Week 1

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (24) vs. DALLAS COWBOYS (20)

Not too many people were expecting this to be a back-and-forth showdown, especially since the Dallas Cowboys traded away Micah Parsons the week before. But not even ten seconds into the game, Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren tore his patellar tendon and then defensive tackle Jalen Carter got ejected from the ballgame. He did not throw any punches mind you, but he spat on Dak Prescott in what appeared to be a verbal altercation, so the defending Super Bowl champions were not going to have their most dominant player on the defensive line. He better be thankful that he will play next week or else he would be rightfully scalded by the media constantly. Little did the audience know that they were in for one hell of a fight between both teams.

The Cowboys offense received the ball to start the game and looked flat out phenomenal,  scoring points on four possessions and putting Philadelphia’s defense on its heels. Adoree’ Jackson had no answers guarding CeeDee Lamb in man coverage, Javonte Williams punched the ball in the end zone twice, and the Eagles were incredibly undisciplined with penalties galore. However, there is a little bit of a catch here. Philadelphia’s offense was just as unstoppable. Jalen Hurts got the ball three times in the first half and led his team in the end zone all three times. Even though the passing game was not in sync the way it should have been, they ran the ball down Dallas’ throats and dominated the time of possession. Saquon was efficient, Hurts scored their first two touchdowns of the night, and even Will Shipley was hard to stop at times! As a result, the Eagles led 21-20 at halftime with more momentum on their side. 

In the second half, everybody received an entirely different script. Yet, it did not feel that way on the first two possessions. Jake Elliott was able to drill a 58 yard field goal on the first possession to increase the lead to four, but just a few plays later, Cowboys running back Miles Sanders surged down the sideline for a 50 yard run all the way to the opponent’s eleven yard line! Although the offense ended the first half with two straight field goal attempts from Brandon Aubrey, getting a touchdown on this possession would have given Dallas a way better chance of pulling off the upset! However, all of their momentum was crushed when Sanders coughed up the ball deep into the red zone, with Quinyon Mitchell recovering it for the Eagles.

 About a few minutes later, a lightning delay prompted both teams to take shelter in their locker rooms, but what ensued afterwards turned into a gutsy defensive battle that came down to the last drive. Philadelphia still could not pass the ball consistently well, but even worse, their running game was starting to get shut down at almost every turn. Yet, the Cowboys offense could not capitalize on any of their chances to take the lead, especially on their final drive. Lamb might have totaled over 100 yards, but he also dropped four huge passes that could have won his team the game! On their final play of the game, Dak Prescott threw a floater of a pass down the sideline on an all-out blitz that landed right in the hands of his number one option, but the wide receiver dove for the ball and could not secure the catch. The Cowboys defense technically had one last chance to get a stop and give their quarterback the ball back, but like many times in the first half, they did not account for Hurts running the football and it bit them in the butt as he got the first down needed to run out the clock.

CeeDee Lamb is going to be heavily scapegoated for the Cowboys loss on Thursday night, and some of it is validated, but the fact of the matter is that their offense failed to score in the second half. Dak Prescott should not get too much of the blame for this loss, but there were definitely a few misplaced throws that had a strong chance of being intercepted. The Dallas offense got so many chances to pull off the upset, but they could not take advantage whatsoever. 

Philadelphia should not feel overly bombastic about winning either. AJ Brown was not even targeted until the final drive of the game and the defense committed too many dead-ball penalties, but to their credit, the team regained its composure and made the plays they needed to hang on in the end. 

The Eagles hang on at home and start the season 1-0, taking the road for a Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cowboys lose in gut-wrenching fashion once again and begin their season 0-1, but will head back home to potentially bounce back strong against the New York Giants.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (27) vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (21)

The second NFL game hosted in Brazil was nothing short of success as both Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert gave the fans in attendance the epic showdown they were hoping for at the beginning of the year. However, the majority of the Chiefs fans that bled red and white surprisingly did not get the outcome they wanted. Instead, Herbert outplayed Mahomes from start to finish and finally got his second career victory in the quarterback rivalry.

On the opening drive of the game, the Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh made it very clear that their approach to winning this game was going to be quite different than what they did in the past. Instead of the offense running the ball thirty to forty times a game, Harbaugh told the world “I am trusting my quarterback to lead my team to victory and we will go as he goes.” On the opening drive, it paid off in the end with a wide open touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston. However, they began to stall out as they only kicked two field goals for the rest of the first half. Fortunately for them, their defense kept Patrick Mahomes out of the end zone and held him to just six points. The Chiefs offense was already limited with Rashee Rice unavailable due to a suspension, but on their first possession, they lost their speedster Xavier Worthy with a separated shoulder that knocked him out for the rest of the game. Regardless, Kansas City was only down 13-6 thanks to a fifty-nine yard field goal made by Harrison Butker with little time to spare, so this was still a competitive ballgame. 

Los Angeles’ offense took the field to begin the second half, but they did the one thing they could not afford to do in a matchup like this: go three-and-out. I bring this up because the minute Mahomes got the ball, he drove his team eighty yards down the field in eleven plays and capped it off with a rushing touchdown. This was supposed to tie things up at thirteen, but Harrison Butker missed the extra point, so Kansas City was still trailing by one. Yet this was not one of those typical games where the Chargers get off to a fast start and then fizzle out in the end to their older brother. Instead, Herbert took the game over and carried his team on their back. Every time Mahomes made it a one-score contest, Herbert said “Nope. Not this time.” After the three-and-out at the start of the half, the Chargers scored two more touchdowns that were graced by the arm of their quarterback. Mahomes got points on all of his second half possessions, but a failed two point conversion and a forced field goal on the final drive kept Kansas City behind. When Los Angeles got the ball back leading 27-21, they made sure that the Chiefs offense never took the field for the rest of the night.

After a costly sack by Drue Tranquill to force third and fourteen at their own thirty-four yard line, Harbaugh decided to put the ball in his quarterback’s hands again, rather than play conservative. On the dropback pass, future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Chris Jones failed to contain the outside of the pocket, which allowed Herbert to escape down the right sideline with wide open grass ahead of him. He slid for the first down in bounds, and because the Chiefs had no timeouts remaining, that play officially sealed the deal.

