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Week one of the NFL season is now in the rearview, and with a full slate of 16 games occurring on opening weekend, there were a lot of story lines to break down.
Kansas City Chiefs 27, Baltimore Ravens 20
The 2024-25 NFL season started off with a bang as the two-time defending Super Bowl Champs, Kansas City Chiefs, began their quest for a three-peat with an exhilarating 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens, with Taylor Swift in attendance, seeing the Chiefs managing to squeak by a toe, literally. Patrick Mahomes finished the game with 279 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Highly touted rookie Xavier Worthy found the end zone twice for the Chiefs and second year wideout Rashee Rice had seven catches and 103 yards. Lamar Jackson had by all standards a perfect game, outside of a first half fumble, finishing with 273 passing yards, 122 rushing yards, and one touchdown. Free agent acquisition Derrick Henry found the end zone to go along with 46 rushing yards, and Coastal Carolina alum, Isaiah Likely, finished with 9 catches, 111 yards and a score, and would’ve had a second a game tying touchdown as time expired had his shoe size been a half size smaller. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means for the Chiefs but they managed to get it done on the NFL’s opening night.
Philadelphia Eagles 34, Green Bay Packers 29
The first NFL game played in South America (São Paulo, Brazil) was electric for the first 59 minutes and 54 seconds. Disregarding the subpar field conditions that led to multiple players slipping and sliding around, the questionable calls made by the referees that led to 17 total accepted penalties, it was a high scoring, thrilling game which saw both offenses putting up over 400 total yards each, but also turning the ball over multiple times. When all was said and done Saquon Barkley had 132 total yards and three touchdowns. A.J Brown had 119 yards receiving and also found the end zone for Philadelphia. On Green Bay’s side, Jayden Reed had 171 total yards and two touchdowns. However, the biggest story of the game is concerning the health of Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Love was tackled awkwardly with six seconds left to play in the game and had to be helped off the field with what appeared to be some type of lower left leg injury. His status for not only next week’s game but also the rest of the season will be the talk of the NFL in the coming days. If Love does indeed have some type of serious injury that threatens to keep him out for multiple weeks, third year quarterback Malik Willis will take the keys to the Matt Lafleur offense.
Pittsburgh Steelers 18, Atlanta Falcons 10
No Russell Wilson? No problem for the Steelers as T.J. Watt and company led the Steelers to an 18-10 over the Atlanta Falcons and their new quarterback Kirk Cousins. Watt finished the game with two tackles for loss (TFL), one sack, three quarterback hits and a fumble recovery. The Steelers defense also picked Cousins off twice and held the playmaker filled Falcons offense to only 226 total yards. Chris Boswell proved to be the only offense that the Steelers needed as he finished the day a perfect six for six on field goal attempts, three of which were 50+ yards which was a Steelers franchise record. He also booted a 43 yard punt when the Steelers starting punter, Cameron Johnston was injured earlier in the game. The last time Chris Boswell made six or more field goals in a game was a 2016 divisional round game vs the Kansas City Chiefs, which funny enough all six of Boswell’s field goals were enough to win that game without the Steelers offense scoring a touchdown.
Buffalo Bills 34, Arizona Cardinals 28
For all the big changes that occurred in the Bills wide receiver and defensive room, the one constant was Josh Allen. Allen finished the game 271 total yards and four total touchdowns ,two rushing and two passing, as he led the Bills to a come from behind victory over the Arizona Cardinals. It looked dire in the first half where the Bills found themselves down 17-3 with 0:19 seconds left in the half until Allen went scrambling to his right and darted into the end zone to give the Bills their first touchdown of the season. Allen’s final touchdown with 8:44 left in the game, would see him hurdle a man and go airborne into the end zone to cap off a stretch that would see the Bills outscore the Cardinals 28-3 spanning over halftime and putting the Bills up 31-20. Kyler Murray had a solid day for the Cardinals finishing with 219 total yards and one touchdown. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr had a very quiet game that saw him with only one catch for four yards but appeared to be wide open on several occasions and Murray just missed him. This game was also the only game to feature a kick return TD with the NFL’s new kickoff rules.
