Packers vs Vikings Game Online TV Coverage Info

Marcedes Lewis likely never thought his NFL career would lead him to playing for the Packers.

But after the Jaguars released him in 2018 and he spoke with his mother, Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Graham, they convinced the southern California native to put his retirement thoughts on hold and join them in the frozen tundra.

Since the former Pro Bowl tight end traded the “75 degree and sunny with a slight breeze” weather for Green Bay’s iconic winters, Lewis has embraced his relationship with Rodgers and his role in the Packers’ offense. In working in an offense with a signal caller that is “destined for a gold jacket” after his NFL career, Lewis revealed that Green Bay has two different offensive playbooks, crediting the prowess of Rodgers.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Facing its fifth team that won 20-plus matches a year ago in Utah State, the Portland State volleyball team came out in peak form. The Vikings recorded 18 kills on .366 hitting in the opening frame against the Aggies, claiming a 1-0 lead over an Aggies team that’s receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25.

The lead didn’t hold up, as Utah State (4-2) used tough serving and defense to win the next three sets, but the Vikings (2-5) won’t be displeased with how they played despite a 3-1 loss (21-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-14) Friday at the Asics Invitational at Gill Coliseum.

“We were able to achieve great offensive distribution in the first set due to solid first contacts,” Portland State head coach Michael Seemann said afterwards. “They got hot from the service line and we were not able to distribute as we did in the first. But I liked the way we defended for most of the match.”

Seemann and the Vikings still would have rather had the win, of course, but the strong start and strong defensive play marked some progress for the Vikings Friday. The Vikings’ only other match against a team either ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 this season was a 3-0 loss to then-No. 19 Oregon on Aug. 28. The Vikings were outhit .400-to-negative-.047 and out-killed 42-to-18 in that match, but were much more competitive Friday against the Aggies. Utah State still outhit the Vikings .280-to-.179, but the Vikings were only out-killed by one, 50-to-49.

The Vikings actually out-dug the Aggies, 70-to-64, a marked difference from the team’s match against the Ducks when the only recorded 26 digs.

The strong digging was evident in the first set as the Vikings recorded 23 digs in that set alone. The Aggies actually hit really well in that opening set – .295 with 14 kills – but the Vikings extended points with their digging and took the set, 25-21. Two different Vikings recorded seven digs in the set in Ellie Snook and Sophia Meyerswhile Madison Friebel and Makayla Lewis also had three digs each.

Meyers’ seven digs meant she nearly had a double-double in the first set alone as she also led the Vikings offensively. Meyers finished with nine kills on .571 hitting, giving her half of the Vikings’ 18 kills in the set. Meyers’ production helped the Vikings hit .366 as a team, which was their second-best percentage in a set this season.

Lewis had four kills of her own in the opening set, while the Vikings got good production out of their right-side hitters in their 6-2 formation – a theme that would continue across the whole match. Parker Webb and Jasmine Powell each had two kills in the first set, while they’d finished the match with nine and eight, respectively. The 17 combined kills are the most the Vikings have gotten out of their right sides this season, and both players hit .280 or better Friday.

The Vikings’ serve receive let them down a bit in the second set, however, as the Aggies turned the match in their favor. A 12-1 run over the first half of the second set in which the Aggies recorded five aces gave them full control. Defense then led the Aggies in the third and fourth sets as they held the Vikings to less than .125 hitting in both frames while closing the door on the match.

Meyers finished with 18 kills and 14 digs for her third double-double of the season. Her 18 kills tied her career high for a second time this season, as she also had 18 kills in the Vikings’ five-set road win over UTEP. Webb and Powell followed with their nine and eight kills, respectively, while Lewis added six and middle blockers Ashleigh Barto and Ashlyn Blotzer chipped in four each.

Four different Vikings ended up in double figures for digs, the first time that’s happened since the Vikings’ season opener against Long Beach State on Aug. 26. Lewis led the Vikings with 16 digs, while Snook had 15 and Meyers finished with 14. Friebel added 11 digs as part of her second double-double of the season as she also finished with 24 assists.

