4th and Monday: Your ultimate guide to Week 1 of the NFL season!

Friday, September 7

Jay Ajayi celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Falcons.

The NFL season finally is here! Your ultimate guide to Week 1

The long wait is over. It's NFL season! Get ready for what promises to be an exciting Week 1.

The NFL is back!

The Eagles beat the Falcons in Thursday night's NFL regular-season kickoff game (with a little help from a trick play that might have looked familiar. You can check out our full stories for recaps on both Philadelphia and Atlanta, but USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis (@ByNateDavis) provides some exclusive observations for this newsletter from Lincoln Financial Field:

- RB Jay Ajayi was Philadelphia's primary offensive weapon, rushing for a game-high 62 yards and scoring both of his team's touchdowns. But he admitted afterward his foot injury still isn't 100 percent healed, so it sounds like a mix of Ajayi, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement could continue to split touches for the foreseeable future.

- The Falcons need to get RB Tevin Coleman more involved. Devonta Freeman deserves to be Atlanta's starting back, but Coleman's burst and ability as a pass catcher are among the components that could help this attack approach its lofty 2016 levels. Coleman was only targeted twice Thursday, but he turned a dumpoff into 26-yard gain, the longest play of the night by a player not named Julio Jones.

- Eagles P Cameron Johnston could be a weapon. He kept Philadelphia in the game with six punts averaging 52.2 yards with a net of 47.0. Special teams - don't underrate them.

Predictions

- Week 1 picks: USA TODAY Sports' panel of experts has returned to provide weekly prognostications of NFL games.

- 2018 season predictions: Picks for Super Bowl LIII, the playoffs in general and the league's most prominent individual awards, including MVP.

- Wait 'til next year? Five teams whose season is over before it even starts.

Key storylines for Week 1

- Eight questions for Week 1: With all 32 NFL teams starting with a clean slate, Week 1 is full of mysteries. USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (@MikeMSchwartz ) provides the biggest questions heading into the season openers, including how much will Khalil Mack play when the Bears visit Green Bay.

- NFL's new wave of QBs: Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers dominate the headlines for now. But USA TODAY Sports' Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) writes that the NFL has had an influx of young passers who could be stars in waiting.

- NFL power rankings: The defending champion Eagles and Patriots top the league heading into Week 1, but USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis (@ByNateDavis ) writes that those teams have plenty of competition waiting to dethrone them as the regular season begins.

- Are Colts punting on 2018? The Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar ) writes that everything the Colts have done for months - draft, free agency, roster cuts - points to a team building for the future.

- The toughest cuts on Hard Knocks: The Browns proved to be a worthy team for the HBO reality series, and USA TODAY Sports' Jim Reineking (@jimreineking ) writes that the season finale was a gut-wrenching experience as each of the bottom-half-of-the-roster characters we'd been following on this five-episode journey was released.

Q&A: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

USA TODAY Sports NFL writer Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) answers questions from fans through our NFL Facebook group, The Ruling Off the Field (go join the group!):

Scott Sosebee: I have a question on Dez Bryant. He is unsigned and opening day is upon us. Why is that? Is he asking too much? Are teams not willing to take the risk with his off-the-field problems? Or is it that he is just not effective as an NFL receiver at this point in his career? Dez was never a great route runner, and he seemed to rely almost solely on his physical gifts. Are those all gone? Could his career be over at just shy of 30?

Jones: From what I can gather, it's a combination of things, some of which you mentioned. From talking to a number of defensive backs in the league, their assessment of Bryant is that he isn't the same player. He doesn't have the explosiveness off the line that he once did, and if it's easier for cornerbacks to jam you at the line and disrupt your routes, then that's a handicap for wide receivers.

Bryant hasn't turned in a 1,000-yard season or recorded double-digit touchdown catches since 2014. Because of the drop-off in production, teams don't want to give him a lucrative base salary. They'd prefer to give him a contract that features a number of incentives. But Bryant wants more guaranteed money, and so, he remains unsigned. It's possible that a team will become a little more willing to up their offering price once the regular season is underway and they have injury holes to fill.

David Cameroff: Any dark horse draft picks to look out for?

Jones: Let's go with Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson, a second-round pick out of Auburn. The 6-foot, 213-pound Johnson was the sixth back taken in this year's draft, and he joins a Lions team that signed LeGarrette Blount in free agency. But after a promising preseason that saw him average 4.5 yards per carry, don't be surprised if Johnson winds up cutting into the veteran's playing time. Some in the league predict a thousand-yard season for Johnson.

Did we mention our NFL Facebook group?

If you love talking football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders. Sign up now!

Week 1 schedule

(All times Eastern)

Thursday
Eagles 18, Falcons 12

Sunday
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Houston Texans at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

Monday
New York Jets at Detroit Lions, 7:10 p.m. (ESPN)
Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders, 10:20 p.m. (ESPN)

Fantasy football tips

The season's here! If you're still prepping for your draft, or looking to get your lineup set for fantasy football domination this season, our panel of experts has you covered.

- Week 1 rankings: Which players are poised for a big week?

- Fantasy football sizzlers, fizzlers: Adrian Peterson, Alfred Morris gain larger roles.

- Top 200 rankings: Here's how the best players stack up for the 2018 fantasy football season.

- Week 1 fantasy football studs, duds and sleepers: Bengals offense will have a huge day.

- Stock watch: QBs | RBs | WRs

Want to keep this conversation going? Head to Facebook, and follow the USA TODAY Sports writers who put together this newsletter, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Jim Reineking and Michael Singer.