The
Jaguars' defense slipped from its 2017 form last season. It bounces back quickly by holding reigning league MVP
Patrick Mahomes to less than 200 passing yards. Didn't see that coming, did ya?!
As a rookie,
Lamar Jackson set the single-season NFL record for most carries by a quarterback with 147. And he only started seven games! This is the first season in which Jackson heads into Week 1 as the starter, and he'll begin with a bang. I predict he will have more rushing yards than ANY running back in Week 1.
Sean Payton's offense was one of the top scoring units in 2018, averaging 31.5 points per game. The
Saints don't score anywhere near 31 points Monday against the
Texans, who are on a high after making some big-time trades. Romeo Crennel's defense stifles
Drew Brees and Co. and holds them to under 14 points.
The
Minnesota Vikings made one of the most under-the-radar moves this offseason when they hired Gary Kubiak, whom I played for with the
Texans. Kubiak and offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski have this offense clicking on Sunday, as the unit racks up 500 yards of total offense against Dan Quinn's D.
Well, it appears
Antonio Brown will play in the final game of Week 1 after all. But I'm actually more intrigued by the two other elite receivers who will take the field earlier on Monday -- Houston's
DeAndre Hopkins and New Orleans'
Michael Thomas. These two wideouts have themselves a day and combine for 300 receiving yards when it's all said and done.
