It is official: The wait is over, and the NFL is back with a surging week 1, and there is a lot to take in.
We witnessed triumphs of great renown while projected stars fell flat.
As the great saying goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” We cannot take this first week as the precedent for the entire season, but I do it anyway. However, there is some truth to some of these performances.
The question is: which ones?
I’ll be running through some of Week 1’s notable moments, separating believers - performances which act as a glimpse into the future, from deceivers - anomalies in efficiency and showings not representative of the true potential.
Believers:
Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills
What an amazing opening to Sunday Night Football. The two most recent MVPs in Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen were dueling it out. With over 80 combined points in the season opener, it was clear that offense ran that stadium.
Both teams scored the highest points in the league in their season openers, with the Bills scoring 41 and the Ravens scoring 40. Additionally, they put up a boatload of yards, 497 for the Bills and 432 for the Ravens. The yards were fairly distributed between rushing and passing, showing the diverse utility both teams have over the offense and the terror they can inflict on the defense.
Baltimore’s defense collapsing in the end is oh so bittersweet, as it is extremely reminiscent of other tragic Ravens late-game collapses. A terrifying premonition for Ravens fans for what might be in store.
This game might serve as an early version of the AFC Championship, as both teams appear to be in top form offensively and have the determination to push for a Super Bowl berth this year.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback Justin Herbert, known to some as “If-Man” and “Hypothetical-Man,” is starting to break away from that name. In a division rivalry matchup which took place in Brazil, he was able to outplay Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Herbert lit the field up, going 25 of 34 for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Herbert was able to make wide receiver Quentin Johnston look like the legend, Randy Moss. With other AFC West teams underperforming, the Chargers look in complete control of the division with Captain Herbert manning the helm, something he will leverage to remove himself from the lists of doubters.
As Herbert is on a mission to prove the doubters wrong, he is starting strong.
Green Bay Packers
Really, Jerry Jones? By trading Micah Parsons to the Packers, you may have handed one of the best defenses in the league, just because you “need to stop the run.”
The Packers 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions, showed why this Lions offense was ranked in the top three consistently last season. Quarterback Jared Goff was under pressure the entire game, needing two offensive linemen on defensive lineman Michael Parsons at times due to the sheer threat he was.
On the other side of the ball, the offense of the Packers was well spread, displaying strong capability from quarterback Jordan Love and his weapons in both the run and air game.
It is evident that the Packers came to play this season, even if the Lions were rusty or undergoing coaching changes, it’s clear the Packers are a threat.
Denver Broncos
Unfortunately, quarterback Bo Nix is hitting the feared sophomore slump. It may be because teams now have film on the new Denver Broncos offense, led by 2024 Rookie of the Year, or it may be rust.
Regardless, the Broncos’ offense looked ugly. Nix went 25 for 40 for only 176 yards against the Titans of all teams is criminal.
To make their win even more lackluster, the Titans, who worked on penalties over the offseason, had just as many penalty yards as offensive yards, with 131 penalty yards to 133 offensive yards. A bad win and a bad showing.
Less prominent believers:
Carolina Panthers
Believe it. They suck!
Unfortunately, the long string of sadness for the Panthers will not end this season in accordance with Week 1 and their recent history. The offense grinded to a halt, and their defense was thoroughly obliterated by Travis Ettiene Jr. on the ground, giving up 200 rushing yards out of 378 total.
The only thing Panthers fans have right now is hopes and dreams.
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes’ Magic was not enough this week, but it’s still there. He was the only player on offense really making things happen, with Travis Kelce randomly injuring Xavier Worthy, and as Herbert picked off his defense. Mahomes either has to pray that Xavier Worthy recovers soon or that the Chiefs’ front office makes another miraculous signing.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Super Bowl champs are still good, no worries. They had a solid showing against the Dallas Cowboys and a fairly strong-looking Dak Prescott-led offense.They absolutely disintegrated their defense with Run Play Option and Saquon Barkley.
Why did Jerry Jones even make that trade again?
Baker Mayfield
He is just that guy. Ever since that last-minute Rams game three years ago that revived his career, Mayfield has been a top 10 quarterback.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons took the lead with two minutes remaining, and Mayfield miraculously scored in just one. Granted, Atlanta did miss the kick to tie the game, but Mayfield’s drives are a force to be reckoned with.
