdy-led offense vs the preseason champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Half joking of course this is my RAT TRAP GAME OF THE WEEK (™?)
A trap game for those of you who don’t know is a game where there is a clear favorite but because of a supposed superiority, Goliath could fall to David.
It feels a bit unfair to label perineal winner Tomlin-led Steelers as David but there are a couple of obvious reasons. One being Kenny Pickett who had a pretty pedestrian rookie season.
Kenny Pickett threw seven touchdowns to nine interceptions, completing 63% of his passes for 2,404 yards. But he does look good! And he was a rookie! Honestly there's not a lot of hype around Pickett but maybe that’s a good thing. Three of those nine INTs came in his first game, he did lock up towards the end of the season and he is surrounded by an above average supporting cast not just on offense.
The problem is his opponent is the 49ers. The 49ers have the most complete roster in the NFL. The most stars on defense. Top ten WR room, top five RB, an amazing offensive line masterminded by Kyle Shanahan.
Now how could this team of SCRUBS beat the almighty 49ers. Well Is Bosa going to play? Is Brock Purdy actually good? Last year the 2022 NFL season saw the 13-4 49ers lose to the last place 3-14 Bears. Anything COULD happen. Will it probably not but like maybe? Idk I think it could be a trap game.
I’m not taking the cheese though.
All Predictions
Lions- Chiefs
Browns-Bengals
Texans- Ravens
Buccaneers- Vikings
Panthers-Falcons
Cardinals-Commanders
Jaguars-Colts
49ers-Steelers
Titans-Saints
Raiders-Broncos
Eagles-Patriots
Rams-Seahawks
Dolphins-Chargers
Packers-Bears
Cowboys-Giants
Bills-Jets