It is too early to determine if Oklahoma is a playoff contender despite their win over Michigan.
South Florida has built a strong playoff resume with early wins against Boise State and Florida.
The Big 12 and ACC conferences have had a difficult start to the season against non-conference opponents.

We’ve now seen most teams in college football’s top division in action at least twice. That’s still quite a small sample size, and given the high percentage of them who have thus far enjoyed a diet consisting entirely of cupcakes there aren’t a lot of meaningful conclusions to be drawn at this early stage.

Naturally, that doesn’t stop observers from doing just that. We’re here once again to help sort the overreactions from the true causes for concern or elation. This much we can say without fear of contradiction – there is no such thing as an uneventful week in this sport.

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Oklahoma is playoff bound

Slow down there, good buddy. The Sooners did win the lone showdown of ranked teams on this week’s schedule. While that might bode well for their second run through the SEC, there’s a lot we need to learn before the value of the Michigan victory can be fully assessed. First and foremost, Michigan is not projected to finish in the Big Ten’s top echelon. The OU defense made life difficult for touted Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood, but he is a true freshman who was making his first collegiate start away from home. The Sooners are going to encounter numerous passers with more game experience over the course of the long trek through the SEC.

Please don’t misunderstand. Sooners’ fans should absolutely enjoy the result. But we shouldn’t make bold pronouncements until we have more data.

South Florida already has a playoff resume

One would be hard pressed to name another team in the Bowl Subdivision that has accomplished more than the Bulls through the first two weeks of the campaign. By taking down Boise State and Florida, the Bulls have vanquished a primary challenger from another non-power conference and earned a rare triumph against the SEC. They have yet another chance for a splashy win at Miami next week, but even if the run ends there they’ll already have a case for the committee that will be hard for anyone in the so-called group-of-five to match.

That assumes, of course, that they go on to win the American, which isn’t going to be automatic even with their early success. USF’s league slate includes possible road traps at defending champion Memphis and Navy. We can say, though, that at this juncture the Bulls have the inside track and can definitely dare to dream.

Oregon should be ranked ahead of Penn State

Speaking of the Big Ten, most poll voters, media and coaches alike, are in agreement that Ohio State is rightly positioned as the No. 1 team. The Buckeyes are still the reigning national champions, after all, and the Week 1 win against Texas is the best result among the projected contenders. But it’s fair to wonder if the team slotted behind them is the correct one.

To be sure, neither Penn State nor Oregon have been in danger of losing. But the Ducks have arguably looked the part more than the Nittany Lions. The Oregon offense has resembled a high-powered sportscar, while Penn State’s has been more akin to a Diesel truck that takes longer to get up to speed. The Ducks furthermore have at least faced a member of another so-called power conference, albeit one that will likely finish near the bottom. The good news is neither fan base will have long to wait, as the argument will be settled on the field at the end of this month.

The Big 12 is terrible

Well, let’s just say it wasn’t a great day at the league office. It got off to a good start with Iowa State’s rivalry win against Iowa, and Baylor’s comeback victory at SMU was another bright spot. But five non-conference losses, including preseason favorite Arizona State’s stumble at Mississippi State – nobody’s idea of an SEC contender – capped a rough first couple of weeks for a conference already fighting for relevance in the expanded playoff era. It’s too early to doom the conference to one-bid status once again, but a path to multiple berths is getting harder to envision.

The ACC is worse

But the Big 12 can’t expect to receive any sympathy bouquets from ACC headquarters. SMU’s afore-mentioned double-OT setback against Baylor was part of a 0-5 week for the conference against the rest of the Power Four, a list that also includes Duke’s five-turnover self-immolation against Illinois and Virginia Tech’s second-half no-show against Vanderbilt. Those three results occurred on ACC home turf, making the collective pill even tougher to swallow. Clemson was able to avert disaster against Troy, but Tiger fans didn’t exactly leave Death Valley with a positive outlook either. The silver lining for the league is that Florida State and Miami still have those big wins from Week 1 in the bank.

In short, it’s been a rough couple of weeks for those hoping to challenge SEC and Big Ten dominance. It should, however, put to rest once and for all the notion that the top two leagues need guaranteed playoff spots. The at-large process will take care of itself.

There’s been a shift near the top of the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 football rankings: St. John Bosco’s (Bellflower, Calif.) victory over St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) pushed the west coast power into the top 3, with a chance to make a move toward No. 1 as the season progresses.

