Takeaways From Week 1 in the NFL

Week 1 is always crazy in the NFL and this one was one of the craziest. Some fans are panicking I’m sure but usually things will straighten out and begin to take shape after the first two or three weeks. Let’s take a look at a few instant reactions division by division.

NFC LEAST:

STOCK UP: Philadelphia Eagles were the lone winners in this division with a 32-6 butt-kicking at Atlanta. Jalen Hurts was terrific throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 62 more on 7 carries. So much for the Eagles being one of the worst teams in the league. Dallas played very well at Tampa Bay losing a heartbreaker to the defending champions 31-29. Dak Prescott was incredible in his return from injury and if they can keep playing with that tenacity, they are on the way to a good season.

STOCK DOWN: The Giants and Washington both opened at home with winnable games and laid a great big egg falling to 0-1.

NFC NORTH:

STOCK DOWN: This division gets the nod for the worst start in Week 1. Green Bay was just awful against New Orleans losing 38-3 and acting like they could care less. Minnesota went into Cincinnati and were favorites but lost 27-24 in overtime but at least they were competitive. Detroit opened at home with the 49ers and fell way behind but showed some moxie cutting a big lead down to eight before losing 41-33. Finally, the Bears played ok, but took it on the chin to the Rams in LA in the Sunday night game.

NFC SOUTH:

STOCK UP: The New Orleans Saints may have had the most convincing win of the week by destroying Green Bay 38-3. Their defense held Green Bay to 229 yards of total offense and they were in charge from start to finish. The defending Super Bowl Champion, Tampa Bay Bucs ,fought off a big challenge from Dallas before prevailing on Thursday. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were impressive as both appear to be ageless. The Carolina Panthers also opened with a win over the Jets in Charlotte. Sam Darnold threw for 279 yards and zero interceptions.

STOCK DOWN: The only team in the division to lose was the Atlanta and they stunk it up against the Eagles. It could be a long year in Georgia

NFC WEST:

STOCK UP: Arizona had a tough game going into Tennessee but they shocked almost everyone with a 38-13 victory. Kyler Murray threw for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns and showed he is one of the best. Seattle dispatched of Indianapolis 28-16 on the road as Russell Wilson was his usual outstanding player. The Matt Stafford era opened successfully with the Rams and they whipped the Bears. The 49ers took care of business against the Lions in Detroit. This is the best division in the NFL.

AFC EAST:

STOCK UP: The Miami Dolphins traveled to New England and outlasted the revamped Patriots 17-16. This was a big division win for Miami and sets them up as a challenger in the division.

STOCK DOWN: The Patriots lost a home game that they were counting on,as mistakes and turnovers killed their comeback. On the plus side, rookie quarterback Mac Jones was solid in his debut. Buffalo also stumbled out of the gate losing to the Steelers at home. The New York Jets opened at Carolina and lost, but rookie quarterback, Zach Wilson shoed plenty of promise for the future.

AFC NORTH:

STOCK UP: Pittsburgh went into Buffalo and showed the AFC that they aren’t finished yet as they won 23-16. The stats weren’t very pretty but a blocked punt in the 4th quarter spurred them to victory. Cincinnati saw a game get away from them in regulation on a game-tying field goal with no time on the clock. But they came back with a field goal of their own to defeat Minnesota. And despite losing at Kansas City, Cleveland showed how good they can be by winning everything but the game against the Chiefs.

STOCK DOWN: Baltimore found a way to lose on Monday night to the Raiders, despite having the game under control for most of the night. It won’t get any easier next week, with the Chiefs coming to town for Sunday Night Football.

AFC SOUTH:

STOCK UP: Who would have thought going into Week 1, that the Houston Texans would be the only team to win in the division. But, led by unheralded quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and a stout running game they whipped Jacksonville 37-21. This was one of the big surprises of the opening week.

STOCK DOWN: Tennessee was heavily favored to win the division and they were thrashed at home by Arizona. Indianapolis also lost at home against the talented Seahawks. Finally Jacksonville lost in Houston spoiling the debut of Jacksonville Coach Urban Meyer and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

AFC WEST:

STOCK UP: Kansas City got a huge scare at home against the Browns before winning 33-29. Patrick Mahomes was outstanding as usual and the Chiefs made enough plays to win. The Broncos got a big win on the road with a 27-13 win over the New York Giants. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns in his Denver debut. The Chargers went into the nation’s capitol and beat Washington 20-16 behind Justin Herbert and his 337 passing yards. Finally, the Raiders won a crazy game on Monday night over the Ravens.