By Tiffany Williams –
NFL Week 1 came out swinging. Chicago erupted for 59 points, Baltimore rolled behind Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, Detroit survived an overtime thriller, Buffalo outlasted Houston, and Kansas City closed the opening week with a convincing Monday night victory over Denver.
The week opened Wednesday night in Seattle, where the Seahawks edged the New England Patriots, 13-10. Drew Lock led the passing numbers with 187 yards, Jadarian Price rushed for 52 yards, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba led all receivers with 122 yards as Seattle handed New England an opening-night loss.
San Francisco made a much louder statement Thursday. The 49ers overwhelmed the Los Angeles Rams, 27-7, behind Brock Purdy’s 205 passing yards and Christian McCaffrey’s 68 rushing yards, while Puka Nacua led the receiving numbers with 74 yards.
Cincinnati survived Tampa Bay, 33-27, in one of Sunday’s tighter games. Joe Burrow threw for 254 yards, Chase Brown rushed for 56, and Tampa Bay received 78 receiving yards from Mike Gesicki despite coming up short.
Detroit and New Orleans delivered the week’s overtime drama, with the Lions escaping with a 31-30 victory. New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough threw for a Week 1-high 410 yards and Chris Olave exploded for 182 receiving yards, but Detroit survived behind a 156-yard rushing performance from Jahmyr Gibbs.
The New York Jets opened with a 23-10 victory at Tennessee as Geno Smith threw for 215 yards. Breece Hall broke the 100-yard mark with 102 rushing yards, while Garrett Wilson finished with 79 receiving yards.
Baltimore delivered one of Sunday’s most complete offensive performances in a 41-23 victory at Indianapolis. Lamar Jackson threw for 324 yards, Derrick Henry powered his way to 144 rushing yards, and Zay Flowers finished with 150 receiving yards.
Pittsburgh held Atlanta to 13 points in a 20-13 victory. Aaron Rodgers threw for 221 yards, while Bijan Robinson led the game both on the ground and through the air with 83 rushing yards and 90 receiving yards.
Then came Chicago, and the scoreboard could barely keep up. The Bears demolished Carolina, 59-37, in the highest-scoring game of the opening week as D’Andre Swift rushed for 124 yards, while Carolina quarterback Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and Jalen Coker accumulated 138 receiving yards.
Jacksonville had little trouble with Cleveland in a 34-10 victory. Trevor Lawrence threw for 245 yards, Bhayshul Tuten led the rushing attack with 66 yards, and Parker Washington finished as the receiving leader with 83 yards.
Buffalo and Houston produced another offensive battle, with the Bills prevailing, 36-31. Josh Allen threw for 334 yards and Dalton Kincaid collected 130 receiving yards, while David Montgomery led the game with 60 rushing yards.
Las Vegas opened its season by beating Miami, 27-13. Malik Willis threw for 220 yards, Ashton Jeanty rushed for 102, and Caleb Douglas led the receiving numbers with 94 yards.
Minnesota put 39 points on Green Bay in a 39-22 victory despite Jordan Love throwing for 387 yards and Christian Watson producing 147 receiving yards. Jordan Mason led the rushing numbers with 59 yards as the Vikings came away with the win.
Philadelphia survived Washington in another game that went deep into the fourth-quarter margin, winning 24-22. Jalen Hurts threw for 203 yards, Saquon Barkley rushed for 83, and Dallas Goedert led the receiving numbers with 77 yards.
Arizona went into Los Angeles and defeated the Chargers, 26-14. Jacoby Brissett threw for 277 yards and Trey McBride finished with 95 receiving yards, while Tyler Allgeier led the game with 61 yards rushing.
The New York Giants took the first NFC East meeting with Dallas, beating the Cowboys, 28-20. Jaxson Dart threw for 230 yards, Cam Skattebo rushed for 81, and Isaiah Likely led the game with 78 receiving yards.
Kansas City put the final stamp on Week 1 Monday night with a 31-10 victory over Denver. Patrick Mahomes threw for 184 yards and Travis Kelce finished with 71 receiving yards, while Kenneth Walker III produced the biggest rushing performance of the night with 173 yards.
Week 1 brought everything from Seattle’s three-point escape against New England to Chicago’s 59-point eruption and Detroit’s one-point overtime survival. The first games are finished, the first wins and losses are on the board, and after one wild opening week, the NFL season is officially moving.