• Micah Parsons makes his Packers debut against Penei Sewell: The two 2021 first-round picks will duke it out for the first time in two years, when Parsons dominated.

• Steelers–Jets should offer tremendous receiver-corner matchups: DK Metcalf vs. Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson vs. Darius Slay/Jalen Ramsey are both top battles.

• Subscribe to PFF+: It’s quick and easy. You’ll unlock industry-leading rankings, unlimited Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator use, PFF’s Live Draft Assistant and our weekly Start/Sit Optimizer. It’s time to win.

Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

After seven months of firework trades, marquee signings and projections, the 2025 NFL season has officially cleared for liftoff.

Thursday night’s entertaining opener between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles presented several fascinating one-on-one battles, including George Pickens vs. Quinyon Mitchell, Sam Williams vs. Jordan Mailata and Jake Ferguson vs. Zack Baun. While one play can alter an entire game flow (or several drops for CeeDee Lamb), the victor of each individual war swayed the arrow of victory in their team’s direction.

Across a jam-packed Week 1, several more of these head-to-head clashes should manifest. Below are 10 wars to circle as you follow all the action this weekend.

Packers EDGE Micah Parsons vs. Lions T Penei Sewell

After the Packers pulled off one of the more shocking trades in recent NFL memory, it’s only fitting that the team’s first game comes against an elite opponent with a player designed to stop someone like Parsons.

Lions-Packers pits not only two NFC title contenders against one another, but also two of the best at their positions in Parsons and Sewell. Since the two 2021 first-round picks debuted four years ago, Parsons sits second in PFF Wins Above Replacement among edge rushers, while Sewell is tied as the second-most-valuable tackle. It’s not often that two players who are this young and great get to square off, let alone twice in a season.

The last time that Parsons and Sewell went head-to-head was in Week 17, 2023. Viewers were treated to 29 total matchups between the two stalwarts, with 21 of those on pass-blocking snaps. Parsons bested Sewell for two pressures and a 9.5% pressure rate en route to amassing five total pressures, while Sewell posted only a 52.2 PFF pass-blocking grade — tied for his second-lowest in the last three years.

Texans-Rams is a fun yet rare matchup for a number of reasons, situating two playoff contenders against one another right off the bat. What especially jumps off the page in this game is a duel between one of the league’s top receivers and best cornerbacks.

Nacua somehow improved upon his terrific rookie season in 2024 by leading the league with a 92.6 PFF receiving grade and 3.23 yards per route run. Meanwhile, Stingley secured his second straight year with at least an 84.4 PFF coverage grade, allowing the lowest passer rating when targeted (39.6) among all qualified defenders.

Considering that Nacua played 66.3% of his receiving snaps out wide last year, it’s fair to expect this matchup on several occasions, although it remains to be seen if Stingley will directly shadow Nacua. More specifically, Nacua’s most-targeted route concept out wide in 2024 was the hitch (18.4%) — but Stingley permitted only five hitch catches on 10 such targets as a boundary corner last year, batting away three of them.

Steelers-Jets may not strike fans as the most competitive game mentioned on this list, although there’s sure to be some two-sided vitriol considering that both Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields will face off against their 2024 squads right away. Still, this contest offers a look into what should be a physical clash for 60 minutes.

After playing his first six seasons with the Seahawks, Metcalf was acquired by the Steelers in a landmark deal in March. The former Pro Bowler will look to improve upon his 74.6 PFF receiving grade and 1.81 yards per route run, both of which were his worst since his rookie season in 2019. Similarly, Gardner is seeking to play more like the version we’ve come to expect after his PFF coverage grade tumbled to a 73.1 mark in 2024.

Metcalf and Gardner ran into each other in Week 13 of last season, which Gardner won triumphantly. The Jets cornerstone allowed only one catch on four targets when lined up with Metcalf, breaking up two of those attempts.

However, Metcalf’s lone catch went for 28 yards, which is emblematic of him tying as the league’s best deep receiver last year, according to PFF receiving grade (99.9). For context, Gardner’s 53.5 PFF coverage grade on deep (20-plus-yard) targets slotted 38^th out of 127 qualifiers in 2024, while his 31.3% deep completion rate tied for 61^st.

Chiefs-Chargers presents another worthwhile divisional contest in the league’s second game on the 2025 calendar. While Patrick Mahomes vs. Justin Herbert will ensnare most of the attention, McConkey vs. McDuffie is an excellent affair inside.

McConkey emerged as not only one of the NFL’s best rookie receivers last season, but also as one of the game’s pre-eminent all-around wideouts in 2024. His 85.0 PFF receiving grade was the second-best among rookies, and his 2.59 yards per route run ranked fourth among all qualified receivers. Meanwhile, McDuffie has steadily emerged as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, ranking second in PFF WAR at the position since being drafted in 2022.

When these two rivals butted heads last season, McDuffie limited McConkey in a massive way. Week 4 was the only time we saw both on the field simultaneously, but the Chiefs corner held the rookie to just one catch for five yards while playing 11 coverage snaps in the slot. After he played only 12.6% of snaps in the slot in 2024, it will be fascinating to see if Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo deploys McDuffie inside more to neutralize McConkey.

Metcalf-Gardner may be the headliner receiver-cornerback stalemate in this game, but the action won’t stop when the Jets have the ball.