Friebel and fellow setter Ella Hartford both traded off well in the Vikings’ 6-2 formation. Friebel led the Vikings with 24 assists, while Hartford recorded 16, a new season high for her.

The Aggies held a significant advantage at the net, however, as they out-blocked the Vikings 11.0-to-4.0. Ten of the Aggies’ 11 blocks came after the Vikings’ strong opening set of the match.

The Vikings continue at the Asics Invitational tomorrow when they’ll face North Texas in another neutral-site match at Gill Coliseum. North Texas lost 3-1 to host Oregon State earlier in the day Friday, and will play the University of Portland at 5 p.m. Friday evening.

First serve between the Vikings and North Texas is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 3-6 all time against Utah State with the loss Friday…Friday’s match was the first between the two teams since 1999…Snook cracked 1,700 digs in her career during Friday’s match and now needs only 39 more to pass Eavi Shovlin (1994-97) for second on the all-era list in program history.

EAGAN, Minn. — After Ed Ingram was selected in the second round of the NFL draft in April, he came to Minnesota with an initial goal. On Sunday, he will reach it.

Ingram will start at right guard for the Vikings in their season opener against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium. He is expected to be the team’s only rookie in the starting lineup.

“I came here expecting to work hard and pretty much getting a starting spot, and this is what I came for,” Ingram said Friday.

Nevertheless, Ingram expects there will be some nerves when he first lines up.

“I kind of feel a little nervous and stuff, a little jitters, what you expect to feel going into a game like that,” he said. “But I’m not trying to make it a big deal.”

The Vikings took tackle Brian O’Neill in the second round of the 2018 draft and guard Ezra Cleveland in the second round in 2020, but neither found their way into the starting lineup as rookies until Week 6. First-year coach Kevin O’Connell is impressed with how quickly Ingram has gotten up to speed after being selected out of LSU.

“He’s earned (being a starter),” O’Connell said. “Ed, from the very first day we got him here, he’s kind of just taken it one step at a time, attacking the process we laid out for him, and has developed before our very eyes. As you know with all rookies, there’s going to be an adjustment process for him, and I’m excited about where Ed’s going, and expect a lot out of him this weekend.”

Ingram said he’s been getting valuable advice from other Minnesota offensive linemen. That includes left tackle Christian Darrisaw, a first-round draft pick in 2021 who moved into the lineup in Week 6 last year. He likely would have taken over the spot earlier had he not been recovering from a groin issue.

“We all love Ed,” Darrisaw said. “It’s like me last year coming in as a rookie and starting. Just take every play one play at a time. Just don’t try to overthink things. Just go out and play fast, whatever you do. Mistakes will happen. But even if you mess up, the next play, go attack it.”

Ingram is well aware what can happen if he messes up. He was asked the toughest thing to learn so far as an NFL offensive lineman.

“Toughest thing is like consistency, being on it,” Ingram said. “It’s like in college, you can take a few plays off, pass protection. I’m learning the NFL, you can’t take any plays off. If you take one play off, you’re getting beat, a sack.”

It remains to be seen if Vikings rookie safety Lewis Cine will make his NFL debut on Sunday or not.

Cine was listed as questionable due to a knee injury after being limited in practice Thursday and sitting out Friday’s workout.

“Lew Cine had a little aggravation of a previous injury,’’ O’Connell said. “He’s working through getting as much treatment as possible, and he truly is questionable for the game. Just something that kind of jumped up at him pre-practice (Thursday).”

Cine, taken with the No. 32 pick in the first round out of Georgia, didn’t want to discuss his injury Friday. He remained hopeful of playing.

“It’d be huge, first game going out with my dawgs, playing,’’ Cine said. “That’d be huge. That’s the only thing I wish for, hope for. Only thing I want.”

The Vikings also listed first-string defensive end Jonathan Bullard as questionable, but he was able to go through a full practice Friday after being limited Wednesday and Thursday. Defensive lineman Ross Blacklock, who said last week that Bullard would start in Week 1 as the replacement for the waived Armon Watts, has no doubt Bullard will start Sunday.

“Bullard’s a full go, and I’ll rotate with him in and out, wherever they need me,’’ Blacklock said.

