By Lucas Camacho
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for football fans. The latest season of the NFL is in full swing with our first weekend of games. There were thrilling close games…and games that were over after the kickoff (and a little in-between). Before we start with Week 2, here is a quick recap of the games from last week’s Kickoff Weekend.
RAVENS 20 – CHIEFS 27
Edged by a couple blades of grass…can’t say I’ve heard of that expression before. But it might take off after the final play of the Ravens and Chiefs game was overturned when replay found Tight End Isaiah Likely was just a little out of bounds for what could have been the game tying touchdown. It was a disappointing start for the Ravens, who were looking for revenge against the Chiefs for their previous defeat that robbed them of a Super Bowl appearance. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is going to have to find a way to rely more on his supporting cast. Because while he was much better in this game than the AFC Championship last year; he can’t do this alone. As for the Chiefs, they looked much better offense wise with Patrick Mahomes throwing for 291 yards and a touchdown (although he did get picked off once). I attribute the Chiefs’ return to offensive prominence to their draft acquisition this year, Xaiver Worthy, who NEEDS to be given the ball more (I’d argue he’s even faster than Tyreek Hill)! Also, Rashee Rice had a monster game with seven catches for 103 yards. This Chiefs team could have a shot at winning that third Super Bowl in a row.
PACKERS 29 – EAGLES 34
The Packers and the Eagles had interesting storylines going into their first game of the season. The Packers had high expectations after a better-than-expected season last year that just came up short. The Eagles, meanwhile, were a team looking for an identity after the most inconceivable and unexplainable collapses in NFL history. But, by the end of the night, the roles were reversed. The Eagles now have high hopes after a much-needed win and the Packers now need a new identity after Packers Quarterback Jordan Love got injured in the final minute. All eyes will be on what the Packers do next without their quarterback, as they have a rocky schedule ahead of them. On the Eagles side, Philadelphia fans must feel as relieved as a thirsty man getting water in the desert. Quarterback Jalen Hurts had a good game throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. Only time will tell if the Eagles truly have recaptured the magic, they had at the beginning of last year…and if they can keep it going for a full season into the playoffs.
STEELERS 18 – FALCONS 10
Days like these, Kirk Cousins probably wishes he never got out of bed…or in this case out of Minnesota. In his first stint as quarterback of the Falcons, Cousins never really got going. He only threw for 155 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. It doesn’t seem the Falcons have an answer to get out of the hole they’re in yet. As for the Steelers, it’s a good thing that Justin Fields was their backup for Russell Wilson after he went down with a calf injury. But it was their defense that really kept them in the game. For now, Pittsburgh is in first place in the AFC North…but we still have the rest of the season to go, and now the Ravens are really mad.
CARDINALS 28 – BILLS 34
It was an upset in the making. The Cardinals had the Bills right where they wanted them. And then reality set in the reality that Josh Allen still has something left in the tank. Allen threw for 232 yards for two touchdowns and no interceptions. Looks like the Bills are still in the driver’s seat in their division as this victory proved that they aren’t going anywhere just yet. On the Cardinals’ side, another rough start to the season. It was a bad day for top rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Rushing wise, James Conner isn’t the same man we saw years ago. If things continue to worsen, we may see rookie Trey Benson takeover running back duties.
TITANS 17 – BEARS 24
Well, it wasn’t the debut Caleb Williams wanted, but he and the Bears won their first game of the year…and in the end; that’s all that matters. Fortunately, Caleb was bailed out by his defense, including a spectacular play in which Jonathan Owens recovered a blocked punt and returned it for 21 yards for a touchdown. The crowd went wild, and Owens got a big reaction from his wife, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, who said on X: “I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK.” The Chiefs better be careful; they may have Taylor Swift on their side, but the Bears have a star just as great in their corner. As for the Titans, well, back to the drawing board. Will Levis may not be the quarterback to lead them to the playoffs, as he only threw for 127 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Tony Pollard still has wheels, however, as he rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries for a touchdown.
