PHI vs DAL        

Eagles Win 24 – 20

• Story of the Game – The Quarterbacks 

Between Jalen Hurts carrying the Eagles offense by extending drives with his legs and playing about as clean of a game through the air as you can and Dak Prescott making some really exceptional throws these two had to be the main talking point. Starting with Hurts, he was really the only consistent factor to this Eagles offense who not only struggled to run the ball but also seemed to lack any really threat through the air despite all of the talent they have here. While you can criticize Hurts for not giving AJ Brown and Devonta Smith more chances I thought he played excellent and consistently struck the balance of using his legs and taking what was there through the air to keep this Eagles offense moving and within rhythm. It wasn’t the flashiest game by any means but Hurts made all of the winning plays and kept this Eagles team from getting off track early this season. Dak was really in the same boat that Jalen was as he seemed to be the only constant for Dallas. While the stat line wasn’t flashy I thought Dak did a great job at pushing the ball down field and making some dangerous throws but still managing to keep the ball out of harms way. Dak looked as sharp as I’ve ever seen him and was operating this new Brian Schottenheimer run offense at an extremely high level. And if it weren’t for some rough drops from CeeDee Lamb throughout this game and just overall sloppy play down the stretch the Cowboys may have been able to pull out a tough win in Philadelphia largely because of Dak.

• Key Notes for the Cowboys

Brian Schottenheimer already has this team run better than Mike McCarthy ever had in his stint as the Cowboys HC. I saw them execute clock management efficiently and with a plan which is so refreshing after years of that being an issue with McCarthy, I thought Schottenheimer did a great job mixing up play calls in the run and pass game to keep Philly off balance all game long, and the way they recognized and relentlessly attacked the holes in the Eagles’ retooled defense was awesome to see. While it didn’t lead to a win it was nice to see this Dallas team look motivated and playing with an attitude throughout the entirety of the game. 

Unsurprisingly the Dallas pass rush without Micah Parsons was pretty rough. I thought rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku and second year Marshon Kneeland played well and certainly flashed on the edge (Ezeiruaku hit a beautiful cross chop on Jordan Mailata and got a quick pressure out of it)but they’re clearly not ready to be number one guys at this point in their careers. The IDL of Osa Odighizuwa and newly added Kenny Clark held up really well versus a tough Eagles OL but aside from one sack really didn’t give Hurts any trouble which led to major issues for their defense. There’s certainly promise here but without that true number one guy I don’t think they’ll be able to find the consistency needed to compete with the top of the NFL.

Javonte Williams didn’t have the biggest game but seemed to have a little more power behind him than last year which was nice to see for him. Coming out of college and early in his career he was absolutely impossible to tackle on first contact and while that wasn’t fully back this game it did flash and it will be interesting to see if he can get that back more and more throughout the year.

• Key Notes for the Eagles 

Aside from Hurts extending plays behind great protection this offense really didn’t get much going. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith were largely non-factors in this game and while part of that can be put on Hurts not being willing to give them chances on one on ones I would like to see them dominate the game a bit more and create some real consistent separation. Along with the WRs not having the impact I thought they would the offense in general felt disconnected in my opinion. It’s just one game so I’m not going to overreact and get too frustrated with OC Kevin Patullo or HC Nick Sirianni but this was the problem they had two years ago after they lost Shane Steichen and before they hired Kellen Moore last offseason. It’s not too concerning yet but if this becomes trend and this Eagles team doesn’t have an identity on offense by Week 4-5 I think there’s real questions as to if they can get back to what they were last year. They absolutely have the talent to make up for it but can’t consistently win playoff games if you’re counting on just your players being great.

There was also some pretty clear issues on the defensive side of the ball. With Jalen Carter being ejected before the first snap the pass rush felt very spotty and while I do believe this Cowboys’ OL is going to be really good this year losing guys like Josh Sweat and Milton Williams were causes for concern. When Jalen Carter is out there I believe they’ll be fine as he’ll free up more one on ones for guys like Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche, and Moro Ojomo but they may be thinner than I expected. Along with the pass rush being on and off all night it was very clear Adoree Jackson needs to be replaced. Whether that’s Jakorian Bennett, Kelee Ringo, or even trying Cooper DeJean on the outside and letting rookie Mac McWilliams take over the slot position I don’t know but Adoree was getting beat up on by every Cowboys WR that lined up against him.

