Week 1 delivered the kind of NFL chaos that makes the first Sunday of the season feel like a holiday. There were shootouts, a few surprises and an overtime finish, but the early headline grabbers were easy to spot: the Bears put up a video-game number, the Giants handled the Cowboys, and Josh Allen came through when Buffalo needed him most.
Chicago’s 59-37 rout of the Panthers was the loudest statement of the day. It made the Bears just the sixth team in league history to score at least 55 points in Week 1, and the damage was mostly done on the ground. Chicago piled up at least 290 rushing yards and six touchdowns, becoming only the second team since 1962 to do it.
That kind of production fits the direction Ben Johnson is trying to push the offense. The Bears were already ninth in scoring last season, only the fourth time in the last 30 years they finished in the top 10. Johnson wants even more.
“I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever,” he told The Athletic last month.
Elsewhere, Minnesota’s quarterback situation got messier when Kyler Murray left in the first quarter with a concussion. Carson Wentz stepped in and did his part, finishing 12-for-19 for 133 yards and three touchdowns, but the bigger story was the way the Vikings closed the game. Their defense tightened up and the offense answered with 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, while the Packers’ last four possessions ended in turnover on downs, a fumble, an interception and another turnover on downs.
That’s where Brian Flores’s group can make a real difference. The defense already finished third in yards allowed and seventh in scoring last season.
The offense doesn’t have to be flashy, but it does need to cut down on the mistakes - especially after posting the league’s worst turnover rate. If that happens, Minnesota can lean on the defense and win enough games to get into the playoffs.
Cleveland, meanwhile, did nothing to quiet the noise around Deshaun Watson. The Browns fell 34-10 to the Jaguars, and Watson’s day was rough from the start.
He went 16-for-22 for 205 yards, was sacked five times, took two delay of game penalties and threw an ugly interception on the fifth snap of the game. By the time Cleveland reached 80 total yards through three quarters, Jacksonville was already ahead 34-3.
The final numbers almost make it sound cleaner than it was.
How many more performances like that will Browns fans be forced to sit through before the team finally admits Watson’s contract is a sunk cost?
There was at least one early sign of life in New York. The Jets beat the Titans 23-10, and Geno Smith wasn’t touched once after taking 55 sacks last season, which tied for the most in the league.
“I don’t think I got touched at all out there and that’s always a great sign,” Smith said. “I thought we ran the ball well, which slowed [Tennessee] down. And then when we needed to pass the ball, I thought the protection was outstanding.”
One win over Tennessee doesn’t turn the Jets into a contender, but it does point to something sturdier than the usual collapse risk. Smith doesn’t have to be spectacular to keep them from spinning out.
The Giants followed later in the day, and their 28-20 win over the Cowboys was as clean as they’ve looked in a long time. They converted 9 of 11 third downs and went 4-for-4 in the red zone.
Even more striking, three of their four touchdown drives lasted at least 10 plays. That had not happened in a game since 2015, and it had not happened in a win since 2008.
It also marked the first time since 2009 that both New York teams opened with a win.
And if Week 1 was any indication, there were already a few individual plays worth circling. Omarion Hampton powered through for a touchdown run where he simply refused to go down.
Bryce Young flashed twice, first by sliding around in the pocket to buy time before a touchdown pass, then by dropping in a perfect deep ball to Jalen Coker for another long score. Tyler Owens turned in an outstanding special teams tackle.
Josh Allen delivered Buffalo’s game-winning touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer, fitting the ball into a tight window and hitting him in stride. Lamar Jackson’s escape from a sack might have been the most absurd of the bunch.
There was also a notable return waiting in the wings, with Patrick Mahomes set to get back on the field nine months after suffering a major knee injury.
In Other News...
Kyler Murrays Vikings Debut Just Took A Frightening Turn
Kyler Murrays first appearance in a Vikings uniform took a harsh turn before it could really settle into a rhythm. The quarterback was struck helmet-to-helmet by Packers safety Javon Bullard, a hit that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty and quickly changed the feel of the game for Minnesota, especially with Murray then forced to leave and backup Carson Wentz stepping in.
For a team still trying to build any momentum around its new quarterback, the sight of Murray heading to the sideline was the biggest storyline of the day. Medical expert David J. Chao said the footage showed neurological signs consistent with a concussion, leaving the Vikings to sort through a debut that was supposed to answer questions and instead raised a much more unsettling one. [Read more 🡒]
Kyler Murrays First Vikings Snap Was Already Hard To Ignore
Kyler Murray arrived in Minnesota with plenty to prove, and he wasted no time making his presence felt in a quarterback battle that had been watched closely all summer. After signing a one-year deal following his release from Arizona, Murray went head-to-head with J.J. McCarthy in training camp and eventually earned the Week 1 nod from coach Kevin OConnell, a decision that signaled a fresh start for both player and team.
What makes Murrays fit more interesting is how openly he has embraced the Vikings as more than just his next stop. He has talked about strong personal ties to the franchise and the chance to reinvent his NFL career in Minnesota, which gives his first snaps an added layer of meaning beyond the usual camp competition. For a team looking to settle its quarterback picture, the early signs around Murray are already hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Backup Decision Just Changed Everything In Green Bay
Kevin OConnells backup quarterback choice suddenly mattered a whole lot more once Kyler Murray locked in the starting job, and for the Vikings it put Carson Wentz in the spotlight as the No. 2 behind him instead of J.J. McCarthy. The move looked like a depth-chart decision on paper, but it became the kind of call that shapes a game when Wentz was pressed into action early in the season opener against the Packers.
Wentz responded by helping turn a difficult start into a 39-22 comeback win in Green Bay, settling in quickly and finding Justin Jefferson for multiple scores. He finished 12 of 19 for 133 yards and three touchdowns, a performance that did more than steady the Vikings for one afternoon. It also gave Minnesota a backup situation that now looks a lot more consequential than it did when camp ended. [Read more 🡒]