2024 NFL season, Week 1: What We Learned from Sunday's games

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Atlanta Falcons

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Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. Steelers’ defense stands tall. With plenty of uncertainty surrounding Pittsburgh’s offense — especially after a rough preseason — most Steelers fans pointed toward their defense as a reason to feel hopeful. That unit delivered Sunday, boxing up the Falcons offense to the tune of just 226 total yards of offense. Per usual, T.J. Watt dominated, owning right tackle Kaleb McGary all afternoon and wreaking frequent havoc in Atlanta’s backfield, finishing with three pressures and a sack. (Not to mention, two additional strip-sacks that were wiped out by penalties, including an offside on Watt.) Pittsburgh’s aggression paid off in droves, throwing Kirk Cousins out of rhythm and producing three takeaways. In case the final score didn’t tell you, the Steelers’ defense won this game.
2. Rough debut for Cousins. Atlanta’s high-priced offseason acquisition finally took the field in a Falcons uniform and demonstrated just how difficult it is to return from a season-ending injury. He looked rusty and a bit slow amid the speed of an NFL game, which certainly wasn’t helped by sub-par pass protection against a ferocious Steelers front. What truly made this day a disappointment, though, was Cousins’ tendency to fire passes under duress, no matter what awaited the ball at the other end of the throw. Twice he threw passes under intense pressure with no regard for the outcome, resulting in two interceptions. He had short passes batted down and never looked comfortable, save for Atlanta’s lone touchdown drive. This will be a work in progress.
3. Fields perseveres through tumultuous day. Despite the final stat line, Justin Fields did not appear to be comfortable for much of this game. He fumbled his first snap, missed an open target on his first throw and appeared hesitant when working through progressions. But NFL teams don’t invest in a playmaker like Fields because they simply want him to stand in the pocket and throw; they play him because of what he can create. Fields did plenty of that, rushing 14 times for 57 yards, including a key keeper on third down to ice the game. The 25-year-old didn’t make any crucial mistakes, and while he didn’t necessarily throw the Steelers to victory, he did well enough to move them into Chris Boswell‘s range, allowing the kicker to tally 18 points with his right foot, which was good enough for the win.

Next Gen stat of the game: In a sign of Atlanta’s struggles with Pittsburgh’s pass rush Sunday, Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom allowed six pressures across 25 pass-blocking snaps, producing his highest pressure rate allowed (24%) in a game in his career.

NFL Research: Chris Boswell joined John Carney (Chargers vs. Seahawks, 1993) as the only kickers to make six field goals without a miss in a Week 1 game in NFL history.

Arizona Cardinals

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Buffalo Bills

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• READ: Bills QB Allen says injured hand is fine: ‘I’m not a doctor’

Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Allen dominates, spearheads Bills victory. That offseason story calling Josh Allen the most overrated QB in the NFL was laughable at the time. It looked even sillier on Sunday. When Allen fumbled on Buffalo’s opening possession, critics likely belly-laughed. Allen laughed back. The Bills QB led six scoring drives with just two punts the rest of the way, allowing Buffalo to overcome a 17-3 deficit. With the defense unable to get stops early, the Bills offense didn’t have the ball much in the first half. But in the final two quarters, Allen dominated. For the game, the QB earned two rushing touchdowns and two passing scores. His ability to extend plays got him in trouble on the fumble but was key late, as the Bills’ offense steamrolled Arizona. As expected, Allen spread the ball around, hitting 10 different targets, and the ground game leaned on James Cook (19 carries, 71 yards). With the remade defense going through ups and downs and several kickoff errors, Buffalo needed Allen to shine to avoid a Week 1 upset. He did just that.
2. Murray starts hot, but offense sputters out. On the opening three drives of the game, Kyler Murray looked sensational. The QB avoided the rush, making plays with his arm and legs. Murray dominated on third downs, extending drives. He was in rhythm early, finding outlets and making every right read. Murray looked back to his old Pro Bowl self. In the first half, he went 16-of-19 passing for 131 yards (112.9 passer rating) and added four rushes for 28 yards. Then, in the second half, Murray was bamboozled, going 5 of 12 for 31 yards, including a sack-fumble in the third quarter. After 14 first downs on the first three drives, the Cards’ offense generated four first downs the entire second half. No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. was rarely involved, catching one pass for 4 yards on three targets. Late, it was Greg Dortch getting targeted, not the rookie. Expect that to change moving forward.
3. Cardinals returner scores first-ever dynamic kickoff TD. The Cardinals’ special teams gave the club a shot to come back late. As Buffalo looked poised to run away with the game, DeeJay Dallas took a kickoff near the goal line and sprinted 96 yards up the gut for the first score on the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff. The last time Arizona scored on a kick return was in Week 2, 2015 (David Johnson vs. Chicago). Plays like that are what the league envisioned with the rule change. However, big returns will likely cause more teams to boot the ball into the end zone for a touchback.

