Around the world, the NFL brings friends, families and fans together to root for their favorite teams. Last week marked the opening week of play, as 16 games took place.
Starting on Thursday, Sept. 7, the Detroit Lions faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions grabbed a 21-20 victory over the Chiefs.
For the Chiefs, star player Travis Kelce was out with injury, forcing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to spread the ball around to 11 different pass-catchers. Overall, 21 out of 39 passes were completed, earning the team 226 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes also recorded 45 yards on runs with six rushes. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, receivers dropped five passes, three of which were from Kadarius Toney. On the other hand, the Lions QB Jared Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for the first touchdown of the game. However, it took the Lions halfway through the fourth quarter to add more points to the board. Goff led a 75-yard touchdown and David Montgomery added a rushing touchdown, giving the Lions a fourth-quarter lead. This lead would be enough to hold off the Chiefs.
On Sunday, Sept. 10, 14 games took place.
The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10. The Falcons defense was dominant throughout the game, limiting the Panthers scoring opportunities. They made a huge fourth down stop inside its own red zone and caught an interception within Carolina’s 20-yard line. This interception was crucial for the Falcons as it allowed their offense to score a touchdown. A star player throughout the game was Falcons safety Jessie Bates, as he completed two defensive stops and caught two interceptions.
The Baltimore Ravens were victorious over the Houston Texans 25-9. For the Ravens, rookie Zay Flowers made a huge impact on the offense. He received four passes and one rushing attempt. Overall, he concluded the game with 11 touches on the ball, earning 87 rushing and receiving yards. For the Texans, QB C.J. Stroud finished the game 28 for 44 and earning 242 yards, Will Anderson Jr. recorded the first sack of his career, and Tank Dell collected 34 yards on three receptions.
The Cleveland Browns clinched a win over the Cincinnati Bengals 24-3. Throughout the game, both teams struggled offensively connecting passes. Bengals QB Joe Burrow went 14-31 with 82 yards, and no touchdowns. On the other hand, Browns QB Deshaun Watson presented better numbers going 16 for 29, and earned 154 yards and a touchdown. However, Watson threw a terrible interception in the third quarter. The Browns were more successful while running the ball, contributing to their win over the Bengals. Nick Chubb rushed 106 yards on 18 carries, while another 100 yards came from Watson, Elijah Moore and Jerome Ford.
The San Francisco 49ers won 30-7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout the game, San Francisco dominated both offensively and defensively. The Steelers didn’t have many standout players, however, T.J. Watt finished the game with three sacks, two forced fumbles with one recovery as well as five quarterback hits.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Minnesota Vikings in a close 20-17 game. On offense, the Buccaneers new QB Baker Mayfield earned two touchdown passes, no interceptions and ended with 173 yards. For the Vikings, their offense was strong as usual with Justin Jefferson playing a huge role. Additionally, Vikings WR Jordan Addison had a great career debut as he caught four passes, two of which earning first down and one resulting in a touchdown.
The Jacksonville Jaguars earned a victory against the Indianapolis Colts 31-21. On the Jaguars offense, Calvin Ridley became the lead receiver for QB Trevor Lawrence. Ridley collected eight catches, earning him 101 yards and a touchdown.
The Washington Commanders beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-16. The Commanders defense put out a strong performance totaling 14 pressures and three sacks. Furthermore, they collected two fumbles. Two standout defenders for the Commanders were Montez Sweat and Jonathan Allen who caused lots of great pressure and earned sacks.
The New Orleans Saints were victorious over the Tennessee Titans with a close 16-15 score. A spotlight player throughout the game was the Saints first-round defensive lineman Bryan Bresee. He earned himself a half sack and collected two quarterback hits.
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks 30-13. Notably missing for the Rams was star player Cooper Kupp. With Kupp out, several unknown players stepped up to make an impact. For the Rams, running back Kyren Williams scored two rushing touchdowns and Cam Akers also contributed with a rushing touchdown. On the Rams’ receiving end, Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell earned a combined 238 receiving yards. Regarding the Seahawks, the offense didn’t have much luck except for an early touchdown pass. With the strong Rams defense, the Seahawks earned less than 200 yards.
The Miami Dolphins clinched a tight win over the Los Angeles Chargers 36-34. Throughout the game, the Dolphins combination of Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill was unstoppable. Hill caught 11 out of 15 passes and tallied 215 yards, as well as a pair of touchdowns. The Chargers defense was unable to keep up with Hill’s speed and ability. QB Tagovailoa threw roughly 466 yards.
The Green Bay Packers secured a 38-20 win against the Chicago Bears. There were two rookies on the Packers that particularly stood out. First was WR Jayden Reed who caught two passes for 48 yards and a 35 yard part return, and the other was TE Luke Musgrave who snagged three passes for 50 yards. For the Bears, rookie RB Roschon Johnson performed a strong game with five carries and a touchdown.
The Las Vegas Raiders earned a close win against the Denver Broncos 17-16. Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers started off the season on a tremendous note tallying nine receptions for 81 yards, as well as two touchdowns. Unfortunately, Meyers left the game early after taking a devastating blow to his head/neck area. For the Broncos, QB Russell Wilson played a strong and competitive game, completing 27 of 34 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, Broncos RB Javonte Williams totaled 52 yards on 13 carries.
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 25-20. 10 minutes into the game, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles came out with a 10-0 lead. On the very next offensive play, Eagles linebacker Zach Cunningham forced a fumble, and allowed the Eagles to go up 16-0. However, the Patriots didn’t give up and battled back to create a close score. Patriots defenders Matthew Judon and Josh Uche picked off where they ended last season each collecting a sack.
The Dallas Cowboys crushed the New York Giants 40-0. Overall, it was a tough night for the Giants QB Daniel Jones who only completed 15 of 28 passes. Jones was sacked seven times and his two turnover plays resulted in interceptions. The Cowboys offense dominated the entire game, and their defensive line was strong all night long.
The last game of week one was on Monday, Sept. 11, when the Buffalo Bills faced off against the New York Jets.
The Jets took the victory in overtime 22-16. Star QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a 2023 season ending injury just moments into his Jets team debut, with an achilles tear. On offense for the Jets, RB Breece Hall came back from his ACL tear last season and finished the night with 127 rushing yards on 10 carries, as well as added 20 yards as a receiver catching two targets.
Now that the first week of regular season play has ended, football season is in full swing. Every Thursday, Sunday and Monday, people’s favorite teams will be competing, trying to earn their way into the playoffs.