With the notable optimistic projections out of the way, let’s move on to the fake, the untrue and the hoaxes.
Deceivers
Indianapolis Colts
I will not stand for this propaganda. After suffering for six years on the New York Giants, underperforming consistently, Daniel Jones had one of the best statistical games of any Colts quarterback since Peyton Manning, which was 15 years ago.
Jones went 22 of 29 for 272 yards, a touchdown, and a passer rating of 115.9, blasting way past his average of 84.7. This franchise couldn’t hold a quarterback for 15 years, struggled with Anthony Richardson for two to three years, and they made Magic with Daniel Jones of all people.
It was against a horrid Miami Dolphins team, giving the Colts the third best defense in Week 1. No chance this lasts.
This is a formal apology to all Giants fans who were watching that game in anticipation, but you are going to have to wait longer.
Cincinnati Bengals
What is going on offensively with the Bengals?
It is a well-known superstition that the Bengals slump at the beginning of the season, but this performance was atrocious.
Joe Burrow, known as one of the top five quarterbacks in the league, coughed up the second-lowest yards on offense in the league, with a jaw-dropping 141 of which 95 were from passing. They were able to scratch out a win against the Cleveland Browns, 17-16, but I mean, that was not a good win.
In classic Bengals fashion, this season opener is riddled with injuries and poor performance, but rallies a win somehow, backed mainly by two Joe Flacco interceptions. This is not a representation of the Bengals at full capacity.
But, how long will they stay like this?
Detroit Lions
This is the Lion’s hardest fall since Mufasa in The Lion King. From the top two offenses in the league, an NFC Championship contender, and being upset a fair many times for a gutsy Dan Campbell run team, the Lions were decimated by the Packers.
Recently, this offseason, the Lions lost two key coaches in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Johnson became the head coach of the Chicago Bears (pray for him), and Glenn became the head coach for the Jets. These two changes have led to fans ridiculing the Lions’ office for letting go of key coaching staff, as they seemed to suffer without them.
I highly doubt a coaching exchange will lead to this much of a drop off, as the majority of the roster remains the same. Campbell once again finds himself in the eye of the storm, and he has more than enough skill to steer the ship back on course. The Lions will live.
Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings
My opinion shifted at least 10 times during that game. It was an extremely shaky start for quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings against division rivals, the Chicago Bears, with his first touchdown pass being to the other team.
The Vikings did not score a single touchdown until the fourth quarter, when they then scored three, outscoring the Chicago Bears by 14 in that quarter. When the Vikings started to click, the Bears then collapsed.
The Bears looked iffy throughout the game, but in classic Bears fashion, imploded on themselves. There is not a single indicator that the good plays from either quarterback were indicative of a strong and consistent playstyle and adaptability, but latent ability.
Both quarterbacks can be phenomenal, but are currently still too scrappy and young, melding with their two changing teams and coaching staff. This game is the inverse of the Baltimore and Buffalo game, except that neither quarterback is yet at that level. Give it time, but don’t get your hopes up for either of them this year.
Less prominent, deceivers:
Houston Texans
I doubt the struggling 14-9 loss against the Los Angeles Rams comes as an actual decline in efficiency and performance, but rather actual rust and wear and tear from the offseason.
Running back Joe Mixon is still out with a foot injury, causing the running back room to be unpredictable.
C.J. Stroud was constantly pressured in the pocket against a tough defensive Rams squad. The defense held its own against the Rams’ offense, so its poor performance will be rectified in time.
Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers is back? I guess he is.
271 yards with 218 in the air and four touchdowns to his name, Rodgers takes down his ex-team, the New York Jets, 34-32. This game raises a lot of skeptical questions about him.
These performances were a slugfest of points, like two boxers exchanging direct hits without blocking. There is no real indicator that these performances could be replicated, as the game felt too close.
Both teams are too unpredictable, especially with a fresh set of players and coaching changes for some.
Arizona Cardinals
Yes, they won. Yes, it was an unstable game against the New Orleans Saints, but Kyler Murray was reported to be feeling sick before the game and produced 130 yards in the air. They will look better as this game is not representative of their full strength.
Of course, as said before, we cannot take these first week performances as gospel, not just yet, at least.
Only time will tell and reveal the real from the fake. So, if your team underperformed or lost the first game, do not stress yet because of only one week.
Unless it’s your fantasy roster, then you can stress.