By Tiffany Williams –
The 2025 NFL season kicks off this week with a slate of heavyweight matchups across the Northeast, highlighted by the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles, fresh off their dominant 40-22 win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX, return with a loaded roster and the best season-opening record in football over the past two decades. At 15-4 in openers since 2006, including 12-2 since 2011, Philadelphia thrives under the spotlight, and the prime-time stage against Dallas is a fitting start for a team chasing back-to-back titles.
Philadelphia has been one of the league’s standard bearers since 2021, logging a .706 winning percentage with seven playoff berths in eight years, two Super Bowl trips in the last three, and two 14-win campaigns. The Eagles have also owned Dallas in recent years, taking four of the last six meetings, including consecutive wins both overall and at the Linc. The Cowboys, meanwhile, enter with their own aspirations of challenging for the division but face a tall order against a team that has looked nearly untouchable at home in September.
On Sunday, the New England Patriots host the Raiders at Gillette Stadium, rekindling a rivalry that has spanned decades. The teams will meet in the regular season in Foxborough for the first time since 2020, but the history between these former AFL rivals stretches back to 1960. From the Patriots’ lopsided regular season win in 1976, to their playoff heartbreak in Oakland that same year, to the iconic “Snow Bowl” in 2001, New England and the Raiders have a history rich with dramatic swings. The Patriots hold a narrow 18-16-1 edge in the regular season series, but Sunday marks their first Week 1 clash since 2005, when Tom Brady led New England to a 30-20 win.
The New York Jets will open at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup tilted heavily toward Pittsburgh historically. The Steelers lead the series 21-7 overall, including both postseason meetings, and carry a .750 winning percentage against New York — their third-best against any opponent. In September games, Pittsburgh has dominated, going 4-0 all-time against the Jets in the month. The Jets’ best hope may lie in the energy of MetLife Stadium, but the Steelers have won 10 of 15 games in New Jersey and rarely falter early in the season.
The NFC East rivalry between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders resumes in Washington on Sunday afternoon, marking the 187th all-time meeting between the two. The Giants hold a commanding 108-73-5 edge overall, but recent history has swung toward Washington. The Commanders swept the series in 2024, including a 27-22 victory at MetLife Stadium last November. Still, the Giants have fared well historically in openers, with a 51-44-5 record, and the familiarity of this divisional clash should provide an early measuring stick for Brian Daboll’s squad.
Sunday night belongs to Buffalo, where the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens in a primetime showdown between two AFC heavyweights. It is Buffalo’s first season-opening night game since 2000, when a late Steve Christie field goal beat the Titans. The Bills enter with momentum, having gone undefeated at home last season, matching a franchise record with 10 straight wins in Orchard Park. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson will command the spotlight, entering with a combined 10,315 rushing yards — the third most ever by opposing quarterbacks in a head-to-head matchup.
The numbers highlight just how evenly matched these two teams are. Both posted a +157 point differential in 2024, tops in the AFC, and both ranked among the league’s most disciplined in protecting the ball, with Buffalo committing eight giveaways and Baltimore 11. The Bills have thrived under the lights, going 13-4 in primetime since 2022, tied with Dallas for the most appearances in that stretch. With Baltimore bringing one of the league’s deepest rosters and Jackson fresh off another MVP-caliber season, the opener could set the tone for an AFC playoff race that may again run through these two franchises.
Week 1 will test champions and challengers alike. The Eagles seek to defend their crown, Buffalo looks to cement its home dominance, the Patriots and Raiders renew a historic rivalry, and the Jets and Giants try to flip long-standing narratives against rivals who have had their number. For a region steeped in football tradition, the 2025 season begins with storylines as rich as the history behind them.