Micah Parsons vs. Penei Sewell highlights five key Week 1 matchups for biggest offseason additions

Week 1 is finally here. Thursday's NFL kickoff game marks 207 days since Super Bowl LIX.

One of the most exciting parts about a new season is seeing what has changed. Who will be the surprise team and the breakout player. What offseason move is going to take a team to the next level.

With that in mind, here's five challenging Week 1 matchups for some of the biggest offseason moves. A litmus test of sorts because first impressions are everything and we would never overreact to just one week, right? 😜 

Micah Parsons vs. Penei Sewell

Nobody will have a more anticipated team debut this year than Micah Parsons for the Packers at Lambeau Field. He'll probably face his toughest test of the year right off the bat in a $300 million matchup against All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell. 

If you could start a franchise with one offensive lineman, one pass blocker, he might be your guy. 

Check the credentials. Sewell is the only offensive tackle in the last 40 years with multiple first-team All-Pro selections before turning 25.  He's the only offensive tackle to start every game and allow one or fewer sacks in each of the two seasons. He's a franchise cornerstone, the backbone of perhaps the best offense in the NFL. 

Parsons has been compared with Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White at times and that isn't hyperbole. He's one of two players all time to finish top three in DPOY voting in three of their first four seasons along with Taylor. He's one of two players all time with 12+ sacks in each of their first four seasons along with Reggie White. You couldn't possibly ask for a bigger impact to start a career on defense. 

If the most fundamental part of football is beating your man then you couldn't ask for a more compelling Week 1 matchup than Sewell, a brick wall, vs. Parsons, who has the best pressure rate in the league since he was drafted by a landslide. 

So Green Bay finally has a pass rusher who can help put a contender over the top. It's just a question of how long it'll take to unleash Parsons as he nurses a back injury and faces Sewell in Week 1. Parsons has two sacks and 10 pressures in two career games vs. the Lions which are right in line with his career averages. He's split his time almost down the middle throughout his career lining up over the left tackle and right tackle so we should be treated to plenty of Sewell vs. Parsons one-on-one matchups on Sunday. 

NFL Week 1 survivor pool picks: 49ers a stay-away in opener, while NFC West rival named best bet

Tyler Sullivan

Texans offensive line vs. Rams pass rush

Few units were overhauled as much as the Texans' offensive line this offseason after C.J. Stroud finished with the second-most sacks (52) and times hit of any quarterback (109) last year. Right tackle Tytus Howard is the only projected offensive line starter on the Texans that also started for Houston in Week 1 of last season.

Laremy Tunsil was traded to the Commanders and he'll be replaced by rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery, whose surprising play has moved him ahead of the presumptive starter Cam Robinson on the depth chart. Ersery will be the second Texans rookie to start a season opener at left tackle, along with Duane Brown in 2008. There will be plenty of pressure on the first-year player to protect Stroud's blindside. 

Laken Tomlinson replaces Kenyon Green at left guard and Jake Andrews beat out Jarrett Patterson and Juice Scruggs at center. Andrews was signed by the Texans in April after the Patriots waived him. Imagine your starting center is a player with one career start that was waived by a team coming off a 4-13 season. Finally, Ed Ingram replaces Shaq Mason as the Texans' starting right guard. Ingram was traded by the Vikings this offseason after they bolstered their offensive line. He was graded 66th out of 77 guards by Pro Football Focus last year.

It's hard to be much worse than the Texans offensive line was last season, but the experience of the new unit doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, either. They are going to be immediately put to the test against a Rams pass rush that racked up 16 sacks last postseason, the most in a two-game span in playoff history. They are led by Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Byron Young and Kobie Turner, who combined for 226 pressures in 2024, the second-most in the NFL. When all four rushed the passer in the playoffs the Rams got pressure 67% of the time. Small sample, but that is insane. This foursome made the Rams the first team in NFL history to feature their top four sack leaders all in their first or second season. It's a really promising, young group that could make life tough on Stroud and the Texans' inexperienced line in the opener.

Ravens new-look secondary vs. Josh Allen and Co.

There are two keys for Baltimore to get over the hump this season. Get better playoff performances from Lamar Jackson and more consistent play from their defense. The latter will be under the microscope in Week 1 vs. last year's MVP, Josh Allen.

The Ravens led the NFL in defensive EPA and success rate defending the pass from Weeks 11-18 last year (65%) after shifting Kyle Hamilton to deep safety. Baltimore ranked 23rd in the first 10 weeks of the season (54%). But the unit still suffered to a degree with Hamilton no longer in a playmaking role all over the field. The Ravens had by far their lowest success rate of the season defending the run vs. Buffalo in last season's divisional playoff game. 

The additions of free agent corner Jaire Alexander and first-round pick safety Malaki Starks could mean sustained success and versatility for a defense that can now maximize Hamilton's talents as he returns to playing a chess piece. This could help specifically against Allen and the Bills, who played the cleanest football in the NFL last year.

Bears overhauled offensive line vs. Brian Flores' defense

The Bears and new coach Ben Johnson will have their work cut out for them in Monday night's season opener vs. the Vikings. All eyes should be on the new interior of Chicago's offensive line after Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times last year, tied for the third-most in a season in NFL history.

Kudos to the Bears for prioritizing protecting Williams. They traded for former All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, signed Drew Dalman to one of the richest contracts for a center (three years and $42 million) and traded for right guard Jonah Jackson. They returned starting tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright.

So of course another one of the NFL's revamped offensive lines will face a ferocious pass rush in Week 1. The Vikings had the highest blitz rate in the NFL for the second straight season last year. Brian Flores will throw the kitchen sink at Chicago in a few days. Minnesota had the second-most plays sending three or fewer pass rushers last year (65) and the most sending at least six (97). The Vikings exotic schemes also included sending a defensive back pass rusher on the second-most plays in the league (140). It worked as Minnesota led the NFL with 24 interceptions last season, 11 coming when generating pressure. 

Cameron Ward vs. Broncos' blitz

First overall pick Cameron Ward will be thrust into action against the league's best defense on Sunday. The Broncos led the NFL in defensive EPA last year and posted a franchise-record 63 sacks while generating pressure (40%) and blitzing (37%) at top-five rates in the league. They also led the NFL in plays with either a sack, forced fumble or interception (90). 

I think the Titans will just be happy if Ward limits the mistakes considering Will Levis was a negative play machine last year, posting the highest rate of plays (16.3%) with a sack, fumble or interception since JaMarcus Russell in 2009. 

Denver's defense should only improve, too, after the unit added Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga in free agency and drafted cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round.