With Week One of the NFL regular season now in the books, we have a better understanding of how every squad might look this year. Teams like the Browns and Dolphins could be in for a long season, while the Raiders and Jets could surprise everybody and make the playoffs. With everything that took place, let’s identify one takeaway for each team in the league after Week One.
Arizona Cardinals
The defense will be much better than last season’s.
It might have come against the New Orleans Saints, who have arguably the worst quarterback room in the NFL, but the Cardinals’ defense already looks better than it did last year. Rookie cornerback Will Johnson is a certified stud. The interior defensive line held the Saints’ running backs to 78 rushing yards. Spencer Rattler needed to complete 27 passes to break the 210-yard threshold. More importantly, the defense held New Orleans out of the end zone four straight times to win the game. With their backs against the wall, Arizona’s defenders prevailed.
Atlanta Falcons
The Dirty Birds have found their franchise quarterback.
It’s not Michael Penix Jr.’s fault that the Falcons lost that game. He did everything he could to put Atlanta in a position to win. The second-year QB orchestrated a 91-yard drive that ended with a go-ahead touchdown. And if that wasn’t enough, he moved the ball 60 yards in eight plays, which allowed the Falcons to attempt a game-tying field goal. Penix has ice in his veins and looks like the quarterback of the future in Atlanta.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens can definitely win the Super Bowl.
The loss to Buffalo was obviously devastating, but it was the first game of the season in an incredibly difficult road environment. Lamar Jackson is still one of the three best quarterbacks in the NFL, while Derrick Henry proved he hasn’t lost a step. If Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman didn’t make a ridiculous catch off a fluke tipped pass, we would be having a different conversation about the Ravens today.
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is still the most valuable player in the NFL.
Dating back to the start of the 2025 NFL Playoffs (a four-game stretch), Josh Allen has 1,030 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, 135 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns. The guy is a one-man wrecking crew on the offensive side of the ball. If any other quarterback in the NFL were in the position he was in on Sunday night, they would lose that game. Not Allen, who accounted for 85.3% of the Bills’ offensive yards this weekend.
Carolina Panthers
It’s time to move on from Bryce Young.
There was hope for the former number one overall pick coming into this season after he closed out last year with ten total touchdowns and zero interceptions in his final three games. He was set up to have a strong start to the 2025-26 regular season by going against a Jaguars team that ranked last in passing yards allowed last year. Instead, he laid an egg, turning the ball over three times while being held to just 154 passing yards. Carolina needs to start thinking about their next move at the quarterback position because Bryce Young is not the answer.
Chicago Bears
The same issues from last year showed up again in Week One.
Everybody said that head coach Ben Johnson would usher in a new era of Bears football, but that was not what the tape showed last night. The offensive line still struggled to protect Caleb Williams, who continues to hold onto the football too long. Chicago was also penalized 12 times for 127 yards. Worst of all, the Bears lost the game even though they led by 10+ points in the fourth quarter. The last person to have that happen to them in their head coaching debut: former Bears coach Matt Nagy.
Cincinnati Bengals
The defense and special teams bailed out the offense.
After hyping up Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense all off-season, it was Cincy’s special teams and defense that won them the game. The Bengals absolutely stifled the Browns’ rushing attack, which averaged a measly 2.04 yards per carry, the second-lowest output from Week One. Meanwhile, the secondary had two perfectly-timed interceptions to save Cincinnati from an embarrassing loss. The offense must be better because the defense and special teams do not have the luxury of playing the Browns every week.
Cleveland Browns
This team will be the worst in football if it doesn’t figure out how to run the ball.
We have to give Cleveland the benefit of the doubt because they were going against a new-look Bengals defensive front that made some meaningful additions along the interior defensive line. Regardless, the rushing attack was abysmal. The top two Browns rushers amassed 37 yards on 18 carries, which equates to 2.06 yards per run. That would explain why Joe Flacco ended up attempting 45 passes. Expecting a 40-year-old quarterback to throw the ball 40+ times a game is not a recipe for success. Hopefully, rookie running back Quinshon Judkins can add some juice to the rushing attack whenever he takes the field.
Dallas Cowboys
The defense won’t be as bad as we initially expected.
