Some things seemingly never change in the NFL. The Browns lose, often in heartbreaking fashion. The Giants look ghastly on offense. Micah Parsons gets to the quarterback (no matter what uniform he’s wearing).
And Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson put on a show every time they meet.
Sunday night’s season opener in Buffalo was the best of all, with two of the league’s top quarterbacks dueling back and forth in what felt like a playoff preview. Allen — who led the Bills to a stunning, 15-point rally in the final four minutes to cap a wild 41-40 win — was nearly perfect in the fourth quarter, throwing for one touchdown, running for another, then piloting a nine-play, 71-yard drive in 1:26 to set up Matt Prater’s 32-yard game-winning field goal.
Jackson was excellent all night, and so was running back Derrick Henry, until his fumble late in the fourth set up the Bills’ last touchdown.
Some things do change in this league, though. Who would have thought the Chiefs — winners of nine straight AFC West titles — would be the division’s lone winless team after the first week of the season? Are Daniel Jones and Justin Fields about to change the narrative on their careers? Is Aaron Rodgers actually the quarterback the Steelers have been missing?
It was a dramatic Week 1 across the NFL, with 11 games decided by a score or less, none more thrilling than Buffalo’s comeback. Six head coaches made their debuts with their new teams; two, the Raiders’ Pete Carroll and the Jaguars’ Liam Coen, earned a victory, with the Bears’ Ben Johnson starting his season Monday night against the Vikings.
An NFC South thriller that featured three second-half lead changes — and some late-game heroics from both the Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield and Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. — came down to a 44-yard field goal attempt by Atlanta kicker Younghoe Koo. A make would have sent the game to overtime, but Koo pushed it right, and Tampa Bay, winners of four straight division titles, escaped with a 23-20 victory. Mayfield threw for three touchdowns, including the game-winner to rookie Emeka Egbuka with 59 seconds left.
The Cleveland Browns blew both a golden opportunity at what would’ve been the surprise upset of Week 1 and a chance to add to the Cincinnati Bengals’ early-season misery of the past few years. Instead, the Browns fell 17-16. As for the blame, start with the kicker: Andre Szmyt, who beat out veteran Dustin Hopkins for the job in training camp, missed an extra point in the third quarter, then pushed a 36-yard attempt wide right with 2:25 to play. Joe Burrow was far from lights out, and Myles Garrett had a lot to do with that — Burrow finished 14-for-23 for 113 yards and one touchdown — but he’ll take it: It’s the Bengals’ first season-opening win since 2021.
Matthew Stafford became just the 10th player in NFL history with 60,000 passing yards in the Los Angeles Rams’ 14-9 victory over the Texans. Houston was driving late and within striking distance until Rams linebacker Nate Landman punched the ball away from Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale. The Rams recovered, then celebrated.
In Denver, the Tennessee Titans finished with nearly as many penalty yards (131) as total yards (133) in a 20-12 loss to the Broncos. Top pick Cam Ward was sacked six times in his NFL debut and threw for just 112 yards on 12 completions while Tennessee managed just four field goals. The Broncos’ Bo Nix was slightly better — 25-for-40 for 176 yards and a touchdown — but tossed two picks.
Christian McCaffrey was a go for the San Francisco 49ers in Seattle, and it’s a good thing he was: The two-time All-Pro running back finished with 142 all-purpose yards in a 17-13 win over the Seahawks. Ricky Pearsall added 108 receiving yards and George Kittle caught a touchdown before leaving the game early with a hamstring injury. A Nick Bosa strip-sack sealed it in the fourth.
In Washington, it was the Commanders’ suffocating defense — and not second-year star Jayden Daniels — that proved the difference in a 21-6 victory over the Giants. Russell Wilson’s first stat line as the New York starter: 17-for-37 for 168 yards and no touchdowns. Yikes. It wasn’t the opener coach Brian Daboll needed. The Giants have now dropped three straight Week 1 games by combined scores of 89-12 and haven’t won an NFC East game since 2023.
Pete Carroll became the oldest head coach in NFL history — he’s 73 years and 357 days young — and led the Raiders to a 20-13 road win over the New England Patriots. It was Las Vegas’ defense that sealed it in the second half, forcing a Drake Maye interception in the third quarter before four straight punts from the New England offense.
