The Eagles just know how to win football games. Even with the Commanders driving for a possible game-tying score, it felt like Philadelphia would make the play to put the game away. 

They eventually did. 

It came on a Washington two-point conversion attempt that would have put the game into overtime. Jayden Daniels flipped the ball to tight end John Bates, who was immediately wrapped up by Moro Ojomo well short of the end zone, sealing a 24-22 home win to open the season. 

The game didn’t feel as close as the score implies. The Eagles offense generated most of the big plays in the game, and they had their way with a new Washington offense. It was less of a statement and more of a reminder that the NFC East still goes through Philadelphia. 

Here are my takeaways:

1.

The highs were certainly high. 

Jalen Hurts threw three touchdowns and hit a couple deep balls to lead the Eagles on four scoring drives, but the offense stalled out for the stretches in between those big plays. The new offense under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion didn’t feel all that different from the offenses we’ve seen in Philadelphia the past few seasons. 

The first touchdown drive was sparked by Mannion’s play calling. Hurts threw a beautiful deep ball to Dontayvion Wicks off play-action, beating Washington’s busted coverage for 64 yards. 

Wicks beat Mike Sainristil for a second time on Philly’s second touchdown. Sainristil was cheating inside, allowing Wicks to cross him up badly. Hurts just had to float the ball to the back corner of the end zone. 

Hurts connected with Smith on another deep ball and found Goedert up the middle for a catch-and-run that extended the Eagles’ lead in the fourth quarter. Outside of those plays, Hurts struggled to find open receivers downfield. If not for a few miracle scrambles by Hurts, the Eagles offense may have stalled out completely in the second half. 

Philadelphia’s new run game — built around outside zone run plays from under center — needs more work. Barkley’s runs from under center produced just 2.3 yards per pop, and his one explosive run came on an inside zone run from the gun, a staple of the old offense. 

It wasn’t effective on its own, but the run game served another purpose against Washington. It took the teeth out of the Commanders’ pass rush and kept Hurts in clean pockets, which he used to hit those downfield shots. Those were nice, but the run game was concerningly inefficient outside of Barkley’s 42-yarder, and the big plays came on coverage mistakes by Washington.  

The big plays were enough to grind out a close win against a mediocre team, but will it be enough going forward? We need to see how this new Eagles offense looks against a playoff-level defense to get a true sense of their capabilities. That first real test won’t come for a few more weeks, with matchups against the Titans and Bears, who gave up 35 to Carolina, up next on the schedule. The Rams will visit them in Philly in Week 4.

2.

Maybe that’s an overreaction after a game against an elite defense, but the season-opening loss in Philadelphia confirmed what many had speculated about Washington’s offense all summer: the Commanders haven’t put enough around Jayden Daniels. And with the third-year quarterback hitting his extension window, he won’t be playing on a discounted rookie contract for much longer, making it even more difficult to surround him with talent when he’s taking up a bigger chunk of the cap. 

Daniels could have been better himself, but Washington’s offense provided him with no margin for error. He was on the run for most of the game. When the Eagles weren’t getting quick pressure, Washington’s receivers were struggling to separate from Philadelphia’s secondary. He was pressured on half of his dropbacks and averaged just 1.7 yards per play under duress, per Next Gen Stats. 

New offensive coordinator David Blough was expected to install a new offense, built around heavier personnel and fewer spread formations, but the Commanders couldn’t move the ball without resorting to tactics from the old offense. The offense started to produce once Blough put Daniels in the gun, spread things out, and let him play up-tempo. But even when things were “working,” Daniels had to grind. 

Daniels didn’t get much help, but he’s not totally blameless for the disappointing performance of the offense. He did little to elevate his teammates on Sunday. Outside of one ridiculous scramble, that featured a double spin move, Daniels didn’t make many plays with his legs. He scrambled for only one first down. Before getting hot in the fourth quarter, Daniels squandered the few downfield opportunities his receivers gave him. If this Washington offense is going to be better, its quarterback will have to be better. But he sure could use some help. 

3.

Even if the offense has plenty of room for improvement, Philadelphia showed why it still belongs on any shortlist of contenders. The Eagles defense has been one of the best units of the past two seasons, and it might be even better in 2026. It looked the part in Sunday’s win over Washington. 

I’m giving general manager Howie Roseman the credit for the improvement. He added cornerback Riq Woolen, who had been cast off by the Seahawks, in hopes of patching up the one hole that remained on the unit. Based on the first game of Woolen’s Philly tenure, the hole at the CB2 spot is officially patched. He surrendered just one catch for a single yard in his debut. The rest of the Eagles secondary played to its lofty standards, as well. 

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter dominated the trenches and spearheaded an Eagles pass rush that made Daniels’ life miserable. There’s a lot of pressure on Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. to produce on the edges, and they responded with 13 combined pressures in the opener. Philadelphia did that without its other big defensive addition, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who missed the game with an injured pectoral. 

