Rivalries, Rookies, and Redemption: NFL 2024 Opening Weekend Set to Thrill Fans

The season opener will feature the two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium. This game is crucial for one Lamar Jackson, who is 1-5 against Patrick Mahomes including the playoffs and regular season. 

According to Covers.com, Lamar Jackson is 52-22 against every other team in the NFL besides the Chiefs. It’s common for Jackson to lose every time he faces Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, especially last season when he choked against them in the AFC championship game at home. 

Last season the Ravens finished 13-4 and captured the first seed in the AFC. Mahomes had his worst season of his career statistically and won the least amount of games in his career. The opportunity was there for Jackson to lead the Ravens to the Superbowl, but he came up short again. It will be interesting to see if Jackson can stun the Chiefs in the first week of the NFL season as he hasn’t defeated the two-time champions since September 19, 2021. 

There’s no question that the Kansas City Chiefs are everyone’s favorites to repeat and win its third straight Super Bowl, something that’s never been seen in NFL history. NFL fans and experts learned their lesson last season to never bet against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Even though everyone realizes what kind of talent Mahomes possesses, the team was a question mark, from receivers dropping passes and the defense being unreliable. But, still, Mahomes found a way to go back-to-back and capture his third Super Bowl. 

The San Francisco 49ers are another team that is arguably the best in the NFL. Perfectly balanced on offense and defense, the 49ers have given away two Super Bowls to the Chiefs. The two teams faced off in 2020 and 2024 where the Niners had the lead late in the fourth quarter but failed to close out both games. It's clear that the Chiefs are a roadblock for every team in football right now, but will their quest for a three-peat be taken by another team? 

Life sure is sweet for Patrick Mahomes. After being an underdog in three of the four playoff games, Mahomes led the Chiefs to Super Bowl glory for the second straight year. DraftKings Sportsbook has Mahomes at +475 to win the NFL MVP for the third time. 

CJ Stroud and Josh Allen are neck and neck as the next two favorites to win MVP. Fans are sold on Stroud as being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL after leading the Houston Texans into the playoffs and finishing the season with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. Stroud and the Texans are a sleeper team that could surprise everyone again and make another deep playoff run. 

Josh Allen is interesting because after falling short to Mahomes again, he was recently voted as the most overrated player in the NFL. This caused drama and escalation to rise because Allen is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, but he has two issues. The first issue is that he turns the ball over too much and he comes up short of leading the Buffalo Bills past Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The Bills are one of few teams who got worse this season after losing their number one receiver Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Many people are counting out the Bills this season and are expecting a step back from them. This is potentially the first season where Josh Allen isn’t under pressure to contend for a Super Bowl because of low expectations But, this could help him silence the doubters and have a great season in a year where the Bills aren’t expected to do so much. 

There will be so many storylines this upcoming NFL season. Of course, the Chiefs will be the eye under the storm being the most talked about team, and are trying to become the first franchise to win three consecutive Super Bowls. They’re the first franchise to attempt such a feat since the New England Patriots in 2005. 

But, the Chiefs won’t be the only team that will be under the spotlight this season. The New York Jets are a team that has Super Bowl ambitions after acquiring four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers last season. Rodgers played only three snaps of the season, tearing his Achilles in the first four minutes of the game, ending the Jets season in a nutshell. Rodgers and the Jets are ready for redemption this season after missing the playoffs (since 2010) last year and contend for the Super Bowl. 

It will be a tough task for the Jets and many other teams to reach the Super Bowl, let alone the playoffs with the tough road ahead in the AFC. Several teams in the AFC are loaded with talented quarterbacks and receivers, but only seven teams will get in, leaving several teams out. 

The NFL is notorious for having upsets and surprise teams making deep playoff runs. A name that comes to mind is the Green Bay Packers who were led by rookie quarterback Jordan Love. Love and the Packers defeated the Cowboys on the road and came one touchdown away from defeating the 49ers the eventual winner of the NFC. 

After moving on from the Aaron Rodgers era, Jordan Love is ready to lead the Packers to the Promise Land. With a running game, defense, and explosive offense, the Green and Gold will be a tough out in the NFC. 

The Detroit Lions are another team who are serious contenders of winning the Super Bowl this year. The Lions also came up short against the 49ers in the NFC championship game, blowing a 24-7 lead, costing themselves a trip to the Super Bowl. 

Before winning a playoff game last year, the last time the Lions won a playoff game was in 1957, going more than 60 years without winning a single playoff game. Now, this is a different Lions team that is hungry and looking for redemption after blowing a 17-point lead. Led by quarterback Jared Goff, running backs David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions have no excuse to not be great again. 

 The Ravens and Chiefs will be a treat for fans to watch in the opener of week 1. But, here are a few games that fans should look out for, the Lions hosting the Rams and the 49ers hosting the Jets. Both of these games have their storylines and drama including the Rams versus Lions game where both quarterbacks are playing their former team. 

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford spent 11 years playing for the Lions before getting traded for Lions quarterback Jared Goff who was wearing a Rams uniform for five years. Stafford was able to deliver a Superbowl for Rams fans something Goff couldn’t achieve. But, now Goff is in a great position to win a Super Bowl for the Lions and this game on Sunday night should deliver. 

The second game is the return of Aaron Rodgers on Monday night football. Rodgers wore the Jets uniform for only three snaps last season and left Jets fans unsatisfied. After a year of recovery, the 40-year-old will be under immense pressure to put the Jets on the map, and week 1 against the formidable 49ers should answer questions on whether Rodgers is ready to go.   

The 2024 NFL season kickoff premieres tomorrow night on NBC at 8:20 p.m. ET. The excitement from the first snap to intense rivalries set for a compelling start to the NFL. As teams set the tone for the season, fans can expect thrilling games, standout performances, and plenty of drama to unfold. With the mix of rising stars and rookies on the horizon, this opening weekend will be plenty of fun to watch.