This was easily the best performance of Justin Herbert’s career. He might have posted better numbers in previous matchups, but given the weight and the magnitude of this game, it was one where he needed to have to assert himself as a top ten quarterback. Harbaugh gave the quarterback the car keys and allowed him to run the show, which paid off incredibly well. Many will blame the Chiefs defense for not showing up in the second half or Jawaan Taylor for committing four penalties, but this is a night where the Chargers should be celebrated more. 

The Chargers make an early statement and are now 1-0, but will stay on the road as they take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs come up short in a shocking upset as they start the season 0-1, with a long trip back home for a chance at revenge against the Philadelphia Eagles.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (20) vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (13)

Sunday afternoon’s festivities began with a game that turned out to be a lot closer than expected. Even though the Cardinals won, they let the Saints hang around for way too long. Things started off strong with points scored on three of their first five drives, including the final one at the end of the first half to go ahead 17-10, but then they only scored three more points in the second. Kyler Murray got sacked five times and finished the game throwing for just 163 yards on twenty-nine pass attempts, and all of a sudden, New Orleans had a chance to even the score at twenty! Spoiler alert, they could not.

After going three-and-out on the opening possession, the Saints offense led an impressive touchdown drive in just over five minutes that ended with an eighteen yard burst down the sideline by Alvin Kamara. They were well balanced as Rattler looked poised and confident, but that turned out to be the only time this group would reach the end zone. One thing I could tell right away is that Kellen Moore learned right away just how hard of a job it is to be a head coach. Let’s put this in perspective. The Cardinals take the ball all the way to the New Orleans twenty yard line just before the two minute warning, with both teams having all three of their timeouts. As Murray and running back James Conner proceed to lead their team in the end zone, Moore does not elect for the clock to be stopped at all, meaning that their offense was going to get the ball with less than thirty seconds remaining. Normally, that would mean the offense would try to get a few extra points on the board, but the Saints instead just hand the ball off to Kamara and proceed to run to the locker room for halftime. Yet, that was not even the biggest reason why the Cardinals held on.

Since their second possession of the game, New Orleans managed to reach the red zone three more times. They settled for field goals on all three opportunities, with two of them going through the uprights. Arizona was in a position to put the game away with a dagger forty-six yard field goal, but Bryan Bresee got his hands on it to end the drive with zero points! One possession later, Alontae Taylor got free on a corner blitz and forced a huge three-and-out, so Rattler was going to get the ball back just after the two minute warning! Even with no timeouts in his pocket, the second year quarterback drove his team all the way to the opponent’s eighteen yard line! The Saints offense had a real shot of stealing plenty of momentum and getting ten extra minutes to shock the world, but two critical plays were the deciding factors. On third and ten, Rattler hit Juwan Johnson in the end zone for what could have been the game tying score, but Budda Baker punched the ball out at the very last second to force fourth down! Rattler wanted to find Chris Olave in the corner of the end zone, but the pass was overthrown and the result was a turnover on downs.

To make a long story short, this was a game that the Saints had so many chances to pull off an upset. The defense might have been shredded early on, but they made more than enough plays down the stretch to try to win. The offense just could not pull through when it mattered most and Arizona just made a few more plays in the end.

The Cardinals hang on in the Superdome and will begin the year 1-0, heading back home to see if they can stay undefeated as they welcome the Carolina Panthers. The Saints come up just short in the end as they start the season 0-1, and will stay put in New Orleans to play the San Francisco 49ers.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (33) vs. MIAMI DOLPHINS (8)

This was easily the most shocking blowout of the entire week. Nobody should be surprised that the Dolphins defense got carved up by Daniel Jones because that group has been outright decimated throughout the whole offseason, but what in the world was the offense’s excuse? Tua Tagovailoa was outright awful with just 114 passing yards, three turnovers that included two interceptions, and a quarterback rating of three! Miami’s only touchdown of the afternoon did not arrive until the fourth quarter, when they were down thirty to nothing. When you get benched for Zach Wilson in garbage time, there is seriously something wrong with your offense. Heck, Tyreek Hill has not had a play over thirty yards since week one of last season for crying out loud! Miami better prove that this was just an opening day fluke and that they will get things corrected, because if there was a time where Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier would have their futures in question with this organization, it is now.

Daniel Jones, on the other hand, played really well! He totaled over 300 yards of offense with three touchdowns, and the best part about the entire afternoon was that the Colts scored points on every single drive they had! Their offense was incredibly balanced from start to finish, and the minute that Tua threw his first interception of the game that landed right in the hands of Cam Bynum, Indianapolis just blew the doors wide open. It would have been nice to see them have more success in the red zone, but they dominated the time of possession 39-21, so they did more than enough to get a win. I will not put too much stock into this performance since the Dolphins are in a weird limbo right now, but if things continue to grow and improve, then Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard might stick around a little longer after all!

The Colts pull off a resounding victory at home and somehow lead the AFC South at 1-0, but will stay at Lucas Oil Stadium for an even bigger challenge against the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, the Dolphins get outright demolished as they begin the season 0-1, but will head back home to hopefully bounce back with a victory over the New England Patriots.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (20) vs. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (13)

It feels like forever since the Patriots won a home opener and who knows when that next time will arrive? This game against the Raiders was somewhat of a tale of two halves, yet things were never really out of hand. Geno Smith got the ball to start the afternoon and immediately gashed New England’s defense down the field for an early touchdown in just a few minutes, while Drake Maye went three-and-out. However, on the next possession, Smith gave the opposition some light with an interception to Jaylinn Hawkins, and the Patriots capitalized off the turnover with a touchdown of their own. Neither team could do much moving the ball for the rest of the first half,but New England led by three with the ball to start the third quarter. As long as the offense did not screw up the rest of the way, they would be in good shape. Spoiler alert, they did. 