Now while that may sound like I’m down on the Eagles it’s more I’m being very picky as I expect them to be battling for the NFC once again and it certainly wasn’t all doom and gloom out there. Their ILBs, Zack Baun and rookie Jihaad Campbell, were flat out AMAZING for them throughout that game. Making plays as blitzers, coverage players, and run defenders they did it all and did it all great at that. Campbell had a play where he ran the pole on a Tampa 2 coverage and it was unbelievable to watch. So long as he stays healthy he’s going to be a star for this team. While the pass rush was inconsistent I thought Josh Uche had a couple nice reps which was positive to see as he’s had a couple rough years after really coming on early in his career in New England. 

• Standout Performers 

Eagles 

Jalen Hurts – 19/23  152  0/0  – 14/62 2 TDs rush

Dallas Goedert – 7/44

Zack Baun – 9 Tackles (6 Solo) 1TFL 1PD

Jihaad Campbell – 3 Tackles 1PD

Cowboys 

Dak Prescott – 21/34  188  0/0

Javonte Williams –  15/54  2TDs –  2/10 rec

Marshon Kneeland – 1 Sack  1TFL  1QB Hits

LAC vs KC

Chargers Win 27 – 21

• Story of the game – The Chargers out executed the perfect executors  

The Chargers came out in this game and really made a statement. They were able to control the game by taking care of the ball and taking advantage of any chances they got in the passing game on offense and defensively aside from a few miscues on the back end they forced the Chiefs into inching their way down the field and playing perfect football. And to be fair the Chiefs are normally able to do so but with the pressure the Chargers offense continually put on this Chiefs with being able to score time after time they were able to out dual Mahomes as no one else on the Chiefs offense really stepped up and they once again lacked any ability to hit explosive plays.

• Key Notes for the Chargers 

I thought Greg Roman did an amazing job this game of managing to create effective plays in the play action passing game despite the run game being sub par throughout. All night long they mixed everything together really well and Roman seemed to have the answer to Spags’ defense nearly every time. And what can’t be overlooked is how well Justin Herbert executed these plays as well. He constantly extended drives with his legs and arm, including one where he ran for a first down that iced the game for the Chargers, and was deadly accurate all throughout tonight. There’s been really great play from Justin in the past but tonight may have taken the cake as he looked sharp as ever out there.

This Chargers run game really struggled throughout but they found ways to keep the chains moving when it mattered. While you would have liked to see more explosive runs out of your young highly touted RB Omarion Hampton I thought he did a good job of getting what was there versus a really tough Chiefs defense up front. 

Defensively Jesse Minter called a really nice game and made it really tough on Patrick Mahomes to find any consistent rhythm or success against them. They gave up a few plays deep to Tyquan Thornton and one to Travis Kelce but I’m far from concerned for the season long outlook on that. Something to keep an eye but they were so polished last year I trust they’ll round that secondary into shape.

Joe Alt was PHENOMENAL this game. The fact he looked this good at LT after spending all of last season and the large majority of camp at RT is just ridiculous. He’s one of the best OL in the league and deserving of every ounce of praise he’s going to get.

• Key Notes for the Chiefs

I think it was clear tonight that they didn’t do enough to help Patrick Mahomes this offseason. Jawaan Taylor once again struggled with penalties and consistently set them back on drives, the run game was really non existent aside from a few nice tough runs in short downs and distances, and the weaponry is just flat out subpar at this point. For all of the talk around Travis Kelce getting back to his best self he went largely unnoticed tonight, Hollywood Brown had some success getting open in the short passing game but failed to really do anything after the catch, Tyquan Thornton had a couple plays where he got behind the defense but wasn’t a consistent factor, and the rest of the group just seemed flat and didn’t provide much for Mahomes to consistently lean on. Unless they add someone to this room it’s going to have to be Mahomes making a lot work on his own again.

