Week 1 kept us on our toes, that's for sure.
It began with
the bizarre Jalen Carter incident prior to the first snap from scrimmage in the Kickoff Game, which the defending champion Eagles ultimately won --
barely -- over the
Micah Parsons-less Cowboys. Speaking of Parsons, he helped the Packers
thump the Lions in statement fashion. In a week of mostly close games, that one stood out -- but perhaps not as much, in a negative way, as the Dolphins
getting smooshed in Indy.
Steelers-Jets totaled
66 points. Texans-Rams
only got to 23. Defenses seemed to be ahead of the offenses in most games. Most, but not
all.
The marquee event of the weekend lived up to its billing, with the Bills nipping the Ravens,
41-40, in an instant classic.
Josh Allen vs.
Lamar Jackson was about as good as it gets, Week 1 or otherwise.
Monday night wasn't as visually appealing, but
J.J. McCarthy’s fourth-quarter comeback in his hometown could be the stuff of legend one day. (Related: Yikes, Bears!)
There's a lot to process from the NFL's opening week. Let's do our best to re-sort the order.
1
Philadelphia Eagles
1-0
It's Week 2, and some 2024 contenders had shaky moments in recent days, so by the end of Week 1, nothing that had happened to the Eagles in
the Kickoff Game ultimately felt all that shocking. Philadelphia took care of business, dealing with adversity the way a defending Super Bowl champion should, and finished off the Cowboys. The defensive questions won't go away, especially with the second cornerback spot. The Eagles had to make several in-game adjustments to deal with the coverage issues, and that was on top of having to scrap the original game plan after
Jalen Carter was ejected prior to the first play from scrimmage. Teams that don't have
Jalen Hurts and
Saquon Barkley might be a tad more concerned, even with Philly about to embark on
a trip to Kansas City. They're still the Eagles for now.
2
Buffalo Bills
1-0
Josh Allen had to hear the MVP chants for
Lamar Jackson in his own stadium. Then he got up off the mat and led three scoring drives in the final seven-plus minutes to pull off the most improbable comeback imaginable. Allen was MVP-level good; in the fourth quarter alone, he completed 16 of 21 passes for 251 yards (all three figures higher than what Jackson produced
in the entire game) and a touchdown, while also running for two scores. For three-plus quarters, the Ravens looked to be the better team, as Jackson and
Derrick Henry ran roughshod over the Bills. Buffalo's defense rallied late, but Baltimore had scored on seven of eight possessions to start the game. And therein lies the one thing holding me back with the Bills: their difficulty, year over year, slowing down top-tier offenses. Of course, in the here and now, that only means so much. The Jets and Patriots lost at home, and the Dolphins were obliterated in Indianapolis. This is all about the march to January and whether the Bills can solve their defensive issues before tournament time.
3
Baltimore Ravens
0-1
With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter on Sunday night, I started asking myself whether Baltimore deserved to leapfrog Philadelphia. I think I
would've made the switch at No. 1 -- had the Ravens finished the job. Instead, they end up here after a shocking
double-digit-win-turned-loss. Ravens fans have developed thicker skin over the years, but this one had to sting. Through eight drives, the Ravens had 410 yards and 40 points.
Derrick Henry's second touchdown --
a 46-yard lighting bolt that increased Baltimore's lead to 40-25 -- felt like the knockout blow in Buffalo. But the Ravens squandered the final three possessions, with
Henry's fumble being the killer. Then the defense, which had actually played very well in the first 50-plus minutes, was absolutely undressed at the end. It's wild to think that a few minutes of game time could have this big a swing on an outcome (and my impression of a team), but here we are. I still believe the Ravens are going to blowtorch most of the league, but this one will stick in the craw for some time.
4
Green Bay Packers
1-0
What a rousing debut for
Micah Parsons and for the other members of the Packers' defense, who appeared energized by Parsons' arrival and the challenge of stopping the Lions. Challenge completed. It was a beautiful effort defensively, with strong pressure, disciplined coverage (almost all zone) and several stuffs in the run game.
Lukas Van Ness especially caught my eye; is Year 3 his time? Either way, if Parsons can have this kind of impact in 29 snaps while nursing a back injury, imagine what he -- and this defense -- can do with him at full health. Oh, and
Jordan Love was pretty darned good outside of one really shaky series. Love has a way of never allowing you to fully relax, but he was throwing some heaters early. Suddenly, they're dreaming big in Green Bay.