Corner Canyon’s (Draper, Utah) big win over Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.) pushed the Utah team up a spot, while Liberty had a quick in-and-out of the Super 25. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.), which had suffered a significant loss to St. Frances Academy earlier in the season, rectified itself with a victory over then-No. 7 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), the Lions reaffirming a top-15 presence.

Liberty and Folsom (Calif.), the latter of whom lost to then-No. 12 Mission Viejo (Calif.), both dropped out of the rankings. In their places comes Southlake Carroll (Texas), which has outscored opponents 84-7 through two games, and Centennial (Corona, Calif.), which re-enters the rankings ahead of its matchup against Mater Dei.

As high school football action moves to mid-September, here is the full Super 25:

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Record: 2-0

Previous rank: 1

Last result: Defeated Kahuku (Hawaii) 21-18

2. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 2

Last result: Defeated Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 35-14 (forfeit in Q3)

3. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 4

Last result: Defeated No. 3 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 21-14

4. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Record: 2-0

Previous rank: 5

Last result: DNP

5. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)

Record: 1-1

Previous rank: 3

Last result: Lost to No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 21-14

6. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 6

Last result: Defeated Mallard Creek (Charlotte, N.C.) 63-13

7. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 9

Last result: Defeated Roswell (Ga.) 65-21

8. Duncanville (Texas)

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 7

Last result: Defeated South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas) 35-28

9. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 10

Last result: Defeated No. 22 Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.) 45-14

10. Mission Viejo (Calif.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 12

Last result: Defeated No. 19 Folsom (Calif.) 53-14

11. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: 11

Last result: Defeated Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 42-7

12. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 17

Last result: Defeated Punahou (Honolulu, Hawaii) 45-0

13. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: 15

Last result: Defeated No. 7 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 28-24

14. North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas)

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 14

Last result: Defeated DeSoto (Texas) 36-27

15. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 13

Last result: Defeated West Boca Raton (Fla.) 21-14

16. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: 16

Last result: Defeated Tuscaloosa County (Northport, Ala.) 69-0

17. Edna Karr (New Orleans, La.)

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 18

Last result: Defeated Archbishop Shaw (Marrero, La.) 35-0

18. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

Record: 1-1

Previous rank: 7

Last result: Lost to No. 15 Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) 28-24

19. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)

Record: 2-0

Previous rank: 20

Last result: Defeated Junipero Serra (San Mateo, Calif) 26-0

20. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)

Record: 2-0

Previous rank: 21

Last result: Defeated Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 30-14

21. Carrollton (Ga.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 24

Last result: Defeated Lithia Springs (Ga.) 63-0

22. Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 23

Last result: Defeated East Forsyth (Kernersville, N.C.) 48-21

23. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: 25

Last result: Defeated Highland (Palmdale, Calif.) 45-13

24. Southlake Carroll (Texas)

Record: 2-0

Previous rank: NR

Last result: Defeated Hebron (Carrollton, Texas) 35-7

25. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: NR

Last result: Defeated Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) 42-6

Super 25 watchlist

East St. Louis (Ill.)
Brownsburg (Ind.)
Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)
Gainesville (Ga.)
Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)

Week 1 of the NFL season, like most weeks, brought plenty of surprises. We saw boom performances from unexpected players and bust performances from several so-called studs. Things always feel magnified after the opening week because that’s all we have to evaluate.

You should not overreact and try to trade away Joe Burrow or Ja’Marr Chase after one poor game. Still, plenty of fantasy football managers will swap them for slightly lesser stars at the first sign of trouble. Stay patient!

As a reminder, here’s how some notable players performed after Week 1 last season:

Chase Brown: 5.3 PPR points
Tyrone Tracy: 1.7
Drake London: 3.5
Terry McLaurin: 3.7
Mark Andrews: 3.4
Joe Burrow: 8.1

Nobody wants to see these types of games from star players. But if it happened in Week 6 after five strong weeks, no one would blink.

That said, here are some players worth buying or selling after the NFL’s opening weekend.

Fantasy football players to buy in Week 2

RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

After an offseason where we had a million questions about the Jacksonville backfield, we have our answer.

Etienne had 16 carries to a combined eight by Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten. He also caught all three targets, while the other two saw none.

