The NFL is back, and life makes sense again. Week 1 is in the books and, as expected, it was full of surprises and excitement. How could it not be? This is the NFL. The first week of the season started with the Buffalo Bills cruising to a 31-10 victory over the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, and it finished with the Seattle Seahawks shocking the new-look Denver Broncos on Monday night.
The Kansas City Chiefs are still good, Patrick Mahomes is still the best quarterback in the NFL, and the New York Giants have a winning record for the first time since the 2016 season. Time flies. Before we trail off, let’s go over some of the biggest talking points from Week 1.
Russ’s revenge doesn’t go according to plan
One of the bigger storylines heading into Week 1 was the Russell Wilson revenge game on Monday Night Football. The footballing Gods decided that Wilson’s first game for the Denver Broncos would be against his old team, the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle. You couldn’t write the script any better. The Seahawks were written off by virtually everyone who wasn’t a disgruntled Seahawks fan.
Led by Geno Smith, who hadn’t been a full-time starter for 8 years, it was always going to be interesting to see how the Seahawks could move the football. Smith was a noticeable downgrade from Wilson, but it didn’t show on Monday night. He looked the part and outshone Russ as the Seahawks bested the Broncos 17-16. Smith completed 82 percent of his passes for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns. He stepped up in the pocket well, avoiding pressure while keeping his eyes downfield, he didn’t turn the ball over and he put his playmakers in situations to succeed.
Wilson performed well, completing 69 percent of his passes for 340 yards and 1 touchdown. It looked like the occasion didn’t get the better of him, but the Broncos’ offense was clearly hampered by the noise at Lumen Field. Ultimately, the Broncos are more likely to find success this season, but this one belongs to the Seahawks. And it’s an important win.
Saquon Barkley is BACK
The last two seasons haven’t been easy for Saquon Barkley, but the former 2nd overall pick looked as good as ever as the New York Giants shocked the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Injuries have slowed Barkley’s progress the last two years, but he looked like he was shot out of a cannon on Sunday. He rushed for 164 yards on just 18 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per carry, and adding a touchdown for good measure.
He looked like the Barkley of old. His balance on contact is impeccable and he just shrugs off defenders while at top speed. It’s only one game, but Barkley averaged a league-high 6.83 yards after contact, per PFF. He can do it all. He’s super effective as a pass catcher, he can run zone or power, and his vision is up there with the best. It all comes down to staying healthy, though. But the early signs are good. Barkley looks like he’s back. We’ll see in a few weeks if that’s the case.
No Tyreek Hill? No problem for Kansas City
The biggest storyline for the Chiefs this offseason was the loss of Tyreek Hill and how the offense would function without one of the NFL’s great playmakers. The Chiefs could still rely on Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and the front office added a few new faces at receiver, including Juju Smith-Schuster but Hill’s speed is one of one. The Chiefs would need to stylistically operate in new ways without him.
Well, so far, so good. Right? The Chiefs’ offense blew away the Cardinals on Sunday. Mahomes completed 77 percent of his passes for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns, throwing to nine different receivers in the process. Mahomes and Kelce’s connection was still the highlight for the Chiefs, with Kelce catching eight of his nine targets for 121 yards and a touchdown. That’ll be the key all season, but so far the signs are good. Mahomes continues to prove that he is the best quarterback in the NFL, piloting one of the best offenses in the NFL. They won’t slow down any time soon. Expect greatness once more.
T.J. Watt to miss an extended period of time
The Steelers had a strong start to the season on Sunday, winning 23-20 in overtime against the Bengals – but the win came at a cost. With seconds left in regulation, T.J. Watt attempted to sack Joe Burrow and left the field shortly after holding his chest. The worst was feared, and it was confirmed after the game that Watt had suffered a torn pectoral. Usually, that’s an injury that will knock a player out for the entire season.
Without Watt, the Steelers’ best player and the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, the defense will suffer. Watt finished with two pressures, a sack, an interception, and 5 defensive stops. He was a menace. Losing him for an entire season would be devastating for the entire league. Luckily, the Steelers got some good news on Tuesday. Watt had torn his pectoral, but the tear didn’t affect the tendon and wouldn’t require surgery.
Instead of missing the entire season, Watt would only miss around six weeks. Still an extended period of time, but not as bad as originally feared. The Steelers defense will have to cope without Watt for a while, and it’ll hurt, but he’ll be back in no time.
AFC West passing offenses excel
The wild, wild west. The AFC West is expected to be an arms race in 2022 – all four teams have reason to believe that they can contend for a Super Bowl. All four have high-powered passing offenses with great quarterbacks and, as expected, that shone through in Week 1. Per RBSDM, three of the West’s four offenses were top five in passing EPA per play.
Predictably, the Chiefs lead the NFL through Week 1 after their dismantling of the Cardinals. The Chargers and Broncos – despite their loss to the Seahawks – join the Chiefs in the top five after Herbert and Wilson combined for four touchdowns and over 600 yards passing. The Raiders struggled against the Chargers, with Derek Carr throwing three interceptions and completing under 60 percent of his passes, but this is a team still working out the kinks.
As long as all four quarterbacks are healthy, the AFC West will likely feature the NFL’s best passing offenses this season, especially if this week is any indication.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.