Backup running back Alexander Mattison missed practice Thursday and Friday due to a personal matter but O’Connell said it’s “fully expected Alexander to be ready to go.’’ A source said Mattison had a family situation but “everything is fine” and he “most definitely” will play against the Packers.

O’Connell said wide receiver Jalen Reagoracquired last week from Philadelphia, will not only be the punt returner Sunday but will also be “in the mix” on offense. “He’s done a great job, and he’s earned the right,” O’Connell said. … The Packers listed wide receiver Allen Lazard (ankle) as doubtful and offensive lineman David Bakhtiari (knee) and Elgton Jenkins (pectoral/knee) as questionable.

When: 3:25 p.m. Sunday, U.S. Bank Stadium

TV, radio: Ch. 9, 100.3-FM

Line: Packers by 1 1/2

THREE STORY LINES

O’Connell makes his debut
The last time the Vikings had a head coach trying to win his first regular-season game, they played in St. Louis, took the field with Matt Cassel as their starting quarterback and won behind 102 rushing yards from Cordarrelle Patterson while the Rams were focused on Adrian Peterson. On Sunday, Kevin O’Connell’s regular-season debut comes on national TV, at home against the Vikings’ biggest rival. “I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t going to be a little extra excited, a little bit more than just any other game,” O’Connell said.

New defense, familiar challenge
Mike Zimmer’s time-tested 4-3 scheme is gone, and in its place is the Vikings’ version of the Vic Fangio-influenced scheme that’s become trendy across the NFL (including in Green Bay). The Packers practice against a defense with plenty of similarities to the Vikings’ attack, and they’ve still got Aaron Rodgers — coming off back-to-back MVP seasons — running their offense. Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, whose time in Green Bay ended two years before the Packers drafted Rodgers, will try to get the better of the Vikings’ biggest nemesis.

Offense finally takes the field
The Vikings held Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen out of all their preseason games, meaning their top offensive players are both completely fresh and entering the season without a single snap of game action in O’Connell’s offense. The group will try to get started quickly against what might be the Packers’ most talented defense in years, with Green Bay adding Georgia linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt in the first round.

TWO KEY MATCHUPS

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson vs. Packers CB Eric Stokes
In the Vikings’ 34-31 win over the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium last year, Jefferson beat Stokes twice for 79 yards, including a 23-yard score that put the Vikings up by 7 with just over two minutes to go. The Vikings have big plans for Jefferson in O’Connell’s offense; the Packers are counting on Stokes to take a step forward in his second season. This could be an individual matchup we see in this rivalry for years to come.

Vikings C Garrett Bradbury vs. Packers DT Kenny Clark
The Vikings have talked hopefully about the center improving in his fourth year; he’ll have to prove it right away against Clark, who’s been one of Bradbury’s toughest matchups for the past several seasons. Expect the Packers to test Bradbury’s communication with rookie right guard Ed Ingram, by running stunts and blitzes that force the two to react and pass players off on the fly.

ONE STAT THAT MATTERS

20: Years since a Vikings head coach won his first matchup against the Packers. Mike Tice was the last to do it in 2002, when his 2-7 Vikings surprised an 8-1 Packers team with a 31-21 win at the Metrodome. Brad Childress (2006), Leslie Frazier (2011) and Mike Zimmer (2014) all lost their first game vs. Green Bay.

THE VIKINGS WILL WIN IF …

Their new-look offense can put together a productive day against a talented Packers defense, while their defensive coverages can force Rodgers to hold the ball long enough for Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith to have big days against a Packers offensive line that’s trying to get healthy. The Vikings could also benefit from the fact Rodgers is playing his first game with a new set of receivers after the Packers traded Davante Adams.

THE PACKERS WILL WIN IF …

They run the ball well with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, while Rodgers connects with his receivers and the Packers’ secondary can find a way to keep Jefferson from having a massive day. Green Bay also hired Rich Bisaccia to help fix the pitiful special teams units that cost the Packers the NFC divisional playoff game in January; if there’s another big special teams gaffe from the Packers, it could swing a close game.