We haven’t even gotten to the best player in Sunday’s game, linebacker Zach Baun. The All-Pro linebacker made plays all over the field.

The Eagles can dominate a game at all three levels of the defense, which will come in handy in January. 

3 ½. What’s Next?

The Eagles get a bit of a reprieve from the NFC grind with a trip to Tennessee next week. The Titans looked first-overall-pick bad on Sunday, and their defense could be exactly what this Philadelphia offense needs to break out. It needs to sharpen up quickly, with games against the Bears and Rams rounding out the first month. By the end of that stretch, we’ll know if this team is ready to compete for a title or if it’s due for another roller-coaster season. 

Washington’s season may already be on the brink of collapse with a trip to Dallas next week and a visit from the Seahawks following that. Teams rarely climb out of an 0-2 hole to make the playoffs. An 0-3 start, and it might be time to start looking toward the draft.

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Week 2 got dicey for some folks, didn’t it?

In Week 1, after Oregon barely bested Boise State, I wrote, “Duck fans have to be slightly alarmed at that performance.” 

That alarm went off in Week 2, with the Ducks falling at unranked Oklahoma State. With that, they are out of my top 10.

Rankings time.

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10.

Last Week: NR
To Make CFP: +164
Title Odds: +2500

Look at the final vs. Arizona State and one might think this was a straightforward win for the Aggies. Um, not so much. It was a 24-20 game in the fourth and then A&M got two fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns in a 24-point fourth quarter. A&M was outgained by 114 yards (it only had 255), but benefited from four ASU turnovers and the fact it committed only one penalty. Those 35 carries for 92 yards had all the markings of a team that was replacing its entire OL.nA&M will get a shot at getting better against Kentucky this week before heading to Baton Rouge. 

9.

LW: 10
To Make CFP: +144
Title Odds: +2800

Total domination in the second half at Kentucky. The defense made life miserable for Kenny Minchey and the Cats. Now, UK is probably the second-worst team in the SEC, so let’s not pencil the Tide in for a Playoff berth just yet — but that was a very positive step. Next up, revenge for an embarrassing loss at Florida State last season. 

8.

LW: NR
To Make CFP: +150
Title Odds: +2700

A sweat-free warm-up vs. Charlotte to prep for the main event this week against their former head coach. I think that win against Louisville in the opener is going to look pretty good by year’s end.

7.

LW: 5
To Make CFP: -146
Title Odds: +1100

Well, that was a little scary at halftime Saturday night. Maybe not in a sense that the Tigers were gonna lose, but Sam Leavitt wasn’t good in the first half. Water reached its proper level in the second half, but there might be a few more questions about the LSU offense as it heads to Oxford for the weekend’s biggest game/a circus atmosphere.

6.

LW: 8
To Make CFP: -380
Title Odds: +950

Poor Western Kentucky. Last week Georgia and now a trip to Indiana. We won’t learn much about the Hoosiers until their trip to Lincoln on Oct. 10, but early returns bring expectations of a third straight Playoff trip.

5.

LW: 7
To Make CFP: -800
Title Odds: +650

Rice was predictably no match for the Irish, who had a nice run of Big Ten and ACC bottom feeders to get their new weapons some run prior to the trip to BYU.

4.

LW: 3
To Make CFP: -290
Title Odds: +510

The Buckeyes probably should have won that game Saturday night, but they still have everything to play for, obviously. I’d expect OSU to enter that at Indiana/at USC/Oregon stretch at 5-1 and that’s when we’ll see if the Buckeyes can navigate just one loss. I’m not dropping OSU too far after losing a road game at one of the best teams in the country. I guess if we’re nit-picking, we’d like to see another wide receiver emerge outside of Jeremiah Smith, and the defense might need a few more disruptors, but that’s to be expected early on with a nearly completely new unit.

3.

LW: 4
To Make CFP: -380
Title Odds: +680

Two non-competitive games against completely overmatched opponents, but unlike previous years, Kirby Smart has shown no mercy in piling it on. And that’s fine, as those backups and walk-ons deserve to play and execute the playbook. A road trip to the worst team in the SEC (Arkansas) and then a home game against Oklahoma awaits.

2.

LW: 2
To Make CFP: -600
Title Odds: +800

Miami fans got to see a glimpse of the future Thursday night as the second half saw the entire bench get emptied. The first half saw scary execution by Darian Mensah — who has more touchdowns than incompletions on the year – and big plays from everyone on offense. The Canes at least have a road conference win in addition to the blowout of an FCS opponent, so we’ll slide them over Georgia for that reason. The Canes hit the road again this week for another conference game at Wake Forest, whose offense has been pretty good early on in the season. It would be a surprise if Miami didn’t take an undefeated mark into the Nov. 7 trip to Notre Dame.