Don’t expect 143 yards rushing from Etienne each week, and he is not a slam dunk RB1. But you should still be able to get him cheap enough, even if he only ends up as a weekly RB2 or flex play.

RB Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

This week was a massive disappointment for Walker, with 24 total yards on 10 carries and three receptions.

Yes, the workload split with Zach Charbonnet was bigger than in years past, but remember Walker missed much of the preseason with an injury. That likely explains why he played just 57% of the early-down snaps.

If a manager in your league is panicking because Charbonnet had more carries, jump at the chance to buy low.

WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

The internet was buzzing after the Thursday night game where A.J. Brown didn’t see his first target until late in the fourth quarter and had a 0% win rate.

There are no easy answers as to why Brown performed so poorly. Perhaps it was the lingering hamstring issue, maybe the Cowboys defense is actually good. (OK, probably not that.) Maybe the run game was working too well. Who knows?

Either way, don’t panic. Brown is too talented a receiver to worry about one bad game, no matter how bad it was.

WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Collins was a first-round pick in most leagues and let a lot of people down in Week 1. Only three catches for 33 yards might have them looking elsewhere.

Good news: Nico is still elite.

Bad news: The Texans offensive line is still bad and C.J. Stroud struggled because of it.

Despite that, Stroud was able to make Collins a WR1 when healthy last season.  Bank on that happening again.

RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

There was a ton of hype this preaseason around Henderson being the Patriots running back to roster.

We knew, or at least we thought we knew, he would be the third-down back. Oddly enough, the rookie did not play much on third down over Rhamondre Stevenson or Antonio Gibson, but still caught all six targets, showing off his skills there.

It might take a few weeks, but the cream should rise to the top, and Henderson will be the more heavily used back very soon. Now is the time to get in while his price is at its lowest all season.

Detroit Lions offense

There is no denying this was a bad first game for the Lions following the departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

But if anyone in your league is panicking over bad games from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs or David Montgomery, it’s time to go get them on the cheap.

This offense brought in John Morton, who worked with Johnson in the past, so they should be able to get back on track. It is also very possible that the Packers defense is legit now that they have Micah Parsons.

Fantasy football players to sell in Week 2

RB Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys

A total of 20.4 fantasy points looks pretty good. But let’s put it into perspective.

1. He rushed 15 times (good) for 54 yards, 3.6 yards per carry (bad).

2. He scored two touchdowns (good).

3. The Eagles lost Jalen Carter early in the game.

4. Jaydon Blue was inactive.

Williams is the Cowboys’ current RB1, but it will be difficult to reproduce a TD-heavy performance like this once rookie Blue gets up to speed.

RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

This one is simple.

We heard all offseason that this backfield would be close to a 50/50 split between Conner and Trey Benson. In Week 1, we didn’t see the even split, but Benson was more productive on a per-touch basis. It’s only a matter of time before this becomes the new reality.

WR Deebo Samuel, Washington Commanders

Samuel appears to be happy, healthy and productive with his new team.

That said, Week 1 could well be his best game of the season.

Terry McLaurin was clearly rusty, but will come around soon. Yes, Samuel scored on a run play, but the Commanders are not going to use him much in that role, so you can’t rely on that moving forward.

WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins were miserable against a Colts defense that was below average last season.

Hill and Jaylen Waddle both underwhelmed, and it didn’t help that Malik Washington saw five targets as well, the same as Waddle and one fewer than Hill.

The only player worth rostering from this offense going forward is De’Von Achane, and that doesn’t feel great either knowing he needed a garbage-time touchdown to save his day.

WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Leaving Sunday as the No.1 WR for the week, it’s time to sell Flowers as fast as you can.

Is he talented? Yes. But, as the F6P podcast has noted repeatedly, he’s just not consistent enough.

This is mostly due to playing in an offense with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, who dominate touches. Also, the Ravens defense is elite so the offense usually doesn’t need to pass enough to keep Flowers involved.

The NFL is back – to being injured.

We’re not even a week into the regular season and there are already a bunch of wounded players to monitor going foward. It doesn’t matter if you’re a star or a player just signed off the practice squad, the injury bug comes for all – and no repellent will prevent it.

Some big names were forced out of action in Week 1, with varying degrees of severity.

For some, like Brock Bowers, fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief. For others, like Xavier Worthy, there is more concern.