The Chiefs pass rush felt non existent in this game and without the handful of great plays out of Chris Jones it really fell flat when it mattered most. While I’m not worried about Chris Jones and the impact he’ll have throughout this year the fact once again no one else stepped up for this group and forced Steve Spagnuolo to blitz in big situations really hurt this team. The good news is that the LBs (Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal, and Nick Bolton) played real all good football and were really the only positive note aside from run defense for this Chiefs front seven.

The secondary also looked really rough this game and outside out of Trent McDuffie it felt like the Chargers could pick on anyone else on the back end of this defense. 

 – Standout Performers 

LAC

Joe Alt – 0 penalties, sacks, hits, and pressures

Justin Herbert – 25/34  318  3/0  – 7/32 rush

Quentin Johnston – 5/79  2TDs

Daiyan Henley – 8 Tackles (3 Solo) 1 sack, TFL, and QB hit

KC

Patrick Mahomes – 24/39  258  1/0  – 6/57 1TD rush

Trey Smith – Only 1 pressure given up 

Drue Tranquill – 5 Tackles (4 Solo) 2 Sacks, TFLs, and QB hits

NYJ vs PIT 

Steelers Win 34 – 32

• Story of the game – Both teams may have found their QBs

I thought this game was very positive showing for both of these offense and should give hope to each fan base for the outlook on this season. For Pittsburgh despite not having much of anything going for you on the ground Aaron Rodgers did a wonderful job of playing within the Arthur Smith offense. Routinely finding the open man and if we’re being honest carrying this Steelers offense at times Rodgers may have not had the flashy throws or incredible play extension that we saw back in Green Bay but he operated beautifully even while under duress from a really impressive Jets pass rush. As for the other side I thought Justin Fields looked far more comfortable and confident in this Tanner Engstrand run offense than he has in nearly any offense before. He was doing everything we’re used to seeing from Fields with extending plays with his legs and being a real threat as a runner but he also managed the pocket really well and kept plays alive as a thrower more than I’ve ever seen from him. While it wasn’t highlight plays all over the place that’s also what was impressive to me. He looked comfortable playing within the structure of the offense and got through his read on time and looked far more consistent with his accuracy while doing so. While it is just one game I thought both of these QBs played exceptionally in their own ways and really made up for the flaws each respective team showed this game. 

• Key Notes for the Jets

Tanner Engstrand looks like he could be a great hire for Aaron Glenn and the Jets. While there were a few frustrating calls, especially in short downs and distances, I thought largely Engstrand did a wonderful job call this game. They mixed screens and the play action passing game really well with the run game which kept the Steelers edge players especially off balance and I thought he did a great job sprinkling in Fields as a runner without focusing on it too much which made it hard in turn for the defense to focus on it as well. It was a night and day difference from last year’s Jets.

The young T duo of rookie Armand Membou and second year Olu Fashanu was OUTSTANDING. Membou stills looks like one of the best athletes on the entire field despite the jump from college to the NFL. He had a backside cutoff on a zone run that was absolutely freaky and he contained really anything and everything TJ Watt threw at him which is no small feat. Fashanu looked like he vastly improved as a runner blocker as he flashed some play strength that I didn’t see at Penn State and just like college he looked super polished in pass protection reps. This OL as whole looked really good and if they can get Alijah Vera-Tucker back on the field this group has a very high upside this year and will absolutely be a huge strength moving forward for them. 

Despite the rest of the pass catching group being fine at best Garrett Wilson looked amazing today. They finally utilized him on deeper routes and allowed him to showcase his diverse skillset which they really failed to do last year as he was really relegated to just a short/intermediate YAC target last year with Rodgers at the helm. It was refreshing to see him and Breece Hall be utilized for the talents that they are as the last couple years have been frustrating in that way. Speaking of Breece Hall I thought he looked as good as he ever has and showed that while Isaiah Davis and Braelon Allen are solid backs he’s just a cut above those guys. I thought the TEs (Jeremy Ruckert and Mason Taylor) also played well and I’m interested to see if they get even more work moving forward with the lack of talent at the WR position here or  if they add one more pass catcher to round out that room at some point.