Chicago Bears 24, Tennessee Titans 17
The Caleb Williams era in Chicago got off to a very strange start, that saw Williams play very poorly and make several rookie mistakes in his NFL debut, but also saw the Bears defense carry them to a 24-17 win over the Titans. A Tyrique Stevenson pick six off Titans QB Will Levis with 7:35 to go in the game proved to be the difference as in a day that saw the Bears offense accumulate only 148 total yards, their defense picked them up by forcing three turnovers and sacking Levis twice. In the Super Bowl era, teams that scored zero touchdowns and trailed by 17 or more points are 3-1,225. Two of those wins were by Chicago, with their 2006 team beating Arizona. The other was Kansas City against the Carolina Panthers in 2016. There will be growing pains with Williams as he adjusts to the speed of the NFL compared to college, but at least for now the Bears are 1-0 and have their eyes set on the playoffs.
New England Patriots 16, Cincinnati Bengals 10
Jacoby Brissett was named the opening game starter for the Patriots in favor of rookie QB Drake Maye, and on a day where Brissett was by no means perfect, he led the Patriots offense to a cleaner game than the Bengals. With that, the Jerod Mayo era in New England begins with a win. The Patriots only touchdown drive saw them go 14 plays, 80 yards and was capped off by a Rhamondre Stevenson three yard run. The Bengals on the other hand were bad in the first half and for most of the second. Cincinnati went three-and-out on its first three possessions. Joe Burrow moved the Bengals into the red zone in the second quarter and came away with nothing.
Tight end Mike Gesicki appeared to make a falling catch in the back corner of the end zone, but a replay showed he hadn’t maintained control. On the next play, a third-and-11 from the Patriots 15, Burrow connected with tight end Tanner Hudson at the nine-yard-line, but safety Kyle Dugger stripped the ball at the goal line and cornerback Marcus Jones scooped it up and ran 17 yards the other way. Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had a subpar game by his standards finishing with only six catches for 62 yards as he dealt with whether or not he would even play in this game due to ongoing contract extension negotiations between him and the Bengals front office. Burrow had a disappointing 164 yards and no touchdowns. Questions will need to be answered in Cincinnati before they head to Kansas City next week.
Houston Texans 29, Indianapolis Colts 27
During the offseason, the Texans invested heavily in more weapons for second year quarterback C.J. Stroud to have at his disposal, and it’s already paying dividends. Stefon Diggs caught two touchdown passes, and Joe Mixon ran for 159 yards and a score to lead the Texans to a 29-27 win over the Colts. Stroud finished the game with 234 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers for the defending AFC South champs. For the Colts, it was an all-too-familiar script. They extended the NFL’s longest active opening day winless drought, three of the past four coming against division teams including a 20-20 tie at Houston in 2022. And even though Anthony Richardson gave them a chance with two TD passes of more than 50 yards and a powerful three-yard touchdown run with 2:14 to play, Indy’s weary defense couldn’t get the ball back to Richardson. The Texans dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for more than 40 minutes during the game. One thing to watch out for is the Colts had new turf installed in Lucas Oil Stadium and on many occasions today players were seen slipping and unable to find good footing on the new turf.
Miami Dolphins 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
A day that started with panic ended in celebration for the Miami Dolphins. Jason Sanders nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Dolphins to a win over the Jaguars. Coming off an offseason in which Tua Tagovailoa got his payday, he threw for 336 yards and one touchdown in the victory. Star receiver Tyreek Hill began his day getting detained outside Hard Rock stadium and ended with seven catches, 130 yards and a touchdown that sparked the Dolphins offense in the third quarter. De’Von Achane had seven catches for 75 yards as well as rushing for 25 yards and a score. Trevor Lawrence, who also got paid during the offseason, finished the game with 162 yards and a touchdown as for his only score of the game he found rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr who finished his debut with four catches for 47 yards and a score. Turnovers killed the Jaguars as Travis Etienne Jr had the ball punched from his grasp inside the Miami five yard line late in the third quarter. That would lead to the Hill touchdown that would spark the Dolphins offense and the eventual comeback.
