Football is Back – NFL Week 1 Recap: Man I Love Football

 The National Football League is God’s greatest invention. On Sunday, millions of ball lovers in these great United States crowded in front of at least two TVs to watch their favorite teams and all the action on RedZone. Here’s how it all went down:

Bills 41 – Ravens 40

In the year of our Lord 2025, Matt Prater is still hitting game-winning kicks. I mean, the guy looks older than half of Congress. And yet, he strolled out there on Sunday night and closed out an immaculate come-from-behind victory for Buffalo after they were down 15 points with under five minutes to go.

Josh Allen threw for over 250 yards in the fourth quarter alone. Derrick Henry capped off his great night with a disastrous fumble while trying to run out the clock, and Harbaugh made a questionable decision to punt on 4th and 2 with just 1:30 left.

All of that being said, these teams are Super Bowl contenders. After watching a whole day of mostly bad football, it was eye-opening to see two high-quality teams face off on Sunday Night. Lamar looked amazing, the Ravens defense was flying around, and even though they lost, I’m once again making the same mistake I’ve made for the past couple of seasons: betting on the Ravens to win the Super Bowl.

Colts 33 – Dolphins 8

Danny Dimes is back. The stat of the week that nobody could stop talking about is that Daniel Jones is the first quarterback in Colts history to lead his team to a score on every drive. And he did it in his first game.

The Colts looked fantastic. The defensive front was getting pressure, the offense kept rolling, and Danny looked confident, mobile, and finally he has a coach who knows how to work with quarterbacks. I’m not sure they’re a legit contender, but in a weak AFC South, they could absolutely compete.

The Dolphins, on the other hand, already feel like the bad vibes team of the year, and although it's only week one I don’t see them being challenged for the title. On paper, they’re loaded: Tyreek Hill, Devon Achane, Jaylen Waddle, and an offensive-minded head coach. But Sunday was depressing. Tua went 14/23 for 114 yards, got sacked three times, fumbled once, and didn’t score until there were six minutes left. And as bad as those numbers look, he played worse. He was under constant pressure, didn’t move well, and his throws lacked any real zip. Add in Tyreek wanting out in the offseason and Tua’s failed “everyone will forget when he scores in Week 1” comment, and the pressure is already sky-high in Miami.

Steelers 34 – Jets 32

This was a fun one which was a pleasant surprise. The quarterbacks actually exceeded expectations. Rodgers, at 41, still throws a gorgeous ball. The Steelers offense was humming, despite a lack of a rushing attack (just for the record I am a firm Kaleb Johnson believer).  DK looked sharp in black and gold, and even good ol Ben Skowronek found the end zone.

For the Jets, there are reasons to be optimistic and reasons to be skeptical. On the positive side, the offense looked great. Justin Fields was in command: over 200 yards passing, a couple of rushing TDs, no turnovers. But the Jets are the Jets. They hold the second-longest playoff drought in North America (shoutout to the Sabres), and they always find ways to lose. This time it was a fumble on a kickoff return in a crucial moment. Their schedule doesn’t get easier with the Bills and Bucs up next, but if they can snag one, they’ll at least be in position to be in position.

Commanders 21 – Giants 6

This game sucked. I’m a diehard Commanders fan, and it takes a lot for me not to put them at the top of the post, but this game stunk.

The Commanders looked fine. Deebo made some plays, Ekeler was solid, but the offense was out of sync. I trust the front office, but I really miss Brian Robinson. Without that power back to grind out tough yards, this offense feels incomplete. I’m especially worried about late in the season once the weather gets colder and those tough yards on the ground are often the difference between winning and losing playoff games. I am not worried however about the defense. Detrich Wise was everywhere, Armstrong looked quick, the interior pushed the line back all day with Payne and Kinlaw looking like a formidable duo. A big test is coming for the Ders, Thursday night at Lambeau.

The only pause I have with Washington’s defense is how truly awful the Giants were. They didn’t score a touchdown, their O-line was brutal, their running game nonexistent, and Russel Wilson looks finished. It’s only a matter of time before Daboll turns to rookie Jaxson Dart in a desperate attempt to save the season and his job.

Buccaneers 23 – Falcons 20

The best game of the early window. These two teams always play each other tough, and it’s such a fun rivalry.