Even with the loss of Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ defense didn’t look half bad in a divisional road game against the defending Super Bowl Champions. Saquon Barkley only averaged 3.33 yards per carry in Week One after averaging 5.81 yards per attempt during the regular season last year. Also, Dallas held Philly’s quarterback to 6.61 yards per pass, a noticeable improvement from last year, when they allowed almost eight yards per attempt.
Denver Broncos
This will once again be one of the best pass-rushing teams in the NFL.
It felt almost impossible that Denver would be able to replicate their defensive output from last season, when it recorded 63 regular-season sacks, nine more than the next closest team. But they’re already off to a roaring start with a league-leading six sacks in Week One. Elite cornerback play will result in a number of coverage sacks. And with Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, and Jonathon Cooper still in this mix, this pass rush will be deadly this season.
Detroit Lions
The offense will take a noticeable step back this year.
It might have been the loss of Ben Johnson. It might have been the addition of Micah Parsons to the Packers’ defense. It might’ve been the changes to the interior offensive line. In reality, though, it was probably all three of these things that resulted in such a poor offensive performance from the Lions. They needed a miraculous catch from a rookie wide receiver on a 4th and 3 with under a minute left in the game to get their first touchdown of the afternoon. That’s a bad sign for a team that led the NFL in points per game last season.
Green Bay Packers
This could be the best team in the NFC.
Jordan Love looked sharp, which shouldn’t be surprising after he dealt with a nagging lower-body injury for basically the entirety of the 2024-25 season. On the other side of the ball, the acquisition of Micah Parsons has opened up so many new opportunities for a unit that is currently tied with one other team for the best run defense in the NFL. There were concerns about the secondary, but if the cornerbacks can keep everything in front of them and give up short completions while defending the deep ball, this defense will be one of the league’s best. Factor in consistent quarterback play, and the Packers are a legitimate threat to be the top team in their conference.
Houston Texans
The offensive line is still an issue.
Somehow, trading away a Pro Bowl left tackle and restructuring the interior offensive line with players who weren’t better than last year’s didn’t make the pass protection and run blocking better. Who would’ve guessed? The Rams finished Week One with the second-most sack yards in the league, even though they only had three quarterback takedowns. That and seven QB hits might explain why C.J. Stroud was held to 188 passing yards and zero touchdowns while the offense averaged 4.65 yards per play.
Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones won’t be as bad as we all thought.
Though Jones was bad with the New York Giants, part of the reason he struggled had to do with the fact that he had terrible protection. So, playing for the Indianapolis Colts, who have an elite interior offensive lineman and reliable offensive tackles, might make Jones look a little better. It also doesn’t hurt that he is once again playing in the same backfield as one of the better running backs in the NFL, something he didn’t get a chance to do last season in New York. He won’t be one of the best QBs in the NFL all season long, but he also probably won’t be one of the worst while playing for Indy.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Liam Coen era is off to an almost perfect start.
Everything that a Jags fan could’ve hoped for happened in Week One against the Carolina Panthers. The passing attack was efficient while not being asked to do too much. The rushing attack gashed the Panthers for 200 yards. Their pass defense, which was the worst in the NFL last season, is currently ranked first in opposing quarterback rating allowed (49.0). On top of that, the defense is already a third of the way towards matching their takeaway output from last season. If there hadn’t been a weather delay, this would’ve been the perfect day for the Jags.
Kansas City Chiefs
Injuries to skill position players could sink KC’s season.
When the Chiefs’ dynasty was first beginning, Kansas City was able to win Super Bowls by slinging the ball all over the field to top-flight playmakers like Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, etc. Now, though, Travis Kelce has lost a step, Hill is gone, and the Chiefs are relying on a rotation of free agents who are past their primes and young bucks who haven’t quite found their footing yet. Xavier Worthy’s absence clearly hurt KC’s offensive game plan. Plus, Rashee Rice isn’t going to be available until Week Seven. If the Chiefs continue to run into issues keeping their best offensive weapons on the field, there’s a real chance they miss the playoffs.
Las Vegas Raiders
This team is good enough to win the AFC West.