New Orleans Saints 47, Carolina Panthers 10
Derek Carr and company began the 2024 season with a rout of divisional rival Carolina at home. Carr finished the game with 200 yards and three touchdowns, with Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams both added a score on the ground. The Panthers, who went 2-15 last season, made front office, coaching and key roster changes in hopes of improving this season. However, this season opener could not have gone much worse for new coach Dave Canales and second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Young finished the game with 161 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Panthers had three turnovers on the day and allowed four sacks and looked outmatched all day long.
Minnesota Vikings 28, New York Giants 6
The New York Giants uniforms were almost as bad as their performance to open the 2024 season. The Vikings lost presumed starting QB and rookie J.J. McCarthy for the season in the offseason, but Sam Darnold stepped up in week one, as he finished the game with 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Free agent acquisition running back Aaron Jones finished his Vikings debut with 94 rushing yards, a score and two catches for 15 yards. Justin Jefferson had a solid game finishing with four catches, 59 yards and a score. The Giants offense looked lost all day long as quarterback Daniel Jones finished the game with only 186 yards and two interceptions. Jones, who was coming off major knee surgery, did not play well and got little help from either his new revamped offensive line or his receivers. First-round draft pick Malik Nabers did have five receptions for 66 yards.
Los Angeles Chargers 22, Las Vegas Raiders 10
The Jim Harbaugh era in Los Angeles began with a win Sunday afternoon, and improves to 5-0 in opening games as an NFL head coach. Fresh off a national championship with Michigan, Harbaugh brought his ground and pound style offense to LA as his Chargers mustered quite the second half comeback over the division rival Raiders. J.K. Dobbins had quite his own Chargers debut as he rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Justin Herbert finished the game with 144 yards and one touchdown to rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, out of Georgia, who finished his debut with 5 catches for 39 yards and a score. Midway through the fourth quarter and with Los Angeles up 16-10, Dobbins had a 61-yard run off left tackle to the Raiders 14. Three plays later, Herbert connected with McConkey for a 10-yard touchdown to put it out of reach. Gardner Minshew finished his Raiders debut with 257 yards, one touchdown and one pick.
Seattle Seahawks 26, Denver Broncos 20
It was a rocky start to Mike Macdonald’s head coaching debut in Seattle. The first two plays of Mike Macdonald’s career as a head coach started by watching his quarterback get sacked and throw an interception while being hit as he threw. Fortunately for Macdonald and the Seahawks, that ugly start and an unsightly first half set the stage for a big second half and a 26-20 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, giving the youngest head coach in the league his first victory. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 84 of his 103 yards and a touchdown in the second half and sparked a rally following a mistake-filled first half littered with sloppy play. The Broncos led 13-9 at the half thanks in part to two safeties, but Walker changed the momentum in the third quarter as Seattle recommitted to the ground game. He gained 53 yards on five carries on Seattle’s first drive of the second half, capped by a 23-yard touchdown run. Walker had another touchdown called back on a penalty, but he still produced the seventh 100-yard rushing game of his career. Quarterback Geno Smith finished the game with 171 yards, one touchdown, one pick and a 34 yard touchdown run of his own. Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a very up and down NFL debut as he finished with 138 yards and two careless interceptions while also adding a score on the ground.
