NFL 2023 Week 1 Predictions For All 16 Games

The 2023 NFL season finally kicks off Thursday night. Plenty of interesting matchups on the schedule with nine of sixteen games being division matchups. Who’s walking out a week 1 winner?

Division games = bold

Winning pick = bold +italic

Lions at Chiefs:

Chiefs will be without Travis Kelce this one so the Lions better throw everything they have at them to start their season hot. If they can walk out of KC with a victory it’ll send the rest of the NFL a message. Yet, although they can upset plenty of teams in 2023, the Lions eventually fall to the Chiefs experience. Andy Reid is the wildcard and knows how to manufacture wins. Winner: Chiefs.

Panthers at Falcons

The battle of two young quarterbacks. This game may not be pretty but it should be exciting. Desmond Ridder will be in his second year for the Falcons first as a starter while Rookie Bryce Young steps under center for the Panthers. This is a coin-flip matchup but in the end, Atlanta walks out with a W. Winner: Falcons.

Bengals at Browns

Deshaun Watson is looking to prove that 2022 was a fluke. Joe Burrow tries to prove the Bengals weren’t. Cincinnati has far too much firepower to slow down and Cleveland might not have picked enough up. This one should be a 10-point win. Winner: Bengals

Jaguars at Colts

Colts won’t have Jonathan Taylor to carry their offense. Jags have been on the rise for a couple of seasons. This one might have some fireworks but ultimately Jacksonville walks out victorious. Winner: Jaguars.

Buccaneers at Vikings

Tampa Bay is in a transitional phase after getting their Super Bowl with Tom Brady. The Vikings have been just shy of competitors for a couple of years. The real question is who makes the least mistakes, Baker Mayfield or Kirk Cousins? Winner: Buccaneers

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Titans at Saints

Ryan Tannehill has always kept his head down in the NFL and just worked. Derek Carr finally ended up with a new team. Talent-wise, the two veterans are on about the same level. The tie-breaker when choosing which QB is in a better spot to win is their supporting cast and it’ll still be hard to cover Derek Henry. Winner: Titans.

49ers at Steelers

Another matchup of two young QBs, Brock Purdy vs. Kenny Pickett. Coaching experience is the edge in this one. Mike Tomlin has proven that winning might be everything as he continues to rack up winning seasons. Winner: Steelers.

Cardinals at Commanders

Both the Cardinals and Commanders seem to forever be in a state of rebuilding. Luckily for the Commanders the Cardinals are “secretly” tanking. Commanders should easily win this game. Winner: Commanders.

Texans at Ravens

This one might be the most lopsided of the week. Baltimore picked up a lot of weapons in the offseason and was already a tough team to beat. Winner: Ravens.

Packers at Bears

It seems like forever since the last time we saw a Packers team not led by Aaron Rodgers. Will Jordan Love prove he was worth the risk? Can Justin Fields prove he’s more than just a running quarterback? Winner: Packers.

Raiders at Broncos

Russell Wilson might need this win more than any other QB in the NFL this week. Not only is he facing a division rival, but he needs to bounce back from his 2022 awful campaign. Jimmy Garrapolo needs to prove he’s worth investing in and not just a journeyman QB. Sean Payton will have the Broncos better off than last year. Winner: Broncos.

Eagles at Patriots

The Eagles set out to prove that Jalen Hurts wasn’t a system QB last year and it didn’t matter if he was. They made the Super Bowl and won another within a 5-year span. New England hasn’t looked the same since Tom Brady left. Winner: Eagles.

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Dolphins at Chargers

A healthy Tua Tagovailoa is dangerous and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio needs to get the Dolphins back to dominating on defense. The Chargers however always seem to have the Miami Dolphins number. Winner: Chargers.

Rams at Seahawks

Did Pete Carrol unlock the next tier of Geno Smith? Can the Rams finally figure out their struggles? This is another coin-flip matchup. Winner: Seahawks.

Cowboys at Giants

Brian Daboll had Daniel Jones looking a little Josh Allen-like last year. Maybe not stat-wise but play style for sure. The result? Less mistakes. On the other hand, Dallas took a flyer on Trey Lance to try and lean on Dak Prescott a bit more.

Bills at Jets

Aaron Rodgers with his first challenge of the season in the division rival Buffalo Bills. Buffalo needs to walk away with a win to prove the division is still theirs. Winner: Bills.