NFL fans have been waiting months to see their teams in action again. Yet, with Week 1 of the preseason NFL schedule upon us, the wait is finally over.
With 16 games on the schedule from Thursday to Sunday, we felt it was the perfect time to dive into one bold prediction for each matchup in Week 1.
Anthony Richardson is fighting with fellow former first-round pick Daniel Jones to become the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback again. He’ll get the first crack with the starting nod against Baltimore. Who knows, if Richardson can impress by scoring two touchdowns against the Ravens, he could get an early leg up in his bid to start.
The Cincinnati Bengals had a hard time getting first-round rookie Shemar Stewart under contract. Now that he’s signed, Stewart is ready to put all that pointless drama behind him. A big performance, like getting over a sack against the Eagles would certainly put him on the right track.
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The Seattle Seahawks have overhauled their quarterback depth chart this offseason, and rookie third-round selection Jalen Milroe offers tantalizing dual-threat potential. Seahawks fans will get a long look at the hotshot rookie, and if he can rush for a touchdown, he’ll draw a lot of oohs and ahhs from the crowd.
Dan Campbell admitted that Hendon Hooker and the Detroit Lions could have played better in the Hall of Fame Game. Now is Hooker’s chance to bounce back. While the Atlanta Falcons have their own young QB prospect fans want to see, this will be Hooker’s time to shine with a two-touchdown day.
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Getting the starting nod for his official NFL preseason debut, Shedeur Sanders has a huge opportunity ahead of him. He’s been putting in the work, not only on the practice field, but also in the playbook and in the film room. While he’s sitting in fourth place on the depth chart today, passing for two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers would be an excellent start to his career.
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The New England Patriots were thrilled to add TreVeyon Henderson to a backfield that already featured Rhamondre Stevenson. With Henderson being the young rookie, he’ll get a full workload in his exhibition debut. If he can run wild against the Commanders, he just might start stealing more of Henderson’s touches early on.
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