The Athletic has live coverage of all of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday.
The long wait has ended. The anticipation at last has concluded. Football has officially returned.
After a preseason that offered plenty of intrigue, the regular season kicked off Thursday night as the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles hung on to beat the Dallas Cowboys. The following night, the Super Bowl runner-up Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers met in São Paulo, Brazil, and Justin Herbert dazzled to outduel Patrick Mahomes.
Sunday brings 13 matchups, and then the Week 1 action concludes Monday night in Chicago, where the Bears host the Minnesota Vikings.
Here are five of the leading storylines to follow this weekend.
1. New eras
Seven teams have new head coaches. Eight teams have new starting quarterbacks. More than half of the league’s teams have new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. We’ve caught glimpses of some of the changes afoot for some of those organizations, but this weekend marks the true unveiling, and what those change-filled organizations hope serves as strong launching points for successful campaigns. It’s a long season, and a win or loss doesn’t make or break the season. However, every coach and player wants to make a statement out of the gate.
In Foxboro, the New England Patriots host the Las Vegas Raiders in a showdown of new head coaches (Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll) with robust resumes but plenty of rebuilding ahead of them. Rookie head coaches make their debuts with the New Orleans Saints (Kellen Moore), Jacksonville Jaguars (Liam Coen), New York Jets (Aaron Glenn) and Chicago Bears (Ben Johnson), joining Brian Schottenheimer, who coached his first game as the Cowboys’ head coach on Thursday.
Teams with new starting quarterbacks include the Cleveland Browns (Joe Flacco), Indianapolis Colts (Daniel Jones), New York Giants (Russell Wilson), Tennessee Titans (Cam Ward), Seattle Seahawks (Sam Darnold) and Minnesota Vikings (J.J. McCarthy).
But one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend is the Jets’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. New York’s new starting quarterback, Justin Fields, spent last season with the Steelers (going 4-2 as a starter) and now replaces Aaron Rodgers, who, of course, spent two seasons with the Jets but now has the hopes of Pittsburgh riding on his 41-year-old shoulders. Who comes out on top in this revenge game?
2. Great expectations
A handful of rookies burst onto the scene with dominant performances last season. Now they return with elevated expectations, but also without the luxury of being able to sneak up on the competition.
Quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) and Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) impressed during their rookie campaigns and helped end long-running playoff droughts for their teams. LSU wide receivers (and former Daniels targets) Brian Thomas Jr. (Jaguars) and Malik Nabers (Giants) also delivered dazzling performances in 2024.
Thomas finished third in the league with 1,282 receiving yards on 87 catches. With 109 catches, Nabers set an NFL record for receptions by a rookie, and also posted a 1,200-yard season of his own. Tight end Brock Bowers ranked among the few bright spots for the Raiders by posting a record-setting season (112 catches and 1,194 yards — both the most ever by a rookie tight end).
Meanwhile, linebacker Jared Verse turned heads with the Los Angeles Rams after recording 66 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In the playoffs, he returned a fumble for a touchdown.
What do these rising young stars have in store for an encore? Can they avoid the sophomore slump and continue to propel their teams to new heights?
What does Jayden Daniels have in store for Year 2 with the Commanders? (Amber Searls / Imagn Images)
3. Plenty to prove
Meanwhile, other members of the 2024 draft class enter the season in need of strong rebounds after underwhelming or incomplete rookie seasons.
Perhaps no second-year player finds himself under more pressure than Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams — the 2024 draft’s top pick, who was billed as a generational talent. Williams endured a tumultuous rookie season, which included two head coaches, three offensive coordinators and a league-high 68 sacks.
Williams starts fresh with rookie head coach Ben Johnson, one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. But thus far, the young passer has endured continued struggles while trying to adjust to a new system. A prime-time date with the Minnesota Vikings and their uber-aggressive defense isn’t exactly an ideal way to ease into a new season, but here we are.
Elsewhere, the Atlanta Falcons have put their trust in 2024 first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr. despite only three starts’ worth of experience and with veteran Kirk Cousins in only the second season of a four-year, $180 million contract.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who was regarded as a can’t-miss prospect, turned in a pedestrian rookie campaign with the Arizona Cardinals and still seems to have work to do in terms of developing chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray and producing consistently.
