What to Watch for in NFL Week 1

That’s a wrap for the 2021 NFL preseason. Players will get a weekend to rest up before kicking off the regular season next week. 

We saw what the backups could do during the preseason, but now we’ll see exactly how well the starters have been preparing. 

There are a lot of exciting matchups in Week 1 you won’t want to miss, including Thursday night’s showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and defending Super Bowl champs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Naturally, Tampa Bay is the favorite by 7.5 points, according to (visit our Sportsbook Review). 

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills kick off the Sunday afternoon games as they host Big Ben and the Pittsburgh Steelers for an AFC matchup. Pittsburgh is the underdog as the Bills are favored by 6.5 points, per Bovada. Other notable games to look out for include  Browns vs. Chiefs (-6), Falcons (-3 ½) vs. Eagles, and 49ers (-7 ½) vs. Lions. 

Below we’ll dive deeper into some of these pivotal Week 1 matchups. 

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The Bucs Are Back 

The Bucs are back, and by that, I mean all 22 starters from last season are returning for a back-to-back Super Bowl win. 

Tom Brady admitted to playing last year with a fully torn MCL. Brady completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 4,633 yards, 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2020. He also finished with a QB rating of 102.2. He should be back to feeling 100% after offseason knee surgery, which means a healthy, even better TB12.

Their rushing attack, led by running back Ronald Jones II, is also top-notch. Through 14 games in 2020, Jones led the team with 978 yards on 192 carries and seven touchdowns. And not to mention their defensive front who helped carry them to win their final eight games is back for more. 

Meanwhile, it’s the return of Dak Prescott in Dallas. His season was cut a bit short due to a gruesome ankle injury against the Giants on Oct. 11. Prior to that, he had looked promising and finished the year completing 151 of 222 passes (68 percent) for 1,856 yards and nine touchdowns. Returning alongside him is running back Ezekiel Elliott who is among the league's leading rushers. Although, last season he failed to reach 1,000 yards for the first time since 2017. Hopefully, with Prescott back front and center things will look better for Zeke and the rest of Dallas who haven’t seen a Super Bowl win in 25 years.  

Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons looks to pass. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

Will the Falcons Look Any Better?

The Falcons lost all of their preseason games heading into their Week 1 matchup agains the Eagles. 

The good news is that most of their starters, including Matt Ryan, didn’t see the field during preseason, so there is hope for a better performance from the offense. As for the defense, they have looked a lot better from last season even with most of the starters sidelined. 

We will really see what new head coach Arthur Smith and defensive coordinator Dean Pees have to offer when the game actually counts next week. Anything is better than an 0-5 start from last season. 

In this game, all eyes will be on new Eagles receiver and Heisman winner DeVonta Smith and Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. On paper, Ryan has more weapons than Jalen Hurts and Philly but we’ll see if Atlanta can put a stop to his dual-threat abilities.

Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers prepares to pass. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP

The 49ers Are Also Back 

Similar to the Bucs, the 49ers “are back” with their 2019 Super Bowl run team. Following a disappointing 2020 season derailed by COVID-19 and injuries, several starters are set to return from their injuries including, tight end George Kittle, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, defensive ends Nick Bosa and Dee Ford. 

The 49ers’ offense should have themselves a field day against a Lions’ defense that allowed 419.8 yards a game last season, which put them dead-last in the NFL. 

However, Detroit did make some notable changes and hired Dan Campbell as head coach and traded Matthew Stafford away for quarterback Jared Goff, a former No. 1 overall draft pick. But the Niners have plenty of experience facing Goff when he was at the Rams, so their defense should know what to expect. 

These are just a few notable matchups and big changes to watch next week. 

Happy NFL betting!