• Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers vs. Tyron Smith, New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers is hoping to last a whole lot more than four snaps into his second season with Gang Green, and if he wants to stay upright in San Francisco, Smith will have to neutralize Bosa.
• Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns vs. Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys: Cooper, who was with the Cowboys for four seasons, enters his third year with the Browns on an adjusted deal. He’ll face off with Dallas for the first time in his career, having earned an 84.9 receiving grade since 2021.
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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
At long last, it’s here. After seven months of roster shuffling, new hires and trade chatter (plus no shortage of holdouts), the 2024 NFL season begins in earnest.
While any real football in its unbridled form will be savored after an exciting preseason, certain matchups shine brighter than the rest, even this early. Here are some of the most exciting battles of Week 1 that could serve as a litmus test for 2024.
Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns vs. Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys
It’s always fun when two former teammates square off, especially when they’re players of this caliber.
Cooper, who was with the Cowboys for four seasons, enters his third year with the Browns on an adjusted deal. He’ll face off with Dallas for the first time in his career, having earned an 84.9 receiving grade since 2021.
Two of the receiver’s years in Dallas overlapped with Diggs, who blossomed into a household name. The 26-year-old was amid a career-best season in 2023 — with 80.7 overall and 82.8 coverage grades — before he tore his ACL after only two games.
Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers vs. Tyron Smith, New York Jets
This is about as good as it gets in an edge rusher-tackle matchup.
Bosa, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, has racked up 415 pressures and 70 sacks across 80 career games. That pressure figure leads all edge defenders since 2019, with the former No. 2 overall pick rounding into one of the NFL’s best on an annual basis.
On the other side of the line of scrimmage will be Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowler who will play his first season with the Jets after 13 stellar years with the Cowboys. Smith, 33, was as magnificent as usual last year, finishing with an 89.3 pass-blocking grade.
Aaron Rodgers is hoping to last a whole lot more than four snaps into his second season with Gang Green, and if he wants to stay upright in San Francisco, Smith will have to neutralize Bosa.
DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans vs. Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
Despite the inconsistent play under center last season, Hopkins was still strong in his debut year with the Titans. The 32-year-old recorded 75 catches for 1,057 yards and an 82.3 receiving grade, which tied for 16th among qualifiers.
Johnson was terrific in 2023. His 90.1 overall grade ranked first at the position, while his 90.4 coverage grade ranked second only to Sauce Gardner. Remarkably, the new $76 million man allowed more than 23 yards in only one game all season.
George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons
Steelers-Falcons provides several intriguing storylines, but this receiver-corner tussle might prove the most critical.
In only two years in the NFL, Pickens has broken onto the scene with 120 catches for 1,991 yards and a 74.3 receiving grade. The former Georgia product has specifically excelled when targeted downfield, hauling in 50.9% of contested catches. With Diontae Johnson traded to Carolina, Pittsburgh is relying on Pickens to refine his game in Year 3 as a real WR1.
On the other side of the equation, Terrell has remained a mainstay in an overhauled Falcons defense that looks nearly complete. The 2020 first-round pick has been up and down throughout his four years but played well last year, earning a 74.6 coverage grade. Atlanta rewarded Terrell with a four-year, $81 million deal this offseason prior to him hitting the open market.
As the Steelers usher in Russell Wilson at quarterback and Arthur Smith’s new scheme, they’ll need Pickens to win one-on-ones against the Falcons’ best cover man if they want to prevail in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers
There’s having an NFL debut, and then there’s starting your career against one of the best in the business. That’s the case for Alt, who’ll take on Crosby in this divisional bout.
Crosby has become a bona fide game-wrecker for Las Vegas, tallying three straight 90.0-plus overall grades. His volume of play at such a high level — his 2,162 snaps lead all edge rushers over the last two years — remains otherworldly.
It’ll be no easy feat for Alt, the fifth overall pick, to break in comfortably against such a formidable presence. Los Angeles’ new right tackle was as close to an unblemished tackle as any in college — allowing four total sacks in three years — but he’ll need to sustain that dominance if the ever-present Crosby ventures in his direction.
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts vs. Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
Pittman has carved out a promising career after entering the league as a second-round pick in 2020. The former Trojan earned a career-best 80.0 receiving grade last season and recorded only five drops on 150 targets. Indianapolis ensured he wouldn’t head anywhere by giving him a three-year, $70 million extension.
Stingley, the No. 3 overall pick two years ago, bounced back from a disappointing rookie season in a big way. The former LSU star flashed with an 82.1 overall grade and a terrific 85.3 coverage grade, which tied for sixth among all corners.
Pittman wasn’t targeted when facing Stingley when these two teams last squared off in Week 18 of the 2023 season, a thrilling game that sent Houston to the playoffs. If the budding star corner keeps up the air-tight coverage, it could mean that the Texans start DeMeco Ryans’ second year with a high-strung AFC South victory.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots
Higgins previously established himself as a WR1-type confined to WR2 status, but his 2023 didn’t look as excellent. The former Clemson standout ended the injury-riddled year with a 70.9 receiving grade and a career-worst 12.5% drop rate.
Likewise, Gonzalez was off to a rapid ascension in his rookie season, posting an 80.8 overall grade. However, the first-rounder’s year ended after only four games because of a shoulder injury.
As the Bengals navigate the repercussions of Ja’Marr Chase’s long-standing contract dispute, Joe Burrow could require Higgins to operate as a primary option. But if Gonzalez can stand tall, it could give the underdog Patriots a fighting chance at winning Jerod Mayo’s head coaching debut on the road.
Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams vs. Carlton Davis and Terrion Arnold, Detroit Lions
It’s tough to limit this to just one receiver against one corner because the duo on each side is just so phenomenal. Altogether, pay special attention to the Rams’ receivers against the Lions’ corners on Sunday night.
Kupp and Nacua form one of the best one-two punches in the NFL. The former has played only 1,298 snaps in the last two years while battling a slew of injuries. Even without Kupp by his side, Nacua burst onto the scene with a record 1,468 receiving yards in his debut season and will look to maintain his astounding production, especially after the catch.
The Lions completely revamped their secondary this offseason, including trading for Davis and drafting Arnold in the first round. The 27-year-old Davis has never graded exceptionally in coverage, even permitting 85-plus yards in four games last year, but the Lions will expect better things moving forward.
Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn ran Cover 3 or 4 on 46% of snaps last year, so we might not get a ton of man looks between Kupp/Nacua and Davis/Arnold. Even then, any individual battles between Los Angeles’ premier receiver threats and the Lions’ boundary corners will prove a tremendous test of how solidified the Lions’ secondary really is.
Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears vs. L’Jarius Sneed, Tennessee Titans
Caleb Williams’ first NFL game will come against a new-look Tennessee defense that boasts one of the league’s better cornerbacks who will be tasked with defending one of two star wideouts.
Moore was brilliant in his first year with Chicago, notching career bests in overall (89.3) and receiving (89.5) grades. All the Bears did was add Allen — who’s collected eight 80.0-plus receiving grades in 11 years — as a complement.
It’ll be a tough assignment one way or another for Sneed, the former Chiefs star who was traded to Tennessee this offseason. Sneed allowed 70-plus yards just twice last season en route to winning another Super Bowl, and Brian Callahan will need him to shut down whichever Bear standout he’s facing on every play if Tennessee wants to prevail.
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