Now that the NFL has released its 2019 regular season schedule, let’s go ahead and offer some early NFL picks for the 2019 season, including division winners, the Super Bowl champion, and the league’s MVP award. Buy Jets tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster AFC EAST Patriots: Tom Brady continues to defy the laws of aging. But the Jets will push the Patriots at least a little bit this season in the AFC East. AFC NORTH Browns: With Odell Beckham joining Jarvis Landry and Baker Mayfield, the Browns are now legit. Imagine that. It’s going to be a fun season in Cleveland. AFC SOUTH Colts: A lot to like about how the Colts and Andrew Luck (back to his old self) closed last season. AFC WEST Chiefs: With Patrick Mahomes, they’re going to be the team to beat in this division for years to come. AFC WILD-CARD TEAMS Texans, Jets As long as Deshaun Watson can stay healthy, the Texans will be a playoff contender. The Jets will surprisingly snag the second wildcard spot, save general manager Mike Maccagnan’s job, and make a hero (at least for one season) out of first-year coach Adam Gase, among a success-starved fanbase. NFC EAST Eagles: The Giants and Washington surely won’t be factors in 2019, so this is a two-team race, between the Eagles and Cowboys, in the NFC East. NFC NORTH Vikings: After a disappointing season in 2018, Kirk Cousins and Co. rebound in a big way in 2019. But how far will they go in the playoffs? NFC SOUTH Saints: Yes, Drew Brees is bound to show some signs of slipping in 2019. But the Saints are such a well-oiled machine that they can deal with Brees aging a bit. NFC WEST Rams: How will Jared Goff and Co. respond to the Super Bowl disappointment from last season? They’re in an easy enough division to at least return to the playoffs. NFC WILD-CARD TEAMS Bears, Seahawks The Bears will fight the Vikings hard for the NFC North, while the successful rebuilding process continues in Seattle, and Russell Wilson keeps up his usual excellent play, coming off that monster contract. SUPER BOWL Chiefs 31, Bears 21 A fantastic battle of an insanely good offense (Chiefs) and insanely good defense (Bears). But Mahomes will prove to be the difference. MVP Mahomes: He will become the first back-to-back winner since Peyton Manning in 2008 and 2009. Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.<doc-sep>PHOENIX -- As part of the celebration of its 100th season, the NFL will break from tradition and feature the Packers vs. the Bears in its season opener Sept. 5. Usually, the Super Bowl champion is the home team for the prime-time opener, but the league wants to salute historic rivalries in 2019. None fits better than Chicago-Green Bay. The teams have met 198 times since 1921, when the Bears were the Chicago Staleys. Green Bay leads the series 97-95-6, including the clubs splitting two post-season games. Staging the Thursday night game at Chicago's Soldier Field -- even if it is a modernized version of the stadium -- adds to the theme. There will be a free fan festival and concert in nearby Grant Park and, for the first time, the league has approved a free viewing event of the game in the park. "We see that around other sports," said Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive vice-president for league events. Such viewings, for example, have been a staple of the World Cup for decades, and hockey also has adopted the practice. "It will create a big festival environment." This will be the first time since 2003 the Super Bowl champion has not played in the opener. New England instead will open at home in the prime-time game Sunday night, Sept. 8. The opponent has not yet been determined. The full schedule will be announced next month. "With the 100th season, we want to do something to kick it off in a special way," said Hans Schroeder, the league's chief operating officer of media. "We're celebrating the Bears, one of the original member clubs, in their 100th season, and the Packers are in their 101st. It's an iconic matchup." Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel invoked the name of George Halas, the team's founder, in welcoming the news. "George 'Papa Bear' Halas and the NFL's co-founders probably didn't imagine the federation they established 100 years ago in cities and towns across the Midwest would one day be the most successful professional sports league in the world," Emanuel said in a statement. "But that's what their vision achieved. Chicago -- the most American of American cities -- is the perfect venue for this game." Schroeder and Brian Rolapp, the NFL's chief media and business officer, outlined other plans for the 100th season: NFL Films will produce a series that selects the 100 greatest teams, plays, games, characters and game changers; an all-time team is being chosen and will be featured in a TV series; and Peyton Manning will talk to fans around the country about the history of the NFL for another television series. The league also disclosed plans for next month's draft that will supplement the proceedings in Nashville. Teams will make selections in eight of the original 13 towns that comprised the NFL for its first season. In Dayton, Ohio, the field used back then, Triangle Park, still exists, and a selection will be made there. The NFL also has committed to installing new turf on the field. "This is a really special moment for our city," Dayton mayor Nan Whaley said. "We're excited that the NFL is recognizing the places that were there in the very beginning and that they are celebrating Dayton's special history in paving the way for the league with a donation that will leave a lasting impact in the community." Each of the 32 clubs will stage a "Fantennial Weekend" during the regular season in which it will work in conjunction with local high school football teams on a Friday, stage a fan festival on Saturday, and then have former players from the NFL club at the game on Sunday. The home team also will reveal the greatest moment or play in its history that day. Rolapp said the league is talking to DIRECTV about expanding the digital presence for its popular Sunday Ticket option that makes available all out-of-market games. The NFL could opt out of its contract with DIRECTV after next season. "The world has really changed and how people consume games has changed," he said. "How do we broaden these rights, deliver more easily to digital platforms?"<doc-sep>
Over the last few years, the NFL has had the defending Super Bowl champion open up the season with a home game (unless the Orioles screw things up), but for the league's 100th anniversary season, things will get changed up a bit. Instead of the Patriots hosting a game on Thursday night, it will be the Bears and Packers kicking off the season on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC. We've been hearing these rumors for months now, but it is finally official -- Chicago will host Green Bay in Week 1 to begin the historic season. The matchup between the two blue-chip franchises will be the 199th meeting in their long-standing NFC North rivalry. The Westgate has the Bears favored (8-5) to win the division, with the Packers (2-1) and Vikings (2-1) right behind them. FanDuel Sportsbook in New Jersey set the opening line for this matchup at Bears -4. It's nice timing too, with the Packers rebooting a bit over the last two years and now looking to take advantage of the final years of Aaron Rodgers' career by adding Matt LaFleur as their new head coach. Several high-profile defensive additions as well as a pair of first-round picks have the Green Bay faithful excited for a bounce-back season. Chicago couldn't be more thrilled for the Bears: in Matt Nagy's first season, Chicago traded for Khalil Mack and stormed to a stunning division title. Mitchell Trubisky enters his third season with plenty of weapons and the prospect of taking another leap and really delivering on his draft status. The Bears were dominant in 2018 but might not have flashed their full upside. Putting that matchup in prime time in Week 1 to open the season only adds to the juice that already comes with every Bears-Packers game. For the Patriots, they will open up their title defense on Sunday night, also on NBC as the first game in the network's "Sunday Night Football" package. New England will raise yet another championship banner ahead of the game, which will begin at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 8. The Patriots' opponent will be announced with the rest of the schedule when it is released closer to the draft. The Giants, Browns and Chiefs all loom as possible opponents for the Patriots.