Just four plays into the second half, Maxx Crosby came through with timely pressure to force an errant pass by Maye down the middle that was intercepted by Isaiah Pola-Mao. Smith then proceeded to do exactly what he did on his first drive of the day, which was march his offense down the field with ease and score a go-ahead touchdown. From that point on, Las Vegas never trailed and New England could not score until their final possession, which was off a desperation field goal attempt to make it a seven point game. The Raiders might have scored even more points if Brock Bowers did not get knocked out of the fourth quarter with a banged up knee because it only took five catches for him to reach a hundred yards. Overall, this was a very sloppy performance from both offenses. Each quarterback got sacked four times and there was no sense of a running game on either side, but there is no question that Smith outplayed Maye in this one and it made the difference in a defensive slugfest.

 The Raiders pull off the win on the road and the Pete Carroll era begins with a 1-0 record, with a trip back home to take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. The Patriots get neutralized on their home field to start the year 0-1, and now they have to go to Miami to play the Dolphins, so let’s see if they can finally beat Tua Tagovailoa for the first time in his career.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (34) vs. NEW YORK JETS (32)

What was supposed to be one of the lowest scoring games of the week turned out to be one of the highest. Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields were just flat out phenomenal in their “revenge games”, but only one of them had to win. For much of the afternoon, both offenses went back and forth scoring points, but four sacks from the Jets defense allowed the Jets to lead 26-17 entering the fourth quarter. However, the Steelers were not just going to lie down and die. On the first play of the period, Rodgers found Jaylen Warren wide open in the flat on a boot-leg pass to the right to cut their deficit to two, just before the game’s turning point arrived. Xavier Gipson decided to field the kickoff from the one yard line, only for the ball to get ripped out of his hands by Ben Skowronek. Pittsburgh recovered it at the New York twenty-two yard line, and just a couple of plays later, Rodgers threw his fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon that put his team ahead by five points! Yet, this was not one of those typical Jets defeats where they just get beaten down the rest of the way.

Once the Steelers retook the lead, Justin Fields led a masterful seven minute touchdown drive that lasted twelve plays, capping it off with a walk-in rushing touchdown on fourth, putting the Jets back ahead by one. Pittsburgh went three-and-out on the next possession, and all of a sudden, Fields was in position to close the deal and win the game! Unfortunately, they punted the ball in just three minutes, which gave Rodgers the ball back with three minutes left. Say what you will about him diminishing as a passer, but the future Hall of Fame quarterback proved he still had a little bit of juice in him. Just ask wide receiver DK Metcalf. On first down at their own forty-eight yard line, the newest member of the Steelers tried to catch a simple slant pass with Sauce Gardner in coverage, but the pass was bobbled around. Yet instead of being an interception, tight end Jonnu Smith managed to get his hands on the ball and bat it down to a falling Metcalf, who proceeded to snag it out of the air and pick up the first down! Unfortunately, the Steelers could not get a touchdown on this possession, so Mike Tomlin decided to send Chris Boswell out to attempt a sixty yard field goal. It was a bold and very risky decision since New York’s offense was almost impossible to stop the entire day, but the long-time kicker made it look too easy as the ball flew right down the middle. Now, Fields trailed 34-32 with just over a minute remaining, so all of the pressure was on him to seal the deal.

Even with all of that time on the clock, the Jets only picked up seven yards before being forced to go for it on fourth and three at their own thirty-one yard line. Evading the pocket with little running room ahead, Fields found his former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson wide open down the left side for a first down. However, Jalen Ramsey flew in at the very last second and drilled the ball out to force an incomplete pass, which officially ended the game with a Pittsburgh victory. 

This was a very fun showdown to watch that unfortunately had to end at some point, but the biggest reason why the Jets lost was because their offense could not close the deal when they had multiple chances. Even then, do you know how you do not put yourselves in that situation? If you did not try to go for two after the first touchdown. Say New York decided to kick the extra point, they do not attempt another two point conversion after their final score and the worst case scenario is that this game heads into overtime. Justin Fields looked very impressive and Breece Hall proved that he should not come close to touching the trade block, so there is a lot of hope that this season will be better than expected, yet New York has to prove it before it can be believed.

The Steelers win a fiery thriller on the road and begin the Aaron Rodgers era 1-0, heading back home for what should be another exciting matchup, this time against the Seattle Seahawks. The Jets lose in heartbreaking fashion once again and start their season 0-1, staying in MetLife Stadium to welcome the Buffalo Bills.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (21) vs. NEW YORK GIANTS (6)

You can say that this was a sloppy win for the Commanders offense, but I am going to appropriately say that it was more so of an up and down performance. They ran the ball for 220 rush yards and they did not make any costly mistakes throughout the afternoon, but there were plenty of things that needed to be corrected. For starters, they committed six of the twelve total penalties that the entire team was responsible for, and three sacks given up did not make matters any better. The first half started off decently with two touchdowns that included the first career one for Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but Washington honestly should have scored more points if not for a bone-headed intentional grounding penalty with only four seconds left. Heck, it took until there were close to seven minutes left in the fourth quarter for them to reach the end zone again! Fortunately, they were playing the Giants, whose offense was once again and archaic and worn out.

Russell Wilson looked lethargic in his debut in blue, completing just forty-six of his passes for 168 yards, not scoring a single touchdown the entire afternoon. They were four for sixteen on third down, barely cracked 231 yards of offense, and things got so bad that Malik Nabers was chewing out Brian Daboll on the sidelines and then ghosted him for a high five in a sideline huddle. Graham Gano was the only man responsible for the team’s points with two made field goals, which is just like saying that the lights are going to be bright in Times Square: everybody can expect that. Yes, Andrew Thomas was out, but Wilson looks like a hollow shell of his former self. Just five years ago, this quarterback was in the MVP conversation, and now people are pushing for him to be benched for the rookie Jaxson Dart. For right now, Daboll is sticking with the veteran for next week’s game, but this offense is just so hard to watch. Washington’s defense set the tone for the entire day, and while their offense looked rusty, they were still more efficient and kept the team out of harm’s way.