1.

LW: 1 
To Make CFP: -370
Title Odds: +650

Massive comeback by the Longhorns on Saturday night in a game in which they could have taken an early lead, but suffered some fluky turnovers. I’m not sold Texas is better than OSU on a neutral field. If the two play 10 times, each will probably win five. But the Horns won the biggest game of the year so far and deserve all the flowers. Big picture, the win is massive, as Texas now has a huge non-conference win in its pocket as it gets ready for SEC play.

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Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert and the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense will get much of the shine following their 24-22 season-opening victory over the Washington Commanders, but it was a dependable force on their defense who really showed out in Sunday’s win.

Linebacker Zack Baun had another stellar performance in the season-opener, logging a game-high 12 tackles, two passes defensed and a tackle for loss. As a result, Tom Brady named him as his LFG Player of the Game, saying that Baun was already in midseason form. 

And Baun repaid the love to Brady. 

“Thank you very much, Tom. Keep calling my games,” Baun said with excitement. “Let’s f—ing go!”

Sunday marked Baun’s second LFG Player of the Game honor, winning the award last season when he helped the Eagles beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. Philadelphia is also 9-3 in the 12 games that Brady has called since the start of the 2024 season, including its Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

One of those nine victories also came against the Commanders in the 2024 NFC Championship Game. But Washington has changed a good bit since that loss. The Commanders swapped offensive coordinators this offseason, with David Blough replacing Kliff Kingsbury. 

That change didn’t bring the result the Commanders were hoping for, at least in Sunday’s game. The Eagles held the Commanders to 295 yards of offense, and quarterback Jayden Daniels had a sub-50% completion percentage for much of the day. 

Still, Baun acknowledged that facing a team with a new offensive coordinator in their first game presented a bit of a challenge. 

“With a new offensive coordinator they’ve got, you don’t really know what to expect,” Baun told Brady. “They can go with this offense, or they have a background in this offense. So, you’ve got to prepare for it all. Luckily, it was the first game, so we had a lot of time to do that. But we came out and showed effort, energy and got the dub.”

While questions have consistently surrounded the Eagles’ offense over the last few seasons, their defense has been reliable, thanks to players like Baun. Philadelphia was fifth in scoring defense last season after finishing second in scoring defense a year prior. 

Baun credited the preparation from Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for helping Philadelphia’s defense open the year strong. 

“Every year, it starts with the fundamentals — grinding, grinding, grinding,” Baun told Brady. “How are we tackling? How are we helping each other in coverage? How are we communicating? All of that, so, I thought it was pretty good today. Of course, there’s always some stuff for improvement.”

Not every element of Baun’s outing on Sunday was perfect, though. In the second quarter, he hauled in a pass from Daniels that should’ve been an interception. But Baun wasn’t able to get his feet down inbounds for the pick. 

Brady and Baun had a good laugh over the play after the game.

“We do catch work every day, working on the toe drag,” Baun told Brady. “I think the ball was just too far. I had no shot at that one. But I caught it.”

Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Philadelphia Eagles’ Zack Baun Week 1 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

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The Eagles narrowly defeated their division rival Commanders thanks to a failed 2-point conversion attempt by Washington late in the game.

When asked about the Commanders’ decision to go for two at the end, Tom Brady didn’t hold back on his opinion of the failed conversion, questioning the play call that came up empty and ultimately cost Washington the game.

“If it was a shovel pass to you, [Gronk], I would like it a lot more than to Bates. I think they just have other go-to guys on this team, and then the whole game is going to come down to one play. It’s going to come down to one player,” Brady said on “The OT.”

With just over a minute remaining, Jayden Daniels found Antonio Williams for a touchdown that had the Commanders within striking distance, needing only a 2-point conversion to tie the game that wound up sealing the victory for the Eagles.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion pointed to Jayden Daniels’ options and said this will likely be a lesson to learn from in the future.

“So obviously, having the ball in Jayden Daniels’ hands with multiple options, I always love that. I think that’s something David Blough learns from in the future,” Brady added.

It wasn’t the first 2-point conversion controversy of the day for Washington. Earlier in the game, Stefon Diggs’ touchdown celebration drew a 15-yard penalty that forced the Commanders to kick the extra point rather than go for two, a sequence that loomed as the game slipped away in the final minutes.

Daniels took accountability for the penalty after the game and added Washington likely would have gone for two had it not been for it.

“That’s on me for not reiterating that in the huddle, we just got to be smart. There’s a time and place for everything and celebrations. I’m pretty sure at that point we would’ve went for two,” Daniels said. “We had a potential to score on the play while we’re in the huddle and just reiterating when we score, we’re going for two.”

The failed conversion proved costly, as Philadelphia held on for the 24-22 win to open the season.

Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns to Dallas Goedert and added another to Dontayvion Wicks in his Eagles debut, giving Philadelphia enough offense to withstand a late Washington push and start 1-0.

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Leaders are supposed to take accountability, sometimes even if a mistake wasn’t their fault.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels took accountability for Stefon Diggs’ costly penalty after their 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, revealing the team likely would have gone for two earlier in the game had the celebration penalty not forced them to kick the extra point instead.

Daniels said the mistake fell on him for not making sure the offense was prepared for the situation as the team’s quarterback and captain.

“You just got to be smarter, we’ve got to know situational football. That’s on me for not reiterating that in the huddle, we just got to be smart,” Daniels said after the game. “There’s a time and place for everything and celebrations.”

Diggs’ touchdown catch in the third quarter helped Washington cut Philadelphia’s lead to 17-15 early in the fourth quarter, but a 15-yard penalty for his celebration near the goal post pushed the Commanders back and forced them to settle for one point rather than attempt a 2-point try. Diggs’ touchdown also marked Daniels’ first touchdown pass of the season.

The penalty loomed large in the final minutes, when Washington needed a two-point conversion of its own to tie the game and came up short. Daniels connected with Antonio Williams late in the fourth quarter on a throw that was confirmed by video review before the failed 2-point attempt on a shovel pass.

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Daniels went on to confirm that the penalty changed Washington’s plan after Diggs’ touchdown.

“I’m pretty sure at that point we would’ve went for two, we had to settle for the extra point, but as the leader and the captain man I put that on myself for not reiterating that in the huddle knowing that we had a potential to score on the play while we’re in the huddle and just reiterating when we score, we’re going for two,” Daniels said.

The Commanders ultimately fell short in their bid for a season-opening win, dropping their rematch with the Eagles to start 0-1.

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It was an exciting Week 1 of the NFL with big wins and breakout performances from new and veteran stars. 

The Jaguars pulled out a dominant 34-10 win over the Browns and the Jets started the year in the win column, defeating the Titans 24-10. Additionally, first-year head coaches including Baltimore’s Jesse Minter and Buffalo’s Joe Brady secured their first wins as head coaches.

Whether it was shocking injury news to key starters or electric postgame speeches, Week 1 delivered. 

Here’s everything that happened from Week 1 of the NFL season:

Ravens Potentially Down Two Receivers After Win Over Colts

In wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane’s debut in a Ravens jersey and Zay Flowers’ coming off a massive contract extension, both exited Baltimore’s game early with injuries. 

Lane was sidelined with a right wrist injury and Flowers’ departed with a hamstring injury that started as questionable to return, which quickly progressed into being ruled out. Flowers’ injury has been ongoing from weeks prior, when he was sidelined for two weeks of practice due to the irritating hamstring injury. After fully suiting for this past Friday’s practice, Flowers’ production translated to five catches for 150 yards and one touchdown.

For Lane – Baltimore’s third-round NFL Draft pick from USC – his first game in the NFL was cut short, finishing the day with one reception on three targets and 11 receiving yards. Lane’s debut also saw a touchdown reception, but was negated by a penalty. Lane left the field early with a wrist injury and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game. 

After the Ravens 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore will host the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.

In his first start for the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Kyler Murray’s time under center was cut short due to a head injury. When Murray took off in an attempt at a first down, Murray went head first to kill the play, and was hit by a pair of Packer defenders to the head. Murray was quickly attended to and exited the field. 

After evaluation, the quarterback was ruled out for the day with a concussion. Murray’s injury now gave way for backup quarterback Carson Wentz to take the field. Wentz started five games last season while quarterback J.J. McCarthy was dealing with an ongoing ankle injury.

Through an ongoing quarterback competition between McCarthy and Murray, Murray ultimately landed the starting job on Aug. 11. Now, the Vikings will turn to Wentz for future competition under center as Murray is sidelined.

Todd Monken Reacts To The Browns’ Blowout Loss

In the Cleveland Browns opener on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns took a 34-10 loss, with their first touchdown of the day coming in the final two minutes of the game. 

Following the loss, head coach Todd Monken reacted to the performance of quarterback Deshaun Watson, as well as the quality of coaching throughout the game.

“I’m sure as hell not firing me,” Monken said in the Browns’ postgame presser. “I’m not firing our staff. I’m not getting rid of all our players. He happens to be one of 53. So, we’ll evaluate everything. We just didn’t play good enough … didn’t coach well enough.”

Watson finished the day completing 16-of-22 passes, 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Notably, Watson was sacked a total of five times. The Browns now turn to a road matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. 

Joe Brady Delivers Epic Post-Win Speech … Shirtless

The Bills’ thrilling 36-31 win over the Texans marked head coach Joe Brady’s first in the NFL, and he celebrated in memorable style: shirtless.