Bijan opened the scoring with a 50-yard receiving TD that made defenders look like they were running in slow motion. After that, he was mostly quiet. Fast forward to the fourth quarter: the lead went back and forth until Emeka Egbuka shut the door with his second touchdown of the day, a 25-yarder with less than a minute left. The rookie out of Ohio State scored twice on Sunday, and he really looks the part. The Bucs players and coaching staff were really high on Egbuka during camp, and we can already see why in the early days of this season.

These are the two best teams in the NFC South, and it feels like the division will come down to the wire.

Bengals 17 – Browns 16

I have nothing to say about this game other than: why can’t the Bengals ever start strong? This “lucky” win in Cleveland improves Joe Burrow’s record in Weeks 1–2 to 2-11. It’s bizarre, they even played their starters in preseason this year. Still, I think they’ll contend, and Burrow is still my MVP pick.

On the Browns side, it’s just fun to see Joe Flacco still out there slinging it. And honestly? He can still play competently. His favorite target, rookie Harold Fannin, is literally 18 years younger and stole the show. I’m well versed in Harold Fannin. The Bowling Green State product used to tear up the MAC on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I’m excited for MACtion to come back. Anyway, the Browns are still weighed down by the Watson contract, so they really can’t compete, but with that defense they’ll scrap out a few wins.

Raiders 20 – Patriots 13

I fucking love Ashton Jeanty. Drafted him in the first round in fantasy, bet his TD prop, and he delivered. He looked great in a Raiders uniform, still bouncing off tacklers like he did at Boise.

Other than that? The game was bland. Geno looked solid, Drake looked poor, Diggs looked old. Two bad teams in the rain.

Cardinals 20 – Saints 13

Same game, but indoors. The Saints are bad. Spencer Rattler looked better than last year, but still one of the worst QBs in the league. The Saints defense was fine, but the Cardinals just had more talent. Connor still has some juice, and it’s crazy Kyler is already in Year 7. Time flies when you’re short.

Jaguars 26 – Panthers 10

It’s always interesting to see how a team looks in its first game under a new coach, and the Jags looked energized. They dominated from the first drive, especially on defense.

For Carolina, the Bryce Young hype from the end of last year has already come to a screeching halt. I still believe in him, but if the season starts to go sideways, the pressure on the third-year QB is only going to build.

The 4 O’Clock Games

Broncos 20 – Titans 12

Closer than the score looks. Cam Ward’s numbers (12/28, 112 yards) were rough, but he had drops, constant pressure, and a brutal matchup in Denver and the altitude for his first NFL start. The Broncos offense looked out of sorts, but it’s Week 1, and they still got the job done. Let’s see how they navigate a season in which they got so much hype in the preseason. 

49ers 17 – Seahawks 13

A “thriller-ish.” Brock Purdy won it with a miracle jump-ball TD on the run to… Jake Tonges. Yes, Jake Tonges, if you haven’t heard of Jake Tonges neither has anyone else, including Jake Tonges. While he made the play of his life he was only in the game because, per usual, the Niners were hit with injuries. Purdy and Kittle are both expected to miss extended time, and Jennings also left the game with an injury

All I have to say about the Seahawks is Sam Darnold looked awful in that uniform. The second I saw him on screen, I live-bet the Niners. No regrets. Wishing him all the best though.

Packers 27 – Lions 13

The Packers looked amazing. No star receiver, but tons of depth at WR and TE, Jacobs has turned into an old fashioned bell cow back, pounding the rock, and Micah Parsons picking upo a sack and just looking cool in the single digit green jersey. I hope he doesn’t hurt Jayden on Thursday. If we come out of the game healthy then I’m counting it as a win.

The Lions looked lost without Ben Johnson. They have the time and talent to turn it around, but they are in the toughest division in the NFC. If they want a home playoff game, they’re going to have to figure things out.

Rams 14 – Texans 9

Last and least. Both offenses were anemic. The Texans have problems: Stroud’s decline last year was ugly, and two-thirds of his WR corps (Dell and Diggs) is gone.

The Rams are an interesting case. They have the Super Bowl experience with Stafford and McVay, and the defense is good. But for some reason I’m not convinced they are contenders. Regardless, Matthew Stafford is a marvel. He hit 60,000 career passing yards on Sunday in his record 16th straight Week 1 start to begin his career. He turned himself into a probable hall of famer. Legend.

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That’s Week 1 in the books. And with Week 2 right around the corner, I’ll say it again: man, I love football.