PATRIOTS 16 – BENGALS 10
The answer to your question is: no that is not a misprint, the Patriots won. It seems improbable, it sounds like a B movie that never gets made, but somehow the Patriots, in the middle of a complete overhaul, beat one of the favorites in the AFC to challenge the Chiefs. Joe Burrow had a miserable game, throwing for only 164 yards. The Bengals need answers fast, or they won’t last long in the same conference as the Chiefs and the Ravens. As for the Patriots, only time will tell if this was a fluke or a sign that they may actually have something. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. I never said the Patriots were the worst team in the NFL, but I did have them ranked near the bottom. But this win was a revelation that the Patriots have been reborn…but, as I said, only time will tell for sure if this truly does mark the return of the Patriots to their former glory as the most dominate team in the NFL.
TEXANS 29 – COLTS 27
This might have been the most entertaining game of the weekend (and thank God that I had Sunday NFL Ticket to watch it). Stars Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon went to work for their new team to lift the Texans and reigning Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud to their first win over a very good Colts team. It’s no secret that the Texans invested heavily in the offseason to give their breakout star Stroud the best weapon on offense, and they did not disappoint. Joe Mixon rushed 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown while Stefon Diggs hauled in 6 catches for 33 yards and two touchdowns. As for the Colts, there are signs of life and signs of encouragement. Anthony Richardson threw for 212 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Wide receiver Alec Pierce had a huge day for the Colts with three catches for 125 yards. This is not the end for the Colts, but this was still a good measuring stick to show they still have a little way to go.
JAGUARS 17 – DOLPHINS 20
After an interesting twist before the game that saw Tyreek Hill detained briefly, the Dolphins pulled off a comeback against the Jaguars in the final period. Jason Sanders made the game winning field goal for 52 yards. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 338 yards and a touchdown, which went to, ironically, Tyreek Hill. On the other side, the Jaguars seem to be a mess. I have always believed in Trevor Lawrence and his ability to become a truly great quarterback in the NFL. But he is not surrounded by the support he needs to get through. Travis Etienne Jr. is not getting the opportunities to be the running back he can be. The problem is simple: the offensive line is not doing enough. On the positive side, what an amazing debut from Brian Thomas Jr., who caught four passes for 47 yards. For now, Brian Thomas Jr. is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, but this is only Week One so a lot can happen.
PANTHERS 10 – SAINTS 47
I have said bad things about the Panthers, some of which was harsh, but…seriously this was just sad. The Panthers didn’t even put up much of a fight against a pretty imposing Saints team. Derek Carr, who goes back and forth between good games and bad games, threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Alvin Kamara has shown no signs of slowing down after rushing 15 times for 83 yards and a touchdown. Now, I want to find something positive to give some hope for the Panthers. So…let me go over all the stats…and…oh, here we are: you still have Adam Thielen who led all receivers with 3 catches for 49 yards. Other than that, I’m sorry but there doesn’t seem to be any silver lining coming. Oh, there is something: the eventual return of rookie Jonathon Brooks, who could become a force in the NFL.
VIKINGS 28 – GIANTS 6
Hang on, I just remembered one more thing to encourage Carolina Panthers fans: your team is better than the Giants. In a game where a fumble by the Vikings should have ruined their whole game plan, the Giants instead squandered easy opportunities and got trounced. I will be honest and say I never expected such a masterful performance from Sam Darnold: throwing for 208 yards and two touchdowns is very impressive (and one interception). It helps, of course, when you are aided by one of the best, if not the best, receivers in the league in the form of Justin Jefferson, who had four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. On the other side, I did say that the Giants were the weakest team in the NFL in a previous article. One would hope that they would turn it around (Angel FC has after I pointed to their lack of progress in the NWSL in a different article). However, that’s not the case here. I am encouraged by Malik Naber’s performance, hauling in five catches for 66 yards. But I stand by what I said before: if Daniel Jones doesn’t improve soon…the Giants will have no choice but to cut him loose and replace him in next year’s draft (of which there may be a few more valuable quarterbacks available than previously thought).
