Here are some of the best, and worst, from week one in the NFL!
Best: Ben Johnson, Head Coach Chicago Bears
Having an offense be a part of the highest scoring week one game in NFL history says a lot for the new man in town. And this coming after Bears coach Ben Johnson went on record that he wanted to have the highest scoring offense the NFL has ever seen. It got off to a good start in a 59-37 drubbing of Carolina in the Bears opener. That performance tied the 2019 Ravens for the most points scored in week one in this quarter century. Oh, and it was the most points that the Bears have scored in ANY game since 1980 (they beat the Packers in week 14 that year 61-7). All of the points scored by the Bears here were done by the offense, scoring six times on the ground and twice more through the air. D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both had over 100 yards rushing, while the passing game went for another 269 yards. Johnson showed what having an offensive minded head coach could do in Chicago.
Worst: Christian Parker Defensive Coordinator Dallas Cowboys
Parker just joined the Cowboys as the man to try and turn that Dallas defense around and take them to another level. What we saw against the Giants in the opener wasn't that. New York came away with a 28-20 win, a game in which the Dallas offense did it's job. It was Parker's defense that came up short. To be fair, the opening game isn't as bad as allowing the 30.1 a game that the Giants defense did. An inability to handle simple plays against the Giants could be reason to cause a little bit of alarm early in Big D. A big example of this is the fact that the defense left Isaiah Likely wide open not once but twice for his touchdowns. There as no pressure on Jaxon Dart, who completed all of six passes Sunday night. Dallas made no effort to get any pressure. if this was week one, it could make things a lot more interesting in Dallas this season.
Best: Kennerth Walker, Running Back Kansas City Chiefs
After having spent his first four years in Seattle, and coming off a Super Bowl last year, Walker was getting a chance in a new place in Kansas City. Between that and Patrick Mahomes coming off knee surgery at the end of last year, there was a few question marks going into the Monday Night opener. Those questions were answered fast in KC's 31-10 win over Denver. Mahomes had a solid day, but the real story of the night was Walkers first game performance in his new city. Walker ran wild, having 23 carries for 173 yards and a touchdown. He also added another three catches for 18 yards and another score. Walker was showing that the change of environment hasn't changed his game, and he was at the top of it in the opener.
Worst: DeShaun Watson, Quarterback Cleveland Browns
It's no secret that Watson has been a major letdown in Cleveland. Going into the opener, it was a surprise that the Browns decided to name Watson the starter of Shedeur Sanders, but at the same time this I think is the Browns still trying to justify his contract. Well Watson did, how do I put this nicely, Watson things in the opener. Cleveland got blown out 34-10 by Jacksonville, while Watson was average at best. Sure, the 205 yards and a touchdown could look somewhat sexy. At the same time, he threw an ugly pick on the Browns opening drive, he got sacked five times and had a QBR of 34.5. Another bad day in Cleveland in what could be a very long season for the Browns.
Best: Ashton Jeanty, Running Back Los Vegas Raiders
Powering the Raiders offense in week one was a familiar face. Vegas got off on the right foot with a 27-13 win over the Dolphins, and they had their biggest weapon handling the load. It was Ashton Jeanty taking the ball and running with it, literally. Jeanty had more yards by himself then the Dolphins had as a team. Jeanty had 23 carries for 102 yards. While he never crossed the goal line, his punishing running was able to open up the pass game for Kirk Cousins. Oh yeah, and Jeanty added another 45 yards to his day on six catches. Two of those catches went for his touchdowns. It's proving that he's become a good security blanket for not only Cousins, but for Fernando Mendoza whenever he finally gest regular season snaps.
Worst: Rams Week One Game Plan
There's a lot to take in for the Rams from their overseas 27-7 loss to the 49ers. A lot of people, me included, had the Rams as an early favorite to be a Super Bowl team. They start the season flying over to Melbourn to play the Niners to start the year. Jet lag didn't help the Rams play. Losing by 20 was the biggest week one loss by a preseason Super Bowl favorite in half a century. Oh and Matthew Staffod play wasn't great. He threw for 155 and a pick and only completed 15 of his 25 passes. It was the lowest scoring game for Stafford as a Ram and the first time the Rams had lost by double digits since 2024. Also, it didn't help that it was announced before the game, that Myles Garrett was going to miss the first the month of the season having knee surgery.
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