Next Gen stat of the game: When Arizona did not blitz, Josh Allen completed 14 of his 17 passing attempts for 166 yards (+9.7% CPOE). The Cardinals’ defense pressured Allen on just 20 percent of his dropbacks in Week 1, his lowest pressure rate faced since Week 8, 2023.

NFL Research: Josh Allen recorded his fourth game with multiple passing and rushing touchdowns, tying Hall of Famer Steve Young for the most all time.

Tennessee Titans

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Chicago Bears

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• READ: Will Levis laments ‘bonehead’ pick-six in Titans’ loss

Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Defense saved the day for Bears in Caleb’s debut. The Bears scored touchdowns on defense and special teams — but none on offense — digging out of a 17-0 hole the hard way to secure victory in Week 1 at Soldier Field. No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams struggled mightily most of the day, completing 14 of 29 passes for 92 yards and seldom looking comfortable behind a shaky Bears offensive line. Chicago had 28 or fewer yards on all but two drives and totaled just 11 first downs and 148 yards of offense. The run game didn’t help much until late in the game, either. Williams’ two-point conversion to D’Andre Swift helped put the Bears up seven points late after a Tyrique Stevenson’s pick-six. Williams missed some open throws early and took a 19-yard sack that knocked the Bears out of field-goal range. He loosened up a little as the game went on, and Keenan Allen dropped a would-be TD pass, but it’s clear it will take time for this offense to marinate and grow. Give some credit to first-year Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson for a smart game plan, but the Bears also were grinding their gears a lot offensively.
2. Titans, Levis blow glorious chance to make big statement. Tennessee hardly came out sharp but was the better of the two teams, taking a first-half 17-0 lead, controlling the clock and sucking the life out of the Soldier Field crowd. But the wheels came off as the Titans’ offense and special teams made critical mistakes, allowing Chicago back in the game in spite of the home team’s inability to move the ball consistently. Quarterback Will Levis got off to a slow start, but the offense found its rhythm with the run game, as Tony Pollard got loose for a 26-yard TD run and was Tennessee’s best power source. Levis showed some toughness and found Calvin Ridley on one big shot in each half, but the wideout had just three catches on seven targets, with Levis underthrowing Ridley after he had beat Jaylon Johnson deep. The pressure really got to Levis on Sunday, especially on a second-half strip sack and a brutal pick-six on the following series. It was a tough start to the 2024 season after Levis showed some promising traits last season. New head coach Brian Callahan and coordinator Nick Holz need to identify how to minimize the pressure problems that sunk the offense in a game the Titans should have won.
3. Bears’ special teams, defense make mistakes but come up huge. It was a game of give and take for the Bears — especially on special teams, but also on defense. The Titans had just 244 yards of offense but drove 70-plus yards twice to help build the early three-score lead before Chicago clamped down late in forcing three fourth-quarter turnovers. The Bears also gave the Titans points early when Velus Jones muffed a kickoff and booted it right to Tennessee, giving the Titans a field goal. Daniel Hardy was also guilty of an illegal block that wiped out a nice punt return. But Hardy could be forgiven, as his blocked punt helped spur the Bears’ turnaround in his Chicago debut, with Jonathan Owens returning it 21 yards for a touchdown (which almost gave his Olympian wife a heart attack). The Bears’ defense was fired up after that, helping turn the game on its head. Also credit the special teams for giving Chicago points, as DeAndre Carter’s 67-yard kickoff return led to the team’s first points of the game.

Next Gen stat of the game: The Bears generated pressure on 47.4 percent of Will Levis’ dropbacks, the unit’s second-highest pressure rate in a game over the last three seasons. Three Bears defenders (Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor) finished tied with a team-high five pressures, including three quick pressures each. Levis struggled against pressure, finishing 5 of 13 for 61 yards with two picks.

NFL Research: Caleb Williams became the first No. 1 overall pick to start and win at QB in Week 1 since Houston’s David Carr in 2002. No. 1 overall pick QBs are 4-14-1 in Week 1 starts since 1970, with Carr, Denver’s John Elway (1983) and New England’s Jim Plunkett (1971) the only others to win. 

