After a highly anticipated slate of games in Week 1 of the NFL season, the teams did not disappoint with high-scoring, drama-filled battles across the conferences.
A classic battle between two of the best teams in the league led the Bills to edge out the Ravens with an impressive 4th quarter comeback. Some other games, though not as tightly contested, still provided us with lots of entertainment value, like the Packers vs. the Lions game that (spoiler) proved why Jordan Love and his team are a powerhouse. Not to mention the return of Aaron Rodgers to New York and his rough welcome back party.
Viewing experience aside, Week 1 gave fans a first look at every team and potentially a preview of what is to come in the rest of the season.
1 – Philadelphia Eagles
Least surprisingly, the defending champions remain the team to beat in the NFL. Despite some issues regarding defence, the Eagles came into their matchup against the Dallas Cowboys with all the confidence in the world. The Eagles were able to make some defensive adjustments down the stretch, allowing them to come out with the win. The story of the game was the ejection of Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter after spitting on the Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the game’s kickoff. All drama aside, the Eagles still look like themselves — and with players like Saquon Barkley and Justin Fields, other teams should be worried.
2 – Buffalo Bills
A placement that was decided by the outcome of their game, the Bills land at the second spot after a gutsy win over the Ravens. After looking like they were down and out following the first three quarters, Josh Allen led the Bills to a monstrous fourth-quarter comeback, pushing them to the win. Yes, the comeback was great; however, the glaring issue of defence remains for the Bills. They score a boatload of points, but their defence continues to struggle against good offences. If the Bills want any hope of capturing that coveted Super Bowl in the Josh Allen era, the defensive struggles will have to be addressed sooner rather than later. On the bright side, the MVP showed why this offence is something to be reckoned with, and if you manage to score over 30 points a night, Bills fans can expect results.
3 – Green Bay Packers
Regardless of what you think of Jordan Love, the Packers team proved why they should be feared moving into Week 2. Love demonstrated a veteran style of poise after several shaky plays that had Packers fans on edge. Cheeseheads would be able to take a deep breath on the other side of the ball as Micah Parsons showed out in his home stadium, guiding his defence to electric play. With an inspired defence and a chip on their shoulder, the Packers seem to be one of the teams to beat in the NFC.
4 – Baltimore Ravens
Having a good defensive lineup on paper doesn’t always lead to results. In their bloodbath against the Bills, the Ravens managed to choke away what was a sure victory, backed by MVP chants for Lamar Jackson in Buffalo. Though Jackson and Derrick Henry were still playing like their usual selves, the Ravens had a similar story to the Bills. With a great offence, they still had much to be desired on the other side of the ball. Zay Flowers was impressive in his season debut, but it wasn’t enough for the Ravens to save themselves. Baltimore will still be a powerhouse in the regular season, but come playoff time, it will be interesting to see what adjustments are made to their defence.
5 – Los Angeles Chargers
Probably the most surprising placement on this list, the Chargers move up to the fifth spot after an impressive win over the Chiefs. There were questions about Justin Herbert and his ability to lead a team far into the playoffs, however, Chargers fans should be in high spirits after Friday’s game in Brazil. The Chiefs were banged up, yes, but Los Angeles did what they were supposed to do and took advantage of that. Derwin James came up with some big tackles, as well as Quentin Johnston pulling in some crucial catches in the clutch. Don’t sleep on the Chargers.
6 – Kansas City Chiefs
Sitting just below the team that beat them, the Chiefs remain one of the scariest teams in the league simply because of Patrick Mahomes. Yet, they find themselves in an odd scenario with injuries and potential player regression. Discourse has begun around Travis Kelce for his regression in play, and with little impact from JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Chiefs didn’t look like themselves in Week 1. Kansas City remains with a high ceiling and a breakout season from any given role player could push them back to Super Bowl contention.
7 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Entering the season with high expectations, the Bucs found their way in a game against the Falcons. Incoming rookie Emeka Egbuka stole the show with his game-winning touchdown, helping Baker Mayfield clean up from his lacklustre start to the game. This game wasn’t the prettiest for Tampa, yet they still managed a win with a promising showing from their defence, even if it took them a while to get going.
8 – Washington Commanders
There are two sides to the Commanders’ Week 1 effort against the Giants. First is the stellar defence that shut down the Giants on all fronts. It’s no secret that the Giants’ offence is non-existent, but Washington showed why they’re one of the most anticipated teams coming out of the NFC. On the flip side, the offence wasn’t anything to write home about, but there were still some great plays backed by some decent numbers from quarterback Jaylen Daniels. With zero interceptions and 233 passing yards, Daniels looks to improve upon this outing for future games.
9 – Los Angeles Rams
Week 1’s most valuable defence award must go to the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams held the Houston Texans to zero points in the second half. Despite many penalties from Houston, the Rams took full advantage of a flustered Houston offence. For the offence, it was a different story. Quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the game with back issues, leading to a slow-paced, mediocre offence. Still coming out with the win, Stafford would become just the 10th quarterback in history to reach 60,000 career passing yards. If the Rams’ offence can turn it up a notch moving forward, this team will have no problem against the Titans in Week 2.
10 – Denver Broncos
Just finding their way into the top ten are the Denver Broncos. The Bo Nix-led offence didn’t really prove anything to the viewer. Nix looked out of sorts at times during the game, struggling against a poor Titans team. In the end, however, the Broncos were able to grind out a win led by an outstanding defence performance. Denver remains a team nobody should take lightly, but if they proceed to play with this level of offence, they will likely see themselves outside of the playoffs.