Photo credit: The Associated Press
Week one of the NFL season came and went. Let’s take a look at some of the big winners and big losers.
Winner: New England Patriots
The Patriots came into this matchup as 7.5-point underdogs, making them the biggest underdog of any team in week one. This was also the biggest week-one upset in terms of the spread since 2018 when Tampa Bay beat New Orleans.
Coming into the season, step number one for the Patriots offense was not turning the ball over. Jacoby Brissett didn’t exactly light the world on fire, completing 15/24 passes for 121 yards. But he played turnover-free football, rushing for 32 yards, including two key first downs.
I still think the lack of talent at the skill positions could make for a long season in Foxboro, but an unexpected win in Jerod Mayos’ coaching debut certainly makes them a big winner in week one.
Loser: Cincinnati Bengals
Laughable performance from the Bengals if we’re being honest. They moved to 1-8 in the first two weeks of the season since 2019.
What would concern me the most if I was a Bengals fan is how badly they were dominated in the trenches, on both sides of the ball. Given the fact Tee Higgins was inactive and Ja’Marr Chase hadn’t practiced much, I wasn’t expecting their offense to light it up. But there’s no excuse for their lackluster play up front.
I still think Cincinnati is a playoff team, but Sunday was a disastrous start for them, no two ways about it.
Loser: Cleveland Browns
A massacre took place on the banks of Lake Erie, with the Browns falling to the Cowboys 33-17.
I didn’t see a ton of this game, so I’ll skip the Xs and Os talk.
What I do know, is the Browns organization has gotten everything they’ve deserved with the signing of Deshaun Watson. They signed a serial predator, and it’s blown up right in their face. Watson hasn’t been good since joining the Browns. He hasn’t been average. He’s been awful. Sometimes you get what you deserve in life.
If his poor play persists, Cleveland will have no choice but to think about giving Jameis Winston a shot.
Winner: Chicago Bears
Granted the Titans gave them some gifts, but this was a nice week one win for the Bears.
Caleb Williams and their offense received the bulk of the attention surrounding their team in the offseason, but they found a way to win this game in other ways. They scored a touchdown on offense as well as special teams.