New England Patriots

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Cincinnati Bengals

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Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Jerod Mayo victorious in first game since taking over for Bill Belichick. The Patriots played to the blueprint they’ll need to in order to come out on top in 2024. New England’s defense flew around the field, dominating the line of scrimmage for long stretches, with Keion White netting 2.5 sacks. It’s a group that remains stellar after the coaching changeover. Special teams made plays, forcing a fumble on a punt and seeing Joey Slye nail all four of his kicks (three FGs, one PAT). The offense leaned on the run game (more on that later), churning out yards and keeping Joe Burrow on the sidelines. It was the type of muddled game that the Patriots want to play. With the Pats expected by many to struggle in Mayo’s first season, getting that first win out of the way in Week 1 on the road is a statement for the new brass that they can be competitive while rebuilding.
2. Bengals’ offense struggles out of the gate. Cincinnati’s Week 1 struggles continue. The club fell to 1-5 in season openers under Zac Taylor — with the lone victory coming in overtime in 2021. Three of the five losses have come at home. Joe Burrow and the offense looked like a group that didn’t get much preseason and training camp work together. The unit looked disjointed from snap No. 1, going three-and-out on its first three drives. Cincy didn’t earn its first first down until 10:30 in the second quarter. When things finally got going, errors ensued. Mike Gesicki couldn’t hang onto a TD. Tanner Hudson got the ball punched out going into the end zone, with woeful ball security. Later, Cincy got smoked on a fourth-down try. The Burrow-Chase connection that hadn’t gotten much work this offseason took nearly three quarters to coalesce. Chase ended with six catches for 62 yards, but had just two grabs for 7 yards in the first half. The offense also sorely missed Tee Higgins (hamstring). The good news for the Bengals is that they’ve been here before and haven’t let a poor opener ruin their campaign.
3. Stevenson carries load for Patriots’ offense. Veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson was worth every penny Sunday. He shouldered a huge load, toting the rock 25 times for 120 yards and New England’s lone TD. He also had three catches for 6 yards. It marked Stevenson’s first 100-plus-yard rushing game since Week 15, 2022. The 26-year-old looked fresh, bouncing off tacklers and rarely getting stuffed for a loss. The Patriots’ questionable offensive line played better than expected, but Stevenson also found the right holes and made his blockers right many times. New England got the type of game it needed from Jacoby Brissett, who didn’t turn the ball over, made smart, quick decisions and showed an ability to navigate muddied pockets. He might not make “wow” plays, but the 31-year-old Brissett continues to play winning football. Mayo said in naming him the starter that he’d keep Drake Maye on the bench as long as the club was winning. There will be no question about who is under center in Week 2 after Brissett’s solid performance.

Next Gen stat of the game: Joe Burrow was pressured on just 6 of 35 dropbacks, good for his third-lowest pressure rate faced in a game in his career (17.1%). He averaged 5.6 yards per attempt when not under pressure, his lowest mark in a game since Week 6, 2023, against the Seahawks (5.0). Burrow was sacked three times and completed just one of his two pass attempts for 13 yards when under pressure.

NFL Research: The Bengals lost two fumbles in Week 1 (Tanner Hudson and Charlie Jones on punt return). Cincinnati lost just two fumbles throughout the entire 2023 season (best in NFL, tied for lowest by any team in a season since at least 2000).

Houston Texans

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Indianapolis Colts

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Michael Baca’s takeaways:

1. Mixon begins Houston career on a high note. The Texans might not have earned a Week 1 victory without their new running back. Joe Mixon was the Houston offense’s most consistent feature, producing 159 rushing yards on 30 carries (5.3 yards per carry) and a touchdown in his debut. It was a welcomed effort, considering C.J. Stroud and the Texans’ passing attack were throttled midway through the game. Carrying the ball with his bare hands, Mixon’s old-school look matched his throwback style, generating powerful runs that bowled over Colts defenders while also utilizing his shiftiness in between blocks to gain yards in chunks. Mixon’s play was the catalyst to Houston owning a lopsided time of possession (40:00-20:00) advantage, and the former Bengals RB fittingly got the first down necessary to ice the game in the fourth quarter. Stefon Diggs also made the most of his Texans debut, scoring two touchdowns (six receptions, 33 yards), but there’s no question who provided the necessary spark. For a team that finished in the bottom third in rushing last year, Houston should be pleased with how Mixon portends to look in 2024.
2. Young Texans have DeMeco Ryans’ trust. Faced with a crucial decision late in the fourth quarter, Houston’s head coach decided to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, instead of adding a chip-shot field goal to a two-point lead. Stroud fired a strike to Diggs for a score that was essential, seeing how the Colts answered back with a TD drive on the ensuing possession, but it wasn’t the only moment where Ryans was aggressive. The Texans’ other fourth-down conversion (2-for-2 on the day) came on their opening drive at midfield, which would result in a field goal. Before Mixon’s game-clinching first-down run, the Texans earned another crucial first down on third-and-11, with Stroud finding Nico Collins along the sideline coming off the two-minute warning. Houston could’ve elected to begin Indy’s expulsion of timeouts but went ahead and dialed up a perfect play. Ryans’ aggressiveness didn’t always work out (failed two-point conversion in second quarter), but his late-game actions were essential in this one. 
3. Miscues, lack of run game doom Colts. Anthony Richardson had what might end up being the most eye-opening TD throw of Week 1, but the Colts QB was far too inconsistent in passing the ball to produce a winning effort. There were a handful of plays where open receivers saw passes sail over their heads, including a moment in the second quarter where Adonai Mitchell was in position for a would-be score. Despite Richardson’s struggles, the Colts wouldn’t have been in the game if it wasn’t for their QB, who threw 60- and 54-yard TDs in the game and ran for another score in the fourth quarter. But he completed just nine passes total (19 attempts, 212 yards) and had an interception in the red zone, underscoring his inefficiency on short throws. Perhaps an efficient rushing attack would’ve made things easier for the Colts QB, who led the team with 56 yards on the ground off six attempts. The Colts’ mistakes weren’t limited to Richardson, but the inefficient offense had Indy playing from behind all afternoon.

