It may only be the second week of preseason football, but we’ve got your best NFL games to watch in Week 1 of the 2015 regular season.
For the most part, the same loaded contenders from last season have only improved but these same teams will be in tough spot to start the season.
Here are the best Week 1 NFL games for the 2015 regular season!
1. New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
(via sportsonearth.com)
If you haven’t heard, you must have been living under a rock — there’s a good chance Tom Brady will miss the start of the season. His appeal of the league’s four-game suspension, for allegedly playing a role in DeflateGate during the playoffs last year, is still ongoing. There is a chance Brady could play, but the odds are quite low.
With that said, it looks Jimmy Garoppolo will start the season as New England’s starting quarterback. Due to this, NFL oddsmakers around the world aren’t giving the Patriots the respect that a defending Super Bowl champion typically deserves. Among the first week matchups we see a few too close to call, including the Patriots vs. Steelers, with TopBet.eu giving New England a slight edge at -3.
2. Green Bay at Chicago
(via espn.com)
The Packers are still one of the NFL’s best teams and Aaron Rodgers is still one of the league’s best quarterbacks. All he needs is run support to help complete their high-flying offense game in and game out. Former Alabama running back Eddie Lacy is entering his third year and is actually slated to be one of the best in the game this season. If he can live up to his potential, so can the Packers.
As for Chicago, their team’s hopes once again will rest on the shoulders of starting quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler has been consistently inconsistent his whole career. This year will likely be his last chance to prove he can still be the man for the job. His team has improved their offense adding Eddie Royal from San Diego and Kevin White (7th overall from West Virginia) at wide receiver.
However it was just announced, White has to undergo shin surgery and may have to miss his entire first season. Among many other reasons, this is why we like Green Bay over Chicago in this game, even though they’re currently sitting at -6 with the oddsmakers.
3. Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills
(via bleacherreport.com)
The Indianapolis Colts finished the year with an AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots. The team then did nothing but improve over the offseason. They added the best wide receiver in Houston Texans history Andre Johnson to their roster, along with the best running back in San Francisco 49ers history Frank Gore.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills also improved through the summer. Their biggest acquisition came from the Philadelphia Eagles – running back LeSean McCoy. Buffalo-based women and the team weren’t too enamoured with McCoy’s offseason antics throwing a “Ladies Only” private party. None the less, once he hits the turf, we expect people’s opinions will change.
The Bills also added former New York Jets comical Head Coach Rex Ryan. While the sidelines will have a bit more flare, the on-field product may be a little rough through the air. The team still does not have a clear choice at starting quarterback. Currently veteran QB Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor are all vying for the starting role.
Solely because of the question mark at quarterback for Buffalo, we like the Colts at -3.
4. Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams
(via seattlepi.com)
Finally the Seattle Seahawks head to St. Louis to take on their NFC West division rival Rams. The Seahawks have improved their offense this year adding Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham from New Orleans. The team has also settled on a new long-term contract with starting quarterback Russel Wilson.
Another Super Bowl appearance, a huge new contract and a beautiful new girlfriend in Ciarra…not a bad start to 2015 for Wilson.
The Rams on the other hand are a different team this year. They’ve improved at quarterback and running back and will have a new look offense. The team traded Sam Bradford to Philadelphia for Nick Foles. They also added running back Todd Gurley in the first round of the NFL Draft. Gurley has been in and out of the doctor’s office this offseason, but it looks like he will be healthy for week one.
Though the Rams will be a tougher team in 2015, we like Seahawks at -3.5 to win and likely even head back for a third-straight Super Bowl appearance.
Featured image via Mike Lawrie—Getty Images