PREDICTION

Green Bay’s defense presents a formidable challenge for a Vikings offense that’s been trying to master a new system. In a Week 1 game where both teams have things to figure out, the Packers can lean on their defense and Rodgers to prevail. Packers 23, Vikings 20

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Green Bay Packers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

We asked and you answered. Below are the results from the Week 1 SB Nation Reacts surveys, both on the national level and from Acme Packing Company itself. Generally, the results of the surveys fell in line with expectations, though, the projected 2022 leader in receiving yards for the team was a bit of a surprise.

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National results

How many people want this one back after the Buffalo Bills beat down the Los Angeles Rams 31-10 in Inglewood last night? According to DraftKings, the Rams are down to +650 (13.5 percent implied probability) to win the NFC currently, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+330, 23 percent) and the Green Bay Packers (+400, 20 percent.)

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Acme Packing Company results

Who knew we had so many Sammy Watkins fans on the site? I would have assumed that Allen Lazard would have been the runaway favorite here, but maybe his ankle injury is giving some fans pause.

Vikings defensive linemen Harrison Phillips and Dalvin Tomlinson have become good friends, and it all started thanks to Tiger Woods.

At Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021 in Tampa, Fla., the golf legend was in attendance. Woods, who went to Stanford, was invited at the game to meet some former football stars from the school in a suite.

Among the Stanford alums in the suite were Phillips, who played then with Buffalo; John Lynch, a former NFL safety who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame three days earlier, and safety Michael Thomas, who was then with Houston and is now with Cincinnati. Phillips and Thomas were on hand for Tampa Bay’s 31-9 victory over Kansas City because they had been nominees for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and the league had invited all 32 nominees to the game and given them access to the suite.

Tomlinson, an Alabama graduate who was then with the New York Giants and was also a nominee for the award, was in the suite, as well. And when the Stanford alums wanted to take a picture along with Woods, Tomlinson sought to get in on the action.

“I had the Stanford connection, so I was like, ‘We’ve got to do a squad picture because (Stanford coach) David Shaw would love this,’ ” said Phillips, who signed with the Vikings as a free agent in March after playing his first four seasons with the Bills. “So I had the Stanford guys get together for a photo and Dalvin was standing right there, and saying, ‘I want to get one, too.’ So Dalvin popped right in. … So that’s the first time I met Dalvin.”

Also jumping into the photo was Baltimore defensive end Calais Campbell, who played in college at Miami and was also a nominee for the Man of the Year Award.

“I was talking to Calais about some charity stuff, and we were just right there at the right time,” said Tomlinson, entering his second season with the Vikings after four years with the Giants. “We were just all talking to Tiger Woods, and I introduced myself and we all took a picture together.”

After Woods departed, Phillips and Tomlinson began to talk with each other. Their stories differ about that.

“I went up to Dalvin and introduced myself and said, ‘Hey, man. I’m a big fan. What’s going on? I respect your game,’ ” Phillips said. “And I think he was like, ‘Oh, cool, who are you?’ I think he big-timed me the first time we met.”

Tomlinson disagrees with that account.

“I knew he was in Buffalo and everything, and I had watched some film on him and I saw that he was a great player,” Tomlinson said. “He says I didn’t know who he was. But I knew who he was. We just hadn’t met in person.”

As it turned out, the conversation between the two went well. They learned how much they have in common.

“Both of us are three-time (high school) state wrestling champions,’’ said Phillips, who is from Omaha, Neb., while Tomlinson is from McDonough, Ga. “Both of us were 4.0 students. Both of us have had multiple, double ACL surgeries, both of us are engaged to high school girlfriends.”

And there’s more.

“The more and more we talked, it was like, ‘Oh, I love the color gold (also). That’s my favorite color,’ ” Phillips said. Then it was, ‘Oh, I love pizza (also).’ There’s just so many things.”

This time, Tomlinson doesn’t disagree with Phillips.

“I remember talking to him about our life stories and there were so many similarities, it was crazy.” he said.

Flash forward to April and Phillips, 26, and Tomlinson, 28, were reunited when both reported for spring drills at the TCO Performance Center. They were pleased to see they had been assigned lockers next to one another.