Next Gen stat of the day: Anthony Richardson’s 60-yard TD pass to Alec Pierce traveled 65.3 yards in the air, the third-longest completion in the Next Gen Stats era.

NFL Research: Joe Mixon’s 178 scrimmage yards are the most by a Houston RB since Lamar Miller had 178 versus Indianapolis in Week 6, 2016. His 150 rushing yards are the most by any Texan making his debut.

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Miami Dolphins

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Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Tyreek leads Dolphins to wild win after crazy morning. Tyreek Hill started the day with a pre-game incident that had him in handcuffs outside the stadium. He ended it as one of the Dolphins’ heroes in a shaky-but-dramatic comeback victory over the Jaguars. It took Hill a little while to get going, and he had a costly holding penalty in the red zone in the fourth quarter, but he torched the Jaguars for an 80-yard TD catch late in the third that completely flipped momentum in the game. It came immediately after Travis Etienne’s fumble near the goal line — essentially a 14-point swing. Instead of being up 24-7, the Jaguars found themselves leading only 17-14 after Hill’s TD. The Dolphins were their own worst enemies early, turning the ball over twice on downs in their first four possessions. Tua Tagovailoa overthrew a few open receivers, and the run game stalled. But Tua started finding Hill and Jaylen Waddle while also getting De’Von Achane involved in the pass game. Jason Sanders (after missing one) hit two fourth-quarter field goals to help Miami capture the hard-earned win.
2. Jaguars’ offense crumbled in second half. Things weren’t perfect early on, but the Jags engineered three first-half scoring drives to take a 17-7 lead. Good work from Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne, as well as nice moments from Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. in their Jacksonville debuts, had things looking respectable on that side of the ball while the defense held up its end of the bargain. But when the Jaguars started bending defensively, their offense imploded with six empty possessions in the second half. The absolute killer was Etienne’s fumble, as it appeared he was on his way into the end zone. Jevon Holland punched the ball out beautifully, recovered possession and set the stage for Hill’s fireworks. Etienne then was tracked down for a loss on fourth-and-1 from his own 32-yard line — a curious decision from Doug Pederson with momentum having fully shifted to Miami’s side. Trevor Lawrence was sacked three times, including back-to-back plays in the final minutes. Lawrence was 3-of-7 passing for 37 yards after halftime. 
3. Dolphins use Achane in different way. If you watched NFL GameDay Morning prior to Sunday’s game, you heard NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe report on how the Dolphins planned to use De’Von Achane as both a receiver and a running back. Wolfe was on it. Achane caught all seven passes thrown his way for 76 yards, both of which were career highs. He had a 39-yard catch-and-run on the first series and scored the Dolphins’ first TD in the second quarter. The Jaguars did hem Achane in as a runner, holding him to 24 yards on the ground on 10 carries a year after he averaged 72.7 rushing yards per game. But the receiving element really makes Achane a more dangerous weapon in space, and it was on full display Sunday, as his 10-yard catch late helped set up the game-winning field goal. This is a big development for the Dolphins — and it should make Achane’s fantasy owners happy if he keeps up this kind of pass-game production.

Next Gen stat of the game: The Dolphins utilized motion on 59 of 65 plays (90.8%) in Week 1, their fourth-highest motion rate in any game since 2018.

NFL Research: With a sack on his first snap as a Miami Dolphin, 38-year old Calais Campbell raised his career total to 106.5 sacks in his 245th regular-season contest in the NFL.

Carolina Panthers

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New Orleans Saints

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Bobby Kownack’s takeaways:

1. Big Easy blowout. New Orleans’ offense passed its first test under coordinator Klint Kubiak with flying colors. Derek Carr — who, for the most part, had all day to work in the pocket, was decisive and precise. He uncorked a 59-yard touchdown to his favorite deep target, Rashid Shaheed, to open the scoring, and worked it around plenty as he found tight ends Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson for a TD each. He only missed on four of his 23 throws. And for any fans concerned about the Saints’ backfield depth, it appears one week into the season that they have found a dangerous thunder-and-lightning duo between Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara. Those two combined for 149 total yards and a score, and Kamara looked especially rejuvenated. He evaded tacklers with ease and routinely picked up yards after contact, leading to a 5.5 yards-per-carry average — 1.6 better than his average last season. It all resulted in 47 points, the most the franchise has ever scored in a season opener, per NFL Research.
2. Young 2.0 sees more growing pains. Bryce Young began the Dave Canales era with an interception on his very first pass attempt, an overthrow that carried into no man’s land between Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen. His day would get worse from there before it got minimally better. He had trouble identifying blitzers and continued the inaccuracy with which he started the contest. Carolina didn’t even cross midfield until Young and Co. put together a 45-yard two-minute drill at the end of the first half for a field goal, almost doubling their 25 net offensive yards to that point. Bryce escaped the pocket well on a few occasions and scored Carolina’s lone TD on a gutsy scramble, but there’s little positive to take away for Young — or most other Panthers, for that matter. They lost by 37, and Young finished sporting an ugly stat line with 161 yards, two interceptions and a 32.8 passer rating on 13-of-30 passing.
3. Saints’ secondary shows out. New Orleans dominated at every level of the defense, but the entire secondary deserves a game ball for its combined efforts. Will Harris delivered an interception on Carolina’s first offensive play, and Jordan Howden caught his three plays into the second half. Although the ageless Tyrann Mathieu didn’t have the loudest day otherwise, he made an impact early by forcing a fumble on a Jonathan Mingo end-around and subsequently recovering it. Alontae Taylor outdid them all despite allowing the most passing yards (84) on the team. He made up for that with a remarkable three sacks from the corner position and led all defenders with six tackles. Those were the main standouts from a complete demolition.