Injuries are inevitable in the NFL but managing them successfully can make your fantasy team a championship contender. Here’s a look at the key injuries that are threatening to impact Week 2 in fantasy football.

Fantasy football injury updates: Week 1

WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

Worthy suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. It only took three plays before the second-year receiver collided with Travis Kelce, forcing him out. The receiver is still undergoing tests and it’s unclear how much time he’ll miss.

Initial reports have indicated that Worthy could be sidelined for weeks, or potentially the remainder of the season if surgery becomes necessary. The most likely scenario is for Worthy to wear a brace on his shoulder and return this season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Chiefs’ receiver room takes a major hit without Worthy, leaving JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton to step up alongside Hollywood Brown. Rashee Rice’s future fantasy stock gets a huge boost if Worthy is gone for an extended period, however. Rice is suspended for the first six games but instantly jumps to WR1 status upon his return.

WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

London was diagnosed with a shoulder sprain after exiting in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s contest. The receiver landed hard on his shoulder with 2:28 remaining in the game and did not return, but London appears to have avoided a serious injury.

He is officially listed as day-to-day, meaning there is a chance he suits up for ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. The 24-year-old remains Atlanta’s top receiving option and hauled in a team-high eight catches for 55 yards in Week 1.

WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

Jennings departed Sunday’s contest with a shoulder injury and did not return. There isn’t a clear moment when the receiver suffered the injury, but he was having his left arm worked on by the medical staff while on the sidelines.

He is slated to have an MRI, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The 49ers are already without George Kittle, who suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the game, and Brandon Aiyuk, who is recovering from a torn ACL. San Francisco is no stranger to injuries, but their depth is being tested early.

TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders star exited Sunday’s contest against the New England Patriots with a knee injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. However, the tight end did deliver some good news after the game.

TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Kittle was forced out of action in the first half on Sunday in Seattle and ultimately ruled out with a hamstring injury. The star tight end was off to a good start in the 2025 season, hauling in four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown in his limited action.

He is slated for an MRI, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, shifting the focus to how long a potential absence could last. Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges are the two remaining healthy tight ends, meaning they likely would split Kittle’s workload. Tonges recorded his first career catch after Kittle’s departure. The 2022 undrafted free agent hauled in three catches for 15 yards and the game-winning touchdown. Out of the two, Tonges appears to be the preferable fantasy option if Kittle misses time.

TE Evan Engram, Denver Broncos

Engram left Sunday’s game with a calf injury and was listed as questionable to return. However, he did not return to game action as the Broncos avoided a Week 1 upset to the Tennessee Titans.

It’s unclear when the injury occurred and the extent of it, meaning Engram will be one to monitor as the week goes along.

Rodgers’ Steelers and Parsons’ Packers both collected statement wins in their debuts.
Speaking of players on the move, Colts QB Daniel Jones managed something Peyton Manning never did for his new squad.
Some high-profile rookies didn’t exactly light it up, though one propelled his team to victory.

The 32 things we learned from Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. The number of career receptions – entering Sunday – by San Francisco 49ers TE Jake Tonges. But, filling in for injured star George Kittle, Tonges had three grabs in Seattle, including a game-winning 4-yard TD snag, in the Niners’ 17-13 defeat of the Seahawks.

1. As in still No. 1. If the Philadelphia Eagles can win Super Bowl 60 next February, it would mark just the second time in league history that there would be back-to-back back-to-back Super Bowl champions, the lone occurrence as of now being when the 1974-75 champion Pittsburgh Steelers followed the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins. Philly started its quest with a 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, making defending champions 21-5 since 2000 in regular-season openers directly following a Super Sunday triumph.

1a. As in the fresh jersey number worn by newly obtained Green Bay Packers DE Micah Parsons, who was also undoubtedly the No. 1 story of the offseason following his shocking trade from the Cowboys. In Parsons’ Pack debut, creaky back and all, he registered a fourth-quarter sack of QB Jared Goff – and pressured him twice, per PFF – in Green Bay’s 27-13 statement rout of the Detroit Lions, NFC North champs the past two seasons.

2. The number of wins the Cincinnati Bengals have collectively in Weeks 1 and 2 since Zac Taylor became their head coach in 2019, a figure that includes Sunday’s 17-16 squeaker over the Cleveland Browns.

