Football is back! The action, the drama, the close calls (but if you say ‘the romance’…you’re following the wrong football story)! Yes, the unofficial start of fall is marked by the return of football (and pumpkin spice products). Let’s take a look at the matchups from the opening weekend of the new NFL season!
COWBOYS 20 – EAGLES 24
All hail the champions! The Philadelphia Eagles raised their championship banner in front of their fans and their hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Admittedly, this was not an ideal opening act for the Eagles’ title defense. However, it was efficient, and it got the job done. Jalen Hurts showed why he won the Super Bowl MVP by completing 19 of 23 passes for 152 yards. While Hurts didn’t find the endzone in the air, he did beat the Cowboys on the ground by rushing for 62 yards himself for two touchdowns. It was a good effort by the Eagles, but they’ll need better play from their secondary before their rematch next week with the Chiefs. As for the Cowboys, yes a lot can be said for a morale-serving loss, but it’s not nearly as good as an ugly win. Translation: they won’t be taken as a serious threat to the Eagles unless they start winning (fortunately they have a favorable matchup against the Giants next week).
CHIEFS 21 – CHARGERS 27
Throughout the offseason, I found one trend that was very puzzling. Despite their utter destruction at the hands of the Eagles in the Super Bowl; the “experts” still said the Kansas City Chiefs were the “team to beat.” Please see the screenshot below:
Let me tell you why they are wrong. The Eagles handed the league a blueprint on how to beat the Chiefs. And the Los Angeles Chargers are the first team to take advantage of it. Star quarterback Justin Herbert led the way for the Chargers by completing 25 of his 34 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns. The Chargers have reason for worry considering right guard Mekhi Becton looked exhausted and frequently needed oxygen. It could have been the illness he had going into the game, or the fact that the stadium the game was played at, Arena Corinthians, is 777 meters above sea level. Still, it’s worth monitoring as the Chargers look to next week when they take on DA RAIDERS! As for the Chiefs, the league has you guys figured out. They went back to their nonchalant ways of assuming they’d get the ball back easily after scoring. That was a mistake and Herbert made them pay. The Chiefs need some serious mental reevaluation for next week’s Super Bowl rematch, especially if Xavier Worthy’s injury is serious.
TEXANS 9 – RAMS 14
Well, this wasn’t pretty at all for LA’s other football team, but the Rams were good enough on Sunday to beat the Houston Texans (ironically avenging their co-tenant’s playoff defeat against them). Matthew Stafford completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown. This pushes Stafford into elite company, becoming just the 10th quarterback in NFL history to have over 60,000 career passing yards. Research says that he ties Matt Ryan as the second-fastest to reach the mark in 223 games (only Drew Brees reached the mark faster in 215 games). Now, the Rams have good news and bad news after this week. Good news…they allowed only 9 points and no touchdowns, but the bad news is…they only scored 14 points. The offense needs more signs of life before the Rams risk another slow start to a season as they play the Titans next. As for the Texans, I’m a little surprised. They spent the offseason getting new receivers, offensive linemen, play caller, and running back to spur the offense. It seemed to do nothing. I still think the world of CJ Stroud, but he’s not going to be able to do anything if he gets pressured more than 41% of the time. They’ll try again next week when they take on the Buccaneers.
DOLPHINS 8 – COLTS 33
For the first time this NFL season, I will say this: HOLY MOLE HOLES! By some miracle, the Indianapolis Colts beat the daylights out of the Miami Dolphins. The man leading the charge for the Colts was…Daniel Jones?! The man that was run out of New York (and probably fell on his face when he was) completed 22 of his 29 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown. Now, I am not saying that Daniel Jones has suddenly turned into Troy Aikman or anything, but it is encouraging. Therefore, going forward, I and many others will keep an open mind as the Colts host the Broncos next week. As for the Dolphins, it doesn’t get much worse than this. Not only did Daniel Jones carve up their defense, but Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill did NOT appear to be on the same page at all! They better do something to get back in sync next week before the Patriots roll into town.
CARDINALS 20 – SAINTS 13
I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think much of either the Cardinals or the Saints going into this season. But that’s okay, because this has always been my personal philosophy: if you have two bad teams face each other, you get greatness! This was a surprisingly fun game to watch as the Arizona Cardinals pulled off the win on the road against the New Orleans Saints. Quarterback Kyler Murray had a respectable game by completing 21 of 29 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. This was a good win for the Cardinals, but there are some red flags. Yes, they showed flashes of brilliance, but the offense wasn’t always consistent. They do have some time to tweak things before their showdown next week with the Panthers. As for the Saints, they have quite a few things to fix. There were penalties, clock management issues, and missed kicks. They have some serious modifications to make before they face the 49ers next week.
