There is plenty of attention on Michael Penix Jr., who will make his first NFL start since suffering a season ending ACL injury last November. That's certainly a major storyline, but I'm looking at the bigger picture. I'll provide the preview, odds, and the Bystander take and prediction for this week's Thursday Night Football Week 3 matchup between the Atlanta Falcons vs the Green Bay Packers.

NFL Season Week 2 Previews, Odds, and Picks Week 2 of the NFL season is here, and after an exciting opening week. We have another loaded Sunday schedule followed by Monday Night Football. Thursday’s Lions versus Bills game is already final (Bills 41, Lions 31), so this focuses on the remaining slate. Here are my picks for every NFL Week 2 Sunday and Monday game, including the current odds, a quick preview, and the Bystander picks.

This is a big Week 2 matchup. Thursday Night Football, and Two 1-0 teams with high-powered offenses meet in a prime-time showcase that also marks the regular-season debut of Buffalo’s new Highmark Stadium. Here's the preview of the Lions vs Bills with the odds and our prediction for the game:

NFL Season Week 1 Previews, Odds, and Picks I'm taking a quick look at every matchup for week 1, giving a preview, the current betting odds, what I think will decide each game and most importantly give The Bystander Pick. These aren't just picks based on who is favored. I'm looking at the matchup, how each team can win, where I think one team has an advantage and what could ultimately decide the game.

The NFL opens its 2026 season with a high-stakes NFC West showdown on neutral ground. The San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, September 10, at 8:35 p.m. ET (10:35 a.m. Friday local time) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia the league’s first regular season game Down Under, streaming exclusively on Netflix.

The 2026 NFL season kicks off in unusual fashion this week not on the traditional Thursday night, but on a Wednesday. On September 9th, the New England Patriots travel to Lumen Field to face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of Super Bowl LX, where Seattle beat New England 29-13 back in February. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, with streaming on Peacock and NFL+.

The NFC South doesn't have a clear-cut powerhouse. There isn't a clear-cut quarterback advantage that makes one team an obvious favorite. Although Baker Mayfield is playing for a new contract that could give the Bucs a little better play. Ultimately, no one in the division had a winning record at the end of the year. Carolina won the division last season with an 8–9 record, nobody should be expecting a runaway winner. Instead, it looks like a division where one team can separ

The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a division-winning season. The Houston Texans are trying to reclaim the AFC South after finishing 12-5 in 2025. The Indianapolis Colts are looking to bounce back after a promising start to last season disappeared down the stretch. And the Tennessee Titans are hoping their young roster takes a major step forward.

In my opinion, the NFC North Is a Four-Way Bar Fight. If there is one division in the NFL where I wouldn't be surprised by almost any outcome, it is the NFC North. For the first time in recent memory, all four NFC North teams finished above .500 last season; the only division in football that could say that. Chicago went from worst to first. Detroit and Minnesota, the class of the division the year before, both stumbled to 9-8. And Green Bay was one score away from winning 10

The Baltimore Ravens are trying to bounce back from an 8-9 season. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to return to the playoffs after missing them for three straight seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off an AFC North championship and are hoping to prove last season was the beginning of something bigger. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns are entering a new era under head coach Todd Monken. On paper, there is a legitimate argument for all four teams.

The NFC East has a way of feeling wide open every August and settling into the same old order every January. Heading into 2026, the division is getting more competitive on paper: Dallas retooled its defense, the Giants hired a Super Bowl-winning head coach, and Washington is desperate to get right, but as of now, it all doesn’t matter yet. Philadelphia still looks like the team to beat.

The Buffalo Bills spent five consecutive seasons winning the division before the New England Patriots finally knocked them off in 2025. New England went 14-3 and reached Super Bowl LX, while Buffalo finished 12-5 and reached the divisional round. Now, heading into the 2026 season, the Bills are favored by the oddsmakers to take the division back. And that makes some sense.