NFL prime-time predictions: Rams start the season with a win over the 49ers in Melbourne
Week 1 brings a three-night prime-time slate, and the opening act sends San Francisco and Los Angeles to Melbourne for an NFC West matchup. Even without Aaron Donald making the trip - the Rams defensive lineman last played in 2023 - Los Angeles looks positioned to handle business.
The 49ers are already dealing with the kind of injury problems that can wreck a season before it gets going. Second-year defensive tackle Alfred Collins went down with a season-ending patellar tendon injury in Monday’s practice.
George Kittle, working back from an Achilles injury, and Nick Bosa, returning from an ACL injury, are expected to play in Week 1, but both are being limited in practice. That could leave them short of full speed right away.
Safety Quentin Lake also pointed to how loaded the Rams look, joking that other teams may think the Rams are football's Los Angeles Dodgers after adding defensive end Myles Garrett to a roster that already includes Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua. With that kind of firepower, Los Angeles should be ready to get the new season rolling.
Prediction: Rams, 30-21
Sunday night in New York has a familiar setup for Dallas. Dak Prescott has been a Giants problem for years, going 14-3 against the division rival with 31 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Still, the Cowboys could have a tougher time than usual because of the offensive line.
Left guard Tyler Smith was placed on injured reserve Monday after a left thumb injury that required surgery, and third-year lineman T.J. Bass is set to take his place.
That’s a potential issue against a Giants front led by Brian Burns. The 2025 second-team All-Pro posted 16.5 sacks last season, second-most in the league, and should thrive under new head coach John Harbaugh.
New York should keep this competitive, but the offense may not have enough to match Dallas. The Cowboys scored 27.5 points per game in 2025, fifth in the NFL, while the Giants made a surprising move Monday by releasing Darius Slayton, who finished with 538 receiving yards in 2025 and ranked second on the team. That leaves Jaxson Dart leaning on Darnell Mooney, rookie Malachi Fields and Malik Nabers, who is expected to return from an ACL tear in his right knee in Week 1.
Prediction: Cowboys, 24-17
Monday night closes with Denver visiting Kansas City, and the big question is how close Patrick Mahomes is to full strength. Sean Payton said last week the Broncos are preparing for the "best" of Mahomes, who is on track to start Week 1 after tearing the ACL/LCL in his left knee in December 2025.
Kansas City, though, has its own questions after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014 last season. The Chiefs added running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency after he won Super Bowl LX MVP with the Seattle Seahawks, but that was their biggest offensive move after they finished 20th in scoring in 2025 at 21.3 points per game.
Denver made a bigger splash on offense, landing former Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle, who had 910 receiving yards in 2025, and turning play-calling over to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Those changes should help Bo Nix, who is coming back from a fractured right ankle and trying to steer the Broncos back to the AFC Championship Game.
Prediction: Broncos, 28-21
In Other News...
Rams Secondary Overhaul Suddenly Looks Bigger Than Fans Realized
The Rams spent the offseason reshaping the back end of their defense, and the cornerback additions are the kind of moves that can change how a secondary looks from the first snap of the season onward. Around the league, a handful of notable defensive backs changed teams, but Los Angeles stands out because it brought in both Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie, two names that immediately change the conversation about depth, matchups and week-to-week stability.
Watson and McDuffie arrive with different resumes, but the common thread is that each gives the Rams a real chance to raise the floor of a unit that needed fresh answers. The broader league context matters here too, with Chris Johnson landing in Miami, Benjamin St-Juste going to Green Bay and Jamel Dean heading to Pittsburgh, but Los Angeles may have made the most intriguing bet on upside. How quickly that overhaul clicks will go a long way toward showing whether the Rams just added bodies or truly changed the shape of their secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Are Testing A Risky Australia Plan Before NFL History
The Rams have already started treating Melbourne like a dry run, sending employees to Australia to work through the logistics of what would be the NFLs first regular-season game there. The goal is less about sightseeing than survival: charting the travel, the flight experience, sleep, fatigue and recovery so the team can understand what it might feel like to arrive halfway around the world and still be ready to play soon after.
It is a more aggressive approach than the one other teams, such as the 49ers, are expected to take, with San Francisco planning to get to Melbourne a week early. For the Rams, the question is whether the league can turn a historic event into a workable football week without giving away too much on the front end, and the answer may shape how future international games are handled. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Stafford Just Became A Bigger Threat For The Rams
Matthew Staffords postseason story has changed dramatically since he arrived in Los Angeles. After going 0-3 in the playoffs with Detroit, he has since built a 7-3 playoff record with the Rams, and that shift has helped redefine what this franchise can expect when the calendar turns. With the roster around him continuing to evolve, theres a growing sense that Stafford is no longer just the quarterback trying to survive January. He is part of a team that has learned how to lean into those moments.
The Rams have also put work into the rest of the operation, especially the rushing game and the defense, with offseason additions like Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald adding to the sense that the support system around Stafford could get even stronger. Looking ahead to 2026, the expectation is not simply that Stafford will be asked to carry the offense, but that he may have more help than ever if the group comes together the way the Rams envision. The upside is obvious, even if the full picture still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]