The Commanders handle their business at home as they start off the season 1-0, but will take the road on a short week as they face off against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile, the wheels are already falling off for the Giants as they once again begin the year 0-1, staying on the road for what will appear to be another grueling matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (26) vs. CAROLINA PANTHERS (10)

This was another game that proved to be very underwhelming, not because of the hour-long lightning delay in the second quarter, but just the fact that the Panthers looked pitiful against a Jaguars team with a first-time head coach. In the first quarter, both offenses moved the ball down the field pretty well on their opening possessions, yet had to settle for three due to stall-outs in the red zone. Jacksonville ended up going three-and-out when they got the ball back, so Carolina was technically in a position to take their first lead of the afternoon. However, just two plays into his next possession, Bryce Young threw a really bad interception that was first dropped by Eric Murray, then caught out of the air by Foyesade Oluokun. As a result, Trevor Lawrence started at the opponent's thirty-five yard line and capitalized off the turnover by getting all the way to the six yard line and finding Hunter Long wide open for a go-ahead touchdown. The Panthers failed to tie the game on their next drive, and even when they succeeded to pin the Jaguars at their nine yard line, Travis Etienne blew the doors open with a seventy one yard run to set up a rushing touchdown for Brian Thomas Jr. on a reverse. At the end of the first half, Jacksonville was up 20-3 and it looked like they were going to make this an ugly blowout, but they did not look convincing when they returned to the field. 

The Jaguars only scored six more points off of two field goals, Lawrence completed just five out of eleven passes for fifty yards with an interception, but the defense had one of its more impressive showings in the last few years. Young turned it over two more times after he threw his first interception, finished with only 154 passing yards, and could not score a touchdown until there were less than five minutes remaining in the game. I truly thought that Carolina was going to prove that this was going to be a different season, but they did not look any different than they did against the Saints or Chargers to begin 2024, the two games that got Young benched for Andy Dalton. Jacksonville did not have a perfect performance themselves with eleven penalties for ninety-three yards, yet their offense bothered to show up when it mattered. Just like the Colts against the Dolphins, I cannot put too much stock into this victory since this was not against an overly impressive opponent, so we are going to need more time to evaluate this team’s strengths, but Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence looked okay in their first game together. There were things to build upon and others to correct at the same time. For example, just one day after the game, the front office traded running back Tank Bigsby to the Eagles for fifth and sixth round picks. That means that Travis Etienne will be the lead man in the backfield, which is heartwarming to see considering that he was the one rumored to be on the trading block. General manager James Gladstone is making it clear that he wants an identity established for this football team and the time to do it is now.

The Jaguars thwart their opponent at home and begin the season 1-0, but will face a big test on the road as they play the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Panthers get their hopes crushed once again to start the year 0-1 and will now travel across the country to see if they can put up more of a fight against the Arizona Cardinals.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (17) vs. CLEVELAND BROWNS (16)

The Bengals finally managed to win a game in week one instead of play the same old song and dance we have been hearing for far too long. However, it felt like this offense was doing everything they could to lose, especially in the second half. In the first thirty minutes, things were trending up for both offenses! Joe Burrow and Chase Brown set the tone on a twelve-play opening drive that lasted seven and a half minutes, capped off with a rushing touchdown to score the first points of the afternoon. Yet, Joe Flacco responded with a methodical possession of his own. Although Cleveland was assisted with a few penalties that put them in better field position, they took nearly ten minutes off the clock and scored on fourth down to even the game at seven. Both sides stalled out on their next possessions, but a promising punt return from Charlie Jones allowed Cincinnati to respond with another efficient drive and take the lead with a wide open touchdown pass to Noah Fant. The Browns settled for three on their final drive of the second quarter, but got the ball to start the third and they made the most out of their opportunity. Their offense converted on third down four times on that possession alone, and on first down at the five yard line, Cedric Tillman beat Cam Taylor-Britt on the over route in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. However, the new kicker Andre Szmyt missed the extra point, so the Browns were only ahead by two points. 

After an impressive thirty minutes of play, it was expected that the Bengals would continue to control the flow of the game and will the team to victory, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. In the second half, this group was absolutely horrific. Burrow completed just three out of nine passes for twenty-five yards and got sacked on three consecutive plays. Brown got the ball nine times and went absolutely nowhere. After only hauling in two balls to begin the game, Ja’Marr Chase was held to zero catches for the rest of the day. Only one first down was picked up and the Bengals mustered up just seven net yards of offense. Ironically, the biggest reason why they managed to hang on was because of their defense and special teams.

If there is one player that I am not going to heavily blame for this loss, it is Joe Flacco. Yes, the stat sheet indicates he had a rough performance, but there is a reason why the Cleveland Browns were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. After scoring a go-ahead touchdown to begin the second half, Flacco only touched the ball twice on the next possession. The first ended with a sack by Trey Hendrickson and the second turned into an interception by Jordan Battle because Jerry Jeudy could not hold onto the ball. That turnover actually led to Cincinnati kicking the field goal they needed to take the lead, so if Cleveland hangs onto the ball, there is no doubt that they win that game. Yet, that was not even the worst play of the entire afternoon.

What ensued afterwards was a defensive stalemate where neither offense had any success moving the ball or getting points on the board, but in the middle of the fourth quarter, Flacco got his team back in the red zone with a chance to take the lead. He failed to reach the end zone thanks to a sack from BJ Hill, but all it took was a 36 yard field goal from the undrafted rookie Andre Szmyt to take the lead. Even though this was his first NFL start, this is a kick that anybody should be able to make. I say this as if there is a catch and you better believe you are right. The snap was good and the hold was good, yet the kick sailed wide to the right! Yes, this is the Cleveland Browns and they are used to misery, but they just keep finding ways to break the ceiling! Even then, the offense got one more chance to take matters into their own hands and take the lead themselves. Cincinnati went three-and-out just before the two minute warning, so there was plenty of time for Flacco to turn back the clock and guide the underdog Browns to an ugly but inspiring victory. Unfortunately, just two plays into the drive, the forty year old quarterback threw another interception to DJ Turner that was dropped by Cedric Tillman, but it sealed another embarrassing and heartbreaking defeat. 

