Week 1 of the NFL season was nothing short of what most thought. Full of action-packed games and teams starting to string together what they hope will be a successful season.
The action kicked off Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl champs sneaking by the Dallas Cowboys. After an inclement weather delay and defense tackle Jalen Carter getting tossed before the first snap, Philly leaned on its ground game and CeeDee Lamb dropping dimes to secure the win.
Friday night brought international flair as the Chargers stunned the Chiefs 27–21 in São Paulo, Brazil. Justin Herbert outdueled Patrick Mahomes with a poised performance, while Kansas City’s offense couldn’t come through late.
Sunday was headlined by Daniel Jones and his breakout debut with the Indianapolis Colts. Jones threw for 272 yards and a touchdown, adding two rushing scores to dominate the Dolphins in a 33-8 win. The Colts were flawless, scoring on all seven possessions, while Tua Tagovailoa struggled finding his go-to target, Tyreek Hill.
Continuing with veteran QBs who were making their debut with a new organization, Aaron Rodgers was firing on all cylinders in a revenge thriller. Throwing four touchdowns to squeak the Steelers to a 34-32 victory over the Jets. Rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka stole the spotlight in Tampa Bay, hauling in two touchdowns, including a game-winner to launch the Buccaneers past Atlanta, 23-20. Elsewhere, the Bengals squeaked past the Browns 17-16. The Raiders beat the Patriots 20-13, and the Rams looked promising in a 27-17 win over Houston.
Finally, Sunday Night brought the best game of the week to end a long weekend of football. Baltimore was in Buffalo, picking up exactly where their playoff run ended last season. Derrick Henry led the charge, making the Buffalo defense look like a high school football team, racking up 169 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lamar followed suit, connecting with Zay Flowers seven times for 143 yards and one touchdown. However, it just doesn’t matter what you do when Josh Allen is on the other sideline. The Bills trailed by 15 with less than four minutes to go. After a crucial mistake and fumble by Henry, it was all in the hands of Allen. He led the game-winning drive, putting the Bills in prime field goal position to kick a game-winner with no time on the clock. Ending what was a shootout 42-41 Bills again took down Lamar and the Ravens in yet another heartbreaking loss.