As for the defense, really the entire front seven played extremely well and I thought wreaked havoc this game. From Quinnen Williams, Will McDonald IV, Jermaine Johnson, Harrison Phillips, and especially Jowon Briggs along the DL to Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood at LB this group flew around the field and killed the Steelers run game along with pressuring Rodgers consistently. While that part of the defense was extremely promising what happened on the back end, aside from Sauce Gardener, was just straight up disappointing. While it’s just one week the Brandon Stephens contract that nearly everyone questioned looked like it may have been a bad decision, also newly signed Andre Cisco was fine, Michael Carter II who’s usually great in the slot struggled in coverage and as a tackler as well, and Tony Adams just isn’t a starting S in this league. The Steelers didn’t really do anything all that complex or unique in the passing game this group just got out talented and executed. I trust Aaron Glenn to round this group into better form throughout the year but it was certainly a rough start.

Xavier Gipson had some flashes but overall struggled on kick returns today and had a crucial fumble that really set up the Steelers win. On a positive note for special teams though, UDFA Marcelino McCray-Ball made some exceptional plays on kick and punt coverage.

• Key Notes for the Steelers

This offensive line got killed this game, especially in the run game, and while Aaron Rodgers made it work through the air and this Jets DL is very talented you would hope for a better showing for your long term outlook this season. I really like the majority of the guys in this room but we have to see it on the field as well before you can feel all that excited. 

The Steelers defense really struggled in all aspects early on and sort of looked shocked by the Jets and their success. Veterans TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, and Jalen Ramsey seemed to be the only ones bringing energy out there and while I’m not worried too much it is note worthy. I expect Mike Tomlin to get this group ready to go sooner rather than later but you’d certainly like to see more from a group that they’ve put a lot of assets into. 

Kenneth Gainwell and Ben Skowronek made great plays throughout the day on special teams and played their roles really well on offense as well and really played a big role in this Steelers close win.

• Standout Performers

NYJ

Justin Fields – 16/22  218  1/0  – 12/48  2TDs rush 

Garrett Wilson – 7/95  1TD

Armand Membou – 0 Penalties, Sacks, Pressures, and Hits – Awesome in run game 

Will McDonald IV – 2 sack and TFLs  3 QB hits

Sauce Gardner – 2 PBUs  1 catch for 11 yards  39.6 PR allowed

PIT 

Aaron Rodgers – 22/30  244  4/0

Calvin Austin – 4/70  1TD

Jalen Ramsey – 2 PBUs  1 catch for 6 yards  56.3 PR allowed  1 QB hit

Ben Skowronek – 1/22 rec  1 Recovered Fumble

Kenneth Gainwell – 7/19 rush  3/4 rec  1 Forced Fumble

WAS vs NYG 

Commanders Win 21 – 6

• Story of the game – The Giants may be in trouble 

While it was promising to see a questioned Washington DL have a tremendous amount of success I’m afraid it was a bigger sign of the state this Giants OL is in at this point. Without Andrew Thomas on the field it was clear they had no one that could even play serviceably in his absence. Along with that you saw Russell Wilson play absolutely horrible football all day because of the amount of pressure he was seeing. Every time a Washington defender got into the backfield and even some times when they failed to do so Russ would drop his eyes to the rush and lose his ability to be a passer afterwards. While it was nice to see him take care of the ball in those situations it was far more discouraging to see the lack of any play making ability when things broke down. To be honest I don’t know where they go from here as this wasn’t something that seemed all that fixable and really your only hope if your OL plays like that is Russ turning 28 again or Jaxson’s Dart being a superstar when/if he gets the opportunity to play.

• Key Notes for the Giants 

This Giants run game got absolutely nothing going all day and that just accentuated their issues in pass protections as they were put in more and more obvious passing downs. While I thought the backs did fine the OL just got killed and if that’s going to be the case every week this team really has no one chance on offense. They have to find a way to get this run game to be at the very least league average. 

The Giants defense quite honestly looked good especially when you consider how often and where they were being put on the field due to their offense. The pass rush was never really able to reach its ceiling as the Commanders controlled the tempo of the game from the first second off the clock but I saw some really special flashes of what this group can be. They just need opportunities.

