Beckham, Ramsey headline busy Week 1 on TSN and CTV

Get ready for the first NFL Sunday of the season.

After a nail-biter between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles in Thursday’s season opener, things get into full swing Sunday with seven combined games across the CTV and TSN Networks. Here’s a look at what’s on tap in Week 1:

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Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Giants (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT)

It’s a battle of two of the biggest personalities in football with Jaguars corner Jalen Ramsey looking to shut down the boisterous Odell Beckham Jr., who makes his return after an ankle injury cut his 2017 season short.

Ramsey has been looking forward to the matchup for months.

“[Beckham is a good receiver. We all know that. But you all know me at the same time. Yeah, he’s good. But I’m good, too. If you want to say he’s the best at his position, I’m the best at my position, so we are going to go at it,” Ramsey said in June.

“We are going to give the people a show the first game of the season.”

It isn’t just a matchup with one of the league’s top corners, but a chance for Beckham to shine after signing a $95 million extension that made him the highest-paid wideout in the league.

Catch the game LIVE on TSN2, CTV2 Atlantic, CTV2 Toronto and CTV2 London/Windsor.

 

Buffalo Bills vs. Buffalo Ravens (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT)

Ugly is a nice way to describe Nathan Peterman’s debut last season.

After throwing five interceptions in the opening half against the Los Angeles Chargers in his first of two starts, Peterman won the Week 1 job in camp.

It won’t be easy to turn things around.

The Baltimore Ravens led the NFL in interceptions last season with 22 and total takeaways with 34. While they may not be as intimidating as the Ravens’ defences from the mid-2000s, new defensive coordinator Don Martindale has been preaching aggressiveness against an inexperienced Peterman who will be operating with a restructured offensive line.

Up seems like the only direction Peterman can go at this point, but he’ll need to hurry with No. 7 overall pick Josh Allen waiting on the sidelines.

Catch the game LIVE on CTV Toronto and CTV Kitchener.

 

San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT)

Quarterbacks take centre stage in this matchup as Kirk Cousins makes his Vikings debut while Jimmy Garoppolo puts his seven-game undefeated streak as a starter on the line.

Cousins inked a massive deal in the off-season to join a Vikings club many feel are an elite quarterback away from Super Bowl contention. Debut aside, this matchup might be personal for Cousins as he squares off against his former offensive coordinator from his Washington days in Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan, now at the helm of the 49ers, is looking for Garoppolo to continue leading the club’s turnaround since coming over in a mid-season trade with the New England Patriots.

He’ll have to do it without prized off-season acquisition Jerick McKinnon, who went down with an ACL tear last week and will miss the entire season. Veteran Alfred Morris and second-year rusher Matt Breida are expected to split carries in his absence.

Catch the game LIVE on CTV Vancouver, CTV Alberta, CTV Winnipeg and CTV2 Ottawa.

 

Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT)

If the Texans manage to upset the Patriots in New England on Sunday it will be a first – Houston has never won a game in Foxborough in four meetings.

The Texans lost quarterback Deshaun Watson and defensive lineman J.J. Watt to season-ending injuries early on last season, leading to a disappointing 4-12 finish.

“I'm just looking to getting back out on the field, playing football, flying around with the guys, doing what I love." Watt told reporters earlier this week.

On the other side, the Patriots enter the season with a completely different receiving corps. Out are Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola and, for the first four games anyway, Julian Edelman. Tom Brady still has Rob Gronkowski and Chris Hogan to throw to, but it’s certainly a roster with fewer weapons on the outside than in years past.

Catch the game LIVE on CTV Atlantic, CTV Montreal, CTV Ottawa, CTV Northern Ontario, CTV Saskatchewan, CTV2 Vancouver Island, CTV2 Alberta and CKPR.

 

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT)

It was a tale of two seasons last year for the Chargers. The club finished the year winning nine of their final 12 games, but an 0-4 start ultimately caused them to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

They will look to get things off on a better foot when they host the defending AFC West champion Chiefs.

“I love the challenge,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Thursday. “They are a good football team, so why not, right? Let’s go play and who knows what happens down the road. It’s a neat thing to start off that way.”

Kansas City is betting big on sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who dazzled last year in his starting debut against the Denver Broncos. He’ll need to come ready Sunday as he takes on one of the league’s best pass rushers.

Catch the game LIVE on TSN2 and RDS2.

 

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos (4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT)

Linebacker Shaquem Griffin makes his regular-season debut in undoubtedly one of the most inspiring sports stories in recent memory. Griffin – who was born with one hand – was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round this summer and played his way into the starting lineup after an impressive pre-season.

Change is another theme of this matchup from Mile High.

No Jimmy Graham, Michael Bennett, Kam Chancellor or Richard Sherman this time around for the Seahawks, but someone they will have back is safety Earl Thomas. The six-time Pro Bowler ended his holdout this week after deciding to play out the final year of his deal.

For Denver, their biggest change comes at the quarterback positon. Since the Peyton Manning era, the Broncos have struggled to find stability under centre, but they’re hoping off-season acquisition Case Keenum can provide it.

Catch the game on CTV Vancouver, CTV Alberta, CTV Saskatchewan, CTV Winnipeg and CITL.

 

Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers (4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT)

Cam Newton. Dak Prescott. Christian McCaffrey. Ezekiel Elliott. Sounds like a battle in the ground game could be in the forecast for Sunday’s meeting.

Both the Cowboys and Panthers finished in the top five in team rush yards last season, while Prescott and Newton finished 27th and 30th in the league, respectively, in pass yards per contest.

They could rely on the ground game even more this year.

The Cowboys chose not to bring back three-time Pro Bowl wideout Dez Bryant, while the Panthers’ head coach Ron Rivera said he wants to get McCaffrey 25 to 30 touches per game, adding he wants to use him the way the Chargers used Hall-of-Famer LaDainian Tomlinson.

Catch the game LIVE CTV Ontario, CTV Montreal, CTV Saskatchewan and CTV2 Atlantic.

 

Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT)

It’s one of the oldest rivalries in all of sports, but it has a new wrinkle this time around.

Enter Khalil Mack. The two-time All-Pro arrived in Chicago last week in a blockbuster deal with the Oakland Raiders that makes one of the league’s top pass rushes even scarier.

Add in No. 8 overall pick Roquan Smith and it could be trouble for offensive lines.

“Yeah, I was lying in bed scrolling through Twitter like, ‘Dang, man. Gotta see [Mack] twice a year now,” Packers receiver Randall Cobb told reporters this week.

Someone new the Bears are going to see twice a year? Tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham never seemed to have the same type of chemistry with Russell Wilson in Seattle that he did with Drew Brees in New Orleans, but that could change with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball.

“He can do it all over the field… he’s an incredible athlete, he’s got a wide, wide catch radium and there’s a lot of things he can do,” Rodgers said last month.

Catch the Sunday-nighter LIVE on TSN1 and CTV2.

 

Monday Matchups

New York Jets vs. Detroit Lions (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – TSN Network)

Los Angeles Rams vs. Oakland Raiders (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT – TSN Network)