RAIDERS 10 – CHARGERS 22
I was extremely excited for this game between two teams with higher-than-average expectations for the year (and two teams I consider legitimate threats to the Chiefs). The Raiders came out swinging, but the Chargers meticulously wore them down to win. It seems Chargers Coach Jim Harbaugh has found a legitimate game formula for his team this season (because his offense still leaves a lot to be desired). Running back JK Dobbins carried the offense with ten rushes for 135 yards and a touchdown. Justin Herbert is gonna have to learn to navigate this new offensive scheme (and I would like to see the Chargers use Brenden Rice once this year). As for the Raiders, this is a setback, but they are also figuring out who they are with a new quarterback and new coach. It was encouraging to see rookie tight end Brock Bowers, whose six catches for 58 yards probably earned him second place among rookies for the week. The Raiders and Chargers are teams to watch going forward, and both have shown promise this week. The challenge now is to build on it and then focus on their main objective: taking down the Chiefs.
BRONCOS 20 – SEAHAWKS 26
Unlike the Raiders and the Chargers, I never expected the Broncos to challenge the Chiefs this year. Similarly, the Seahawks aren’t considered a serious challenge to the 49ers. But, as some of my family will attest to, I have always been of the opinion that if you take two teams with low expectations for the year and have them face off: you get an amazing game. It was an ugly start for the Seahawks, which started with a sack and an interception, and yet they staged a miracle comeback to pull off a 26-20 win. The player of the game was Kenneth Walker III, who had a monster game rushing 20 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. On the Broncos’ side, Bo Nix had a baptism of fire, only throwing for only 138 yards and two interceptions. However, it doesn’t deter from the fact that there are A LOT of problems with both teams that they need to address, or else risk another lost season.
COWBOYS 33 – BROWNS 17
So, your name is Dak Prescott. You just got a new contract that made you the highest paid player in NFL history. So, what do you do? How about leading the Cowboys in a one-sided affair against the Cleveland Browns? Now, it may not look like Dak did much on paper: he only threw for 179 yards and one touchdown. That’s because the Cowboys’ defense got most of the work done, as the Browns failed to mount a challenge. Quarterback Deshaun Watson did not look sharp, David Njoku looked to be out for a little while, and Browns fans are starting to get upset that their team isn’t going anywhere. As for the Cowboys, it was a much-needed win after their season was cut so short by the Packers in the Wild Card Round last season. With both the Cowboys and Eagles getting much needed wins, the rivalry between the two has just heated up.
COMMANDERS 20 – BUCCANEERS 37
Allow me to say something all Commanders fans must be thinking ouch. Getting whipped by the Buccaneers was not the debut they had in mind for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Baker Mayfield, on the other hand, had a masterful performance for the Buccaneers: throwing for 289 yards and FOUR touchdowns (holy mole holes). Now, in Daniels’ defense, he wasn’t the only rookie that had a bad day. The best thing you can do is learn from it and move on. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but he didn’t throw an interception either (what he did do was pass for 184 yards).
RAMS 20 – LIONS 26
It may have gone longer than last time, but this still felt familiar. Once again, the Rams fell short of beating the Lions, just like the playoffs last year. To his credit, Matthew Stafford did have a pretty good game for the Rams, throwing for 317 yards with one touchdown and one interception. I will say it was still encouraging that the Rams got closer this time than they did last time. As for the Lions, those second half woes keep happening. This CANNOT happen anymore because last time it got them trounced by the 49ers in the NFC Championship. In the trade that caused the Lions and Rams to switch quarterbacks, the Lions were able to secure some critical pieces for their team. However, the trade also gave the Rams a Super Bowl. As I have repeatedly said, until the Lions win a Super Bowl with the team they’ve got, the Rams will always have the last laugh…
JETS 19 – 49ERS 32
Going into this game, I was just hoping Aaron Rodgers would come out of it in one piece. He did, but he might as well have. Rodgers looked like a guy who hasn’t played a season of football in a while (because he hasn’t). It’s unfortunately the same scenario we see playing out in baseball for the Dodgers with their pitcher Walker Buehler (who also plays like he hasn’t played a full season in a while). Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard, however, had a great game hauling in 6 catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns. On the other side, the 49ers didn’t need their quarterback Brock Purdy to have a good game (he only threw for 231 yards and had no touchdowns or interceptions). This was the 49ers I expected to see in the Super Bowl last year: flawless and running like a well-oiled machine. If the 49ers can keep this up for the rest of the season: revenge will be theirs, and it might reward them with a Super Bowl…possibly over the Chiefs.
