NFL Week 1 best bets: Big days for star running backs, plus what to expect in Patrick Mahomes’ return

The NFL is back, and for as much as we've prognosticated and hemmed and hawed and tried to predict what's going to happen, we are flying blind to some extent.

Week 1 in particular tends to produce not only some surprises, but some results that prove to be anomalies. Last year, the Raiders beat the Patriots in Week 1. The Steelers and the Jets(!) played one of the week's most entertaining games, a 34-32 comeback Pittsburgh win. To cap the week, J.J. McCarthy accounted for three fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally the Vikings past the Bears.

Our knowledge will improve as the season does, and hopefully so will this column. Each week, I'll have my best bets heading into the weekend, plus my full slate of picks. Let's do it.

Here's Saquon Barkley's history in four games as an Eagle against the Commanders:

No player has ever run for 110+ yards in five straight games against Washington, nor has any Eagle run for 110+ yards in five straight games against a single opponent, but Barkley will be the first.

Philadelphia has revamped its run game, and its offensive line is as healthy as it's been in some time, perhaps dating back…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/