• Key Notes for Washington 

Jayden Daniels picked up right where he left off last year by picking apart this Giants defense and seemingly always finding a way to make the offense work. While the vertical passing game never caught stride and they were able to find their explosives last late last season I think that will come in time and Jayden will find that connection with Terry once he’s fully ramped up after missing a good chunk of camp. 

This run game was awesome with four different guys getting involved and Jacory/Bill Croskey-Merritt lived up to the hype really making the best of the 10 carries he got. Austin Ekeler looked like he’s still got it at his age and I thought made a big difference in this game and Jeremy McNichols even had 4 carries that made a nice impact as well. They also had Deebo Samuel working the short passing game which acted as an extension to the run which just spread the field out even more and he even got a touch for 19 yards in the run game, just another fun piece for this offense to utilize and stress defenses with.

The most impressive part may have even been the push the OL was getting against a really strong Giants front seven. I thought they did a great job of winning the LOS and while the Giants defense was definitely worn out it was still impressive to see.

The Commanders defense looked great and while the Giants offense took a lot of the blame, and for good reason, this DL and front seven as a whole deserves some credit. Daron Payne and Dorance Armstrong were awesome in this game and LBs Frankie Luvu and ageless Bobby Wagner continue to make plays on the second level for this group. On the back end I thought Marshon Lattimore looked much healthier than last year and played well outside of a tough holding call, Trey Amos was awesome on the outside for his first game, and Mike Sainristil was awesome this game. Dan Quinn had this group ready to go and they certainly have more talent than they did last season so I’m excited to see what they can do moving forward. 

On special teams they had Deebo Samuel returning kicks and while I think he’s awesome at that I fully expect Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane to take over those duties as they provide a nice pop as well without the injury risk of Deebo a5 this point in his career. Nick Bellore was absolutely awesome on special teams this game and made a huge hit as well while out there.

• Standout Performers

NYG 

Brian Burns – 2 sacks, TFLs, and QB hits 

• Entire DL deserves praise – 3 Sacks, 3 TFLs, and 5 QB hits 

WAS 

Jayden Daniels – 19/30  233  1/0 – 11/68 rush 

Jacory/Bill Croskey Merritt- 10/82  1TD 

Deebo Samuel – 7/77 – 1/19 rush 

Daron Payne – 1 Sack, TFL, and QB hit  2 Pass Deflections 

Mike Sainristil –  1 catch allowed for 4 yards 56.3 PR allowed 

GB vs DET

Packers Win 27 – 13

• Story of the game – The Packers won the trenches 

What won the Packers this game was their dominance up front on both sides of the ball. The OL may have struggled early to get push in the run game but Jordan Love couldn’t have felt more comfortable in the pocket. Defensively this front seven and quite honestly the whole team swarmed to the ball and never allowed any real breakthroughs once a Lions player had possession. It was a constant attack and this Lions OL looked overwhelmed and outmatched all game which led to rushed passes, runs going no where, and an overall dominance for this Packers team on defense. The Packers also carried a confidence and attitude that a had been missing in years past and while certain players had that confidence last year thus whole team as seemingly absorbed it and man do they play like they know how good they are.

• Key Notes for the Packers 

Jordan Love while not being perfect today seeme pd much more settled and confident in what he was seeming on a consistent basis. I thought he progressed through his read very efficiently and found a little more consistently in his accuracy which was in large part due to not being under pressure almost all game. If he plays with that level of sharpness to his game and poise throughout the season the Packers will be in for a very successful year.

Defensively I’m not sure you could have asked for a better showing from not only the new Packers Micah Parsons but really this entire front four and make that six with the two LBs Quay Walker and especially Edgerrin Cooper, who looked phenomenal today. From Lucas Van Ness, Rashan Gary, Micah Parsons, and even Kingsley Enagbare off the edge to Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, and Nasir Stackhouse inside this front four was absolutely wrecking everything up front for this Lions offense. On the back end Jeff Hafley was incredibly creative rolling in and out of different looks with his S and sending weak side CBs on blitzes to help cut off cutbacks in the run game. Combined with a quick Micah Parsons pressure Hafley rolled Evan Williams in and out of a single high look that ended with him playing a hook zone and getting a pick in the red zone, absolutely incredible to watch on all-22. What really stood out to me about this defense above all else though was the way they flew to the ball. Every time a Lion caught a pass or got a handoff there were 5-8 Packers swarming to the ball every time, the energy and tenacity they played with was so fun to watch. 