The Raiders went on the road with a new head coach and a new quarterback and pulled out a gutsy win against a team that has playoff aspirations. The Chiefs already have a loss under their belt, while the Broncos and Chargers showed they have major flaws. With Vegas playing a fourth-place schedule and the other AFC West teams expected to beat up on each other all season long, the Raiders can clinch the division by beating bad teams and winning home games against the Chargers, Broncos, and Chiefs.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert looks like an MVP candidate.
Right now, the favorites to win the 2025-26 NFL MVP award are Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. After those two guys, no offensive player in the NFL had a better Week One performance than Justin Herbert. He threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns in a neutral-site game against the defending AFC Champs. It’s also worth noting that he had a 19-yard run that clinched the win for the Chargers. If he puts up the passing numbers he usually does while also running the ball effectively, he could wind up bringing home some hardware when the season ends.
Los Angeles Rams
Nobody should be worried about Matthew Stafford.
After an off-season filled with uncertainty that even included questions about Matthew Stafford’s ability to play in Week One due to an aggravated disc, the 37-year-old quarterback looked very efficient against one of the best defenses in the NFL. He completed 72.4% of his passes for 245 yards and a passing touchdown. Hell, he even attempted a quarterback sneak, something that you wouldn’t do if you had a debilitating back injury. After taking three sacks and still managing to get up each time and lead the Rams to a win, we can all put to rest concerns about Matthew Stafford’s health.
Miami Dolphins
This will be one of the five worst teams in the NFL.
The ‘Phins needed to get off to a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign since they’re scheduled to face divisional opponents in three of their first four games. They had an easy matchup against a Colts team that had no expectations when the regular season started. But instead of handing Indianapolis its 12th-straight Week One loss, Miami was bullied by Indy and looked hapless offensively and defensively. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was horrible, throwing for 114 yards and a touchdown while turning the ball over three times and taking three sacks. If that’s how he looks for the rest of the season, the Dolphins will be lucky to win three games.
Minnesota Vikings
This team will not be as good as it was last season, but it won’t be bad either.
Winning 14 regular-season games is hard in the National Football League, as proven by the fact that the Vikes have only done it twice since the team was founded in 1960. With what is essentially a rookie quarterback replacing an established veteran like Sam Darnold, there will definitely be some growing pains for Minnesota this season. Those were clearly on display in the first three quarters of last night’s game. But with all the additions this group made in the trenches on both sides of the ball, there’s a realistic chance that this team can win eight games or maybe even more.
New England Patriots
We need to taper expectations for the 2025-26 Pats.
It was hard not to buy into the New England Patriots’ off-season hype. They hired a coach who is an established winner and paired him with a second-year quarterback in Drake Maye, who looked poised to take that next step as a passer with several new weapons on the offensive side of the ball. They also invested heavily in their offensive and defensive lines through the draft and free agency. But at the end of the day, this is a new regime in New England with a quarterback who is still learning to play consistently at the NFL level. Making the playoffs is still a possibility, but the 2025-26 campaign shouldn’t be considered a failure if the Pats miss out on the postseason.
New Orleans Saints
This probably won’t be the worst team in the NFL this year.
It wasn’t a great day to be a football fan in the Big Easy. However, there were plenty of positives that fans could come away with from Sunday’s game. New Orleans was a dropped pass away from forcing overtime. Quarterback Spencer Rattler was able to almost pull off a perfect two-minute drill in his seventh NFL start. Not to mention, the defense recorded five sacks in the game, the second-most by any team in Week One. Don’t anticipate the Saints winning the Super Bowl or anything like that, but they did not look like the worst team in football, which is what the expectations were coming into this season.
New York Giants
This offense will be the NFL’s worst with Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback.
Russell Wilson is no longer the game-breaking, former MVP candidate that he was when he played for the Seattle Seahawks. He doesn’t have the mobility that made him such a dangerous player offensively. Teams would rather defend the pass than dedicate a defender to stopping him from running with the ball. He averages 4.5 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 29th out of 33 quarterbacks who played in Week One. That mark was lower than the averages of all the quarterbacks on the Giants’ roster last season. It’s not a matter of if Russell Wilson is benched, but when.
New York Jets
The Justin Field reclamation project is off to an excellent start.