Next Gen stat of the game: Chase Young generated a team-high six pressures — twice as many as the next closest Saints pass rusher — in his New Orleans debut. 

NFL Research: Alontae Taylor is the first Saints defensive back since 1970 with 3.0 sacks in a game, and one of just 13 in the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings

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New York Giants

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Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. What a debut for Darnold. Perhaps that one year on San Francisco’s bench was all Sam Darnold needed to get back on track. It sure looked like it Sunday, especially after Darnold shook off some early hesitance and started carving up New York’s defense, ripping bullets down the seam (to Josh Oliver for a gain of 22) and sideline (to Justin Jefferson for a 44-yard pickup). His final stat line (19 of 24, 208 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) was as accurate as he was all afternoon, and, perhaps most importantly, he didn’t hurt the Vikings. He elevated them, and stunned much of the football world in the process on the way to an easy victory.
2. Familiar struggles for Jones, Giants. The pivotal 2024 season began with promise — defensively, at least — but before long, the same issues that have plagued the Giants over the last year resurfaced. Daniel Jones struggled under pressure, threw two awful interceptions (including one that went for a pick-six in the blink of an eye), came up empty-handed on two second-half trips to the red zone, tried his best in the ground game but ultimately didn’t make nearly enough of a difference to keep the Giants in this game. To Jones’ credit, when he had time to throw and was in rhythm, he was largely accurate. But if this is a precursor for what’s ahead for New York, it’s going to be a long season.
3. The Aaron Jones era is off to a nice start. Jones switched sides in the Green Bay-Minnesota rivalry in the offseason, giving the Vikings an answer for a backfield weakness they’d had since moving on from Dalvin Cook. So far, so good. Jones looked spry out of the backfield, racking up 94 yards on 14 carries and capping Minnesota’s first scoring drive of the day with an easy stroll up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown. It’s a secondary note, but with Darnold at the controls of the offense, it will be vital to support him with a consistent running game. Mission accomplished in Week 1.

Next Gen stat of the game: Andrew Van Ginkel‘s pick-six of Daniel Jones occurred in 1.16 seconds, the fastest interception since Week 13 of 2023, when Van Ginkel intercepted Sam Howell in 1.26 seconds. With Sunday’s takeaway, Van Ginkel is responsible for the two fastest interceptions over the last two seasons.

NFL Research: Sam Darnold started Sunday’s game with 12 straight completions, the most consecutive completions to start a game in his NFL career. It was also the second-most consecutive completions to start a game by a Vikings quarterback since 1991 (Kirk Cousins completed 17 straight in Week 5 of the 2022 season).