The New Orleans Saints nearly pulled off an upset in coach Kellen Moore’s debut before falling in the closing seconds to the Cardinals, 20-13. Kyler Murray threw two touchdowns, including one to Marvin Harrison Jr., as Arizona won its first season opener since 2021.
In Jacksonville, the Liam Coen era opened with a resounding 26-10 win over the Panthers. Jags rookie first-round pick Travis Hunter — a full-time receiver and part-time cornerback in his NFL debut — caught six passes for 33 yards and saw six snaps on defense.
Here’s what we learned across the NFL in Week 1:
Bills make early statement
In a season opener befitting two Super Bowl contenders, the Bills staged a comeback that fans in Buffalo will remember for some time. Probably forever. And the Ravens suffered a loss that could haunt them come January.
This one was over. The Bills trailed 40-25 with less than four minutes remaining. Jackson carved them up in the passing game, then sapped their souls with his scrambles. Zay Flowers finished with seven catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Hamilton was a menace in the secondary. The Baltimore offensive line created lanes all night for Henry, who had three runs of 30 yards or more and would finish with 169.
Then Allen got hot. And then Henry’s fumble gave Buffalo the opening it needed. Four plays later, the reigning MVP was in the end zone. After a Baltimore three-and-out, Buffalo had its chance. Allen seized it. On his final drive, he went 4-for-4 for 71 yards. With no timeouts. Against a stout Ravens’ defense.
“I think there were some people that left the stadium, and that’s OK,” he told NBC’s Melissa Stark afterward. “Have some faith next time.”
Allen finished with 424 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns; Jackson had 279 and three scores of his own in another stellar effort. While both teams chase Kansas City in the loaded AFC, Buffalo’s win could prove pivotal come January. The Bills haven’t hosted an AFC Championship Game since 1994.
Packers look the part
For all the chatter following the stunning trade that brought Micah Parsons to Green Bay — most figured it vaulted the Packers into the Super Bowl conversation — Sunday’s 27-13 win over the Lions offered firm validation. This team could be really good.
Jordan Love and the offense scored on their first three possessions, and from there the Packers bullied a Lions team that won 15 games and earned the NFC’s top seed last year.
Green Bay owned this one with its defense, and it was more than Parsons, who on 30 snaps against Penei Sewell, one of the best right tackles in football, finished with one sack and one QB pressure. The Packers controlled the line of scrimmage, holding the league’s top-scoring offense from 2024 to just 13 points. Jared Goff finished with 225 yards on 31 completions but didn’t throw a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, long after the game had been decided.
Questions will follow the Lions into Week 2 — and possibly beyond. This was the type of beatdown Detroit hasn’t suffered all that often since Dan Campbell turned things around. It’ll start on offense, because the Lions lost more than just their star play caller, Ben Johnson, during the offseason. Gone are two stalwarts of the offensive line, center Frank Ragnow (who retired) and guard Kevin Zeitler (who left in free agency).
The team that used to overpower opponents was humbled on Sunday. It doesn’t mean the Lions won’t rebound, but it could mean things will look a lot different in 2025.
Rodgers, Steelers look like perfect fit (for one game)
“I was happy to beat everyone associated with the Jets.”
Say this much for Aaron Rodgers: The man doesn’t hide from a spicy soundbite.
That was the quarterback a few minutes after the Steelers edged his former team in a 34-32 thriller that featured eight lead changes and four touchdown throws from the 41-year-old. A career-long kick of 60 yards from Chris Boswell put the Steelers ahead with less than two minutes remaining, and a vicious pass break-up by first-year Steeler Jalen Ramsey sealed it.
Rodgers, still salty about how his two-year tenure ended in New York after he was told by new coach Aaron Glenn in February that the team was moving on, was excellent in his Pittsburgh debut. His 136.7 passer rating was the best of any Steelers quarterback over the last seven seasons, and Rodgers capped off his afternoon with the 37th fourth-quarter comeback of his career.
“There are probably people in (that) organization who don’t think I can play anymore,” Rodgers added. “So it was nice to remind them I still can.”