If you told me that this game was going to come down to the Bengals defense saving the day, I would have had no faith in them getting a final stop whatsoever. Yet in a game where Joe Burrow and the high-powered offense looked pathetic, they kept their division rival off the board when it mattered most. It was certainly far from pretty, but Cincinnati got the win that they needed and now the goal is to stack as many wins as possible, so that they can make it back to the playoffs.

The Bengals hang on for the win and begin the season 1-0 for the first time since 2021, with a ride back home to see if they can stay undefeated as they welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Browns once again experience a soul-crushing loss as they start the year 0-1, and will take the road for another division rivalry showdown, this time against the Baltimore Ravens.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (23) vs. ATLANTA FALCONS (20)

Finally, we get to a game that met its expectations and gave the audience a thrilling showdown that came down to the wire. While each of the special teams units looked shaky and the defenses were on their heels for most of the entire afternoon, both Baker Mayfield and Michael Penix Jr. gave us the fun grudge match we were all hoping for at the start of the season.

The Falcons got the ball to begin the game and it only took three plays for them to reach the end zone. Two of those were first downs and the last one was a fifty yard catch-and-run score from Bijan Robinson to quickly go ahead 7-0. However, their offense stalled out for the rest of the half as they managed to score just three more points, while Tampa Bay slowly but surely got back into the fold. It took until the third drive for Baker Mayfield to complete a pass, but after Bijan was stuffed on fourth and one to force a turnover on downs, the former number one overall pick threw a dime to the rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka for his first NFL touchdown! The game was tied at ten at the end of the first half, so these final thirty minutes were going to be predicated on which quarterback was going to close the deal when it absolutely mattered.

Unfortunately, we did not find out right away after the opening possessions. Mayfield managed to drive his team into field goal range, but had to settle for a forty-four yard attempt by the usually reliable kicker Chase McLaughlin, in which the attempt pulled wide to the left. This gave Penix the perfect opportunity to make the Buccaneers pay, but two penalties and a near interception by Jamel Dean forced a three-and-out. Second year wide receiver Kameron Johnson then fielded the punt from his own fifteen yard line and accelerated for a 54 yard return that set Tampa Bay up all the way at the Atlanta thirty-two yard line. Mayfield then took off for twenty yards on third down to set up first and goal at the eight yard line. Just a couple of plays later, he connected with Bucky Irving on a simple swing route and the sophomore running back dove for the pylon to score the go-ahead touchdown. Even though Penix drove his offense back in the red zone on the next drive, a sack by Haason Reddick forced a chip-shot field goal for Younghoe Koo, so the Falcons trailed by four entering the fourth quarter.

When Baker got the ball back, Atlanta’s defense got a critical stop in their territory to force a punt and give their quarterback a chance to take their first lead since the opening minutes of the game. Beginning from his own nine yard line, not only did he succeed, but he made so many clutch plays that gave his team a chance at a win. It started with a third down conversion to Kyle Pitts to get some breathing room away from his own end zone, yet it was what he did near the end of that drive that really stood out. Facing fourth and two at the three yard line, head coach Raheem Morris kept the offense out on the field to at least pick up the first down, which Penix did by escaping down the left side and diving for the marker to just barely keep the drive alive. That set up first and goal at the one, but their first three shots failed and it came down to one last play once again. With nobody open on the pass, Penix took off up the middle again and dove over the goal-line for the go-ahead touchdown! Now the Falcons were ahead 20-17, but Baker Mayfield was going to get the ball back with 2:10 on the clock, which was more than enough time.

Sure enough, the Buccaneers were already at midfield in just a few plays, and just one play after a clutch third down conversion by Sterling Shepard in Falcons territory, a bone-headed roughing the passer penalty from Ruke Orhorhoro brought the ball all the way to the twenty-five yard line. On the very next play, Mayfield came through in the clutch with a perfect throw down the post to Egbuka for the lead, but McLaughlin missed the extra point! Now all Penix needed to do was get into field goal range, and if he could not give his team the lead with a touchdown, then the very least he could do is set up a makeable kick for Younghoe Koo to send the game into overtime.

Fortunately for the Falcons, Penix did not hesitate to engineer a solid no-huddle drive with little time to spare, but a timely breakup from Antoine Winfield Jr. on a wide open pass to Casey Washington inside the fifteen yard line forced Koo to make a forty-four yard field goal for extra regulation. Last year was definitely one to forget for one of the best kickers in the league, but now that he is fully healthy, it was time for redemption. But just when you thought Atlanta was going to have a strong chance of winning in overtime, the field goal sailed wide to the right, and Tampa Bay escaped with the victory!

This was easily the best game of the entire afternoon because it gave us the story we all wanted. Both quarterbacks were prolific, it came down to the final play of the game, but the bottom line is that Tampa made a few more plays down the stretch than the opposition. This is the third straight game where the Falcons had multiple chances to close the deal, but the offense could not pull away and the defense collapsed. If there is a silver lining to this loss, they do get to play each other again in Raymond James Stadium in December, so Penix will have a chance to return to his hometown and reverse the outcome on what should be another exhilarating matchup.

The Buccaneers show up in the clutch and start the season 1-0 for the fifth straight season, but will stay on the road for what should be another competitive grudge match, this time against the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football. The Falcons once again lose in back-breaking fashion to begin their year 0-1 and will take the road for a primetime showdown against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (17) vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (13)

This was another one of those games where it was not about who wanted to win, but who was doing everything in their power to lose. Things started off promising as Sam Darnold and Brock Purdy marched their offenses down the field for a quick seven points, but for the rest of the game, they looked really pedestrian. Yet, the Seahawks led by three at the end of the first half due to a doinked twenty-seven yard field goal by Jake Moody. No wonder why the 49ers cut him. This game turned out to be a gritty but ugly defensive showcase, so this was going to come down to which quarterback would persevere in the end. Knowing the two guys in question, it was not surprising to see that the 49ers found a way to win this game.

