By Tucker Harlin

Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone.

The first week featured three strong prime time games, but there wasn’t a lot that either amazed or surprised fans on the Sunday slate.

Week 2’s prime time slate doesn’t quite have the same strength of Week 1, but the Sunday afternoon portion should be stronger.

Here are my Top 5 matchups, in ascending order.

5. CLEVELAND BROWNS @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS- JAX -3, 1 PM CBS, SUNDAY

A battle of former Clemson quarterbacks in “TrEverBank Stadium” trying to bring their losing franchises to league relevance is what you’ll get with this matchup.

Deshaun Watson may seriously be on the last leg of his career.

His extended time away from the field between the conclusion of the 2020 season and the final quarter of the 2022 season has clearly taken away a lot of the shine he once had. This was on full display in the Browns’ 33-17 beatdown loss against the Cowboys last week.

Trevor Lawrence is coming off a pretty disappointing 2023 season, and the Week 1 loss to the Dolphins felt like a continuation of that trajectory.

While the Browns defense matches up really well against the Jags offense, the red flags from Watson last week are enough to make me take the Jags at TrEverBank Stadium.

4. LOS ANGELES RAMS @ ARIZONA CARDINALS- ARI -1, 4:05 FOX, SUNDAY

This is of course the first of two meetings between the Rams and Cardinals in 2024. The Rams won both matchups last season by a combined score of 63-23.

But the 2024 installment of the Arizona Cardinals should turn the NFC West into one of the league’s deeper divisions.

As long as both Kyler Murray and James Conner stay healthy and Marvin Harrison Jr. begins to produce at the level which they drafted him for, this team has the ability to sneak up on established contenders.

The Rams are down Puka Nacua at receiver and are going to the desert following an emotionally draining overtime loss in Detroit. But the combination of Stafford and Kupp still looks as good as it did back in 2021.

I’m tempted to say the Cardinals get a win, but it doesn’t feel like Matthew Stafford should lose two in a row.

3. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS @ DETROIT LIONS- DET -7.5, 1 PM FOX, SUNDAY

These two last met in the NFC Divisional round back in January, the Lions emerging with a 31-23 win thanks to a game sealing interception.

Tampa Bay looked nice in its 37-20 win over Washington back in Week 1. Baker Mayfield’s redemption tour continues to surprise and impress while the defense continues to perform well under Todd Bowles.

Like I said earlier, the Lions are coming off an overtime thriller against the Rams. They were able to put Matthew Stafford on the ground quite a bit, but the secondary was an area of question in the win as Cooper Kupp tore right through it.

Anything the Lions put on the field defensively is going to be better than the Commanders, but Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are still serious threats.

I like the Lions to win but I wouldn’t be surprised by a Bucs cover.

2. CINCINNATI BENGALS @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS- KC -5, 4:25 PM CBS, SUNDAY

These two met in Kansas City near the end of last season, the Chiefs prevailing over the Joe Burrow-less Bengals 25-17.

Burrow is one of the few NFL quarterbacks to have consistent success against Patrick Mahomes. The Bengals won three straight against the Chiefs under Burrow’s direction until the AFC Championship two seasons ago.

But this is by far the earliest Burrow has played the Chiefs, and Burrow doesn’t tend to start his seasons off strong.

Couple that with the 16-10 loss to a rebuilding New England franchise and the injuries and mysteries at the wide receiver position and the Bengals are behind the 8-ball.

On the other side, Kansas City is not singing Taylor Swift but Kelly Clarkson as their game against the Ravens didn’t kill it but strengthened it. The improvements made at the receiver position should terrify the rest of the league.

1. BUFFALO BILLS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS- MIA -2.5, 8:15 PM PRIME VIDEO, THURSDAY

The Bills were a real thorn in the side of the Dolphins in 2023.

For one, the Bills dismantled the Dolphins in Buffalo 48-20 near the beginning of the season.

To really drive in the nail, the Bills put together a strong fourth quarter to win 21-14 in Miami to end the regular season. Not only did the Bills win the division as a result, but the Dolphins went from hosting a Wild Card game in the warm, inviting confines of South Beach to playing in a frozen tundra in Kansas City.

Both of these teams took punches early in Week 1 but found their ways to comeback wins at home.

This one seriously feels like a coin flip, but I think the difference in this one is the strength Miami has in its receiving core while Josh Allen is trying to establish his top guy following Stefon Diggs’ departure.

Tucker’s Top 5 NFL Games: Week 2

A Week 3 Deep Dive: Kent State

Morgan Wallen & The Dream Concerts You’ve Never Been To