The fact that Rodgers did this at MetLife Stadium, where he slogged through two disastrous years with the Jets, no doubt added to his satisfaction. And if this is the Rodgers the Steelers are getting, Pittsburgh could have a different ceiling in 2025. A team that’s struggled to find consistency at quarterback for years suddenly looks to have a motivated future Hall of Famer under center, sans some of the noise that helped derail his time with the Jets. Rodgers is now just one touchdown throw behind former teammate Brett Favre for fourth on the all-time list.
Aaron Rodgers relished the Steelers’ season-opening win over the Jets on Sunday. (Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
It overshadowed an encouraging debut for Rodgers’ successor in New York, Justin Fields, who was also facing his former team. Fields went 4-2 as Pittsburgh’s starter last season before being benched for Wilson. On Sunday, Fields finished 16-for-22 for 266 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, two of which came on the ground. His 119.1 passer rating was his highest since his last season in Chicago in 2023.
Colts snap streak, Jones shows why he won the job
Jim Irsay would’ve loved what took place at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday. The Colts’ late owner used to seethe over the fact that his team couldn’t find a way to win a Week 1 game, but the Colts’ 11-year streak — the second-longest in NFL history heading into Sunday — is now over thanks to a 33-8 rout over the Dolphins.
The story was Daniel Jones, who was sharp and steady in his Indianapolis debut, connecting on 22-of-29 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, then adding two more scores on the ground (Jones became the first player in NFL history to have two rushing TDs and throw for more than 250 yards in his first game with a franchise). The Colts scored on all seven of their offensive possessions, becoming the first team since at least 1978 to do so.
It spoke to why coach Shane Steichen sided with Jones over incumbent Anthony Richardson during the preseason: The former Giants first-round pick simply operates the offense more efficiently and won’t commit the number of drive-killing mistakes that Richardson has throughout his first few seasons. The Colts turned the ball over on nearly 15 percent of their offensive possessions last season and still finished 8-9. Steichen knows he has weapons on that side of the ball — rookie tight end Tyler Warren was excellent in Week 1, and running back Jonathan Taylor had his moments. With a capable quarterback who can spread it around, the offense can excel.
Sunday offered a snapshot. If it lasts, Jones could be the latest NFL QB to revive his career after failing at his first stop.
Too early for concern?
It’s easy to overreact to the first Sunday of the regular season. Some teams are rusty. Others, sloppy. First-time head coaches are still getting a feel for the job and everything that comes at them on the sideline. Players are working their way back into game shape.
But sometimes the warning signs are there. Since NFL teams don’t game plan for preseason games, most have been prepping for Week 1 since mid-August. That’s a hard reality to stomach for Giants fans, who had to watch their offense go 4-for-16 on third downs, pile up just 157 passing yards and finish with six points in an ugly loss to the Commanders. That’s now three straight season openers in which the Giants haven’t scored a touchdown.
If this is what the Giants are going to look like with Wilson under center, how long can Daboll realistically keep first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart on the bench? Asked repeatedly if Wilson would be his starter next week against the Cowboys, Daboll said he had confidence in Wilson but ultimately deferred.
“We have to do better around overall, coaches, players, everybody,” Daboll said. “So we’ll get focused and get ready to go on to Dallas.”
Meanwhile, the Dolphins were embarrassed in Indy, and Anthony Weaver’s defense — fourth-best in the league in yards allowed in 2024 — was an absolute no-show. The Colts opened with 30 straight points before Miami finally scored. Tua Tagovailoa, who threw two interceptions, wasn’t much better. Mike McDaniel better figure something out fast, because the shine has worn off in South Beach.
“There was a lot of preparation for Week 1, and I don’t think it looked (that way),” McDaniel said. “What does that mean? It means guys let Week 1 and the bells and whistles get the best of them.”
The Panthers were outplayed and outcoached in Jacksonville, losing decisively to a Jaguars team that won just four games in 2024 and has a first-time head coach. Coen shined, while Dave Canales, in his second season in Carolina, looked overmatched. Same for his quarterback: Bryce Young completed just 18 of 35 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, and the Carolina offense didn’t find the end zone until late in the fourth, after the game had been decided.
A Week 1 loss doesn’t sink a season, but it can offer some hints at what’s to come. For the Giants, Dolphins and Panthers, the hope is that things change quickly. Otherwise, a long season awaits.
(Photo of Josh Allen: Bryan Bennett / Getty Images)
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