However, Purdy was not exactly perfect and immaculate. Leading up to his final drive of the afternoon, he completed eight out of thirteen passes for eighty-six yards, but threw two horrible interceptions that kept San Francisco off the board. Yet, all Seattle could muster up were three total points. The special teams even blocked a thirty-six yard field goal that gave Darnold a chance to put his team ahead by double digits, but that hope was squashed away when Jaxon Smith-Njigba lost a fumble on a screen play to give the 49ers the ball back. While both offenses were moving the ball pretty decently, they were not scoring the points they needed to pull away, so this was truly going to come down to the final two minutes of play. Fortunately for San Francisco, they had the better quarterback in this contest, and he found a way to come through when it mattered most.

On his final possession, he completed all six of his pass attempts for sixty-seven yards, beginning with a 45 yard shot down the sideline to Ricky Pearsall and ending with a go-ahead touchdown pass to Jake Tonges with 1:34 remaining! Yet, that meant Darnold was going to have plenty of time to lead a remarkable game winning drive of his own. Just three plays in, the former third overall pick found Smith-Njigba wide open down the sideline for a forty-yard burst of his own, and the Seahawks were suddenly in business in the red zone. An offsides penalty brought them to the ten yard line, but with forty seconds on the clock, Nick Bosa stripped the ball out of Darnold’s hands and the 49ers defense recovered it to win the game! 

In what turned out to be a very low scoring finish, Brock Purdy outdueled Sam Darnold when it mattered most. The biggest reason why, in my opinion, was because Purdy got more of his teammates involved. Despite losing George Kittle to a hamstring injury and Jauan Jennings with a banged up shoulder, Purdy still found a way to get the job done with a limited arsenal. Ricky Pearsall totaled over 100 yards on just four catches, Christian McCaffrey looked fresh in his return with 142 yards from scrimmage, and the third-string tight end was the one that caught the game winning touchdown! The biggest concern entering next week, however, is whether or not Purdy will be healthy to play due to a shoulder issue and a toe injury! Head coach Kyle Shanahan says it is a long shot that his quarterback will play on Sunday, so if Purdy is not healthy, then Mac Jones will be the next in line to start. That is not the best case scenario since injuries are depleting the 49ers offense once again, so their defense or Christian McCaffrey are going to need to have huge performances for this team to have a shot next week.

As for Sam Darnold, he showed some flashes but looked average at best. He only finished with 150 passing yards on Sunday and 124 of them went to Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks got away from the running game, Cooper Kupp only caught two passes, and it was not surprising that a lost fumble was the last play of what turned out to be a measly second half. 

The 49ers found a way to win in the end and will begin the season 1-0, staying on the road to see if they do not fall into a trap game against the New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks do not make enough plays to win in the end and are going to start their year 0-1, with a long road trip as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

DENVER BRONCOS (20) vs. TENNESSEE TITANS (12)

I truly do not know what was worse about this game: the fact that the Titans could not score a touchdown or that Bo Nix was absolutely awful in an ugly victory? The sophomore quarterback threw the ball forty times on Sunday and totaled just 176 yards on twenty-five completions with three turnovers. His only good throw was at the end of the first half, when he threw a thirty-eight yard shot down the left sideline to Courtland Sutton that should have put Denver ahead 10-6 in the first half, but a blazing kickoff return from Chimere Dike allowed Joey Slye to kick a field goal that made it a one point game. However, even with Nix doing everything in his power to hand the Titans an ugly victory, their offense could not capitalize on their chances whatsoever. 

Out of the four turnovers the defense and special teams forced on Sunday, the Tennessee offense could only score six points. The fact that they even led at multiple points and actually had a chance to tie the game in the end was flat out stunning. Cam Ward was in a line of fire the entire afternoon as he got sacked six times and completed just forty-three percent of his passes, with just 112 passing yards for the entire afternoon. Yes, there were a few drops from Calvin Ridley and a missed challenge from Brian Callahan that could have given the Titans a lot of life down the stretch, but this team was completely outmatched and overpowered from the start. In the second half alone, the Titans picked up just two first downs and could only total thirty yards of offense. What made it worse is that the team was incredibly undisciplined with thirteen penalties for 131 yards. Eventually in a low-scoring game such as this, the Titans defense was inevitably going to break, and they did so in the middle of the fourth quarter. RJ Harvey found his way out of a wall to turn on the jets for a fifty yard run, and just a few plays later, JK Dobbins gashed through for a nineteen yard run of his own to put the Broncos ahead by eight. This game should have been over after that possession, but Sean Payton decided it would be a good idea to go for it on fourth and medium twice, in which both attempts predictably failed. Thankfully, the defense did not allow a single passing yard on three straight plays and forced fourth down and ten, where Ja’Quan McMillian strip sacked Ward on the corner blitz and put the game away for good. 

To reiterate, if this were against any other team, the Broncos are in a way tougher fight and the odds of winning it would be completely impossible, so Bo Nix should be thanking his defense every day for bailing him out of a horrendous performance. All Tennessee had to do was score a touchdown and it might have been enough to win. The special teams even muffed a punt early in the fourth quarter, but their offense proved that they have a long way to go before they can reach respectability again.

The Broncos survive at home to begin the season 1-0 and will take the road for what should be a tougher matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. The Titans get neutralized in Mile High and start the year 0-1, heading back home to see what type of performance they will have against the Los Angeles Rams.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (27) vs. DETROIT LIONS (13)

Well, this game definitely did not pan out the way anybody thought it would. It is not too surprising that the Packers won, but just how they did it was something nobody could have expected. It started on the opening drive of the game, when Jordan Love converted three straight third down attempts on a precisional opening drive, sealing it with a perfect touchdown pass down the seam to Tucker Kraft. Green Bay ended up kicking a field goal on their next drive, but the following one only lasted two plays. The first was a forty-eight yard shot down the middle of the field to Romeo Doubs, followed up with a dime to Jayden Reed down the sideline for another score. Terrion Arnold was the defender in coverage on both times, but seeing the Lions defense get picked apart was not what made this a stunning upset. It was surprisingly their offense.