“You wanna talk about conviction? Everything we believe in man, showed up in that game. We said, ‘Don’t look at the scoreboard, man.’ We just said put the ball down. They moved the ball,” Brady said after the game. 

Quarterback Josh Allen completed 20-of-29 passes, 334 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On top of Allen’s numbers, the Bills’ offense had a solid day through the air. Wide receiver DJ Moore closed out his first game for Buffalo with five receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Dalton Kincaid recorded five receptions for 130 yards. 

Buffalo now hosts the Detroit Lions for Thursday Night Football for their first home game in the newly renovated Highmark Stadium. 

Glenn’s Electric Locker Room Speech

The Jets added quarterback Geno Smith through free agency, and drafted edge rusher David Bailey Jr., tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round earlier this year. There was some potential hype that this team could become competitive as head coach Aaron Glenn enters his second season.

The Jets offense delivered, as Smith completed 19-of-24 and 215 yards. Running back Breece Hall recorded 22 carries for 102 yards and one touchdown, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson finished with six receptions for 73 yards. D

efensively, New York recorded three sacks, four tackles-for-loss and held the Titans to just 10 points on the day.

To close out their win, Glenn delivered a thrilling postgame speech:

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Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson already told the world that he wanted to “have the highest-scoring offense ever,” and then his club went out and put 59 points and 552 yards on the Carolina Panthers on Opening Day to back his words up. But that wasn’t the part that should really set alarms off around the league.

This part is: The Bears head coach wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more. He thought his offense could have done better.

And he’s probably right.

Because despite all the talk about the superteam supposedly assembled in Los Angeles, the Bears have the offense that has quietly been the talk of the NFL all summer long within league circles. They look ready to explode in Year 2 under Johnson, who many acknowledge as the new best playcaller in football and the man with the best offensive system in the NFL. And he has a quarterback in Caleb Williams, who looks primed to make a run at league MVP.

And there’s also one other thing that makes the Bears a legitimate Super Bowl contender: Johnson is arrogant and never satisfied — even more so than usual for an NFL coach. It’s not just that he declared “there was still a number of things out there that I didn’t love” about his offense after the Bears’ 59-37 win in Carolina on Sunday. It’s that he had his foot on the gas from the beginning of the game and never let up. The Bears scored touchdowns on their last four possessions, turning the game into a blowout. He even went for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 21-yard line before the second quarter was five minutes old.

That was a bad decision — the Bears didn’t get it, and the Panthers turned the faux pas into a game-tying touchdown — but it proved his aggression is limitless. Johnson thinks this Bears offense can do anything.

Because it can.

Just think of what Chicago did last year when Johnson, after three years running the dynamic offense in Detroit, took over an anemic offensive team with a struggling young quarterback and turned it all into a top-10 team. He did it with a complex and creative offensive system that Williams, at times, seemed like he struggled to learn.

Caleb Williams rushes for 29-yard TD, giving Bears lead over Panthers | NFL Highlights

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Now the third-year quarterback knows what he’s doing, and look at the results. Williams was 21 of 29 passing for 269 yards and two touchdowns versus the Panthers, while running 10 times for 65 yards and two scores. He was a dynamic and dangerous passer outside the pocket and couldn’t be contained on the run. And he wasn’t even the real story of the game. Even Johnson said that was his running back duo. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for four touchdowns and 224 rushing yards — announcing their presence as perhaps the best 1-2 punch in the game.

Yeah, the Bears’ defense let Panthers quarterback Bryce Young go off for 361 yards, and it’ll need to get a lot more pressure when facing the better QBs in the league. But this Bears offense that averaged 26 points and 370 yards per game last season might just be unstoppable in 2026. If Williams can improve his completion percentage (it was a disappointing 58.1% last season), he might be the most dangerous dual-threat quarterback outside of Baltimore and Buffalo. He’ll be in the MVP race right until the end.

As for Johnson’s stated goal, the 2013 Denver Broncos made NFL history when they averaged 37.9 points per game on their way to Super Bowl XLVII. To beat them, the Bears need to average 36.6 points the rest of the way.

That doesn’t seem impossible after the Bears scored more points than they ever had in an opener, and the fourth-most points they’ve ever scored in a game overall. And this is probably only the beginning. 

Because Johnson is the kind of coach who isn’t likely to stop until he gets it all. And with this team, he just might.

The Bengals Might Have Enough Defense To Dominate

A healthy Joe Burrow is enough to make the Bengals a contender this season, but a defensive revival is what will put them over the top. And for one week, at least, it looked like their offseason overhaul worked.

The Bengals forced fumbles on three straight drives in the first half to set the tone — and then another in the fourth quarter — on their way to a 33-27 win over the Buccaneers. Cincinnati returned one fumble for a touchdown and battered Bucs QB Baker Mayfield with constant pressure and four sacks.