5
Kansas City Chiefs
0-1
One pass attempt into the season,
Patrick Mahomes lost Xavier Worthy indefinitely to a shoulder injury.
Rashee Rice is only one week into
a six-game suspension. Rookie
Jalen Royals is dealing with knee pain.
Hollywood Brown played his role in the opener,
Travis Kelce caught
a schemed-up TD and
JuJu Smith-Schuster made a few plays. But we're almost right back where Kansas City has been a few times in the recent past, and we know how this movie goes. The Chiefs really labored offensively for much of the
loss in Brazil before catching a little fire late against the Chargers. But with the defense really struggling to get stops, it introduced a relatively new storyline to watch. I was hopeful the offense could regain some of its mojo, but I truly thought the D would be stout. With
Philly on tap, K.C. could be in some early heat.
6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1-0
Baker Mayfield started cold, the Buccaneers' defense had its hands full with
Michael Penix Jr., and it just felt like this one was tilting the way of the Falcons, who swept the Bucs last season. But no: Mayfield shook off the rust in his first game action since the playoffs and did just enough, hitting
Emeka Egbuka for what ultimately proved to be
the game-winning touchdown. I felt like Egbuka would come into the league
NFL-ready, but I didn't realize he'd be the Week 1 hero -- and almost certainly a huge part of Tampa Bay's passing game this season. The reshuffled offensive line had its hands full without All-Pro LT
Tristan Wirfs, but the backs also missed picking up some pressures. The defense took a few right hooks before clamping down, with
Antoine Winfield Jr.'s late pass breakup a possible game-saver. Style points be damned in this one, as the Bucs logged a division win on the road in Week 1.
7
Washington Commanders
1-0
Jayden Daniels missed some throws -- and some points, too, with an intentional grounding at the Giants' 4-yard line (one of 12 Washington penalties) running out the first-half clock and keeping the Giants in the game. But chalk this stuff up to early-season rust. Daniels also threw for 233 yards and ran for 68, part of a 220-yard rushing game for Washington.
Deebo Samuel and
Jacory Croskey-Merritt were big hits in their Commanders debuts, even if the new offensive tackles struggled a bit. But the big story was the play of the defense. Even against the Giants, that unit's effort and execution deserve adulation. It'll be a quick turnaround to
Thursday's game at Green Bay, but also an excellent chance for the defense to prove it really
has taken a step forward.
8
Detroit Lions
0-1
Even with a shockingly tame offensive day, the Lions still had three chances to score in the red zone before the game was out of reach, and they totaled six points. I'm sure there will be panic in Detroit (
great song), especially now that the Lions are in
Ben Johnson Week, but I think we had best exercise a little patience with John Morton, the play-calling, the execution and all of it. Defensively, there has to be some worry after CB
Terrion Arnold's injury, which was a haunting reminder of last year's roster carnage. If Chicago beats Detroit at Ford Field this Sunday and the offense looks lifeless again, I suspect my tune on the Lions will change a bit.
9
Denver Broncos
1-0
It wasn't the showing
Bo Nix and the offense wanted, but I give them some credit for working their way through issues. The third- and fourth-down efficiency was poor, as it was in the red zone, and you won't win many more games finishing minus-2 in turnovers. But with some better drives in the final 20 minutes, the offense could at least say it wore the Titans down. Nix let his mechanics go a little bit early on; he just seemed a little jacked up or something. This wasn't a Defcon 2 situation or anything, but it was a little concerning that the defense had to play a nearly perfect game to bail out the offense and special teams. A shaky opener, but not a disheartening one.
10
Los Angeles Rams
1-0
Let’s start with the really good: The Rams' defense
held the Texans to 265 yards, 4.6 yards per play, three field goals and zero points after halftime. They forced two Houston turnovers -- a
brilliant INT by
Cobie Durant and
an insane punchout by
Nate Landman in the closing minutes, with the Texans threatening to take the lead. Houston hurt itself with penalties, putting the team in a lot of long-yardage situations, but the Rams took care of business. In fact, Los Angeles’ offense was a little crisper than Houston’s. This was no presumption, considering
Matthew Stafford’s
back issues and the fact that
Puka Nacua required stitches above his right eye early in the game. Puka returned to slice up Houston for several big catches. Given their slow starts the past two seasons, the Rams will gladly celebrate this victory
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