And then there’s Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, the 10th pick of last year’s draft, who missed all of last season following surgery to repair a preseason knee injury. He takes over as the starter for a playoff team and must quickly make up for lost time.
But it’s not just the second-year players trying to stabilize their careers and fulfill their potential. To name a few: In Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence (another heralded former top quarterback prospect) finds himself playing for his third head coach and third offense in five seasons and has yet to cement himself as a game-changer. Can new coach Liam Coen help Lawrence reboot his career?
Back in Atlanta, the Falcons are still waiting for fifth-year tight end Kyle Pitts to build on the dominant rookie season from 2021. After delivering 68 catches and 1,026 yards that year, Pitts has recorded only 1,625 receiving yards in the three seasons since.
Perhaps no player’s future hinges on a strong start to the season as much as that of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. The sixth pick of the 2019 draft and former Giants quarterback was cast off by the team midway through last season and spent the rest of the year as a healthy scratch for the Minnesota Vikings. Jones signed with Indy this offseason and beat out the oft-injured and wildly inconsistent Anthony Richardson for the starting job. The clock is — and has been — ticking on Jones’ career. But if he can take care of the football and serve as the game manager that the Colts — with their potent run game — need Sunday against Miami, he could take steps towards earning some job security.
4. Pressure cooker
Is it too early to talk about hot seats? In this league, never. As many as five coaches enter this season needing strong campaigns to quiet questions about their futures with their teams.
Giants coach Brian Daboll helped his team eke out a playoff win in his first season (2022). However, New York has endured back-to-back double-digit-loss seasons, and owner John Mara is on record saying that his patience is wearing thin. Colts head coach Shane Steichen, meanwhile, enters Year 3 of a tenure that has featured two rocky seasons and narrow playoff misses.
Arizona’s Jonathan Gannon went 4-13 in his first season as a head coach in 2023, then doubled that win total last year, but again missed the postseason. Time seemingly is running out for Mike McDaniel in Miami, where the Dolphins rank among the most Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde teams out there, lighting up scoreboards against mediocre teams during the regular season only to fall flat against quality opponents, especially in the postseason, where McDaniel’s teams have been outscored 60-38.
In Cleveland, Kevin Stefanski has endured a roller-coaster ride, reaching the playoffs twice only to experience losing seasons three times and double-digit-loss campaigns twice. The Browns hope 40-year-old Flacco can execute Stefanski’s offense effectively enough to complement an imposing defense and enable them to compete in the AFC North, but another shortcoming could put Stefanski’s future in jeopardy. Cleveland takes on divisional foe/in-state rival Cincinnati right off the bat, and a win at home could help get a crucial Browns’ season off to an encouraging start.
Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year. Will that matter if the Browns get off to a bad start? (Jim Dedmon / Imagn Images)
5. Star Wars
Sunday night’s action classifies as must-see TV for any true football fan. It’s a rematch of last year’s AFC divisional playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and host Buffalo Bills, and a potential shootout between last season’s leading MVP candidates, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. (Allen took home Associated Press MVP honors in 2024 while Jackson — also the 2023 AP MVP — was voted MVP by the Pro Football Writers of America last season.)
From the time they entered the NFL in 2018 — Allen as the seventh pick and Jackson as the 32nd — the QBs have helped transform their teams into two of the AFC’s elite teams. Jackson owns a 3-1 regular-season edge over Allen. However, Allen has won both postseason games between Buffalo and Baltimore. Last season, Baltimore won the Week 4 contest 35-10, only for Buffalo to prevail 27-25 in the playoffs.
Their styles differ, but both have fierce competitive fires, world-class athleticism, keen instincts and strong leadership skills in common. They also have both fallen short in their quests to unseat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as the conference power.
Although it’s only Week 1, plenty is riding on this game. Not only will the winner receive a strong boost from defeating a quality opponent to start the season, but also the outcome could impact the playoff picture (including home-field advantage) this January.
(Top photo of Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen: Michael Owens / Getty Images)
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