Dallas Cowboys 33, Cleveland Browns 17
Hours before kickoff, Dak Prescott was made the highest paid player in the NFL and at least for this week he made the most of it, leading the Cowboys to a season opening victory over the Browns, 33-17. Prescott finished the game with 179 yards and a touchdown and was able to cruise to the finish as the Cowboys defense stifled the Browns offense all day long with Micah Parsons continually wreaking havoc on Browns QB Deshaun Watson. Parsons finished with one tackle for loss, one sack and 5 QB pressures. Ezekiel Elliott had a touchdown in his return to Dallas and Ceedee Lamb, fresh off getting paid, had a respectable game tallying 5 catches for 61 yards. Deshaun Watson played for the first time since breaking a bone in his right shoulder in November. Cleveland’s QB didn’t play during the preseason and the Browns’ new-look offense didn’t look very good with him running it. Watson was sacked six times, intercepted twice and the 28-year-old wasn’t sharp. He had several overthrows, held the ball too long on some plays and rarely looked comfortable as the Cowboys blanketed his receivers. Cowboys kicker, Brandon Aubrey, finished the game four for four on field goal attempts with a long of 57 yards.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37, Washington Commanders 20
In a battle of Heisman Trophy winners, Baker Mayfield came out on top over Jayden Daniels, and even though the Buccaneers are undoubtedly led by Baker Mayfield, each of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and a very solid defense are also part of the formula that led to the Bucs spoiling rookie QB Jayden Daniels NFL debut. Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the season opening win. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both had very good games finishing with five catches 61 yards, two touchdowns, and eight catches 83 yards and a score respectively. Jaydon Daniels was more effective running the ball than passing, scoring a pair of rushing TDs for Washington, which is aiming for a fresh start with the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, Dan Quinn as the coach and Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Whitt Jr. running the offense and defense, respectively. Daniels finished his first professional game throwing for 184 yards and rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Terry McClaurin had a disappointingly quiet game finishing only with two catches for 17 yards on four targets.
Detroit Lions 26, Las Angeles Rams 20
In a rematch of last year’s NFC Wild Card game, the Lions and Rams needed overtime to decide who would come out the victor. In the end, it would be David Montgomery who punched it in from one yard out to give the Lions the overtime victory. The Lions lost a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter, but extended the game with Jake Bates’ tying 32-yard field goal in the final minute of regulation. Detroit won the coin flip and took advantage of having the ball, gaining at least nine yards on its first four plays in overtime to set up Montgomery’s winning score. The Rams were in a position to spoil Detroit’s season-opening party when Stafford threw a go-ahead, nine-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter. That touchdown capped off a vintage night for Kupp that saw him haul in 14 catches for 110 yards and a score. They just couldn’t make enough plays on both sides of the ball to hold on for the win. The Rams also put up quite a fight despite losing Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua and two linemen on its banged-up line to injury earlier in the game. Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished the game throwing for 217 yards, one touchdown and one pick, Rams QB Matthew Stafford finished the game with 317 yards, one touchdown and one pick.
San Francisco 49ers 32, New York Jets 19
No Christian McCaffery? No problem for the 49ers, as Jordan Mason had a career game totaling 147 yards and one touchdown on the ground as the 49ers cruised to a 32-19 win, spoiling Aaron Rodgers return to the NFL exactly 52 weeks after he tore his Achilles on Monday night football last year. Rodgers threw for 167 yards and one TD and also had an interception. He had problems moving around in the pocket, but still showed off the arm that helped him win four MVPs with the Green Bay Packers a few times in his first real action for the Jets. Breece Hall had a solid game for the Jets totaling 54 yards and a score on the ground as well as catching five balls for 39 yards out of the backfield, but he also fumbled early in the game that led to a 49ers score. But it was not enough as San Francisco controlled the ball behind a strong performance from the offensive line. Deebo Samuel added a two-yard TD run and Jake Moody made a franchise record-tying six field goals to lead the 49ers to the win. Brock Purdy threw for 231 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers against a Jets defense that generated little pressure without holdout edge rusher Haason Reddick.
Next week, the NFL will see 16 more games scheduled, kicking off with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. The week will end on Monday, as the Atlanta Falcons will tackle the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