Gang Green might have lost in Week One, but blame for the loss cannot be pinned on new quarterback Justin Fields. He took care of the football, completed 72.7% of his passes, threw for 218 yards, and scored three touchdowns. After the first week of action, he’s tenth in the NFL in QBR and fifth in quarterback rating. It would’ve been a perfect outing for Fields had the Jets won the game. The next important step is ensuring he continues to play well against the Bills in Week Two. That should be possible after Lamar Jackson showed Buffalo struggles against running quarterbacks.
Philadelphia Eagles
This defense will not be as good as it was last year.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to Eagles fans. The defense lost multiple key starters from last season, including Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They also had to part ways with contributors like Isaiah Rodgers, Avonte Maddox, and Oren Burks. Any time a team loses seven impactful players, they’re going to take a step back, especially if all seven of those guys play on one side of the ball. Philly is still the team to beat in the NFC until proven otherwise, but this defense will not be one of the three best units in the NFL like it was during the 2024-25 campaign.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Don’t expect to get Week One Aaron Rodgers for the entire season.
Aaron Rodgers is the most vindictive football player in the NFL. It shouldn’t be all that shocking that he managed to throw four touchdowns against the team that ran him out of New York. He is also incredibly intelligent, so he probably knew all the weak points in the Jets’ defense since he played with most of those guys last season. Based on Week One, he is projected to throw 68 touchdowns, shattering the old record of 55. I guarantee that will not happen. He will come back down to Earth against stiffer competition from the AFC North and NFC North.
San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy was worth the extension he was given.
There were many doubts about Brock Purdy being able to replicate the fantastic 2023-24 season he had when San Francisco had its full arsenal of weapons after the Niners got rid of Deebo Samuel and dealt with injuries to numerous wide receivers. Purdy silenced the doubters by going into Seattle undermanned at the wideout spot and putting together a game-winning drive against one of the best-coached defensive teams in the NFL. He may not put up gaudy numbers like he used to, but he has earned his extension and proven that he is the unquestioned leader of the San Francisco 49ers offense from a player standpoint.
Seattle Seahawks
It was a mistake to move on from Geno Smith.
Last year, the Seahawks finished with the eighth-best passing attack in the NFL. Given the opportunity to sign Sam Darnold, who led the Vikings to the sixth-most passing yards in the league, Seattle added him after trading away Geno Smith on the same day. Geno Smith threw for 362 yards and a touchdown in a Week One road win, while Sam Darnold was held to 150 passing yards and no touchdowns in a home loss. And to top it all off, he fumbled the ball away on what would’ve been a game-winning drive after his arm hit one of his offensive linemen. Sam Darnold is an obvious downgrade from Geno Smith.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The pass rush and rushing game need to be better.
The Bucs will not win many games if their pass rush only records one sack and their running backs average 3.12 yards per carry. Baker Mayfield was Tampa’s lead rusher in Week One, which is worrisome because he needs to be focused on throwing the football, not running it. Mayfield running excessively also increases the risk of injury. At the same time, last year’s defense was so effective because it finished tied for sixth in sacks recorded. Tristan Wirfs’ eventual return will help the rushing attack. I don’t know if there’s a quick fix for the pass rush, though.
Tennessee Titans
This team must get Cam Ward better weapons.
If you only look at the box score, you would think that Cam Ward had a horrible outing in his first NFL start, but that’s simply not true. He played fairly well against the third-ranked scoring defense from last season. Unfortunately for him, Tennessee’s pass catchers had several poorly-timed drops, including two on the final drive of the game. The Titans are doing Cam Ward no favors with the group of pass catchers that they have assembled. Ward would also benefit from Tennessee’s rushing attack averaging more than 3.38 yards per carry.
Washington Commanders
Don’t expect a sophomore slump for Jayden Daniels.
There were some initial concerns that Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels wouldn’t be able to replicate his rookie season performance. But that idea was quickly dropped when he threw for 233 passing yards and ran for another 68 rushing yards against the New York Giants, who spent a lot of money and draft capital to improve their defense. Daniels avoided turning the ball over and managed to find seven different receivers for a reception on a day when he casually completed 19 of 30 pass attempts. Jayden Daniels is positioned to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for years to come.
