NFL Week 1 Preview: Raiders QB Dilemma, New Coaches Debut, and Exciting Matchups
The Las Vegas Raiders are gearing up for the start of the regular season, with uncertainty surrounding who will be their starting quarterback in Week 1. The Raiders are set to face the Miami Dolphins in their season opener on Sunday, September 13 at 4:25 p.m. ET, with the game airing on Fox. The potential debut of the Raiders' first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, hinges on him getting the starting nod over Kirk Cousins. On the other side, the Dolphins are expected to showcase their offseason addition, Malik Willis, in this matchup. Both teams will also have new head coaches making their debut appearances, with Klint Kubiak leading the Raiders and Jeff Hafley at the helm for the Dolphins.
In addition to the Raiders-Dolphins game, Sunday's late afternoon window will feature two divisional matchups. The Green Bay Packers will visit the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC North showdown airing on CBS, while the Washington Commanders will face the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC East clash broadcast by Fox. Another late game will see the Arizona Cardinals taking on the Los Angeles Chargers on CBS, with potential quarterback options including Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, or rookie Carson Beck for the Cardinals.
The early slate of 1 p.m. ET games on Sunday will include the Buffalo Bills facing the Houston Texans, the Cleveland Browns going up against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Indianapolis Colts hosting the Baltimore Ravens, the New Orleans Saints visiting the Detroit Lions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveling to Cincinnati to play against Dexter Lawrence and the Bengals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers kicking off the Mike McCarthy era against the Atlanta Falcons, with or without Aaron Rodgers.
Other matchups in Week 1 include the New York Jets taking on the Tennessee Titans and the Chicago Bears facing the Carolina Panthers. The Jets-Titans game will be aired on CBS, along with several other early games, while the rest will be broadcast on Fox. The week will kick off with a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9, followed by a Netflix game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on Thursday. The Sunday night game will feature the Dallas Cowboys against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on NBC's Sunday Night Football. Additionally, the ESPN Monday night game will showcase the Denver Broncos against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City.