Wow. What a week that was. Seattle is the only NFC West team with a win. The entire AFC South is winless, even though two teams played each other. Pretty much every RB tandem had the opposite work distribution of what people were expecting. Let’s get into the chaos that was week 1.
1. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Won 31-10 vs Rams
The Bills looked every bit the part of the Super Bowl favorites. As the old saying goes, “to be the champ, you’ve gotta beat the champ.” Buffalo did exactly that. They went into LA and beat the brakes off of the reigning champs. They only surrendered 10 points, and that’s WITHOUT star CB Tre White. What’s even crazier is that the Bills played sloppily. If they made fewer mistakes, the score would have easily been even more lopsided.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Won 44-21 vs Cardinals
All off-season, we wondered what this offense would look like without Tyreek Hill. Patrick Mahomes put those concerns to rest with a 5 TD performance. The Chiefs have recently been slow out of the gates. The fact that they’re starting this red hot should scare everyone. They deserve to be a top 2 team, and I’m not even sure that they’re #2.
3. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
Won 24-19 vs Raiders
It may not look like much on paper, but it’s a division win in the toughest division in football. The defense forced 3 interceptions and Justin Herbert threw 3 touchdowns. The run game was largely ineffective, but it’s way too soon to panic about that.
4. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Won 23-7 vs Packers
That had to feel good. They dominated the Packers. Not only is Green Bay the bully in their division, but they were also the #1 seed in the NFC last year. But this ain’t last year. Justin Jefferson went scorched Earth, with over 100 yards and 2 TDs in the first half alone. Kirk Cousins out-performed the 2x defending NFL MVP. I was very critical of his contract extension, even going as far as to say they’d never win a Super Bowl with him. I may have to eat my words.
5. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Won 24-9 vs Jets
Sure, it’s the troubled Jets, but let’s remember that it was the first game without Hollywood Brown, which meant it was Rashod Bateman’s first game as WR1. Lamar Jackson found him for a TD, even in the midst of a contract dispute. The run game was meh, but JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards should be back soon.
6. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
Won 20-7 vs Patriots
I may be overreacting a bit here, but New England made the playoffs last year and Miami underwent more off-season changes than just about anybody. They’ll still have to deal with Buffalo, but for now, Miami is poised to be a top wild card.
7. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)
Lost 31-10 vs Bills
Let’s take a deep breath. It’s possible that the Rams are suffering from a major Super Bowl hangover. It’s possible that Andrew Whitworth’s retirement has left the offensive line even more inept than Von Miller’s departure left the pass rushers. Perhaps Matt Stafford is terminally injured with no juice left in his arm, Cam Akers is truly a bust, and Jalen Ramsey is washed up. Maybe Sean McVay isn’t the genius offensive coach we thought he was, and Les Snead’s bold front office antics are catching up with the franchise. Or maybe, hear me out, they’re a good team that just played the best team in football and have a few kinks to iron out.
8. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)
Lost 24-19 vs Chargers
Just because they have Davante Adams, it doesn’t mean they have to force it on him on every play. Once Derek Carr realizes that they ought to cut down on the turnovers and blossom into a really powerful team.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Won 19-3 vs Cowboys
It’s not a dazzling start, but this team should happily take the win. For all the noise over the off-season, starting 1-0 is a huge win for this team. The veteran leadership should be able to build from here. Tom Brady still has some juice in that arm, and Julio Jones still has some tread left on the tires.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
Lost 23-20 vs Steelers
More was expected from the reigning AFC champions. They’re last in the division after the first week, dropping a winnable game against a division rival. These are the games that come back to haunt teams down the stretch.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Won 23-20 vs Bengals
Najee Harris is a steep price to pay for a win. They can’t afford enough wins to make the playoffs at that price. Hopefully their star RB, Najee Harris is okay because that offense is meant to run through him. On the other side of the ball, there’s talk that TJ Watt could be done for the year. Pittsburgh’s season might be over before it started.
12. San Francisco 49ers (0-1)
Lost 19-10 vs Bears
I give Trey Lance a pass here. That weather was brutal for an agile QB. Especially one new to the starting lineup. The rain made it tough to grip the ball and easy to slip and fall. Then, as usual, the Niners lost their starting RB to injury. Jeff Wilson has had to step up in situations like this before, so I’m not worried about him.
13. Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Lost 23-7 vs Vikings
Last year, the Packers lost 38-3 in week 1 and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC by week 18. The team has done nothing to resolve our concerns about the WR situation, but Rodgers has a reputation for turning around ugly starts, so I need to see more before I drop them too far. In the words of the 2x defending MVP, “R.E.L.A.X.”
14. New York Giants (1-0)
Won 21-20 vs Titans
What a difference a healthy Saquon Barkley makes. Just imagine adding a healthy group of pass catchers to this Brain Daboll offense. I’ve said that the GIants have the personnel to be a solid team if they can stay healthy. I stand by that.
15. Chicago Bears (1-0)
Won 19-10 vs 49ers
Why are the Bears lower than the team they just beat? Well, last year, San Fran made it to the NFC championship game. Chicago struggled offensively, and Fields had a hard time connecting with Darnell Mooney. The jury is still out on San Fran, but Chicago looked just like they did last year. Even though Chicago won, Lance threw more yards than Fields and the 49ers had a much higher ypc on run plays. Both QBs completed less than 50% of their passes, but Lance is new to the starting role. Fields needs to make a jump if he wants a future in the NFL.
16. Washington Commanders (1-0)
Won 28-22 vs Jaguars
For all the off-season talk about Antonio Gibson’s struggles, the RB sure had a heck of a game, contributing solid numbers, both as a rusher and a receiver. Carson Wentz had the best game he’s had in years. Somewhere deep down is a QB who was talented enough to merit the #1 overall pick of the draft. Perhaps he can get back to being the player who played at a near MVP level in Philadelphia. And how about Curtis Samuel? It’s great to see him rebound so well from injury issues in the past. The potential is there for him to form the best WR trio in the league with Scary Terry and the rookie Jahan Dotson.
17. Cleveland Browns (1-0)
Won 26-24 vs Panthers
Jacoby Brissett successfully game-managed the Browns to victory in a must-win game for the franchise. After all the negative press, losing to their former QB would have been a brutally hard pill to swallow. Most of the credit belongs to Nick Chubb, who averaged an insane 6.4 YPC on a whopping 22 carries. Kareem Hunt also deserves recognition, adding 46 yards and a TD on 11 carries, along with 24 yards and another TD as a receiver.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Won 38-35 vs Lions
It’s always good to get a win in the NFL. Good teams shouldn’t be that close to losing to the Lions. Unlike most people, I don’t view the Eagles as a particularly good team, so this is a good week in my eyes. Miles Sanders was healthy and productive, and after a season in which the run game struggled to find the end zone, all 4 players who recorded a carry scored a rushing TD in the 2022 season opener. What a great statement to put last year’s struggles in the rearview.
19. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)
Lost 44-21 vs Chiefs
Kyler Murray wasn’t necessarily bad, but for the big contract he just signed, it’d be nice if he could go toe to toe with Mahomes. It would also be nice if his 29 rushing yards didn’t make him the team’s leading rusher. Mostly though, that defense needs to get better. There’s no reason to allow 5 TDs with no sacks and just 1 turnover against an offense that hasn’t even found its rhythm yet.
20. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Won 27-26 vs Falcons
Sure, they’re 1-0, but what if they hadn’t been playing the greatest choke artists of this generation? Alvin Kamara may miss time, which would be a brutal blow. On the plus side, the connection between Jarvis Landry and Jameis Winston is already in mid-season form.
21. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Lost 26-24 vs Browns
So much for Baker’s revenge game. On the bright side, Robbie Anderson had a vintage performance. The inconsistent veteran WR famously went public urging the team not to acquire Mayfield. The pair seem to have put their differences aside, as they connected 5 times for 102 yards and a score. McCaffrey made it through week 1 healthy, although his 3.3 YPC left a bit to be desired.
22. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
Won 17-16 vs Broncos
After nearly a decade in the league, former 2nd round pick Geno Smith had to feel great hearing the fans chant his name. It may not last long, but for now, Seattle is on top of the division, as the only team with a win. The defense rallied and shut down their former QB, and the offense was conservative, yet effective.
23. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Lost 21-20 vs Giants
Ryan Tannehill was painfully average, as was Derrick Henry. Both touchdowns were caught by backup RB Dontrell Hilliard. It’s time to rebuild this team. Tannehill doesn’t seem capable of succeeding with a depleted offense, and Henry isn’t getting any younger. Punter Ryan Stonehouse deserves some props, averaging 57 yards on 6 punts, while downing half of them inside the 20.
24. Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1)
Tied 20-20 vs Texans
It’s better than a loss, but not by much. They tied a divisional game against maybe the worst team from a year ago. A look up and down the Houston roster reveals almost no star talent. Matt Ryan was supposed to take this team to the next level. The yardage was there, but not the scores. Alec Pierce was supposed to be a breakout rookie. He didn’t even record a catch. It’s only week 1, but a team with playoff aspirations has to take care of a team like the Texans. At least Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman looked good.
25. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Lost 17-16 vs Seahawks
Denver spent $256 million and a boatload of assets for Russell Wilson, who couldn’t beat his own backup QB. This was awful and deeply concerning. With a strong RB tandem and a good WR corps, Russell Wilson couldn’t overcome the 17 points his defense allowed. A lot of people were unhappy with the decision to attempt a game-winning 64-yard FG on 4th and 5. I wasn’t among them. Wilson had given no indication that he could convert the long 4th down, and McManus is among the strongest kickers in the league.
26. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Lost 19-3 vs Buccaneers
Cooper Rush season baby! Yeah, it’s not looking good for Dallas. Dak needs hand surgery, and the Cowboys were the only team that failed to score a touchdown in the opening week. The defense is still solid, but that offense is going to be a problem. So is the division, as all the other NFC East teams won.
27. Houston Texans (0-0-1)
Tied 20-20 vs Colts
So much for the Dameon Pierce hype train. The rookie was out-snapped by 32-year-old Rex Burkhead. Considering how abysmal this team was last year, coming out of a divisional game without a loss has to feel like a win.
28. Detroit Lions (0-1)
Lost 38-35 vs Eagles
D’Andre Swift was phenomenal, racking up 144 yards and a score on just 15 carries, for an astonishing 9.6 YPC. He was also the team’s 4th leading receiver. Jared Goff was serviceable. I don’t see the Eagles as a great team, but this offense has to be feeling good about a 35-point outing. They’re getting better, slowly but surely.
29. New England Patriots (0-1)
Lost 20-7 vs Dolphins
I’m not going to panic just yet, because Bill Belicheck teams are known for starting slow, then heating up down the stretch. That being said, I can’t ignore a lackluster performance against a division rival. Buffalo may well be out of reach, but Miami is serious competition for a wild card. Miami did load up on talent over the off-season, but there are still only 3 wild card spots available.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Lost 28-22 vs Commanders
It was a tale of 2 halves for Trevor Lawrence, who started slow but nearly completed a comeback in the second. The organization has a lot of cleanups to do in the wake of the Urban Meyer disaster, so I’m really not that upset about the loss. They played competitive against a respectable team, and golden-armed Trevor Lawrence doesn’t look like a bust. James Robinson continues to refuse to be replaced as RB1.
31. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
Lost 27-26 vs Saints
The Falcons came out better than I expected and jumped to an early lead. Unfortunately, they did what they do better than anyone in pro sports: they choked. I want to give them credit for playing well against a solid division opponent, but until they prove they can hold a lead through the final whistle, nothing else really matters.
32. New York Jets (0-1)
Lost 24-9 vs Ravens
Several QBs faced their former teams in week 1. In all 3 games, the former team beat the former QB. The Jets weren’t supposed to be this bad, but here they are. They spent a high second-round pick on an RB to replace Michael Carter, only for Carter to earn the lion’s share of touches in the backfield. Despite throwing the ball nearly twice as many times as Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco put up fewer than 100 more yards and 2 fewer TDs. Even after the Ravens’ star CB, Kyle Fuller, tore his ACL, Gang Green couldn’t even hit double-digit points. This could be the start of another long, frustrating Jets season.