NFL Week One Review

The NFL season is unlike other leagues because NFL teams only play 17 regular season games. In baseball, you could have a bad first month, and still be very much relevant later in the season; in the NFL, every single game is important. With that reality, comes strong reactions on a week to week basis from fans and the media. What kind of reactions will you get here this week? Let’s dive in head first to my NFL Week One Review and find out!

• Tons of ugly football in week one; sloppy play on both sides of the ball, dumb penalties, hideous turnovers. I know it was his first start in the NFL, but Caleb Williams throwing for under 100 yards and completing under 50% of his passes against Tennessee is putrid – it’s great that they won, but he played poorly. I’m pretty sure Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens just got called again for lining up illegally. We saw Will Levis try to forward pitch his way out of a sack and instead threw a game changing pick six. I know the starters need to shake off rust since they don’t play in the preseason, but such poor play to open the year is a real bad look.

• Kansas City was one of the few teams that impressed. In a game between what should be two of the best teams in the AFC, the Chiefs looked ready to defend their back to back titles. Was it perfect? No, but the offense played well enough, and Baltimore’s passing offense looked unimpressive against Kansas City’s defense. Has Travis Kelce’s age caught up to him, or did the Ravens just have the right game plan?

• Detroit was another team that stood out in week one. Against a talented Rams squad led by Matt Stafford and Sean McVay, the Lions won a hard fought game with an overtime touchdown run by David Montgomery. The offensive line might be the best in football, and this team just plays differently at home. San Francisco manhandled the Jets on Monday Night Football, and might be the best team in the NFC, but Detroit doesn’t look too far behind.

• Another slow start in Cincy? The Bengals are 1-10 in the first two weeks of every season under head coach Zac Taylor. Their lone win was in Week 1 of the 2021 season when they beat Minnesota. Joe Burrow and the offense looked lost in this game, and the defense needs to be better against the run. I don’t have any concerns long term for this squad as long as Burrow is healthy, but they gotta do something to change this early season pattern. It doesn’t get any easier in week two, as the Bengals visit Kansas City.

• Deshaun Watson might be cooked. This might be the biggest case of the yips in NFL history. To go from being arguably a top five player at your position to being arguably one of the worst starters in the league in such a short time where injury isn’t a factor is wild. At least when Carson Wentz fell off, it was due to a serious injury and all that comes with trying to overcome that. What’s Watson’s excuse? We know Kevin Stefanski is a good coach, and there’s some good talent on the offense, so those aren’t concerns. Hopefully he turns it around soon, because this is quickly looking like one of the worst trades and contracts of all time. Oh, and now there are new allegations against Watson. The hits just keep on comin’.