Wilson has proven to be a dynamic receiving force since he broke into the NFL, placing 14^th in PFF WAR at the position and 22^nd in PFF receiving grade (85.4) among qualified receivers since 2022. The new extension recipient will probably be covered by both Slay and Ramsey, two new faces in Pittsburgh’s secondary who both posted at least 71.9 PFF coverage grades in 2024. Considering that Wilson has played 67% of his career snaps out wide, he’ll likely see more of Slay, who projects as one of Pittsburgh’s outside cornerbacks.

Wilson had his way with Ramsey last year, hauling in seven of nine targets for 137 yards across two matchups with the Dolphins. On the flip side, Slay has never toed the line with Wilson. Pittsburgh will aim for its new veteran corner duo to neutralize Wilson and put the burden on Fields’ other, more unproven receivers.

Bills WR Khalil Shakir vs. Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey

It’s very difficult not to look at Ravens-Bills from the lens of Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, because they resemble two of the NFL’s foremost players. Yet, another top-notch coverage battle will occur when Buffalo holds the ball.

Shakir broke out in 2024 with an 80.1 PFF receiving grade, fueled by just a 2.1% drop rate. Moreover, Shakir’s 83.6 PFF receiving grade in the slot ranked sixth among qualifiers, and his 684 slot yards were the fourth-most. As for Humphrey, he returned to peak form with an 81.0 PFF coverage grade while playing 500 slot snaps, his most since 2020.

During both the regular season and playoffs, Humphrey bottled up Shakir. The cornerback permitted just two catches to Shakir for 15 yards on only three targets, with the other swatted by Humphrey. Buffalo will have to more heavily engage Shakir — particularly against Humphrey — if it wants to avoid a similar fate to the outcome it suffered in Week 4.

Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson vs. Packers T Zach Tom

Parsons may be the shiny new name in this showdown, but the NFL surely hasn’t forgotten about the wrecking ball on the other side in Hutchinson. His return to action will come against another fantastic young tackle.

Before suffering a broken leg in Week 6, Hutchinson was effectively unblockable. He racked up 45 pressures and a 95.0 PFF pass-rush grade, which culminated in a 94.9 overall PFF grade. For Green Bay, Tom has been a steady presence at right tackle over the last two seasons, placing ninth in PFF WAR and 13^th in overall PFF grade (85.3) among tackles since his rookie year.

Hutchinson played slightly more against left tackles (171 snaps from the Left B Gap onward) than right tackles (90) in 2024, but he did encounter Tom quite a bit in 2023. Two years ago, Hutchinson generated a gaudy six pressures and a 15.8% pressure rate on 38 pass-blocking matchups with Tom.

49ers-Seahawks has more of a mid-season Thursday Night Football feel instead of a Week 1 showdown, but it still offers a snapshot of what could very well be a crowded NFC West race. The individual matchup between Bosa and Cross feels very likely to dictate the outcome.

Bosa was just as prolific as ever last year, securing his fourth straight season with an 89.3-plus PFF pass-rushing grade and his third consecutive with a 19.9%-plus pass-rush win rate. San Francisco will need Bosa to be his usual monstrous self, especially considering it ushers in multiple new defensive linemen. Likewise, Cross played like a top-10 pick in 2024, compiling an 82.5 overall PFF grade with a 96.0 PFF pass-blocking efficiency mark.

Although their teams played twice, Bosa and Cross didn’t encounter each other much over the course of the 2024 season. The two parried on only 18 total matchups, although Bosa was highly disruptive. The All-Pro edge rusher secured three pressures on those 17 pass-blocking matchups, good for a 17.6% pressure rate. It is worth noting, though, that 15 of those matchups occurred in their first meeting in Week 6.

Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby vs. Patriots T Will Campbell

Raiders-Patriots can get buried on a long list of alluring games, but it could be a deciding affair in the eventual AFC wild-card race. As these two revamped squads duke it out, keep particular eye on the trenches when New England has the ball.

Crosby played only 766 snaps in 2024 due to an ankle injury, although he wasn’t quite as dominant as we’ve come to expect. His 70.1 PFF pass-rushing grade and 74.3 overall PFF grade were each his lowest in four years. On the other hand, New England is bullish about Campbell, the fourth overall pick who secured an 86.2 overall PFF grade during the preseason.

Any rookie’s inaugural game will prove to be a test, and that’s especially the case for Campbell against a longtime star in Crosby. Will the LSU product hold up enough to keep Drake Maye clean, or will the Raiders phenom welcome the touted rookie to the NFL?

Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan vs. Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter

Several other individual matchups throughout Week 1 were very interesting and, admittedly, tough to omit. But, this meeting of two premier rookies couldn’t be left out.

McMillan, the eighth overall pick in April, comes to Carolina after earning an 85.8-plus PFF receiving grade in consecutive seasons at Arizona. The 6-foot-5 McMillan was widely considered to be the top true receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft and will look to establish himself as Bryce Young’s immediate favorite target. Conversely, the Heisman Trophy winner Hunter joins the Jaguars after generating an elite 90.3 PFF coverage grade alongside an 89.0 PFF receiving mark.

The Jaguars’ cornerback rotation remains to be seen, especially after signing Jourdan Lewis this offseason. But if the preseason is any indication, Hunter will presumably stick on the perimeter, where all seven of his snaps at cornerback came in August. Getting to watch McMillan’s contested catch ability go head-to-head with Hunter’s ball skills right away would be a delight.