The first Sunday of the NFL season was filled with wild news and storylines, and this was before the games even started. Once the games got underway, the craziness continued, and it made for a very interesting first week of this season.
First off, news headlines were filled with NFL storylines before the 1 P.M. games even began. Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was detained and handcuffed by police officers after being pulled over for speeding on his way to the stadium for the Miami Dolphins game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which went viral on social media due to fan videos of the incident. Additionally, before their game against the Cleveland Browns, the Dallas Cowboys signed franchise quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year, 240 million dollar contract extension, making him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.
Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Jamar Chase didn’t receive the extension he has been seeking, and it was announced he would play in week one against the New England Patriots without a new deal. Lastly in the Sunday pregame news, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced quarterback Russell Wilson would be out for week one with a calf injury, and Justin Fields would be getting the start in their matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
In the games themselves, there were plenty of great matchups that were super fun to watch. The Bills gave their fans (myself included) a scare by going down 17-3 against the Cardinals, but Josh Allen showed why he is a top MVP pick this season, responding to the early 14 point deficit with four total touchdowns (two passing and two rushing), leading the Bills to a 34-28 victory.
Their AFC East rival Dolphins also fell behind early. They were down 17-7 at halftime against the Jaguars. In the second half, however, their stars delivered, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throwing for 338 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. Kicker Jason Sanders then kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired, giving the Dolphins a 20-17 win. Elsewhere in the league, the Giants and Panthers both were shellacked in embarrassing losses to the Vikings and Saints, respectively. The Steelers and Patriots both tallied gritty wins in low scoring, defensive contests against two opponents both expected to have solid offenses this season. The Steelers beating the Falcons was a bit of an upset, while the Patriots 16-10 triumph over Joe Burrow and the Bengals was a shocking loss for a supposed Super Bowl contender.
The Texans beat the Colts 29-27 in a game that was a tough watch for Colts and Bills fans alike, as the Colts lost, and the Bills watched recently traded receiver Stefon Diggs catch two touchdown passes from quarterback CJ Stroud to lead the Texans to victory. Lastly from the early games, the Bears beat the Titans despite the poor play of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears defense and special teams stepped up in a big way, scoring all three touchdowns for the team in a 24-17 win.
Moving to the 4 pm games, Jim Harbaugh continued in his winning ways after moving back to the NFL, with his Chargers beating the Raiders 22-10. Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix struggled mightily against the Seahawks defense, getting picked off twice in a 26-20 win. The Cowboys resoundingly beat the Browns 33-17, and the Buccaneers notched a comfortable 37-20 win over the Commanders. In the Sunday night game we got extra football, as the Rams and Lions went to overtime tied 20-20. In overtime, David Montgomery ran for a game-winning one-yard touchdown to win it for the Lions.
Lastly, the Jets visited the 49ers on Monday Night Football to conclude the first week of the season. In his first game in almost a year after tearing his Achilles in week one last season, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had some bright spots but struggled overall, and the 49ers offense delivered even without running back Christian McCaffrey, who was ruled out last minute with a calf injury, leading to a 32-19 49ers victory.