We knew that losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was going to be rough for Detroit, but some people are clamoring that the only reason why that offense was even successful was because of him. In the first half, it was not that the Lions could not move the ball decently. They just could not score. They went three-and-out to start, then settled for a field goal on a sixteen-play drive that took nearly ten minutes off the clock, and their third possession got them back in the red zone again! In the process of another long drive that kept Green Bay’s defense on its heels for a bit, Jared Goff lit a spark on the other side by staring down Amon-Ra St. Brown on a stick route and throwing an interception right to Evan Williams. Even with Josh Jacobs getting held to just eight yards on six touches, the Packers led 17-3 at the half and when they returned to start the third quarter, they never took their foot off the gas. 

Detroit was able to march inside the ten yard line on their opening drive of the period, but a huge tackle for loss by Keisean Nixon forced a chip-shot field goal. The Green Bay offense stalled out for much of the quarter as they tried to implement a heavy-run gameplan, but it was not working for the time being. Fortunately, their defense turned it up a notch with four sacks on Jared Goff, two from Rashan Gary and another from the newest Packer Micah Parsons. Detroit did not score a touchdown until their final possession of the afternoon, when they were down 27-6, and their defense eventually broke down and tapped out. Green Bay made one heck of a statement on opening week and now it looks like they are in the driver’s seat of the division, while the Lions are in one messy situation right now. It is only the first game of the season, so they definitely still have time to get things fixed and bounce back on track, but let’s just hope that this does not foreshadow any negative trends. Otherwise, that Super Bowl window is going to slam shut and the Bobby Layne curse is going to live on in the Motor City for eternity.

The Packers pummel their arch rivals to begin the season 1-0 and will stay home on a short week to welcome the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football. The Lions get punked in the late afternoon window and will start the year 0-1, but have a chance to bounce back at home when they take on Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.

LOS ANGELES RAMS (14) vs. HOUSTON TEXANS (9)

There was a reason why I struggled picking the winner of this game and it was because I truly did not know what to expect from either side. It is not surprising that both defenses came to play and did whatever it took to win, but for neither offense to reach twenty points was somewhat alarming even in week one. However, the biggest reason why the Rams won was very simple: they were more efficient on both sides of the ball. Even though LA scored just fourteen points, they still looked like the more confident group. Matthew Stafford, dealing with that back injury, threw just eight incompletions and 245 passing yards. However, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams combined for 181 of those yards, so the only other option that Los Angeles had was just hand the ball off to Kyren Williams. Stafford was also pressured on thirteen dropbacks and sacked on three of them, so there were more than a few occasions where he did not have a lot of time to throw the football. Fortunately for him, the Rams defense kept CJ Stroud out of the end zone.

All nine of Houston’s points were not only off of field goals from Ka’imi Fairbairn, but they all took place in the first half. The offense had a few big plays that got them in scoring position, yet a touchdown was not rewarded at the end. Even then, the Texans still led by two at halftime, so they just needed to get something going on that side of the ball and their defense would take care of the rest. However, that was not the case. After the defense let up a touchdown on the opening drive of the period, Rams defensive back Cobie Durant ripped the ball out of the hands of rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins for an interception and it just foreshadowed all that was to come throughout the rest of the game. Out of the eleven penalties they committed on Sunday, seven of them were attributed to the offense, yet the defense kept Matthew Stafford off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Houston’s offense was given so many chances to just get out of their funk and show up when it mattered, but they completely failed. On their final drive of the game, they actually managed to cross midfield for only the second time of the half and drove all the way to LA’s twenty five yard line. However, just when some fans thought the Texans had a chance, Dare Ogunbowale fumbled the ball on a simple angle route and the Rams recovered it with 1:43 remaining. All the offense needed to do was pick up one more first down to run out the clock, and right on cue, Nacua put it on ice with a big third down conversion and forced Houston to burn their final timeout.

Panic bells should be ringing when it comes to the Texans offense now. Struggling last year was one thing because sophomore slumps can be expected, especially after a remarkable and unforgettable rookie season like the one CJ Stroud had in 2023. However, he is entering his third year and I am not seeing any improvement. Obviously, the struggles are not entirely on him because he does not have the best supporting cast, but nine points and zero touchdowns on opening week is unacceptable. That defense did everything they could to give their offense the ball back with a chance to win the game, forcing multiple ounts and a fumble late in the fourth quarter, but could never find a way to respond. Now they are at the point where they might lose the division to Daniel Jones if both teams continue to head into the directions they are in right now, which is something that nobody could have predicted at the beginning of the year.

As for Los Angeles, the offense did not play at their best but still did enough, and the defense set the tone from start to finish. They showed that the NFC West is going to be nip-and-tuck the entire season, but time will tell to see who comes out on top at the end.

The Rams hang on at home and begin the season 1-0, with a trip on the road to see if they can take care of business against the Tennessee Titans. Meanwhile, the Texans get stuck in quicksand as they start the year 0-1, heading back home for a Monday night showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

BUFFALO BILLS (41) vs. BALTIMORE RAVENS (40)

Here is an early hot take: this was the best game of the entire week. Shocking, I know. Yet despite the final score, it did not turn out to be a back-and-forth showdown where neither offense could be stopped. In fact, the Ravens dominated much of the ball game and led by as much as fifteen with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, but they once again got in their own way and blew a chance at sealing the deal! Before we get to that though, let’s see how we got here in the first place.

Buffalo’s offense got the ball to start the game and thanks to a big kickoff return from Brodric Codrington, Josh Allen began the opening drive at midfield and it took just a few minutes for him to throw his first touchdown pass of the day. However, that was the only touchdown the Bills scored in the first half as they settled for two more field goals the rest of the period. The Ravens, on the other hand, had four drives and scored points on all of them! As a result, Baltimore led 20-13 at the break, and it looked like nobody was going to stop Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry.

Throughout the entirety of the third quarter and for most of the fourth, the Bills did a good job of playing keep-up with a couple touchdown drives, but the Ravens always found a way to respond. Zay Flowers and DeAndre Hopkins made exceptional plays, Henry was just gashing the inferior Bills run defense, Lamar escaped sacks left and right, and they only punted the ball once! When Henry broke the 46 yard touchdown run to go ahead 40-25, it felt like that was the dagger in the ball game, but it was not when Tyler Loop missed the ensuing extra point. Little did we all know at the time that this would be the play that would be the start of a valiant Buffalo comeback. Both teams went three-and-out on the next possessions, but when Josh Allen still had some breathing room, he savored every second.

