Here’s a look at some interesting facts about NFL Week 1 matchups.

The Champs are Here

The NFL Kickoff game, the Thursday night game to start the season, began in 2002 as a way to generate income for Washington and New York, which had been adversely impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2004, the game was shifted to be hosted by the team that won the Super Bowl.

This year’s event will feature the Los Angeles Rams hosting the Buffalo Bills. The Bills had a strong season in 2021 that was ended by a brutal loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. The defending champion has won the previous three games in the series. The Chiefs beat the Patriots to open the 2017 season after New England won the Super Bowl the year before.

Other Important Matchups

• The defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals open the season against long-time rival Pittsburgh. The Bengals, who are 6.5-point favorites, are seeking their fourth straight victory against the Steelers. Cincinnati hasn’t won four straight against Pittsburgh since the Bengals won six straight from 1988 to 1990.
• Tom Brady returns, again, following a lengthy 39-day retirement. Tampa Bay will open the season against the Dallas Cowboys for the second straight season. The Buccaneers squeaked out a two-point victory in the season opener last year. Tampa Bay will be eager to see if Brady can match his performance from last season, where he led the NFL in passing yards.
• Kliff Kingsbury, despite taking Arizona to the postseason last year, may be a coach who is on the hot seat. The Cardinals enter their season opener as a 2.5-point underdog to the Chiefs. Kansas City will also be looking to bounce back following a crushing loss to Cincinnati in last year’s AFC Championship.
• Fresh face, new place. Barring injury, 12 teams will have the same starting quarterback in place as last season. However, due to the activity of the quarterback carousel, there could be as many as 20 teams with new starts.