In special teams Nick Neumann made a couple nice plays and overall the group looked really clean which should be a refreshing sign to Packers fans.

• Key Notes for the Lions

You flat out just have to see better play out of this new look OL. The Frank Ragnow retirement impacted this team for this worse immediately and consistently throughout this game. And while the IOL really struggled you could see the way that bled over into the T play as well with miscommunications and stress being put on guys that just normally isn’t there. Your OL is only as good as your weakest link and right now the Lions have a real weak link that could give them issues if there isn’t changes sooner rather than later as it not only impacts the running game but the passing game as well. There’s not explosive plays if you can’t hold up in pass protection, especially with Jared Goff at QB.

On a positive note I thought Jared Goff did a great job at keeping the offense moving while everything else seemingly fell around him. While he wasn’t perfect today  I felt through all of the struggles that he managed to overcome a lot and make the best of what was put in front of him.

Just like the Lions offense the conversation really has to start with the Lions front on the defense as well. They were put able to get a sack this game and really only pressured Love a handful of times throughout the entire game. The secondary and LBs honestly played quite well but because of the lack of pressure up front all and any mistakes were exploited. I’m not even slightly worried about Aiden Hutchinson as he just needs some games under his belt to work back into shape after a brutal injury last season but the rest of this group not finding any success in a big issue and needs to be fixed ASAP. 

The Lions overall felt like they lacked any sort of identity in all parts of their team during this game. While I trust Dan Campbell to get that back on track I hope the lacking of game planning in the offense was due to them playing catch up all game.

• Standout Performers

GB 

Jordan Love – 16/22  188  2/0 – 3/4 rush 

Romeo Doubs – 2/68 

Tucker Kraft – 2/16 1 TD   1/3 rush 

Entire DL – 4 sacks  9 TFLs  9 QB hits 

Edgerrin Cooper – 12 Tackles (8 Solo) – Wrecked plays all game

Evan Williams – 1 INT  1 PBU  3 tackles (1 Solo)

DET 

Jared Goff – 31/39  225  1/1

Sam LaPorta – 6/79

Alex Anzalone – 4 Tackles (2 Solo) – All over the field making plays

Brian Branch – 5 Tackles (4 Solo)  1 TFL

BUF vs BAL

Bills Win 41 – 40

• Story of the Game – Josh Allen vs Lamar and King Henry 

This game obviously will go down as one of the best and most entertaining games all year and the fact we got see Lamar and Derrick Henry have the game that they did and somehow still Josh Allen and the Bills pull out this win is absolutely incredible. Derrick Henry aside from that costly fumble late was absolutely unstoppable for this Ravens defense. He routinely powered through the first and second level of the Bills defense, so much so that they had to play base 4-3 defense, and when he made it into the secondary it was like he was made of rubber the way the Bills safeties and corners simply bounced off of him. Along with Henry killing this defense Lamar Jackson absolutely dominated and played one of the best games I’ve ever seen him play. He was checking calls at the line and getting them into the right play, was deadly accurate at all levels of the field, and made miracles happen under pressure with his legs and arm. He was flat out perfect this game. Then came Josh Allen and this Bills offense who somehow managed to keep this game close enough to go on the miracle run that they did. Josh was just as perfect as Lamar late on in the game and found ways to just make it happen time after time. These two at QB are just unbelievable and the fact we got to see them duel it out in Week 1 like this is just absolutely amazing.

• Key Notes for the Bills

For all the greatness in this game the first thing I have to mention is the issue that has plagued this defense for a multitude of years in a row now with not have a NT. DaQuan Jones just doesn’t have the same level of play in him that he did 2-3 years ago and they have refused to do anything about it for two straight offseasons now. They continue to add more and more penetrating 3T type guys into the IDL room and while that provides flashy plays like Ed Oliver had last night it doesn’t hold any consistency and allows you to get bullied the large majority of the time up front. 