It only took the Bills a few minutes to make it a one score game with a touchdown pass to Keon Coleman, but it was a wild play as the ball was deflected in the air by another Bills receiver, and then happened to land right in the hands of the second year player from Florida State! On fourth down and two, nonetheless! However, the Ravens still had more than enough time left on the clock to get a few more points on the board and put the game away. As long as they did not make any costly mistakes, they would be fine. Spoiler alert, they did. Just two plays into the next possession, Derrick Henry of all players coughed the ball up on a vicious tackle for loss by Ed Oliver and the Bills recovered at the Baltimore thirty yard line. Once that play happened,  Baltimore was in serious trouble. On the very next play, Allen hit the third string tight end Jackson Hawes down the post at the one yard, setting up first and goal. Not too long afterwards, Allen jumped over the goal-line and put them in position to tie the game, but the two point conversion pass was broken up by Nate Wiggins and the Bills still trailed. Lamar got one more chance to run out the clock, get a first down, and hang on to prevent a humiliating choke job. Instead, Buffalo’s defense forced the biggest three-and-out of the night, giving Allen the ball back with 1:26 on the clock. The minute that happened, the game was over because the Ravens could not stop him whatsoever. After Josh Palmer got wide open down the sideline for a thirty-two yard pickup, Keon Coleman easily beat Jaire Alexander on the slant and picked up an extra twenty-five to get all the way to the nine yard line. That set up an easy chip-shot field goal for the ageless wonder Matthew Prater, elevated from the practice squad, and the ball easily went through the uprights.

Keep this in mind. The Ravens went six for eleven on third down, totaled 433 yards of offense, yet still lost the game. Their defense reverted back to the turnstile that it was in the first half of the 2024 season, one of their most dynamic offensive playmakers fumbled the ball at the worst possible time, and all it really took was a missed extra point to set up everything. Josh Allen was absolutely phenomenal with 394 yards and four touchdowns, so nobody should diminish anything about his performance whatsoever because without him, there is no chance that Buffalo wins this game. Yet at the same time, a fifteen point lead with four minutes remaining should have sealed the deal, and Baltimore blew it… again! This is now the seventeenth double digit lead that this team has blown since John Harbaugh has been as the head coach, so while it is normal to be absolutely stunned, this trend has officially turned into a tradition.

The Bills come back in an epic showdown and start the season 1-0, with a trip to East Rutherford to see if they can handle their business against the New York Jets. Meanwhile, the Ravens completely self-destruct once again as they begin the year 0-1, heading back home to hopefully not suffer the same fate against the Cleveland Browns.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (27) vs. CHICAGO BEARS (24)

The crowd at Soldier Field was electric for Monday Night. One of the most beloved men in Chicago Jim Cornelison performed the National Anthem, the '85 team was being celebrated on their fortieth anniversary, Ditka cigars were rolling around like crazy, and the fans were eager to see what this new season with Ben Johnson as their head coach was going to like. They could not ask for a better start as the offense marched right down the field on the opening drive to score an early touchdown, while the defense forced two consecutive three-and-outs due to a couple of sacks. Chicago’s offense stalled out for the rest of the first half, but they were able to move the ball just enough to take a 10-6 lead at halftime, while their defense kept JJ McCarthy confused and stand-still in the pocket. On the opening drive of the third quarter, McCarthy threw a horrible pick six right into the waiting arms of Nahshon Wright on an out route intended for Justin Jefferson, and Chicago was suddenly ahead 17-6. Yet, the Bears offense kept stalling out time after time. Either a pre-snap penalty would push them back five yards, the running game would get slowed down, or Caleb William’s accuracy would be uncontrollably wild. At the start of the fourth, Cairo Santos was sent out to the field to make a fifty yard field goal attempt. It was not the best situation they could have asked for, but the defense was playing absolutely lights out, so an extra three points would put Chicago ahead 20-6.

However, the kick pulled wide to the right, and that allowed Minnesota’s offense to flip the switch and finally get out of a very large hole. Before the final period, McCarthy completed seven out of twelve passes for fifty-six yards. In the last fifteen minutes of play, he went six for eight for eighty-seven yards with three touchdowns on three consecutive drives! All of a sudden, Minnesota was ahead 27-17 when they were trailing 17-6! In his first NFL start, McCarthy rallied his team from the brink and put them on his back to victory, which completely took the air out of the stands in the Windy City. Chicago managed to score a late touchdown before the two minute warning, but instead of going for an onside kick or kicking it out of bounds, Santos kicked it deep and Minnesota returned it out of the end zone to make sure they were the ones controlling the clock. 

While some things change, others just stay the same for some football teams. The Bears are no different. After the opening drive, the offense could not muster up anything substantial besides a couple of field goal attempts and a desperation scoring drive down ten points. I am not going to overreact and say that Caleb Williams is the most overrated quarterback in the history of the franchise since this is just the first week, but it felt like he reverted back to what he was in his rookie year, and the reason why the team hired Ben Johnson in the first place was to make sure those mistakes were cleaned up. This organization better things around and quickly, or else massive changes are going to be made and the franchise is just going to be in the same mess as the Cleveland Browns have been in for decades.

The Vikings, on the other hand, showed plenty of courage and fortitude. Their defense kept this team in the game for as long as possible, but the minute that their offense finally showed up to the party, it was game over. For forty-five minutes, Chicago defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had McCarthy seeing ghosts. In the final quarter of play, that quarterback looked like Tom Brady out there. Sometimes, it is not about how you start, but rather how you finish. Because of this, nobody should discount what Minnesota was able to accomplish.

The Vikings come back from despair and start the season 1-0, with a trip back home for another primetime showdown as they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, the Bears get their hearts ripped out once again to begin the year 0-1 and will head on the road for Ben Johnson’s revenge game against the Detroit Lions.