Dallas should send a thank-you note to the Eagles, who essentially wrote last Sunday the Cowboys' game plan here: (1.) On defense, apply pressure to QB Jayden Daniels, which he felt on fully half of his dropbacks in a shaky outing; (2) On offense, go for chunk plays, which the Commanders allowed in bunches. WRs George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb are licking their chops. (Lamb chops; get it?) Can’t fathom the Cowboys sinking to 0-2 not since owner Jerry Jones was a whippersnapper in 2010. They should settle down after being thrown a loop by new/old Giants coach John Harbaugh.

Little will relish kicking in Denver's high altitude. The master of the long-distance field goal -- he has nailed 13 of 16 in a blossoming NFL career from 50-plus -- can connect from the Jaguars' side of the field at Mile High. He drilled a 72-yarder during pre-game warmups here last year. Jax never hesitates to call on Little, who has missed just six times in 65 tries. The stout Broncos defense that can limit the Jags' TDs should provide multiple opportunities for threes.

These teams were involved in the lowest-scoring openers by a wide margin. Pittsburgh's produced 33 points, New England's 23. Both will miss consequential WRs: Michael Pittman Jr. (Steelers), A.J. Brown (Patriots). As lehtal as QB Aaron Rodgers' arm remains, his declining mobility makes it easier on defenses. Rain is expected to start falling around kickoff and could get heavier as the game progresses.

The Saints dragged Detroit into overtime before losing despite outgaining the Lions by a hundred yards. Unsung QB Tyler Shough might be a keeper. From an ATS standpoint, New Orleans is comfortable as an underdog, having covered six straight when receiving points. It is equally at ease on the road, with a half-dozen consecutive covers. Baltimore's offense made mincemeat out of Indy but is thinned out at WR, with Zay Flowers and Ja'Kobi Lane likely sidelined. Their absence could mean less balance on offense and more carries than usual for QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry.

Let's start with Minnesota. With QB Carson Wentz at the helm, the Vikes likely will lean conservative on play-calling. Last Sunday, he fired only 19 passes, covering 133 yards. As for Chicago, defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blitz-happy crew can mess with QB Caleb Williams' mind. He was below average in both meetings last year, generating just 19 points in one game. Projected precipitation and a brisk Windy City breeze can contribute further to an Under.

Monday mystery: How can a team that finished eight games ahead of its opponent receive nearly a field goal? K.C. QB Patrick Mahomes missed the tail end of the season with a knee ailment, but the Chiefs went 6-8 with him starting. He has been dealt an undesirable re-entry game. The Bronco defense topped the league in sacks, and the unit returns virtually intact whilt the Chiefs start undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson at left tackle. On offense, new WR Jayden Waddle could become QB Bo Nix’s best friend. Closing argument: Denver was won three in a row SU in the series.

Under coach DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have solved the mystery on how to defend QB Josh Allen. His SU record against the Allen-led Bills is 4-1. The 2024 clash was a nightmare, with Allen going 9 for 30. Last year was the nightmare of a lifetime, with the current MVP favorite enduring eight sacks and two picks. Allen is familiar with Joe Brady, who will continue wearing Buffalo’s play-calling hat with his promotion to head coach, but this is an unappetizing inaugural assignment for a first-time leader. Buff's defense also has a new boss, with Jim Leonhard revamping a shaky unit that might need time to jell.

Coach Ben Johnson and QB Caleb Williams have figured out the Rubik Cube of offense n the Windy City. The Bears wound up with the league’s No. 6 ranking. The defense? Well, it was fourth worst while relying too much on takeaways, but Carolina may wield too few playmakers to make the Bears regret not upgrading their D in the offseason. A relatively high total (46.5) hints at plenty of points, and Chicago owns a much higher ceiling for keeping the scoreboard operator busy. In season openers with QB Bryce Young, the Panthers have squeezed out a measly 10 points.

Teams with fresh head coaches are often a stay-away in Week 1. Not so with Pittsburgh since Mike McCarthy is hardly a new kid on the block. His experience is matched by QB Aaron Rodgers, who remarkably displayed minimal decline in his 21st season. Coach Kevin Stefanski does bring seasoning to his new gig in Atlanta. Yet his side cannot match the Steelers' talent, especially at QB, where Cooper Rush could start as a result of Tua Tagovailoa's practice injury. Rodgers' reduced mobility might not be problematic; the Falcons are missing QB chasers James Pearce, who is suspended, and Jalon Walker, who is hurt.

The unknowns surrounding this matchup related to the locale and the teams' contrasting travel plans should not override the fact that L.A.'s roster is indisputably the league's best -- even with the unretired DT Aaron Donald not ready to suit up. Coach Sean McVay is 7-2 SU in season openers, with one loss in overtime, partly because his regulars sit out the entire exhibition schedule and begin unscathed. Coach Kyle Shanahan has turned heads with a shiny overall record against McVay, but the Rams have claimed four of the last five Ws outright. If its players can deal with potential sleepiness, L.A. should put the Niners to sleep.

Tennessee has sought out points in the preseason, with 10 scores registered. Only two have involved touchdowns, but PK Joey Slye is on fire, having nailed eight field goals. Titans coach Robert Saleh likes to win in the summer, perhaps because Ws were hard to come by in the regular season with the Jets. He has gone 12-3 SU and 11-2-2 ATS. Chicago is coming off an 18-point blowout defeat. As the final road team on the NFL exhibition schedule, the Bears might be inclined to get this over with ASAP and head home to prep for the regular season.

Denver's defense has yielded 20 points overall and under 200 yards per outing in the preseason. Minnesota has nearly matched the Broncos, allowing 23 points. The Vikings have scrounged out a measly 16 points. Even with the Broncos ringing up regular-season-type offensive numbers in their pair of games, the overall stats point to a modest score. Though a few semi-reputable QBs will take snaps, this has been the summer of rookies and lesser-knowns equaling -- if not bettering -- the bigger names.

Jesse Minter to John Harbaugh: I see your brilliant preseason record and raise you. Harbaugh went 47-17 SU and ATS with the Ravens. His new replacement, Jesse Minter, is not only 2-0 in both categories, but his team has outscored opponents 37-10. The only scores allowed were a field goal at the end of the first half and a fourth-quarter touchdown. QBs Tyler Huntley and Joe Fagnano have connected on three-fourths of their passes combined while battling for the backup role to Lamar Jackson. Commodores coach Dan Quinn seems less concerned about exhibition wins. His career record is 8-21 SU and 8-20-1 ATS.

Rams coach Sean McVay has gone against trends by winning outright in L.A.'s first two exhibition games. He would really be going against the grain with a straight-up victory here. Since the pandemic wiped out the summer games in 2020, the Rams have not only failed to win their preseason finale SU but have not scored beyond the teens. One loss was a shutout. McVay customarily deploys few players targeted for a roster spot in the preseason finale and might send out undrafted and unused free agent QB Matthew Caldwell for snaps. The Chargers are coming off a lopsided defeat, and coach Jim Harbaugh should take this more seriously than his counterpart.

“Preseason” Sean McVay should never be mistaken for “regular season” McVay. The accomplished L.A. coach is 11-16 SU in exhibitions, a stark contrast to his 92-57 ledger in games that count. He even hands off play-calling duties to assistants in the summer. While QB Stetson Bennett has done well in recent exhibitions, he remains without a regular season snap, an indication of his worth. He will share time here with rookie Ty Simpson. Kansas City counters with veteran Justin Fields. Though the Chiefs have not won outright in the preseason since 2024, coach Andy Reid stands 21-22 SU overall in K.C.