The S position is still an issue here and while I like Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop, and Damar Hamlin they really all should be role players rather than your top three guys in that room. They need someone that can fill a gap in the run like they used to have in Jordan Poyer and on the backend none of these guys are Micah Hyde either. It’s going to be an issue any time you have a team that wants to consistently run the ball and as teams continue to head closer and closer to more heavy sets this could be a real issue for Buffalo moving forward.

The Bills OL struggled to get any push in the run game early but as the game went on and the Ravens started to wear down you saw this run game really come alive and Josh Allen went largely untouched in the pass game as well. As the game wore on and the Bills got their run game going it just opened up the pass game even more for Josh and in turn he did a great job of finding the open man and spreading the ball around. 

Keon Coleman really came on late in the game and made some huge plays for/with Josh that showed what people have been excited about in camp.

• Josh Palmer and Josh Allen seemed to have a few miscues on timing throughout the night. I’m sure it will work itself out over the course of the season as they get more reps but was an issue this week.

• Key Notes for the Ravens

The Ravens DL and LBs really played great this game but you could tell they started to wear down as the game went on and those possessions started to stack up. Nothing too concerning as it’s just week one and a lot of these guys are still working their way into football shape but still noteworthy.

The Ravens secondary had some really nice plays from Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, and even rookie Malaki Starks who all played great football tonight and Chidobe Awuzie apeven made some plays throughout the game in the slot as well. Nate Wiggins had some flashes but was up and down throughout the game and the newly acquired Jaire Alexander really struggled late in the game giving up crucial yards on a PI that led to a touchdown and a big play that iced the game for the Bills in the red zone. While it was just one week I’m interested to see how they split up reps throughout this season considering the youth and vets in this room who all had this ups and downs.

• Standout Performers 

BUF 

Josh Allen – 33/46  394  2/0 – 14/30 2TDs rush 

Keon Coleman – 8/112  1TD 

Ed Oliver –  6 Tackles (All 6 Solo)  1 sack  3 TFLs  1 Forced Fumble 

BAL

Lamar Jackson – 14/19  209  2/0 – 6/70  1TD rush

Derrick Henry – 18/169  2TDs – 1/13 rec – 1 Fumble

Zay Flowers – 7/143  1TD – 2/8 rush 

Kyle Hamilton – 9 Tackles (6 Solo) 2 PBUs  1 Pressure

Nnamdi Madubuike – 1 Sack, TFL, and QB hit

Travis Jones – 3 Tackles (2 solo)  1 TFL – Held middle LOS consistently 

CHI vs MIN

Vikings Win 27 – 24

• Story of the Game – The new look Bears with an all too familiar result

The conversation for this game really has to be about just how different the beginning and ending of this game was. The Bears came out early in this game playing with a real energy and intensity that just hasn’t been there in the past for any Bears team in recent memory and it truly carried all the way up until the 4th Quarter, especially for the defense. In that 4th Quarter though the Vikings found a way to stall out the Bears offense multiple times and finally get their run game going which immediately led to a snowball effect for this Bears team that looked absolutely stunned. From an efficient and fast paced offense that was moving the ball all over the field on this Vikings defense the Bears offense began to stall after their run game started to fall apart and in turn they started giving up pressures that Caleb Williams just couldn’t seem to handle in the same confident way he did in the first half. As for the Vikings this team managed to just hang around all game with their tough defense and after JJ McCarthy seemingly hit rock bottom after a pick six they came back out and Jordan Mason broke off a nice run which led to two big passes from McCarthy to Justin Jefferson, one being a touchdown, and all of the sudden the game was right there and this Vikings team knew it. For the Bears this is absolutely crushing as this would have been a dominate way to start off your new regime and in a blink of an eye and one bad quarter it all crumbled away and now you’re left trying to bounce back next week, absolutely brutal.

• Key Notes for the Vikings 

This OL got absolutely shelled all night long up until the 4th Quarter. It was evident that they need Christian Darrisaw out there and healthy as they were giving up pressures after pressure on JJ McCarthy and their effectiveness in the run game may have even been worse. While this group really rallied and I thought looked really good in that 4th Quarter I can’t act like I didn’t see what happened for 75% of that game where the Vikings couldn’t move the ball to save their lives due to their OL getting killed by a fine Bears front. This group has the talent to be really good and I’m sure they’ll round into form as the season goes but considering the lack of depth here and the way that starting group played it’s something to monitor for sure. 