Las Vegas Raiders

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Los Angeles Chargers

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Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. First Chargers victory is a Jim Harbaugh classic. Harbaugh’s first game back in the NFL in nearly a decade looked like many of his victories over the years: tough, stubborn and persistent. The Chargers could not get anything going offensively in the first half, running into brick walls in the ground game while Justin Herbert and the passing game were stuck in neutral. They had seven first-half possessions — none longer than 15 net yards. But Harbaugh and Greg Roman didn’t veer from their approach, Los Angeles’ defense did its job in the interim and the process started to pay off in the second half. The run game started wearing down the Raiders’ impressive front, leading to game-seizing TD drives in the fourth quarter of 61 and 92 yards. The Bolts’ skill talent appears limited, with presumed WR1 Josh Palmer having a tough game (he also was ejected late along with Raiders CB Jack Jones for fighting), nearly costing his team a turnover with a dropped pass. Herbert also never looked entirely comfortable, and there were too many bad penalties. But Harbaugh has enough force on both lines of scrimmage to win a few more 22-10 types of games this season. Ugly win? Ha, that’s Harbaugh’s favorite kind. The Chargers will take it — and Harbaugh won them a game they probably would have lost a year ago.
2. Antonio Pierce’s fourth-and-1 decision doesn’t pay off. With the Raiders trailing 16-10 midway through the fourth quarter, running back Alexander Mattison caught a checkdown on third-and-7, gaining 6 yards to set up a fourth-and-1 from the Chargers’ 43-yard line. That’s when Pierce sent out punter AJ Cole. The Raiders’ run game had done almost nothing to that point, and Zamir White was stopped on fourth-and-1 and third-and-1 runs earlier in the game. But even still, the decision feels indefensible — and Next Gen Stats agreed, saying the situation gave a “Go For It” edge over punting by a healthy 5.5 percent. Meaning: Pierce probably should have gone for it. The Chargers would then flip the field with a 61-yard scamper that all but sealed the game, leading to another touchdown and a two-score deficit. Pierce did a lot of good things in his interim-coaching spell last year to earn him the full-time opportunity, but he also lacked aggression at the end of the Miami loss, which paled in comparison to the more aggressive approach he took in the win over the Jets. It seemed as if Pierce was still feeling his way through the job in his 10th regular-season game — and first as The Guy. He might look back and regret his decisions in the fourth quarter of this one.
3. Welcome back, J.K. Dobbins. When asked this week how he’d divvy up the carries between Gus Edwards and Dobbins, who were listed as co-starters for the Chargers, offensive coordinator Greg Roman pledged to ride “the hot hand.” Edwards might might gotten the start, but on Sunday, the hotter hand belonged to Dobbins. Neither Chargers back did much until the second half; Edwards gained 9 yards on his first five carries, and Dobbins had just 6 yards on three runs. But Dobbins ripped off a 46-yarder — his longest run since his rookie year of 2020 — to set up a field goal, later adding a 12-yard TD run to put the Chargers up 16-7 at the start of the fourth quarter. Then Dobbins went 61 yards on a back-breaking run with four minutes left to put him over the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time since Week 15 of the 2022 season. What those handful of explosive runs showed was that he looked healthy again — with some spring in his step. Dobbins has been to hell and back, injury-wise, since entering the NFL. He suffered a torn ACL that wiped out his 2021 season, re-injured the same knee to cut his 2022 season short and also suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the opener almost one year ago to the day. 

Next Gen stat of the game: Chargers rookie RT Joe Alt allowed zero QB pressures in 11 pass-rush matchups against the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby, all in 1-on-1 situations. Crosby had not been held to zero pressures in a matchup against an offensive lineman since Week 9, 2022 (minimum 10 matchups). On the day, Alt allowed three pressures across his 28 total pass-blocking snaps (10.7% pressure rate).

NFL Research: With the victory, Jim Harbaugh improved his NFL head-coaching record to 45-19-1, for a .700 win percentage. That now ranks fifth all time (minimum 60 games). Harbaugh is also 5-0 in Week 1 as a head coach.

Denver Broncos

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Seattle Seahawks

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Bobby Kownack’s takeaways:

1. Seahawks’ offensive line gives reason to worry. There was concern regarding Seattle’s O-line going into Week 1, and there will be even more coming out of it. The Seahawks constantly found themselves behind the sticks early on due to an inability to pave a way forward. The unit’s performance was most egregious when it absolutely couldn’t give ground. Seattle started two different drives from its own 1-yard line and both resulted in a safety on the first snap — the first due to a hold by right guard Anthony Bradford, and the second on a stuffed Zach Charbonnet run. Calling out the group might seem overly critical, considering Kenneth Walker III finished with 100-plus yards rushing, but at halftime he and Charbonnet had combined for 22 yards on nine carries — four of which went backward. Walker deserves plenty of credit for running tough to create extra space over the next two quarters.
2.  Ryan Grubb makes quick work of NFL learning curve. It was not a pretty start for the Seahawks’ offense. Geno Smith threw an interception on his second snap of the game, five of Seattle’s first-half drives went for 1 yard or fewer and the offense suffered two safeties. The only trip the team made to the correct end zone over the first two frames took place on a 34-yard scramble by Smith, who became the oldest player since 2000 to score a rushing touchdown of 30-plus yards. Grubb, in his first year as an NFL offensive coordinator, made enough halftime adjustments, though. Blocking improved moderately and scheming took a major leap, as Seattle scored on its first three possessions of the second half. Walker averaged 6.5 yards per carry over the final two quarters after managing just 2.7 before half. Smith also found a rhythm, converting 3-of-7 third downs and peppering Tyler Lockett with more targets to open up the passing game. The quick scoring explosion turned a four-point deficit into a 13-point lead by the start the fourth quarter, which proved enough to leave with a W.
3.  Bo Nix looks like a rookie. The Broncos tried to ease Nix into his first NFL start as comfortably as possible with a bevy of quick passes behind the line of scrimmage. He executed them well, but it wasn’t any way to win a game — especially once Seattle came back and opened up a lead in the second half. Nix looked very shaky trying to pick apart a professional defense down the field. That was evident when he made his biggest rookie mistake on a third-and-9 just outside the red zone. With pressure in his face, Nix heaved a ball unlikely to be caught by any Bronco toward the end zone, allowing defensive back Julian Love to collect an INT. It was one of 12 passes he attempted beyond 10 air yards; Nix went 2-of-12 for 42 yards and two picks on such attempts. He finished 26-of-42 overall with 138 yards, a 47.5 passer rating and plenty of tape to study — although he ended on a high note by leading a 54-yard scoring drive to put Denver within one score late.