Demetrius Knight Jr. recovers fumble and returns it 27 yards for TD giving Bengals lead over Bucs | NFL Highlights

The Bengals appear to have a formidable front with newcomers Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen in the middle and Boye Mafe off the edge, and that might be just enough. They’re going to score a ton of points with Burrow and all his offensive weapons. All they need to do is play decent defense and be able to get after opposing quarterbacks late in the game.

Last year they couldn’t. As a result, they had one of the worst defenses in football. This season it looks like that defense, and thus the Bengals, might be for real.

Derrick Henry Is Coming For The Crown

There is still a long way to go for Derrick Henry to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. After Sunday’s Week 1 outburst, he remains 5,193 yards behind Emmitt Smith (18,355), which means at least four more really productive seasons. In other words, Henry would still have to be a 1,300-yard back at 35 years old.

But doubting the 6-3, 252-pound Henry might be as pointless and painful as trying to tackle him, because he remains a freak of a man who defies any conventional wisdom. He’s topped 1,500 rushing yards in five of the past seven seasons — those five seasons are tied with Barry Sanders for the NFL record — and looks ready to do it again after plowing his way for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the Ravens’ 41-23 win over the Colts.

The three scores put Henry in third place all time in rushing touchdowns (125). And he’s now up to 13,162 rushing yards (and an insane 29,879 yards when you add his glorious high school and college careers, too). That’s 16.9 miles — more than the length of Manhattan. Imagine doing that while taking hits every few yards over more than 17 years. And yet, when he runs, he always seems to deliver far more punishment than he absorbs.

Injuries at his age, especially for running backs, are always a concern. But he’s only missed 12 games in his career, and more than one game in a season just once — in 2021, when he broke his foot. The man is a marvel, which is why it’s a good bet that King Henry becomes the Rushing King sometime in 2029 or 2030.

Aaron Rodgers’ Act – And His Play – Are Really Getting Old

Mike McCarthy has a ton of faith in his past and current quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, but their reunion debut had to be a bit concerning. The Steelers beat the Falcons 20-13, but they needed a pick-six by edge rusher T.J. Watt to do it because the offense stalled under Rodgers, who was just 24 of 40 (60%) for 221 yards and a touchdown.

The 42-year-old showed all the same issues he had last year. Almost all his throws were short. His deep throws were wobbly or held up in the air way too long. His mobility is gone — a fact McCarthy seems to know, since Rodgers’ only “runs” were three kneels in victory formation at the end of the game.

Rodgers spent the weeks before the opener on a media rampage, going from podcast to podcast spouting his conspiracy theories, settling scores with old girlfriends and declaring himself the victim of media witch hunts. But if he wants to drag this Steelers team to the playoffs in his final season, surely there are better ways to spend his time. Because on Sunday, the Steelers won in spite of him. 

I believe he can still play, but this offense he’s directing needs a lot more work. And in an improved division, with the Ravens and even the Bengals possibly emerging as Super Bowl contenders, the Steelers won’t survive if Rodgers keeps looking like a mediocre quarterback more interested in holding a grudge off the field than excelling on it. 

Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy pick up first win in reunion, can Steelers make a run? NFL on FOX

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Time To Panic In LA? Well …

Was anyone really dumb enough to buy into the Los Angeles Rams and do something crazy like … I don’t know, put them atop their NFL Power Rankings?

Yeah, OK, we all make mistakes. But a long career has taught me never to read too much into the first game of the season — especially when it comes on a Friday morning in Australia, and the Rams made the questionable decision to fly 16 hours and land in Melbourne just 27 hours before kickoff. And considering Kyle Shanahan historically has Sean McVay’s number (12-7 in head-to-head matchups), maybe the 49ers’ blowout over the Rams was an anomaly, not a warning sign.

The loss of Myles Garrett for a month, though, is much more concerning. The arrival of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was expected to transform L.A.’s defense. There was going to be no way to block him, Byron Young and the returning Aaron Donald. The pressure on opposing offenses figured to be immense.

But surviving without Garrett may not be so easy in the loaded NFC West as the Rams wait for Donald to round into form, especially if their offense has any lingering jet lag in the coming weeks. Good thing for them, they get a relatively soft landing against the Giants back in L.A. next Monday night.

They should be angry and rested. But keep the panic button handy, just in case.

