NFL Week 1 breakdown: Patrick Mahomes doesn't need Tyreek Hill. Both Super Bowl 56 teams lose.
Week 1 is (almost) in the books, and the highly anticipated AFC West race is off and running (and, on Monday night, it's the Denver Broncos' turn).
Here are some of the most important developments from Sunday:
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will be out "several" weeks after fracturing the thumb on his throwing hand.
- T.J. Watt, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, left Sunday's Steelers win with a possible pectoral injury. An MRI will be conducted Monday.
- Another victorious possible AFC contender, the Chargers, have an injury scare as star WR Keenan Allen left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury.
- 45-year-old QB Tom Brady successfully turned the page on his bizarre offseason.
- For the second consecutive season, the Packers opened with an absolute stinker.
NFL Week 1 biggest moments
- The "No Fun League" was at it again with the bizarre "squeegee" penalty during the Bears-49ers game.
- The Bears used Soldier Field's rain-soaked turf as a slip-n-slide to celebrate their upset of the 49ers.
- Chiefs safety Justin Reid was pressed into kicking duties after Harrison Butker slipped on a kickoff and rolled his ankle.
- Falcons head coach Arthur Smith had the saltiest postgame press conference following his team's loss to the Saints.
- The Texans came out of halftime aggressive, throwing a flea-flicker to Brandin Cooks.
- Packers rookie wide receiver Christian Watson dropped an easy pass that would have gone for a 75-yard touchdown.
- Were the Washington Commanders selling merchandise with the outline of another state?
NFL Week 1 key storylines
- Winners, losers: Justin Herbert helped the Chargers defeat a divisional foe. Patrick Mahomes threw for five touchdowns. The two square off Thursday night.
- 32 things we learned: Losses by the Bengals and Rams in Week 1 meant that both of the previous season's Super Bowl teams opened 0-1 for the first time this century.
- Tom Brady looks comfortable enough in his return: Iconic Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady found some normalcy in beginning his 23rd NFL season in the winner’s circle again, Jarrett Bell writes.
- Tyreek who? The Chiefs might be just fine without Hill, who moved to Miami this offseason, Tyler Dragon writes.
- Trey Lance's reaction to mistakes in San Francisco's ugly loss is promising sign: Irritated as the 49ers were with giving the game away against the Bears, there was no sense of panic or concern over talented Lance, Nancy Armour writes.
- Baker Mayfield showed why Browns traded him: Mayfield showed the inconsistency Sunday that prompted the Browns to replace him with Deshaun Watson, Mike Jones writes.
NFL Week 1 results
- Buccaneers 19, Cowboys 3: Tom Brady 7, "America's Team" 0.
- Chargers 24, Raiders 19: Justin Herbert threw for three touchdowns and new addition Khalil Mack had three sacks in this big opening win.
- Chiefs 44, Cardinals 21: Patrick Mahomes threw for five touchdowns in this rout of the Cardinals.
- Vikings 23, Packers 7: An ugly start for Green Bay resulted in another season-opening embarrassment.
- Giants 21, Titans 20: The Brian Daboll era in New York opened with a rousing come-from-behind win against the Titans.
- Steelers 23, Bengals 20 (OT): Special teams hijinks and turnovers doomed the defending AFC champs against their longtime division rival.
- Eagles 38, Lions 35: Making plays both passing and rushing, Jalen Hurts proved to be too dynamic a playmaker for the Lions to overcome.
- Dolphins 20, Patriots 7: A gutsy play call by rookie head coach Mike McDaniel helped spark Miami's big win over New England.
- Browns 26, Panthers 24: For the first time in 18 years, the Browns are 1-0 to start a season. Cleveland is now 2-21-1 in season openers since coming off its hiatus in 1999.
- Bears 19, 49ers 10: In the rainy muck at Soldier Field, the Bears pulled off a stunner that likely will have many 49ers fans debating who should be the team's starting quarterback moving forward.
- Colts 20, Texans 20 (OT): From 1972-2017, the NFL went without a single game that ended in a tie during the season's opening week. After this result, there have been three Week 1 ties since 2018.
- Saints 27, Falcons 26: A frantic fourth quarter comeback made new Saints head coach Dennis Allen a winner in his debut.
- Ravens 24, Jets 9: With long-term contract negotiations put on hold, Lamar Jackson didn't look distracted by that possible off-field issue in a rout of the hapless Jets.
- Commanders 28, Jaguars 22: Despite now only having won three of their last 30 games, the Jaguars showed improvement in this defeat to the Commanders.
- Bills 31, Rams 10 (Thursday): The "Super Bowl 57 preview" looked more like the Super Sunday blowouts from the 1980s and '90s.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 1 wraps up when the Seattle Seahawks host their former quarterback Russell Wilson and his new team, the Denver Broncos, at Lumen Field (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2). For the first time since 2014, Geno Smith begins a season as a starting quarterback.
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 1.
Thursday: Week 2 kicks off with an enticing AFC West showdown between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium (8:20 p.m. ET, Prime Video ... yes, you read that right, Amazon Prime Video). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 2 game.
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