The first 16 games of the NFL season have came and went, and fans were treated to see the first look at how their teams would perform this 2024 NFL season. As always in the NFL, many surprising scores and player performances dominated headlines. Here are my top takeaways from Week 1 of the NFL season.
Is the Panic meter at 100 for the Cincinnati Bengals? - Joe Burrow and company have notoriously performed below standards out of the gates in previous NFL seasons, only winning one of the last five season openers. Sunday was supposed to be a great spot for Cincinnati to get off on the right foot against an inferior opponent, in a game they were favored by 7.5 points. The Bengals offense was downright awful with Burrow only able to throw for 160 yards and 0 TD. With no Higgins and a disgruntled Jamaar Chase, the Bengals offense wasn’t able to muster anything. The Pats were also able to run wild on Cincinnati, with RB Rhamondre Stevenson going for 120 yards and a TD. Burrow clearly doesn't look 100% healthy, and that could spell disaster for a Bengals team that has Super Bowl Aspirations.
Deshaun Watson is a bad QB and will never return to his previous form- The most anticipated of all the Sunday afternoon matchups was the 4:25 showdown between the Cowboys and Browns, to go along with Tom Brady’s first game as an NFL broadcaster. I'm not sure what was worse, Brady’s booth performance, or Watson’s QB showing. This game was way worse than a 33-17 final score, as Watson threw 2 INTs and was hearing boos from the dog pound all afternoon. It has now been two years since Watson made his Cleveland debut, and there has not been one moment of elite QB play. Overreacting to week one is a recipe for disaster, but I am going to say the Browns don’t make the playoffs and finish last in the AFC North.
Saquon Barkley + Eagles = Match made in heaven - Giants fans watched in disgust as their former franchise cornerstone suited up in the Eagles green for the first time Friday night. The former Ninety Lion went nuclear in Brazil with 100 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns. Barkley has an elite offensive line in front of him for the first time of his career, and man this should be a fun watch for all NFL fans to enjoy the entire season.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to be the first team in NFL history to 3-peat. It's incredible to say that the Chiefs had a “down” year to their standards and still won the Super Bowl in 2023. But that is honestly the truth, the offense looked clunky, Mahomes had little production from wide receivers, and turmoil was brewing. Well, they won the Super Bowl and got better over the offseason, how is that possible? Xavier Worthy going to the Chiefs should be illegal, and with a huge win on opening night, who is stopping KC from becoming the first NFL team in the Super Bowl era to win three in a row?
Stay tuned for next week's article where I will be giving my top storylines from Week 2 of the NFL season.
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