Final Thoughts From Sunday …

• Quarterback Deshaun Watson wasn’t terrible in his return to action (16 for 22, 205 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), even though the Browns were. Even if he had flopped, he wasn’t in much danger of losing his job. On my visit to Browns training camp, multiple people told me first-year coach Todd Monken planned to give Watson a long leash early in the season. So expect him to remain the starter at least through October — for better or, more likely, for worse.
• The Bills have rightfully taken a lot of hits for not giving QB Josh Allen a true No. 1 receiver. But maybe they found one? D.J. Moore posted a 5-100-1 stat line in his Buffalo debut. He’s 29 and not what he once was, but he looked like a big improvement over what the Bills had last year.
• I really thought the Cardinals had a shot to open the season 0-13. But new coach Mike LaFleur somehow got a stellar 277-yard performance out of QB Jacoby Brissett, who outplayed Chargers QB Justin Herbert. The Cards won’t be good, but with a roster loaded with young players, they could be competitive if they get anything consistent out of Brissett.
• Meanwhile, the other LaFleur (Matt, Green Bay) should be embarrassed at the way the Packers lost to the Vikings, who scored touchdowns on their last four possessions — two off Green Bay turnovers — well after Kyler Murray had exited the game with a concussion. Green Bay could be in a lot of trouble until RB Josh Jacobs returns — whenever that might be.

In NFL Fallout, Ralph Vacchiano breaks down the impact of the biggest events every Sunday.

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The Giants are no longer hoping to have success. They’re expecting it.

That’s what owner Chris Mara said in a radio interview before the season. With John Harbaugh in the picture — an experienced, Super Bowl-winning coach who regularly took the Ravens to the playoffs — the calculus has changed for a franchise accustomed to disappointment in its recent history.  

Just how much was apparent at the start of the Harbaugh era in the form of a victory over the division-rival Cowboys on Sunday night, a game in which they never trailed. Dallas was 16-2 in the teams’ previous 18 matchups dating back to 2017. 

Here are my takeaways:

1.

Dart threw the ball with accuracy and precision. He protected himself as a runner. He looked poised as he operated the Giants’ offense. 

The 2025 first-round pick looked terrific in the first game of his second season, completing 79.3% of his passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, plus 11 carries for 54 yards.

Jaxson Dart played with his usual intensity and energy to power the Giants’ offense on Sunday night. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) –>

The former Ole Miss star has two reliable pass catchers in wide receiver Malik Nabers and tight end Lisaiah Likely, who could supercharge his growth. Nabers tore his ACL in Dart’s first career start last season, so the two never had a chance to build a connection a year ago. We saw the beginning of what should be a strong rapport Sunday, connecting six times for 69 yards. 

And Likely, who is the Giants’ TE1 after years of backing up Mark Andrews in Baltimore, showed that he can be a steady and dependable target for Dart. The fifth-year pro posted team highs in catches (eight), receiving yards (78) and receiving touchdowns (2).

In addition to having a Super Bowl-winning coach in John Harbaugh at the helm, Dart has a very experienced offensive coaching staff around him that can nurture his development. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan, tight ends coach Tim Kelly and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman all have play-calling experience.

Everything is in place for Dart to establish himself as the Giants’ true franchise quarterback.

2.

Look, the talent is there on Dallas’ revamped defense. The playmaking potential, too. Highly-touted rookie defensive back Caleb Downs rocked Dart on a nickel blitz for his first career sack. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams chased down running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. for a punch-out for a forced fumble.

But the Cowboys had way too many coverage lapses. Dart was too comfortable on a two-minute drill at the end of the second quarter, which resulted in a wide-open touchdown for Likely. The Giants imposed their will in the run game, registering back-to-back touchdown drives of at least 12 plays to start the second half. 

Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker, 34, looked like the green play-caller that he is.

Dallas could be good in time defensively. Parker is a talented young coach. But the talk of the Cowboys being a top NFC contender, combining their talented offense with a defense that is much better on paper, was premature. 

3.

The Giants prioritized building a physical football team this offseason, and offensively that showed in drafting guard Francis Mauigoa 10th overall and signing perennial Pro Bowl fullback Patric Ricard. We got the first taste of how strong of a rushing team they’ll be Sunday, when they put up 165 rushing yards.

Dart took what the Cowboys gave him on the ground. Running back Cam Skattebo caused issues for Dallas all game. New York set the tone with the running game from its opening drive, rushing seven times for 41 yards and the touchdown.

Cam Skattebo is back, and he helped power the Giants’ ground game against the Cowboys. (Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) –>

Dart needs to show that he can consistently protect himself, but he’s a proven dual threat. Skattebo, who had 101 carries for 410 yards and five touchdowns in eight games in 2025, is back after a season-ending leg injury cut his rookie season short.

The Giants have the personnel to run the ball. Harbaugh’s teams have always had a run-first mindset offensively. New York has what it needs to be a dominant rushing team. 

3 ½. What’s Next?

The Cowboys (0-1) will have a second straight NFC East matchup, as they’ll host the Washington Commanders (0-1) in America’s Game of the Week next Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX).

The Giants (1-0) travel cross-country to Los Angeles to face the Rams (0-1) on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET). 

]–>

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Week 2 is in our sights, headlined by a Thursday night clash between the Lions and the Bills in Buffalo.

Here are the lines for every Week 2 matchup at bet365 Sportsbook as of Sept. 14. 

