The NFL is back, which means our weekly bold predictions column at CBS Sports is too! Just when we think we know what's going to happen around the league, surprises happen every week. Just look at the Super Bowl preseason favorite Los Angeles Rams.
They faceplanted in a 27-7 Week 1 defeat against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, marking the largest Week 1 loss (20 points) by the preseason Super Bowl favorite in recorded history (odds have been available for the last 50 seasons), per CBS Sports Research. The defeat also marked the fewest points the Rams have scored in a game with 2025 NFL MVP Matthew Stafford as their quarterback. Even 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett couldn't do anything to slow San Francisco down, registering his fourth career game without a tackle despite playing 39 snaps against the 49ers.
What other head-scratching events will go down in Week 1? Let's take a look at five bold predictions. Pittsburgh was the site of Tua Tagovailoa's final start as a Miami Dolphins, a 28-15 loss in Week 15.
Tagovailoa didn't play terribly, throwing for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 22-of-28 passing, while taking four sacks. However, Aaron Rodgers was more efficient with 224 yards passing and two passing touchdowns on 23 of 27 passing while taking three sacks. Fortunately for the Falcons and their loaded cast of playmakers (Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London), the Steelers defense had a 20.9% missed tackle rate in 2025, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL.
New Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Patrick Graham produced a 27.9% missed tackle rate with the Las Vegas Raiders defense last season, the second-highest rate in the league. Yards-after-catch opportunities will be available for Tagovailoa and friends. Tagovailoa will return to Pittsburgh on Sunday, and if he's able to play after suffering an oblique injury in practice on Thursday, he'll outplay Rodgers to shock the Steelers en route to a Falcons victory.
This, of course, would be jaw-dropping after watching his 2026 preseason. Tua Tagovailoa's Falcons debut:- fumble on his 2nd snap- zero passes over 5 air yards- 3/5 for 22 yards with all four targets being underneath routes to Kyle Pitts pic.twitter.com/2tmX2KjLTG Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks playing today, but the Houston Texans have his number. In the 2024 season, Allen totaled a career-low 30% completion percentage (9-30), the worst by any quarterback with 30-plus pass attempts in a game since 1992, per CBS Sports Research.
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