2a. The last time the Bengals won in Week 1, in 2021, they eventually reached Super Bowl 56.

3rd. As in new Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is the third-oldest player (41 years, 279 days) to throw at least four TD passes in a game, joining Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Rodgers’ new team barely survived his former one, the New York Jets, in a 34-32 thriller at MetLife Stadium.

3a. The game was also Rodgers’ 28th with at least four touchdown passes and no interceptions, matching Brady’s record.

3b. Opposed by new Jets QB Justin Fields, who also had a nice debut, the game was the first in league history with quarterbacks opposing each other in Week 1 playing against teams that they’d started the opener for the previous year.

4. Sunday night’s meeting between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills marked the fifth time the reigning league MVP (Bills QB Josh Allen) faced his predecessor (Ravens QB Lamar Jackson) in Week 1. It also happened last year when Jackson played against the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. Prior to that, such a matchup hadn’t occurred since 2000, when eventual Hall of Famers Kurt Warner and Terrell Davis squared off.

4a. And yet that kind of pregame hype couldn’t live up to a contest, miraculously won 41-40 by the Bills on a game-ending field goal from replacement K Matt Prater, 41, that almost undoubtedly be in the conversation for game of the season five months hence. Buffalo scored 16 points in the last four minutes to pull out the win in the final opening night in Highmark Stadium’s history.

5. The number of quarterbacks, since 1990, to make their starting debuts on Monday night, assuming the Minnesota Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy does so against the Chicago Bears to cap Week 1. The man McCarthy is replacing, Sam Darnold, is also on that (pretty solid) list, joined by Brian Griese, Philip Rivers and Rodgers.

6. The number of Week 1 wins the Los Angeles Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh has … in six NFL seasons as a head coach (including four with the San Francisco 49ers) after the Bolts took down the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil on Friday night. No one in the league’s 106 seasons has more without a loss.

7. The number of scoring drives – in seven possessions – led by newly installed Indianapolis Colts QB1 Daniel Jones in a 33-8 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins. Jones, who ran for two TDs and passed for one, became the first QB in the 21st century to lead his team to points on that many drives without suffering a scoreless one. Of course he did. Wildest stat of the weekend.

8. The number of points scored by Miami, the second fewest of any team in Week 1 with just one game left to play. Fins HC Mike McDaniel’s hot seat just had gas poured all over it.

8a. The Dolphins had 43 yards in the first half … while the Colts ran 43 plays.

9. The last time the Colts won in Week 1? How about 2013, when Andrew Luck was their second-year quarterback.

9a. Good thing Colts S Cam Bynum still celebrates like no other.

10. The number of NFL quarterbacks – ever – who have passed for 60,000 career yards. The Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford joined their ranks Sunday, his brittle back absorbing three sacks in a 14-9 defeat of the Houston Texans.

10a. The number of touches Deebo Samuel had in his debut with the Washington Commanders. He led the team with seven receptions for 77 yards (on a team-high 10 targets), returned a pair of kickoffs and iced a 21-6 victory with a 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. All told, 146 all-purpose yards.

11. Yards covered by Steelers WR DK Metcalf on Sunday’s clutchest catch – one that ricocheted off of him and then right back on Pittsburgh’s game-winning field-goal drive.

12. And how about Steelers K Chris Boswell drilling the game-winning shot from 60 yards? Yeah, 60 yards is so passé. Wake us up when there’s a 70-yarder that counts, y’all.

13. Both the number of penalties and points produced by the New Orleans Saints in Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Saints do know Arch Manning apparently isn’t entering the draft next year, right? (To the extent he’d be the No. 1 pick anyway …)

14. Additionally, the Saints’ new (old?) ‘Gameday Golds’ jerseys also rendered them unwatchable.

15. Believe it or not, Sunday was the first time the Saints had lost their opener since 2018.

16. The final snap count for Jacksonville Jaguars ballyhooed rookie WR/CB Travis Hunter? How about 45 (six on defense) … about 40% what he did at Colorado, where the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner averaged about 112 per game.

17. Hunter’s Jags rolled over the Carolina Panthers 26-10, thanks in large part to third-year Carolina QB Bryce Young, who’s now 0-3 on opening day with a passer rating of 44.2 Young has never thrown for as many as 200 yards in Week 1 and hasn’t completed 50% of his passes over the course of those three games.