“We introduced ourselves again because it had been awhile and everything, and that just pretty much kicked up the friendship there,” Tomlinson said. “We’re super cool. We’re close.”

When the Vikings open the season Sunday against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium, the two will be alongside each other on the line. Phillips is the starting nose tackle and Tomlinson a starting defensive end as Minnesota has moved to a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Ed Donatell.

The two talk football and watch film together. Tomlinson has previous experience in the 3-4 with the Giants, so he’s been giving Phillips, who played in a 4-3 with the Bills, pointers.

“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Phillips said. “I ask him how to play blocks, but we have a good balance back and forth. He likes the way I pick apart offenses, and he kind of asks me how I see things.”

The two have socialized together and are planning for their respective fiancés to meet soon. Both are planning to be married next year — Phillips in Minnesota and Tomlinson in Hawaii — and they plan to attend each other’s weddings.

The two talk to each other often about their charity work. Phillips has a foundation, Harrison’s Playmakers, which supports children and young adults with developmental differences and special needs. Tomlinson, whose father died when he was 5 and mother died when he was 17, does work with Good Grief and Kate’s Club, charities that help those who have lost loved ones.

“Those guys have come together as brothers,” Vikings edge rusher D.J. Wonnum said. “They have a lot in common. You just see it every day.”

And they first got together thanks to Woods. Phillips had talked to Woods several previous times at Stanford functions, but Tomlinson met him for the first time at that Super Bowl. While Tomlinson said he initially was “star struck” talking to the golf legend, he said it was a big thrill.

But what Tomlinson remembers most now about that day is something else.

“That’s how I met H.P.,” he said. “It’s pretty crazy.”

Aaron Rodgers has a long history of valuing veteran offensive weapons. For instance, the quarterback said he rates “production over potential” earlier this year. Young receivers must gain his trust before getting a more prominent role in the Green Bay Packers offense.

The veterans were always expected to have the first chance to show their value, while rookies Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs adjusted to the pro game. Now, with Allen Lazard handling an ankle injury, free-agent addition Sammy Watkins will have a big role to start the season.

And head coach Matt LaFleur, who worked with Watkins as the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator in 2017, is ready to take advantage of what the former first-round pick can still do.

“Obviously, we have history going back to L.A. together. So that definitely gives you a pretty good idea of what he’s capable of doing,” LaFleur said in June. “I still think — I don’t think his game has fallen off at all since we were together in 2017. A little of it has been maybe a little bit lack of opportunity. But I think he’s a guy that’s out there working hard. And he’s going to be a big part of our offense.”

Watkins had a quiet start at training camp, falling behind Lazard and Doubs. At a certain point, there was even a question if Watkins would make the roster. His contract is a one-year prove-it deal, so guaranteed money was not a significant factor in the decision.

But beginning with the joint practices with the New Orleans Saints, Watkins stepped up and began to show Rodgers how important he will be, especially while Lazard is out.

“I’ll tell you what, ever since the Saints practice, the first one, Sammy has been a different player,” Aaron Rodgers highlighted. “He’s been super reliable. Every practice, he’s made a bunch of plays.”

Watkins is incredibly talented. The Buffalo Bills took him fourth-overall in 2014, ahead of Davante Adams, Odell Beckham, and Mike Evans. He also is schematically essential for the Packers.

Lazard is a big slot, while Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers are also primarily slot receivers. Therefore, Sammy Watkins is the only veteran on the active roster who is a true boundary receiver. The coaching staff has indicated that Watkins will be the X receiver on the design of the plays, which shows how much they trust him to play at a high level and attract defenders. The big if, as it has been throughout his career, is his ability to stay healthy.

“I’m just trying to really be consistent,” Watkins said during training camp. “That’s been the knock on my career — consistency. And I just think I’ve got to continue to stack good days on top of good days. Because you look at the great wide receivers – Davante Adams, Ja’Marr Chase – they’re not just good one day. They’re consistent. They’re consistent every day, every week. And I think that’s where I’ve got to translate my game — coming to practice and being good at practice every day, not having an off day.”