I thought JJ McCarthy played well overall but just couldn’t find any rhythm early on as he got pressured nearly every time he dropped back and had no run game to support him early on in his first start. He did a great job of hanging in there and staying determined even through a really rough first 3 Quarters of play that was capped off with a pick six.

One thing that I noticed was Justin Jefferson and how he stayed very calm throughout the game despite not having any production and the offense as a whole really struggling. He showed a lot of poise and confidence on the sideline and throughout the entire game which I think with Kevin O’Connell’s similar demeanor really helped settle JJ McCarthy in and help him stay in the game even when things looked really rough. Nice to see from Justin as he’s clearly one of this biggest leaders on the team and has shown some frustration in the past when things aren’t going well.

Defensively I thought Brian Flores was getting out-schemed in the first half by Ben Johnson who was abusing their man coverage with pre snap motion, exploiting their lack of middle field coverage on their zone blitz looks, and all of that paired with Caleb Williams’ scrambling was just back breaking for this defense. I thought the Bears beat themselves in the first half and should have had a much bigger lead but coming out of the half Brian Flores and this defense really clicked into a new gear and started to win that “battle of the minds” with Ben Johnson. 

The defense looked as fast and violent as ever though, even through their struggles in the first half, and I thought it was clear that it was worth upgrading to Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen up front this offseason as Hargrave especially was exploding off the ball. 

• Key Notes for the Bears

This entire Bears team had an energy about them through those first 3 Quarters that was very clearly different from years apart and I thought very promising even despite the 4th Quarter results. Their DL played with a violence and attacking mindset that was very exciting to see and you could tell the difference in this team having Dennis Allen at DC vs Matt Eberflus last year. 

I thought that energy was also very apparent early on with this Bears special teams unit as well as they were flying around, hitting hard, and overall making plays early on but as the game progressed it started to look really rough and Minnesota started to win on that side of the ball as well. 

I thought this Bears team looked great when they were in that scripted play sheet of Ben Johnson but as the game inched farther and farther away from that it seemed like the players just continued to get in their own way with bad penalties, errant throws, and miscues all over on offense that really prevented them from pulling away the way that they should have in that first half. I expect that to be cleaned up and I overall feel much better about this Bears offense as they looked leaps and bounds ahead of last season but certainly note worthy as it was a huge reason they ultimately lost this game, in my opinion. 

The weapons (WRs, RBs, and TEs) I thought looked great tonight and I’m excited to see all of the ways Ben Johnson gets the ball to all of these guys, including Luther Burden III who didn’t seem to get any looks tonight. I thought Rome Odunze looked really good and DJ Moore was certainly less frustrated from last season which was nice although he got thrown a hospital ball that ended in a brutal hit. Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland also made some really nice plays even if they didn’t get as much work as I expected. The most positive thing from this game as far as the weaponry goes was D’Andre Swift and the power he showed in his game tonight. I thought he looked great and was actually running behind his pads a bit which I haven’t seen from Swift nearly ever. 

Defensively this entire group played incredible ball all night and while you can get on them about them giving up all of those yards and points in the 4th Quarter you could tell they were exhausted. Between the offense not consistently being able to move the ball nearly all of the second half and it being week one where a lot of these guys are still working to get fully into football shape I think it’s understandable that they faulted late. It’s disappointing undoubtedly but it’s not a huge cause for concern for me as I don’t put the majority of the blame of this side of the ball for that loss. 

• Standout Performers 

MIN 

Jordan Mason – 15/68 

Justin Jefferson – 4/44 – Not a big stat line but I thought his impact was greater 

Javon Hargrave – 2 Sacks   7 Pressures  2 TFLs

Dallas Turner – 2 pressures – Held the edge in the run game really well all game

Jonathan Greenard – 7 Pressures  2 QB hits  

Eric Wilson – 5 Tackles (3 Solo)  1 TFL – Played a big role on special teams and stepped in for Blake Cashman fairly well on defense