18. As Young was in 2023, the Tennessee Titans’ Cam Ward looked every bit the overwhelmed rookie quarterback drafted No. 1 overall … by a bad team. Ward was sacked six times, passed for just 112 yards, and the Tennessee offense generated just 133 in a 20-12 loss to the Denver Broncos in one of the weekend’s more unsightly contests.

18a. Since 2000, the 17 quarterbacks drafted first overall are 1-15-1.

19. The number of carries by Las Vegas Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty on Sunday … for 38 yards. This ain’t the Mountain West, Boss, and we haven’t forgotten your preseason proclamation that you’ve “arrived.”

20. But props to the Silver and Black and first-year coach Pete Carroll – now the NFL’s oldest head coach of all time (73 years, 357 days as of Sunday) – for notching a 20-13 victory in New England against the Patriots, one of Carroll’s former teams.

21. Carroll and the Jaguars’ Liam Coen were the only head coaches (among seven) to enjoy victorious debuts with their new teams, though Chicago’s Ben Johnson could still join them Monday night.

22. The Jets-Steelers game was effectively decided when new Pittsburgh DB Jalen Ramsey dislodged the ball from NYJ WR Garrett Wilson on fourth down of Gang Green’s final offensive play as they were trying to get into position for a game-winning field-goal try. The nice part – and sportsmanship is an emphasis league-wide in 2025 – was seeing them congratulate one another just mere minutes after the pivotal sequence.

23. Rookie of the week? Here’s a vote for Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka, who caught a pair of TD passes in his NFL debut, including the game-winning 25 yarder in the final minute as the Bucs outlasted the division rival Atlanta Falcons, who swept the perennial NFC South champs in 2024, 23-20.

23a. Egbuka, Wilson, Arizona’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba all had big games Sunday − further evidence that Ohio State has become Wide Receiver U.

24. The Atlanta-Tampa Bay game also served as a reminder that kickers can be very rusty out of the gate. The Bucs’ Chase McLaughlin missed a PAT and 44-yard field goal, while the Falcons’ Younghoe Koo misfired on a 44-yard FG try – the game would have been tied had he connected and likely gone into overtime – on Atlanta’s final play.

25. In addition to McLaughlin’s and Koo’s travails, the Ravens’ Tyler Loop, Chiefs’ Harrison Butker, Saints’ Blake Grupe, Browns’ Andre Szmyt and Patriots’ Andy Borregales all had big misses in defeat.

26. Talk about throwing it into reverse. On the heels of a spectacular preseason, the Giants lived down to the regular-season expectations most had for them about a month ago. No one encapsulated that more than rookie RB Cam Skattebo, whose first two NFL runs both went for negative yardage.

27. Big Blue fans who couldn’t wait to get rid of Jones will likely now be calling for Russell Wilson’s head – and rookie Jaxson Dart’s ascension – any minute now after their team was embarrassed by the Commanders 21-6 on Sunday. Wilson, 36, completed 17 of 37 passes for 168 yards in a very lackluster Giants debut.

28. Yet it must be noted that the Giants stink in Week 1 under coach Brian Daboll. Per OptaSTATS, they’re the first team since World War II to be held without a touchdown in three consecutive openers.

29. Ward is the sixth quarterback drafted No. 1 overall since 2019. Among that group – which also includes Young, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence – only the Bears’ Caleb Williams won a Week 1 start.

30. Tough loss for the Browns, who have dropped two in a row to the Bengals in Cleveland after winning six straight at home against their cross-state rivals. The Browns should have had another victory Sunday after bottling up Burrow and outgaining the Bengals by nearly 200 yards. But two turnovers plus a missed PAT and FG (36-yard attempt) by Szmyt proved too much to overcome.

31. Thought Week 1 was good? Don’t forget Week 2 will feature a Super Bowl 59 rematch between Philadelphia and Kansas City, the Chiefs hosting it Arrowhead Stadium as they desperately try to avoid an 0-2 start.

32. Though Jones was the story on the field, the story of a victorious day in Indianapolis was the induction of late owner Jim Irsay into the team’s Ring of Honor. Irsay was the Colts’ controlling owner for nearly three decades until his death in May. He spent his entire adult life working in the organization and oversaw its only Super Bowl victory since it relocated to Indianapolis in 1984. His is quite a legacy, and one that won’t be merely remembered for his football accomplishments.