Lazard might not lose much time. He wasn’t even ruled out for the Sunday game against the Minnesota Vikings to open the season. But considering the different types of players they are, Watkins has a chance to be important moving forward as the best veteran option to play outside. Meanwhile, the rookies, especially Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, have time to develop without being forced into more significant roles immediately.

The best season of Sammy Watkins’ career was 2015, his second year in the NFL when he had 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns for the Bills. Since then, Watkins has had some solid, if unspectacular, performances. Two years later, he had 593 yards and eight touchdowns with Matt LaFleur in Los Angeles — similar numbers to what Lazard had for the Packers last season. However, injuries have been a theme for his career. Watkins played 16 games in a season only once, in his rookie year in 2014. Last season, he played 13 games for the Baltimore Ravens, with 394 yards and only one touchdown.

It’s unrealistic to expect a fully 17-game season from Watkins, or production like he had early in his career. But the veteran can undoubtedly surpass the value of his low-risk contract and be an extremely useful part of Green Bay’s offensive plan.

Elgton Jenkins is set to become one of the Green Bay Packers’ highest-profile free agents during the 2023 offseason, but he will need to focus on getting his knee healthy before the team is willing to engage in any contract discussions.

According to Heavy NFL insider Matt Lombardo, the Packers remain enamored with their 2019 second-round pick and the quality of play he has brought to their offensive line over the past three seasons, but they are also playing things cautiously after losing him to a season-ending ACL injury last November and, per one of his league sources, won’t be having any extension talks until after he is back on the field.

“The Packers love him,” a league source familiar with the situation told Lombardo, as he reported in his September 9 weekly recent column. “But, from everything I hear, it sounds like they want to see him healthy before any contract talks take place.”

Jenkins worked all summer with the Packers’ rehab group and seemed to be making good progress in his recovery, getting activated off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on August 14 and diving into individual work for the end of training camp. He took another step forward this week when he began taking team reps again (at right tackle) leading up to Sunday’s season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Unfortunately, Jenkins is no sure thing to play in the opener after the Packers listed him as “questionable” to play due to his knee in the final injury report for Week 1. He will need to not only return but also prove his knee can hold up before he and his representation can start talking with the Packers about a possible new contract.

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Jenkins Remains One of Packers’ Biggest OL Assets

Jenkins had a rough season with injuries in 2021, missing three games with an ankle injury in the first half of the year and missing six more down the stretch (plus one playoff game) after tearing his ACL on November 21. Prior to his third year, though, the 2019 second-rounder looked like the ultimate swiss-army-knife for the Packers’ O-Line.

The Packers asked Jenkins to step up almost immediately during his rookie year, tabbing him as their new starting left guard after veteran Lane Taylor suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the year. By the end of the season, he had earned PFWA All-Rookie recognition and, more importantly, a permanent starting spot with the Packers for the foreseeable future.

What could not be foreseen, however, was how useful the 26-year-old would become for their line beyond his role as an interior blocker. According to Pro Football Focus, Jenkins played 681 snaps at left guard in 2020, but he also took 297 snaps at center (largely in a starting capacity), 32 snaps at right tackle and 27 snaps at left tackle. It can be challenging to find a lineman who can play at more than one spot without a drop in quality, but finding one who can play all five at a Pro Bowl level? That’s incredibly rare.

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Jenkins Could Get Massive Payday on Next Contract

If Jenkins returns to his previous level of play — or exceeds it — the Packers will next have to worry about how they are going to afford him for the long-term future. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the 2023 league year begins in March and could have quite the market given his versatility, giving the Packers additional incentive to negotiate with him before he hits hte open market.

According to Spotrac’s calculated market value, Jenkins is projected to earn about $13.9 million in average annual salary on his next contract, but that might not even be a fair estimate. After all, Spotrac’s metrics are assuming Jenkins will be classified as a guard and looking to earn something similar to some of the other top guards on the market, which might not necessarily be the case.

Jenkins has played more guard than anything else over his career with the Packers, but they have expressed a strong interest in testing him out as their right tackle of the future throughout the 2022 season. If he settles into that role and thrives, he will likely want a new contract that reflects the way he is used in terms of compensation and that could mean adding several million more onto the average annual value of his deal.

