Football is back! The 2023-24 NFL season kicked off this week with a thrilling matchup between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs. Last year’s reigning champion Chiefs struggled without tight end Travis Kelce and, ultimately, fell 21-20.
Now we look ahead to the rest of Week 1 and we turn to Madden 24 to predict how the week will unfold. We’ve got some exciting matchups to look forward to, capped by two thrilling divisional games on Sunday night and Monday night. Let’s see what Madden 24 thinks will happen in Week 1 of the 2023-24 NFL season.
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
The 1 p.m. slate of games features a look at two potential quarterbacks in the future as the Carolina Panthers, led by Bryce Young, visit the Atlanta Falcons, who start Desmond Ridder. Both quarterbacks have solid first games with Young throwing for 237 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception, while Ridder throws for 296 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception. We also have Bijan Robinson making his NFL debut and he proves himself worth of his 8th overall pick, rushing for 110 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Pitts continues to struggle though with just two catches for 24 yards.
Madden 24 prediction: Panthers 21, Falcons 31
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
C.J. Stroud struggles in his NFL debut, throwing for just 124 yards and one interception. Lamar Jackson isn’t much better through the air (147 yards, 1 touchdown), but does add 87 yards on the ground with another 2 touchdowns. Rookie Zay Flowers is his No. 1 receiver with five catches for 52 yards and a TD.
Madden 24 prediction: Texans 14, Ravens 34
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Despite missing all preseason with an injury, Bengals QB Joe Burrow looks sharp in his regular-season debut, completing 72 percent of his passes for 244 yards and 2 TDs. Ja’marr Chase only catches three passes for 48 yards but two of them are for touchdowns. Tee Higgins adds another 122 yards.
Madden 24 prediction: Bengals 41, Browns 22
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Rookie Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the NFL draft, quiets his doubters, completing 83 percent of his passes (20-24) for 217 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But Richardson is known more for his athletic ability, which is why I was surprised to see Madden only predict six carries for 16 yards for the quarterback. That’s just not going to happen. On the other side, Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence has a solid game with 229 yards and two touchdowns.
Madden 24 prediction: Jaguars 23, Colts, 28
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings
Kirk ‘Thuggins’ throws for 310 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings route the Buccaneers in Week 1. Receiver Justin Jefferson is relatively held in check with 8 catches for 76 yards, but the rest of the receiving corps has its way with the Bucs defense. K.J. Osborn catches 9 balls for 120 yards and a touchdown, while T.J. Hockenson adds 61 yards and another TD. Rookie Jordan Addison has three catches for 27 yards.
Madden 24 prediction: Buccaneers 7, Vikings 34
Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints
Don’t let anyone say the Titans aren’t a passing team. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill goes off for three touchdowns as the Titans make easy work of the Saints. Newcomer DeAndre Hopkins’ impact is quite noticeable as he catches 7 passes for 88 yards and a TD. Carr is solid in his Saints debut, completing 18-27 for 242 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Madden 24 prediction: Titans 31, Saints 17
San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Returning from his elbow injury, Brock Purdy completes 17-25 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown. But really, it’s the Christian McCaffrey show as he rushes 96 yards and two touchdowns. Steelers QB Kenny Pickett looks like he may make a big leap in his sophomore season, kicking off his campaign with a 343-yard and 3-touchdown performance. Both George Pickens and Diontae Johnson (finally) score a touchdown.
Madden 24 prediction: 49ers 34, Steelers 20
Arizona Cardinals at Washingon Commanders
This is probably the worst Week 1 game on the slate and, as expected, it features very little offense. Neither team’s starting quarterback eclipses 200 yards passing or throws for a touchdown. The only player worth mentioning is Brian Robinson Jr. who rushes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Madden 24 prediction: Cardinals 12, Commanders 14
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Even without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers still own the Chicago Bears. The Jordan Love era begins with an impressive win over the Bears as the fourth-year quarterback throws for 188 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception. The Packers lean heavily on runningback Aaron Jones who carries the ball 26 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns. It feels like it’s make or break season for Bears QB Justin Fields and he puts on an absolute stinker of a performance (16-29, 152 yards, 2 interceptions, 44 rushing yards).
