**Rodgers reunion.** What kind of reception will Aaron Rodgers receive when he returns with Pittsburgh to the site of his storied, success-drenched two-year stint with the New York Jets? Wait… actually, yeah, that was rough. Maybe he’ll have Zach Wilson-esque amnesia. The Steelers piled on a bunch of big-name, veteran additions this offseason, led by the 41-year-old quarterback. Will they actually be good?
**Miami seat Heat?** Speaking of the former Broncos QB — not the former almost-Broncos-QB — Wilson’s the No. 2 for Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins now. McDaniels is a wunderkind coach who somewhat suddenly needs his team to actually win some games. One bad season doesn’t spell doom — Miami did win 11 games in 2023 before going 8-9 last year – but 1.5 might make things awfully uncomfortable. Starting on the road against Indy is a chance for a good start.
**Orange state.** Ohio housed a considerable percentage of the NFL’s offseason headscratchers. Cincinnati enraged its first-round draft pick and its only true defensive standout and still fared better than Cleveland’s decision to select quarterbacks in the third AND fifth rounds of the draft. At least the Browns came to their senses and paid their all-everything pass-rusher, Myles Garrett. Fittingly, these teams open the season against each other.
Around the NFC
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**Parsons and the Pack.** There just aren’t many trades in the NFL as seismic as Dallas dealing Micah Parsons to Green Bay on the eve of the regular season. Much of the conversation’s been about Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, but the Packers vault to the top of the conversation in the NFC. That’s assuming Parsons’ back is good to go. Green Bay could use him right out of the gate against Detroit at Lambeau Field. Parsons on one defense and Aidan Hutchinson on the other. Have fun, offensive lines.
**Wide-open West.** The NFC West might be the most wide-open division in football — or, the most wide-open actually good division (sorry, NFC South). The Rams are deep, and Arizona’s a young team with fun weapons in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride. San Francisco and Seattle also have real division title hopes, too, and they face off Week 1 in Seattle. Would you rather pay Brock Purdy $53 million a year or Sam Darnold $33 million a year? Wait, don’t answer that.
**Spittin’ mad.** Eagles DT Jalen Carter got tossed from the first game of the year without playing a snap. How? Well, by spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that’s the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season. They got away with it — after a lightning delay, just for kicks — against the Cowboys in a 24-20 win.
Game of the Week
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#### Baltimore at Buffalo
It would be easy to peg this as an AFC title game preview if not for that pesky Patrick Mahomes, who’s played in that game every year as a starter. Still, two prime AFC contenders with future Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have both been stymied by the Chiefs makes for real good television out of the gate. By DVOA, the 2020-24 Ravens and Bills have put together the two best five-year runs without a Super Bowl title in NFL history. How did this entry about a terrific game become so thoroughly about Mahomes? Welcome to the loaded-but-frustrated AFC.
**Ravens 31, Bills 30**
Lock of the Week
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#### New York Giants at Washington
In 2023, the Giants won six games and the Commanders won four. Then Washington got new ownership, hired GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, drafted Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 draft, and became one of the best teams in football. The Giants, meanwhile, stuck with GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll, drafted receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6 overall instead of any of the three remaining first-round QBs, won three games, stuck with Schoen and Daboll again, and now enter 2025 with Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback. Slightly different trajectories from the division rivals.
**Commanders 34, Giants 13**
Upset of the Week
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#### Houston at Los Angeles Rams
The Rams and head coach Sean McVay have one of the deepest rosters in football. They’ll be widely picked as a contender in the NFC. Matthew Stafford is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Things are good in Kroenke land. Except Stafford missed a big chunk of camp with a back injury. That, plus a terrific Texans defensive front led by Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., make this one a tough start for the Rams, who are 3.5-point favorites.
**Texans 24, Rams 23**
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