RAIDERS 20 – PATRIOTS 13
It was the dawn of a new era for DA RAIDERS! In their first test, the Las Vegas Raiders passed with a road with against the New England Patriots. Coveted rookie Ashton Jeanty rushed for only 38 yards, but still found the endzone in his debut. Jeanty is only going to get better, and Brock Bowers is still incredible (although we will monitor his knee injury during the week). But next week comes their first real test: a showdown with their division rivals, the Chargers (fresh off their big win over the Chiefs). As for the Patriots, I have never been high on Drake Maye, and that’s no secret. So I decided to spend some time and watch him in action. My opinion of him has not gotten better. His struggles are really weighing the Patriots down, and they need to think of something before they hit the road against the Dolphins.
GIANTS 6 – COMMANDERS 21
It’s sad that I consider holding the Commanders to 21 points to be a moral victory for the Giants. Nevertheless, the New York Giants still lost to the Washington Commanders (which was a surprise to no one). Reigning Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels picked up where he left off by completing 19 of 30 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown. Obviously, the Commanders retooled the defense this offseason, and it worked out well this week. Of course, the real test for the defense comes next Thursday against the Packers. As for the Giants, are they as bad as they have been in recent years? Unfortunately, I have to press my “yes” button like Grogu in The Mandalorian. Again, the defense looked good holding Daniels and the Commanders to 21 points, but it’ll take more than that as they continue their difficult schedule on the road against the Cowboys.
STEELERS 34 – JETS 32
Going into this game, I dubbed it “the revenge bowl.” The Pittsburg Steelers and New York Jets practically switched quarterbacks during the offseason with Justin Fields going to the Jets and Aaron Rodgers going to the Steelers. However, it was the Steelers that managed to emerge victorious from the quagmire. Rodgers outdueled Fields with his 244 yards passing and four touchdowns against Fields’ 218 yards passing with a touchdown. I have some concerns about the Steelers. They allegedly went through a lot of defensive changes after getting shredded by the Ravens in the playoffs. But they couldn’t even slow down the rushing attack of the Jets, which shouldn’t be that hard (it’s like when I wonder what music I’m in the mood for…and the answer is usually Stevie Nicks). They better figure things out before their matchup next week against the Seahawks. As for the Jets, new year…but “same old Jets.” Another blown lead in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get better as they have a date next week with the heavy hitter of their division, the Bills.
BENGALS 17 – BROWNS 16
I will be honest and tell you that I expected the Cincinnati Bengals to win this game easily. To say their close victory against the Cleveland Browns is concerning is an understatement. What does it say that Joe Flacco threw for more receiving yards than Joe Burrow? Flacco ended up with 290 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception (which beat Burrow who had 113 yards passing with one touchdown). We’re seeing the slow start Bengals that cost them a playoff spot last year, and not the Bengals that made that last minute drive to the playoffs. They will need some soul searching before next week against the Jaguars. As for the Browns, so close and yet so far. I’m not sure how much more disappointment that Cleveland fans can take, and they will have to wonder what went wrong fast…because their next game is against a pretty ticked off Ravens team.
BUCCANEERS 23 – FALCONS 20
It was something of a homecoming for new Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka being in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Eight months ago, Egbuka helped Ohio State with the national championship against Notre Dame. Flashforward to Sunday, Egbuka’s performance was the difference maker as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers survived a scare against the Atlanta Falcons. Egbuka had 4 catches for 67 yards and two touchdown catches. Now, we do have some concerns about the Buccaneers. I think we can all agree that it wasn’t one for the art museum, but they got the job done in the end. Here’s to hoping they won’t have to eek out a win next week against the Texans. As for the Falcons, it’s already trouble time. Offensive right tackle Kaleb McGary is done for the season. Not good considering the Falcons are still technically in rebuild mode, and they’re playing a Vikings team fresh off a big victory next week.
PANTHERS 10 – JAGUARS 26
Ladies and gentlemen, the dynamic duo of Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. are back! The Jacksonville Jaguars were led by two of their stars once again in a rout of the Carolina Panthers. Lawrence completed 19 of 31 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown while Etienne had 16 carries for 143 yards. Now, this is definitely promising for the Jaguars, but we’ll need to see if the new regime is worth the hype next week against a Bengals team desperate for a statement win. Meanwhile, the Panthers definitely had a setback. Former No. 1 pick Bryce Young showed signs of improvement last year down the stretch…and it all seemed to be back at square one. Two interceptions and a lost fumble doesn’t look good, and it’s something that needs to be addressed before their game next week against the Cardinals.
