After a compelling season opener between the defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football, the rest of the NFL will be competing in their season openers this Sunday and Monday.
There are a few major storylines heading into Week1 that fans will want to keep their eye on. The Panthers new QB Sam Darnold will be hosting his old team when they take rookie QB Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. Darnold never became the savior of the Jets when he was drafted out of USC but is expected to make a giant leap in Carolina since he’s surrounded by weapons. Both quarterbacks say that Sunday’s game won’t be about outdoing each other but each will like to leave Bank of America Stadium with a victory.
The defending AFC Champions Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cleveland Browns in a 2021 Divisional Round rematch. The Browns are looking like the favorite in an injury-riddled AFC North and will have a lot to prove to avenge their 21-17 loss back in January.
The 102nd NFL season will feature an AFC East matchup when the Patriots host the Dolphins. Alabama quarterbacks will be the talk of the town as both franchises will be starting former Crimson Tide national champions. Left-handed phenom Tua Tagovailoa is looking to have a breakout sophomore campaign after having an average rookie season. Across the field, the Patriots are all in on rookie QB Mac Jones after releasing veteran and former MVP Cam Newton.
This week’s Sunday Night Football matchup will feature 2 of the league’s most feared pass rushers when Khalil Mack and the Bears travel out west to take on Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. The Rams will be starting veteran QB Matt Stafford in what is sure to be a high-scoring contest against a Bears team that is rolling with Andy Dalton, who was appointed as the starter over rookie Justin Fields.
Fans will be in attendance in every stadium throughout the league this season; however, cord cutters can find out how to watch every single moment of Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season below.
The Games – Kickoff Times and Channel
Sunday, Sept. 12
| Game | Kickoff Time | Channel |
| Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| New York Jets at Carolina Panthers | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals | 1:00 p.m. ET | FOX |
| San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions | 1:00 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts | 1:00 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints | 4:25 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Denver Broncos at New York Giants | 4:25 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
Monday, Sept. 13
| Game | Kickoff Time | Channel |
| Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN/ABC |
How to Watch Week 1 of the NFL Season Without Cable
Fans will have plenty of options to watch all of their favorite NFL teams and stars compete on the gridiron without spending a fortune.
AntennaWeb is a great tool you can use to find out which affiliate in your area will broadcast the local games on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.
Select games will be available to stream through NFL digital properties such as NFL.com, the NFL app, and the digital properties of the respective teams. Plus, fans can watch the game on their phones via the Yahoo Sports app.
Most of the major subscription live TV streaming services carry this week’s games, so fans can watch the game from anywhere.
- DIRECTV Stream has ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC for only $70/mo.
- fuboTV offers ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC, and FOX in their Family package for $65/mo.
- Hulu + Live TV includes ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC for only $65/mo.
- Sling TV includes ESPN, NBC, and FOX with their Orange + Blue package for only $45/mo.
- Vidgo offers ABC, ESPN, and FOX for only $55/mo.; however, new and returning subscribers can take advantage of their $10/mo. special.
- Youtube TV has ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, and more for only $65/mo.
- Peacock Premium subscribers can watch every Sunday Night Football game, Thanksgiving Day game, and Super Bowl LVI for only $5/mo.
- Paramount+ is an inexpensive way to watch live games on CBS for only $9.99/month or $99.99/year.
Predicting the Winners
Week 1 of the season will set the tone for the rest of the season. Fans should expect some blowouts and upsets as teams get acclimated in their return to the field for meaningful football. Below are our predictions of who will win their season openers.
- Texans
- Washington
- Seahawks
- Panthers
- Vikings
- Titans
- 49ers
- Bills
- Falcons
- Chiefs
- Saints
- Giants
- Dolphins
- Rams
- Ravens