c/o Ashley Landis/AP
Football is back! After a wild NFL offseason that included jaw-dropping trades, surprising signings, and both real and fake retirements (thank you, Tom Brady), we finally got to see teams take the field in Week 1. It was wonderful to see the return, but also tragic if you’re like us and spent your entire Sunday watching football and not doing homework. Regardless, there was loads of drama in Week 1, from kickers missing clutch field goals to quarterbacks losing against their old teams to star players suffering heartbreaking early-season injuries. If you’re a football fan who was actually responsible on Sunday and did your work first, we’re here to share five important takeaways from Week 1 as well as suggest dynamics to watch as the season moves forward!
Bills: Favorites for a Reason
In the first game of the season, the Buffalo Bills marched right into the Rams’ home stadium and dominated the defending champions on both sides of the ball in a Thursday night rout. After a slow start, the Bills outscored the Rams 21–0 in the second half with Josh Allen connecting with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis for touchdowns. Allen was impressive—throwing for 297 yards, three touchdowns, and only five incompletions—but Buffalo’s defensive performance is what stood out. Newly signed linebacker Von Miller recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss, and the Bills defense as a whole sacked Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford seven(!) times. Even the secondary, which let the Bills down last year in their wild playoff loss against the Chiefs, looked spectacular despite the absence of All-Pro corner Tre’Davious White, who is set to return sometime early in the season. The Bills were impressive and the world took notice: Buffalo began the season as 13–2 favorites to win the Super Bowl, but just this performance improved their odds to 5–1.
Vikings: A New King in the NFC North?
The Green Bay Packers have won the NFC North three years in a row and have consistently dominated the division with Aaron Rodgers as quarterback. But after the Minnesota Vikings beat them 23–7 in a big Week 1 matchup, a new era may be on the horizon. The Vikings’ defense terrorized Rodgers, who threw for only 195 yards and one interception while being sacked four times. The future Hall of Famer looked frustrated against Minnesota’s scheme and certainly seemed to be missing superstar wide receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason. The big question for the Packers as the season goes on is discovering the receiving threat who will step up and become Rodgers’ #1 option. Someone like, say, the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, who absolutely torched Green Bay on Sunday for 9 catches, 184 yards, and two touchdowns. In only his third NFL season, Jefferson has become one of the elite receivers in the game and the favorite target of Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins—who had a good game himself, throwing for 277 yards and two scores with no interceptions. The Vikings are dangerous, and with Jefferson, star running back Dalvin Cook, a ferocious defense, and rookie coach Kevin O’Connell, they look like the new team to beat in the NFC North.
Chiefs: No Tyreek, No Problem
Many thought the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense would take a significant step back this year after star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason. A lightning-quick downfield threat and one of the best athletes in the league, Hill was a key part of Kansas City’s recent playoff success. However, after Week 1 it’s worth considering if he was more of a luxury than a necessity. Patrick Mahomes II was incredible, throwing for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 44–21 victory over a solid Arizona Cardinals team. The game wasn’t even as close as the score implies—it was 37–7 after three quarters. Everything clicked for the Chiefs offense, and what was most impressive was the way Mahomes spread the ball around. Star tight end Travis Kelce was productive as usual, making eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, but three other Kansas City players also reeled in scores: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (twice), Mecole Hardman, and Jody Fortson. Defense will always be the big question on a team with Mahomes, but the Chiefs’ Week 1 effort was encouraging and showed not only that they’ll be fine without Hill, but also that they’re still contenders in a stacked AFC.
Cowboys: From Bad to Worse
The Dallas Cowboys went scoreless for the final 54 minutes of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers en route to a 19-3 loss on Sunday Night Football. Although it was not the start the Cowboys wanted, it was far from surprising considering their off-season. Their wide receiver depth was decimated, with Dallas losing Amari Cooper to a trade, Cedrick Wilson Jr. to free agency, and Michael Gallup still working back from a knee injury. Without three of his five best targets from last season, quarterback Dak Prescott found himself having to lean on inexperienced wideouts for production. The lack of offensive line protection, with the Cowboys missing two starters, including All-Pro Tyron Smith, just made things harder. The Buccaneers defense capitalized with four sacks and eight quarterback hits. But it got even worse for Dallas as Prescott was forced to exit the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent hand injury. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed postgame that his star quarterback requires hand surgery and will miss six to eight weeks. Dallas was already in a bad place, but the loss of Prescott has them in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the third time in the past four years. Week 1 is always too early to give up on the season, but if you see a Cowboys fan, give them a hug. It might be a long year.
Chargers: Charging Forward
Despite missing the playoffs last season, many people had the Chargers winning the stacked AFC West, and they backed that up with a 24–19 win against a very good Las Vegas Raiders team. Star quarterback Justin Herbert picked up right where he left off last year, throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Herbert spread the ball around well, completing two or more passes to nine different receivers. It was the defense, however, that excited many Chargers fans. The inability to pressure the quarterback was a leading reason why Los Angeles finished 29th in total defense last year; the trade for star linebacker Khalil Mack this offseason was an attempt to fix that. Mack did exactly what was expected of him during Week 1, recording three of the Chargers’ six sacks. Los Angeles also intercepted Raiders quarterback Derek Carr three times, two of which came in the fourth quarter. Perhaps the scariest part of the Chargers is how far they look from their potential ceiling. They beat Las Vegas while not playing their best game: star running back Austin Ekeler averaged only 2.6 yards per carry and wide receiver Mike Williams only recorded 10 yards. The Chargers were impressive; look for them to build on their offensive success.
If Bill Belichick ’75 and Tom Brady taught us anything, it’s not to overreact to Week 1. With that being said, it was certainly an eventful Week 1, and thankfully for us, we still have 17 more weeks of the regular season. Week 2 will kick off Thursday night with the Chargers traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs. Expect a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair in a matchup featuring two Super Bowl contenders with high-flying offenses. We hope you all enjoy Week 2’s exciting slate of games, and we will be back for more updates as the season progresses!
Teddy Benchley can be reached at tbenchley@wesleyan.edu.
Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.