Football fans had to wait 208 days after the Kansas City Chiefs triumphed in Las Vegas before they could watch regular season football. Week 1 lived up to the expectations and even exceeded it! There were two overtime thrillers, rookie quarterback debuts, star players making their return, and playoff rematches. The NFL even made the Philadelphia Eagles play their home opener in Brazil on Friday Night, which made things fascinating. Sadly, we already have injuries to important players like the Packers quarterback, Jordan Love, and Rams Wide Receiver Puka Nacua, who will miss upcoming games for their teams. Already, some teams look poised to turn things around based on last season, a few have stuttered out of the gates, while some fans need to start watching College Football because they are destined for a high draft. In this article, we discuss the good, bad, and ugly from week 1.
The Good
1. Sequon Barkley flies high on debut- Barkley starred at Penn State and dominated at the collegiate level. However, the New York Giants failed to appreciate the Nittany Lions Alum’s value to the team by allowing him to walk in free agency to the rival Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were desperate for a new voice in the locker room, having collapsed last season well short of their goal. In the opener in Brazil against a quality opponent in the Packers, Barkley sizzled by tallying 24 rushes, 109 yards, and three overall touchdowns as the dynamic runner that Jalen Hurts needs in the backfield. Barkley may be the missing ingredient for the Eagles to rebound and prove they are legitimate contenders this season.
2. Jim Harbaugh jolts the Chargers to opening win-Harbaugh is a serial winner who knows when it is the right to move on, and he instills a culture of winning wherever he goes. Harbaugh exited the Michigan Wolverines’ program as the reigning National Champion, and the school appears to be in the mud after getting trounced by Texas at home on Saturday. On the other hand, on Sunday, the Chargers hit the ground running by defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 22-10 at home. The offense played a mediocre game, but the much-maligned defense has improved under Harbaugh with a dominant performance forcing two fumbles, four sacks, and an interception. The Chargers will be a wild-card contender because Jim Harbaugh knows how to coach.
3. Dak provides an immediate return on investment- the entire offseason for the Cowboys was built around speculations on their final year contract of their Coach, starting Quarterback, and a Star Wide Receiver looking for an upgrade in compensation. A week before the season opener, the team relented by coming to terms with the star Wide Receiver, Cee Dee Lamb, on a 4-year, 136 million-dollar deal. Then Gameday, the big breaking news was that Quarterback Dak Prescott agreed to a 4-year, 240 million deal, the biggest contract in NFL history. Dak and the Cowboys provided immediate returns by dismantling the Cleveland Browns on the road. Dak completed 19 of 32 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown, which is an average performance. However, it feels that the contract agreement removed the uncertainty facing the team, and the defense under new Coordinator Mike Zimmer delivered a stellar performance.
The Bad
1. Bengals slow start in upset loss to Patriots- the biggest upset in week 1 was the New Patriots defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 on the road. The stunning result marked the third straight opening game that Cincinnati has lost. Joe Burrow was efficient by completing 72% of his passes, but those throws resulted in only 4.8 yards per dropback. Mike Gisecki dropped a brilliant throw from Burrow, and Tanner Hudson fumbled right at the goal line to wipe away a touchdown in a six-point loss. However, the most disappointing aspect of the Bengals’ loss was allowing Rhamondre Stevenson to carry the ball 25 times for 120 yards and a touchdown while running out the clock in the fourth quarter. With the Bengals heading to Kansas City next week, overcoming another slow start will be a challenge in 2024.
2. 2024 QB Class-we entered week 1 knowing 3 of the quarterbacks drafted in the first round will be starting under center in the opener. Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived because all three struggled statistically in Week 1, and only one notched their first win. Caleb Williams won his first start by completing only 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards. Jayden Daniels statistically did the best of the three by completing 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards, rushing for 88 yards on 16 carries, and scoring 2 touchdowns. However, the Buccaneers dominated the Commanders in a 37-20 loss. Bo Nix made his rookie debut for the Broncos and struggled under heavy pressure by completing 26 of the 42 passes for 138 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Still, it’s a long season, but this quarterback class needs to improve quickly.
3. Rusty vs Rest- Before entering week 1, one of the biggest debates was how each treated the pre-season games. Some teams chose to rest their starters, while some played their starting unit in a game as a tuneup for the season. However, on Sunday, you could tell that the teams were rusty with numerous illegal shifts, false starts, and offsides. In the fourth quarter, the players were tired, and the game was decided by the team in better physical shape. Players will get into shape, but a better start to the season was possible if there was less rust.
The Ugly
1. Giants get trampled by the Vikings- the New York Giants were in for a rude awakening after failing to resign Saquon Barkley in the offseason. The Giants’ offense looked inept, with Daniel Jones completing 22 of 42 passes 186 yards and two interceptions. Jones failed to connect with his Wide Receivers and got booed by the home crowd. The defense also struggled against former first-round pick Sam Darnold and his plethora of weapons in Minnesota. Darnold completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. It is only the first game, but the alarm bells will be ringing out in New York that this season will struggle to complete.
2. Panthers get dismantled by the Saints- the Carolina Panthers had the worst record in the league last season after struggling to a 2-15 record. Under normal circumstances, the team would improve its talent by drafting the number one pick but instead, the privilege went to the Chicago Bears after the Panthers had previously traded the pick. Heading into their opener, there was optimism that a new season with Bryce Young under center and a new Head Coach thing would start heading in the right direction. Instead, Panthers fans should feel deflated after their team got dismantled 47-10 in New Orleans. Derek Carr torched the defense completing 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Panthers’ offense struggled and in one sequence Bryce Young even ran into his offensive lineman, fell to the ground, and was touched by a Saints defender to record a sack. After just one game, it feels like a long season ahead in Carolina.