Nex Gen stat of the game: Despite averaging 6.1 air yards per attempt, Bo Nix’s average air yards per completion was just 2.5 yards. The rookie QB did lead the Broncos in rushing yards, picking up 35 yards on five attempts (+11 rushing yards over expected) and a touchdown.

NFL Research: The Broncos became the sixth team in NFL history to score two safeties and lose.

Dallas Cowboys

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Cleveland Browns

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• READ: Dak signs record four-year, $240 million extension before win

Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. Dallas’ defense dominates. Mike Zimmer’s arrival inspired many pieces examining how the Cowboys might differ under his direction in 2024 (plus a few articles that stretched well beyond the on-field strategy), but none of it mattered until the Cowboys actually took the field. Well, they sure did make a statement in Week 1. Zimmer relentlessly dialed up pressure in the first half of this game, capitalizing on Cleveland’s weaknesses at both tackle positions and short-circuiting their entire offense in the process. Dallas finished with a jaw-dropping QB pressure rate of 44.6 percent (25 total pressures), racked up six sacks, forced two takeaways, held Cleveland to 2-of-15 on third down and limited the Browns to just 230 yards of offense. The Browns averaged a mere 3.3 yards per play and were constantly facing third-and-long — the perfect situation for Micah Parsons to wreak havoc in the backfield. All of it was a product of Zimmer’s group, who feared no one and proved it with their dominant performance.
2. Cleveland’s offense is lost. The Browns made a change at offensive coordinator in the offseason, going from Alex Van Pelt to Ken Dorsey, and while neither called plays, the switch did not come close to paying off on Sunday. Cleveland’s play-calling was uninspired and downright abysmal — a fault that lands on Kevin Stefanski first — and even when their plans worked, penalties often wiped them out and buried the offense before anything could get going. The Browns finished with 11 accepted penalties for 85 yards and were about as useful as a punt on third down throughout most of the game. Deshaun Watson looked unsurprisingly rusty and uncomfortable, and was harassed all afternoon, rarely being afforded enough time to survey the field. When he did have time, he often threw passes well out of range of his intended targets. Jerome Ford was a nonfactor on the ground, while Amari Cooper finished with just two catches for 16 yards on nine targets. The Browns operated like a last-place team offensively, with the unit failing to hold up its end of the bargain even while the defense managed to force a number of stops. If this is what Cleveland’s offense is going to look like in 2024, it’s going to be an incredibly long season for Browns fans.
3. Brandon Aubrey: The new face of NFL kicking. Sure, I could spend this point talking about how well Dak Prescott executed Mike McCarthy’s offense, or how Ezekiel Elliott looks better than he has in the last few years, but let’s direct our attention to the less-glamorous position of kicker, because the football world needs to pay attention to Aubrey. He drilled a 66-yarder in the preseason inside Allegiant Stadium, and when presented with another opportunity to do so at the open-air Huntington Bank Field, he casually drilled it — seconds after the play clock expired. For a second, the FOX broadcast team yearned for Mike McCarthy to give Aubrey a chance to attempt a 71-yarder before realizing the coach wasn’t going to do it, but that moment in itself explains what Aubrey means to the future of the position. Justin Tucker is on the back nine of his career, and if we needed to find a new boot to replace him as the NFL’s best, it’s Aubrey, a strong-legged, cool kicker who can push the limits of kicking and be a true weapon for the Cowboys. Just remember who told you so when it becomes obvious who is the new kicking champ in the NFL.

Next Gen stat of the game: Micah Parsons generated nine pressures and one sack on 46 pass rushes (19.6% pressure rate) in the Cowboys’ Week 1 win.

NFL Research: Sunday was just the fourth time in the last 25 years in which the Cowboys’ defense finished with two-plus interceptions and six-plus sacks in a game. Dallas produced a similar performance in Week 1 of 2023 — a 40-0 win over the New York Giants.