That said, Jenkins has proven himself worthy of a significant pay raise. So long as he regains his former in 2022, the Packers will likely want to make him a priority.

Week 1 of the NFL season has finally arrived. Every team is optimistic about its chances of playing in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII, making the kickoff of the 102nd season even more exciting.

The Buffalo Bills already showcased their power by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 31-10 in the NFL Kickoff Game Thursday night, stamping themselves as the early-season Super Bowl favorites. While the Rams are defending champions, they’ll have some things to work on in the coming weeks as they prepare to repeat.

For the early slate of injuries, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles announced Chris Godwin is a true game-time decision for the “Sunday Night Football” showdown against the Dallas Cowboys and has not ruled any players out. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (shin) will also play Sunday.

Teams will be figuring out who they are, starting with an exciting Week 1 slate of games on the schedule. Below, you’ll find the final injury reports for all of the Week 1 games on the schedule and see who is in and who is out for their respective teams.

All NFL odds come via Caesars Sportsbook.

Thomas has been limited all week, so it remains to be seen if he’ll play his first game since the 2020 season. Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Thomas was “progressing in the right direction.” Mathieu missed practice Friday after coming down with an illness, thus the questionable designation.

The Saints players that were out missed practice all week. Bradley Roby is projected to start at cornerback in place of Adebo.

London has been limited in practice all week from a knee injury suffered in the preseason. The Falcons have no plans to make the decision on London until Saturday. If London can’t play, KhaDarel Hodge and Olamide Zaccheaus are the top two wide receivers.

Williams will be going on injured reserve after having a hamstring injury suffered on practice Wednesday. He was supposed to help out Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II at cornerback, but third-round pick Martin Emerson will be elevated to the No. 3 cornerback spot.

Conklin has been closely monitored with the knee injury from last season. Head coach Kevin Stefanski wants to see how Conklin progresses Saturday before making a decision.

The biggest story for the Panthers is Christian McCaffrey not being on the injury report with a cut on his shin, which wouldn’t have even been reported if it wasn’t for injury protocols. McCaffrey will play Sunday. The Panthers added kicker Taylor Bertolet to the practice squad, but Eddy Pineiro should be good to go (wasn’t on injury report).

• Steelers: NONE
• Bengals:

The Steelers don’t have a single player on the injury report for Sunday’s showdown with the Bengals, going into the game with full health. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson was limited Wednesday and Thursday with a shoulder injury, yet was a full participant in Friday’s practice. Johnson said his shoulder is “feeling a lot better” as he prepares to play.

Doug Pederson has never been one to divulge injuries, but said Friday Fatukasi said he did well in practice Thursday with no setbacks. Fatukasi was limited in practice Friday. Left tackle Cam Robinson was limited Friday, but he’s a go for Sunday.

Curl being out for the Commanders is a big concern for a roster that is thin at the safety position. Darrick Forrest is in line to get the start at safety next to Bobby McCain. The Commanders kept five tight end on the initial 53-man roster due to the Thomas and Turner injuries. John Bates is in line to be TE1 and play a majority of the snaps.

The Giants may be without their top two pass rushers Sunday, taking away from the strength of their football team. Oshane Ximines and Jihad Ward would start on the edge if Thibodeaux and Ojulari can’t go. They were listed as limited in practice, but that seems to be the standard for head coach Brian Daboll with all his injured players.

Sterling Shepard was limited, but he’ll play Sunday as he wasn’t listed on the injury report.

The Chiefs will be at full health for Sunday’s showdown with the Cardinals. Frank Clark was the only player limited in practice, but that was from an non-COVID-related illness from earlier in the week.

Lazard didn’t practice at all this week for the Packers, so there’s a good chance he doesn’t play in the season opener. Rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson will see the bulk of the snaps if Lazard doesn’t play. Bakhtiari didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, but suited up for Friday’s session. The Packers could use one of the best left tackles in the game on the field this week.

For the Vikings, Cine was added to the injury report Thursday — aggravating a knee injury from earlier in the summer. The first-round pick is a second-team safety behind Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5) at Dallas Cowboys