49ERS 17 – SEAHAWKS 13
Despite how I love close games, this was actually kind of sad to watch. It was a messy game on both sides, but the winner was the San Francisco 49ers over their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks. Don’t get me wrong, Brock Purdy had a great game for the 49ers throwing for 277 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the win, the 49ers are back in the same pickle they got into last season: injuries. George Kittle is on the IL, Trent Williams had to go into the blue injury tent, and now Purdy is questionable for next week. They better be ready for the worst when they travel next week, or this could be the salvation the Saints have been looking for. As for the Seahawks, there’s only so much their defense can do. Are they good? Yes, but will it be enough to win games? Not with Sam Darnold reverting back to his old habits after his career renaissance with the Vikings last year. They have the week to right the ship before traveling next week to face the Steelers.
LIONS 13 – PACKERS 27
Last year, the Packers got beat by the Lions…pretty badly. So going into this season, the goal was to find a way to contain one of their hated rivals. When I heard rumor that Micah Parsons was going to the Packers, I thought “no, this is too good to be true for the Packers.” Sure enough, it was, and Parsons got to work (albeit with a limit) as the Green Bay Packers flipped the script and dominated the Detroit Lions. Jordan Love also had a good game for the Packers, completing 16 of 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. This was a big statement win for the Packers, who paid a hefty price for Parsons. For now, it seems to be paying off, but we might not see his workload increase in a quick turnaround game for this Thursday as they face the upstart Commanders. As for the Lions, obviously they’re going through a period of adjustment with a new offensive coordinator at the helm. But they’ll need more answers as they host another division rival next week: a pretty ticked off Bears squad.
TITANS 12 – BRONCOS 20
I’m going to be honest, this weekend’s slate of afternoon games were kind of boring. Look, let’s look at the positive: the Denver Broncos showed they have a defense worth watching against the new look Tennessee Titans. Despite that, Bo Nix is off to quite the sophomore slump: only passing for 176 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. So, I got to ask: what happened to the supposed new look offense we were promised. That’s what the Broncos focused on during the offseason, but only the defense showed up. The offense has to be on the bus for next week’s road game against the Colts. As for the Titans, not the debut they were hoping for when they got Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick. I wasn’t high on Cam Ward, but I’m willing to give him some time to grow into the role and he did show some flashes of brilliance. We’ll see what they do next week against the Rams.
RAVENS 40 – BILLS 41
This was the main event of last weekend’s opening week for the NFL season. The table was set, and we got to the main course featuring two heavy Super Bowl favorites: the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens. They did NOT disappoint. But if any of you had “Ravens blow big lead to Bills and lose” on your NFL bingo card, lucky you because I sure didn’t! That’s right, the Ravens blew a big lead and the Bills came back. It’s not often you see two players who won the MVP in the past two years go toe-to-toe to start the season. Lamar Jackson threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns while adding 70 yards on the ground for a touchdown. Meanwhile, the reigning MVP Josh Allen threw for 394 yards for two touchdowns, while rushing for 30 yards and two more touchdowns. The QBR (quarterback rating) says Jackson won the duel, but Allen won the battle. Let’s be clear, BOTH defenses sucked eggs. Granted that’s okay as we wanted a shootout between Jackson and Allen, but neither team can be happy with their defense. Buffalo has a cupcake matchup next week against the Jets while the Ravens will be taking their frustrations out on the Browns.
VIKINGS 27 – BEARS 24
The Packers and Lions weren’t the only matchup in their division to watch this weekend. The other was the Monday night primetime game between the Packers and Lions’ other hated division rivals: the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. Going into the 4th quarter, it looked like the new look Bears were going to coast to an easy win. But, by some miracle, quarterback JJ McCarthy pulled off a miracle and led the Vikings to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Of course, some of the credit goes to the NFL’s top receiver, Justin Jefferson. Although he had a quite night, he still scored a touchdown along with hauling in four catches for 44 yards. With his performance, McCarthy became the first quarterback in NFL history to account for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut. He also became only the second quarterback to lead his team to overcome a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter of their debut to win in the past 45 years (the first was the legendary Steve Young). We’ll see what he does for an encore next week against the Falcons. As for the Bears, they got a little problem. Their offense definitely showed signs of improvement from last year, but then they fell flat. I’m still big on Caleb Williams, but the Bears need to find a way to get more consistent on offense before their big showdown next week against the Lions.
