The NFL Kickoff Primer

09/07/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Good Morning

No, no — a GREAT morning. It’s time. Your draft is complete. Your fantasy lineup is set. Your favorite team is preparing for Week 1. We’ve operated without the NFL for seven months, but that changes today. It’s the NFL Kickoff Primer. Here. We. Go.

Breaking: 49ers & DE Nick Bosa Agree to 5-Year, $170 Million Extension (Highest-Paid Defensive Player in NFL History)

Letter Rip!

NFL

The 2023 NFL Kickoff Primer

The 2023 NFL Season Kicks Off Tonight With Lions @ Chiefs (8:20 pm ET, NBC)

Hello again, football fans! Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re likely aware that the 2023 NFL season is just hours away. The Thursday Night Football opener will welcome back America’s most popular sport at Arrowhead Stadium where the reigning Super Bowl winners host the Detroit Lions. The Chiefs are the champs, but the Lions ended last season on a 6-2 run and nearly made the postseason. Two blue-collar coaches with high-powered offenses clash in a must-see kickoff night. It’s Big Red (Andy Reid) vs. Dan the Man (Dan Campbell). Kansas City is likely without a pair of star players (TE Travis Kelce and DL Chris Jones), so the Lions are only 5-point underdogs.

It’s Game 1 of 285. Football time… Finally.

NFL Season-Opener

Lions at Chiefs (Tonight, 8:20 pm ET, NBC)

Lions-Chiefs Week 1 Preview Trailer (Video)

Full NFL Week 1 Schedule

ESPN: Chiefs’ Holdout Chris Jones Says He’s Still Hopeful for New Deal, Could Play Opener

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Offseason Rewind: New Guys in Town

Recapping the Offseason’s Biggest Trades, Rookies & New Additions to Watch in 2023

It’s been 207 days since Super Bowl LVII, and a lot has happened since then. Here’s a refresher of some of the biggest moves, roster transactions and rookie draft picks to recap the offseason before the kickoff of Week 1.

Players in New Places

QB Aaron Rodgers → Jets

QB Derek Carr → Saints

QB Jimmy Garoppolo → Raiders

QB Baker Mayfield → Buccaneers

WR Adam Thielen → Panthers

WR Odell Beckham Jr. → Ravens

WR D.J. Moore → Bears

TE Darren Waller → Giants

RB Miles Sanders → Panthers

RB Dalvin Cook → Jets

RB Ezekiel Elliot → Patriots

DE Za’Darius Smith → Browns

DT Javon Hargrave → 49ers

CB Jalen Ramsey → Dolphins

Coaches With New Teams

Sean Payton → Broncos

Frank Reich → Panthers

DeMeco Ryans → Texans

Shane Steichen → Colts

Jonathan Gannon → Cardinals

Eric Bienemy (Assistant) → Commanders

The Draft Class (Star Rookies to Watch)

QB Bryce Young → Panthers (QB1)

QB CJ Stroud → Texans (QB1)

QB Anthony Richardson → Colts (QB1)

RB Bijan Robinson → Falcons (Starter)

RB Jahmyr Gibbs → Lions (Starter)

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba → Seahawks (Starter)

WR Zay Flowers → Ravens (Starter)

DE Tyree Wilson → Raiders (Starter)

OLB Will Anderson Jr. → Texans (Starter)

DT Jalen Carter → Eagles (Starter)

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Week 1 Power Rankings

Power Rankings & Super Bowl LVIII Odds Before Week 1 Kickoff

There are few things sportswriters enjoy more than some good ol’ fashion power rankings, and the NFL is the top dog of weekly rankings reveals. Each Wednesday (in between weeks) we’ll reload and reveal our NFL power rankings as the season progresses. They’re slightly subjective (as are all power rankings), so feel free to reply to the newsletter and let us know where you disagree. Before we kick things off, here’s how we see the field, along with odds to win SBLVIII and each team’s mathematical chances of making the postseason.

Top-10 (SBLVII Odds & Playoff %)

1. Chiefs | (+600) — 76.8%

2. Eagles | (+800) — 81.6%

3. Bengals | (+1100) — 73.1%

4. 49ers | (+1000) — 81.5%

5. Bills | (+900) — 73.8%

6. Cowboys | (+1500) — 68%

7. Jets | (+1800) — 47.2%

8. Ravens | (+1800) — 59.8%

9. Dolphins | (+2500) — 51.6%

10. Lions | (+2200) — 64.8%

Teams 11-20

11. Chargers | (+2500) — 52.4%

12. Jaguars | (+3000) — 61.6%

13. Seahawks | (+3500) — 53.7%

14. Browns | (+3500) — 44.1%

15. Vikings | (+4000) — 48.7%

16. Saints | (+4000) — 57.6%

17. Giants | (+6600) — 36.2%

18. Bears | (+6000) — 37.2%

19. Broncos | (+4500) — 32.5%

20. Patriots | (+6600) — 19.1%

Teams 21-32

21. Falcons | (+8000) — 50.5%

22. Steelers | (+6600) — 34%

23. Commanders | (+8000) — 18%

24. Titans | (+10000) — 31%

25. Packers | (+6600) — 30.2%

26. Raiders | (+8000) — 11%

27. Buccaneers | (+10000) — 15.7%

28. Panthers | (+8000) — 30.2%

29. Rams | (+8000) — 19.4%

30. Colts | (+15000) — 17.1%

31. Texans | (+20000) — 15%

32. Cardinals | (+40000) — 4.4%

*SBLVII Odds from BetMGM. Playoff % from ESPN Analytics.

More NFL Power Rankings

NBC: PFT’s Week 1 NFL Power Rankings

NFL: Power Rankings Week 1: Steelers Rising, Jets, Patriots Falling

B/R: 2023 B/R Staff Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand in Week 1?

CBS Sports: 2023 NFL QB Power Rankings: Assessing Every Team’s Starting QB

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NFL STORYLINES

2023 Offseason Superlatives

Before we dive into the legit action, let’s take a final look at the twists and turns of a memorable offseason with superlatives that could impact 2023. (Bleacher Report)

Predicting All 32 Team Records

Is your favorite team going to make it to Super Bowl LVIII? Let’s predict the final records and playoff potential for all 32 NFL teams. (CBS Sports)

How Every Team Can Win Super Bowl 58

At the end of a long summer, when we’ve all spent months thinking about who will win Super Bowl LVIII, let’s look at the road to SBLVIII for all 32 teams. (ESPN+)

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HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. Open (Quarterfinals)

M: #1 C. Alcaraz def. #12 A. Zverev (6-3, 6-2, 6-4)

M: #3 D. Medvedev def. #8 A. Rublev (6-4, 6-3, 6-4)

W: #2 A. Sabalenka def. #23 Q. Zheng (6-1, 6-4)

W: #17 M. Keys def. #9 M. Vondrousova (6-1, 6-4)

MLB

Marlins Top Dodgers (11-4) for 6th Straight Win

Guardians Clip Twins (2-1) to Keep Pace in AL Central

Astros Sweep Rangers With Another Offensive Outburst (12-3)

Cubs Dismantle Giants (8-2) for 4th Straight