NFL: Week 1 Storylines to Follow

The wait is over. NFL football returns to our screens this Thursday with a tantalising NFC East showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Here are the storylines that I’m most intrigued to see play out across the opening weekend.

All stats provided by PFF.

How does the running game look in Dallas?

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It’s safe to say Cowboys’ fans will be feeling pretty down on life at the moment. The Micah Parsons trade was a huge body blow, and a big defeat to the Eagles would knock them to the canvas. So how can Dallas avoid a crushing loss? 

Well, keeping the ball would be a start. The Cowboys only ran the ball around 37% of the time in 2024. Against the Eagles, they need to up this and keep control of the clock. Making that even more complicated is the fact that the Cowboys’ running back group has been completely rebuilt. 

Former Broncos lead back Javonte Williams should carry the most significant load, but his performance is on a downward slide as he ended up sharing time in the backfield as a Bronco last year. His yards per carry dipping under 4. Can he reverse that trend, or will the ‘Boys backfield also be a democracy?

Miles Sanders is now 28 and is unlikely to find anything extra in the tank suddenly, but the real wildcard is Jaydon Blue. The former Texas back ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and has been generating plenty of buzz in the offseason. Could he be the man to help cause an upset?

Dak Prescott has weapons in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but to be able to open up this offense, the Cowboys must find a way to establish the run, whichever back that may be.

Can Daniel Jones be a legitimate starting QB for the Colts?

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The Colts vs Dolphins feels like a matchup of two teams struggling to establish an identity. You can look at both rosters and see the playoff potential, but these two could just as likely be picking in the top 10 of the draft come next April.

My biggest question mark is why the Colts and a lot of the media have decided that Daniel Jones is a ‘safe pair of hands’, in contrast to the erratic and inaccurate Anthony Richardson. The thought that Jones could do enough to marshal a team to a playoff berth seems baffling to me. Yes, the talent was less at the Giants, but Jones never elevated the Giants while at the helm.

Jones had the 9th-lowest PFF passing grade when pressured, averaging only 4.7 yards per attempt in those situations. If Jones is going to have any chance of keeping the Colts relevant, he will need to show up in this one. The Dolphins’ defense is full of question marks, but you can expect them to sell out to the run and stifle the effectiveness of Jonathan Taylor.

That will allow Jones to take shots against a secondary consisting of Storm Duck and Jack Jones. With weapons like AD Mitchell, Michael Pittman and Tyler Warren, this will be an acid test of what level of QB play Colts fans can expect in 2025.

QB Revenge Game at MetLife

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In the NFL’s equivalent of Freaky Friday, Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields will line up against their former teams in an interesting quirk of the schedule. The hope is that both remember which colour jerseys they should be targeting, and this doesn’t descend into a scrappy opener where neither team feel better about their signal-callers.

Fields is the easier QB to create a plan for at this point. His mobility and playmaking ability mean his legs can be as significant a factor, if not bigger than, his throwing arm. The Steelers will need to contain Fields to the pocket and hope Rodgers is a different version of the one the Jets overpaid for.

Rodgers was the 8th most sacked QB in the NFL, according to PFF and this Jets defense, under the new stewardship of Aaron Glenn, will be a tough out. As each year passes, Rodgers appears more statuesque in the pocket, and this matchup pitches him against Quinnen Williams, Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson. With Sauce Gardner lurking in the backfield, it could be a long afternoon for Pittsburgh.

How will Cam Ward fare on his first NFL start?

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Every team goes into their season opener wondering how its new rookies will fare. There’s no greater intrigue than the number 1 overall pick, quarterback Cam Ward. He has an exciting blend of arm talent and rushing ability, but will he hit the ground running?

It will undoubtedly be a baptism of fire for Ward, considering he is facing one of the best defenses in the league. The Denver Broncos ranked no.1 in defensive EPA in 2024, and Vance Joseph has developed multiple young players in this high-octane unit. 

Even under the guidance of OL guru Bill Callahan, the Titans will have their hands full dealing with a pass-rushing group that led the league in sacks. Nik Bonnito and Jonathon Cooper will be hoping to keep Ward on his toes. If he does manage to get throws off, Pat Surtain will be waiting in the secondary. All in all, it feels like a Week 1 buzzsaw, but could Ward’s talent prevail?

Who inflicts the first blow in the QB head-to-heads?

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Four quarterbacks have separated themselves from the rest in the NFL. Pat Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. When any of the two meet, it’s worth watching. So, what a treat we have in week 1 as the Ravens head to Buffalo for their season opener.

Lamar Jackson’s regular-season record vs Josh Allen is 3-1, which bodes well for the Ravens; however, Allen has been his bogeyman in the playoffs. When the outcome matters the most, Jackson has been unable to get it over the line against Allen. Of course, nothing will be won or lost in week 1, but victory will give either QB a huge psychological boost to kick off the year.

You can expect fireworks in this Sunday night showdown, considering Jackson threw 17% of his season’s ‘Big Time Throws’ in the two meetings vs the Bills last year, and Allen threw 11% of his. All that points to it being ‘bombs away’ when the two meet again.

Rory-Joe Daniels

NFL & Cfb contributor

AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.

5/5

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