Madden 24 prediction: Packers 31, Bears 16
Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos
Broncos Country, let’s ride! Sean Payton has the tall task of righting the issues with quarterback Russell Wilson and while the veteran quarterback doesn’t have an amazing game (15-18, 203 yards, 1 TD), the Broncos show signs of life on offense. Javonte Williams, coming off a major injury last season, rushes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. On the other side, Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo goes 20-27 for 286 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception. Davante Adams only catches three passes but one is for a touchdown, while rookie TE Michael Mayer adds five receptions for 59 yards.
Madden 24 prediction: Raiders 35, Broncos 42
Miami Dolphins at Las Angeles Chargers
This score prediction was a bit of a head-scratcher for me as I don’t expect the Dolphins’ offense to be shut down as they were in the sim. Tua Tagovailoa going 12-21 for 147 yards and an interception (with 2 sacks) just doesn’t seem accurate to me. Tyreek Hill with just four catches for 62 yards? Doubtful. Even the Chargers’ Justin Herbert only throws for 129 yards on 21 attempts. I don’t hold much weight with this prediction.
Madden 24 prediction: Dolphins 9, Chargers 24
Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots
The Eagles’ quest for back-to-back Super Bowl appearances is off with an impressive win over the Patriots. Jalen Hurts only completes 50 percent of his passes for a shockingly low 109 yards (unlikely) but does rush for another 43 yards on the ground. Making his debut with the Eagles, D’Andre Swift puts up an impressive stat line of 66 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Mac Jones is fairly average for the Patriots (23-46, 286 yards, 1 Interception). Ezekiel Elliott, who signed with the Patriots late in August, is the leading rusher with 66 yards.
Madden 24 prediction: Eagles 24, Patriots 7
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
I was tempted not to include the results of this sim because Madden had Cooper Kupp playing for the Rams, which he will not be in Week 1. As a result, Matthew Stafford throws for 248 yards and three touchdowns, two of which go to Kupp (9 rec. 140 yards, 2 TDs). Instead of focusing on the score, let’s instead just look at the Seahawks’ offense, which got absolutely shut down. Tyler Lockett (3 rec., 52 yards, 1 TD), D.K. Metcalf (3 rec., 23 yards) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2 rec., 10 yards) get off to a slow start on the year.
Madden 24 prediction: Rams 38, Seahawks 10
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Dak Prescott’s 10-game win streak against the New York Giants comes to an end as the Giants win a close Sunday Night matchup against divisional rival Dallas Cowboys. Coming off a massive extension, Giants’ QB Daniel Jones goes 16-26 for 194 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception. But the Giants offense runs through Saqon Barkley who carries the ball 25 times for 209 yards and two TDs. For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott goes 18-25 for 290 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception, while Ceedee Lamb leads the way with 8 receptions for 144 yards. Tony Pollard carries the ball 12 times for 41 yards and a touchdown.
Madden 24 prediction: Cowboys 21, Giants 28
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
The week caps off with a thrilling AFC East divisional game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. Making his debut for the Gang Green, Aaron Rodgers is relatively held in check, completing 21-35 for 271 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Despite all the drama this offseason in Buffalo, the connection between Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs remains strong. The veteran receiver catches 10 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, while veteran tight end Dawson Knox adds 90 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Allen isn’t perfect (34-46, 326 yards, 3 TDs, 2 interceptions) but the Bills get the job done on Monday Night Football.
Madden 24 prediction: Bills 42, Jets 28
And that’s it for Week 1! Be sure to check back tomorrow for our complete season sim to see who Madden 24 predicts will win Super Bowl LVIII.