Washington Commanders

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Baker Mayfield, Bucs roll over Commanders. The best word to describe Baker at this time is comfortable. Comfortable in his skin. Comfortable in Tampa. Comfortable in Liam Coen’s offense. Comfortable in the pocket. Comfortable dropping dimes to Mike Evans. Comfortable threading the needle to Chris Godwin on third down. Comfortable escaping sacks and turning negatives into positives. On Sunday, Mayfield hit the ground running, leading the Bucs on five consecutive scoring drives to open the game. The veteran signal-caller tossed four touchdown passes in a contest that never really felt in doubt after the first quarter. The Bucs’ big guns all produced, torturing an overmatched Commanders secondary. Rookie RB Bucky Irving provided a nice complement to Rachaad White and should carve out more carries moving forward. And the offensive line gave Mayfield time against a good Washington interior. Despite an offensive coordinator change, Mayfield didn’t miss a beat to open the season. 
2. Jayden Daniels experiences up-and-down NFL debut. The Heisman Trophy winner did damage with his legs in his first game, flashing an ability to escape the pocket and keep plays alive. The rookie led the Commanders with 88 rushing yards and two TDs in Tampa. Daniels became the first rookie QB ever with 50-plus rush yards in a Week 1 debut. He set a Commanders QB record with 16 carries and tied for the fourth-most rushing yards of all time by Washington QB. The big issue is, other than Daniels using his legs, there wasn’t much else to love from the offense. Running backs Austin Ekeler (4/52) and Brian Robinson (3/49) led Washington in receiving, underscoring the types of passes Daniels was throwing. The rookie completed just one pass of 10-plus-air yards and attempted just four. It was surprising that Washington didn’t air it out a tad more out of the gate. No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin generated 17 yards on two catches (four targets). The star needs to be more involved for Daniels to grow. Daniels also might want to fasten his helmet better and improve his sliding technique to survive the season. 
3. Washington’s D continues to have errors under Dan Quinn. At times on Sunday, Washington fans might have thought they were having flashbacks to seasons under Ron Rivera, with blown coverages on the back end and receivers prancing free. Bobby Wagner (10 tackles, three for loss) solidified the middle, and Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen remain a load on the interior. Still, it will take time for Quinn to instill his defense, particularly with the lack of edge options. The secondary remains a sore spot that got picked apart by Mayfield. 

Next Gen stat of the game: 34-year-old linebacker Lavonte David tied for the team lead with four quarterback pressures. YaYa Diaby also generated four QB pressures for Todd Bowles’ squad. 

NFL Research: Baker Mayfield had his second career game for the Buccaneers (out of 18 games played) with four touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He had just two such performances in his 69-game career (not including playoffs) for other teams prior to joining the Bucs in 2023.

Los Angeles Rams

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Detroit Lions

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• READ: Nacua leaves Rams loss with knee injury
• READ: Lions’ Williams on big night: ‘I plan to have a lot more’

Grant Gordon’s takeaways:

1. Montgomery mauls Rams in Lions’ OT win. For four quarters, the Lions’ offense was largely stagnant other than Jameson Williams. Entering overtime, Detroit had a modest 293 total yards with 103 on the ground. Enter David Montgomery, who went full ravenous Lion in OT, smashing the Rams defense for 45 yards on five carries, including the 1-yard game-winning score. Yup, Detroit won the OT coinflip and promptly marched 70 yards in 4 minutes 41 seconds, with 60 of those yards coming on the ground. Montgomery, who finished with 91 yards on 17 carries, woke up the Lions’ offense in thundering fashion and put the Rams to sleep all in one emphatic drive. This was the epitome of running the ball down your opponent’s throat. It didn’t happen for much of the Lions’ opener, but it happened when it mattered most. Detroit squandered a 14-point lead only to rally back with the final nine points for a victory in the most emphatic fashion.  
2. Stafford singing Motown blues again. Throughout his second return to Detroit after last season’s narrow wild-card loss, Matthew Stafford was pummeled by the Lions’ pass rush. Nonetheless, he stood tall, surgically cutting up Detroit in a second-half rally that led L.A. back into the fight. He struggled a bit in the first half, which included a rare end zone interception, but responded late. On the go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter, Stafford (34 of 49 for 317 yards overall) was a brilliant 8-of-8 as he piloted the Rams on an 80-yard drive that concluded when he hit old buddy Cooper Kupp (who looked back to his old self with a 14-catch, 110-yard night) for a 9-yard TD. L.A.’s offensive line was a question mark coming into the season and the injury-riddled bunch (Joe Noteboom exited with an ankle issue and Steve Avila hurt his knee) remains one. Stafford was limping in the first half, battered throughout, but his cast-iron toughness and ridiculous accuracy almost won the night. Unfortunately, Stafford — who was hit 12 times, pressured 14 times and sacked twice — lost for the second straight game in his old stomping grounds.
3. Jamo’s career night not wasted. Detroit was looking for some separation and — boy oh boy — did Jameson Williams give them some! Williams torched Tre’Davious White for a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter, leaving the veteran cornerback far behind in his wake. The score led to a 17-3 lead for Detroit, but it wasn’t enough separation as the Rams rallied to go ahead before the Lions sent it to OT on a late field goal. However, after Montgomery’s game-winner, Williams still was afforded plenty of postgame flowers. He turned in a career-best 121 yards on five catches. The Lions have been patient, waiting for the 2022 first-rounder to overcome injuries and a suspension. Sunday was a breakout night. Should Williams keep it going, the Lions have a vertical threat on an already-potent offense. 

Next Gen stat of the game: Rams defensive end Jared Verse had six QB pressures and a 26.1 pressure rate in his first NFL game.

NFL Research: Detroit won a game in overtime for the first time since Week 9, 2016, when Matthew Stafford threw a game-winning TD to Golden Tate.