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Thursday, Sept. 17

Lions @ Bills

Spread: Bills -3.5
Moneyline: Bills -185, Lions +155
O/U: 53.5

Sunday, Sept. 20

Panthers @ Falcons

Spread: Falcons -1.5
Moneyline: Falcons -120, Panthers +100
O/U: 44.5

Bengals @ Texans

Spread: Texans -2.5
Moneyline: Texans -140, Bengals +120
O/U: 47.5

Browns @ Buccaneers

Spread: Bucs -8.5
Moneyline: Bucs -425, Browns +325
O/U: 40.5

Packers @ Jets

Spread: Packers -4.5
Moneyline: Packers -220, Jets +180
O/U: 45.5

Vikings @ Bears

Spread: Bears -5.5
Moneyline: Bears -250, Vikings +205
O/U: 48.5

Saints @ Ravens

Spread: Ravens -8.5
Moneyline: Ravens -425, Saints +325
O/U: 47.5

Eagles @ Titans 

Spread: Eagles -7
Moneyline: Eagles -340, Titans +270
O/U: 39.5

Steelers @ Patriots

Spread: Patriots -5.5
Moneyline: Patriots -240, Steelers +195
O/U: 42.5

Jaguars @ Broncos

Spread: Broncos -2.5
Moneyline: Broncos -140, Jaguars +120
O/U: 43.5

Raiders @ Chargers

Spread: Chargers -7.5
Moneyline: Chargers -330, Raiders +265
O/U: 44.5

Dolphins @ 49ers

Spread: 49ers -12.5
Moneyline: 49ers -950, Dolphins +625
O/U: 46.5

Commanders @ Cowboys

Spread: TBD
Moneyline: TBD
O/U: TBD

Seahawks @ Cardinals 

Spread: Seahawks -4.5
Moneyline: Seahawks -230, Cardinals +190
O/U: 41.5

Colts @ Chiefs

Spread: Chiefs -6.5
Moneyline: Chiefs -290, Colts +235
O/U: 48.5

Monday, Sept. 21

Giants @ Rams

Spread: TBD
Moneyline: TBD
O/U: TBD

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EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville) — It would be easier if it were as simple as changing quarterbacks.

The Cleveland Browns had their first game in the post-Myles Garrett era Sunday, and their matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars went about as poorly as you could expect.

The offense got a Deshaun Watson interception on the opening drive, and didn’t cross midfield again until they trailed 24-0. The defense allowed Trevor Lawrence to have his highest passer rating in a game of his NFL career, watching the fourth quarter from the sidelines after four easy touchdown passes.

The final score was 34-10, and that doesn’t do it justice. Cleveland got its only touchdown with two minutes left, and Jacksonville’s offense looked like it was just trying to finish the game without injuries for most of the second half.

The NFL teaches you that Week 1 can tell outright lies, that teams can win big or lose big in that first game, and two months later they look nothing like that first glimpse, for better or worse. The last time a Browns head coach had his first game, first-year coach Kevin Stefanski saw his team lose to the Baltimore Ravens 38-6. But Stefanski quickly turned that group around in 2020, going 11-6 and winning their first playoff game in 26 years.

This didn’t feel like a lie. This felt like the hard truth of a team that entered Sunday’s game as the heaviest underdog in the league this week, and needed a garbage-time score to fall two touchdowns short of those low expectations.

“I’m not down. I’m disappointed,” 60-year-old Todd Monken said after his first game as an NFL head coach. “I mean, you’re not going to get me down. Waited a long time to be a head coach in this league. Kind of freaking awesome. We’re not where we want to be, and. they’d better get us now. Because we’ve got a good young group, and we just didn’t play well today.”

The idea that Watson, playing in his first game since 2024, was their best option — long-term, short-term, anything — is fairly damning in itself, with the threat of second-year pro Shedeur Sanders not exactly looming from the sidelines. Watson is in the final year of a five-year, $230 million contract, his on-field struggles surpassed only by off-field issues that had his own fans booing him in preseason.

The right thing to do would have been to cut him, to sever ties to a terrible decision that will work against the franchise’s chances of success even after he’s gone. Monken was careful to not single out Watson postgame — and there was plenty else that went wrong.

“It’s a ‘we’ thing,” Monken said. “It’s not a me, it’s not a they thing, it’s a we thing. We’re going to fight like hell to get better. That’s what I’ve always done. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

The Browns’ locker room wasn’t anything disconsolate, more just aware of little things that need to change for them to have a chance to beat good opponents. They owned the most lopsided loss of the opening weekend, struggling on the same day that the Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants — all who picked in the top five of the draft — opened with victories.

Monken was asked if he was definitely sticking with Watson heading into next week’s might-be-even-hotter 1 p.m. game in Tampa against the Bucs, and he didn’t sound like a coach making a change.

“I’d rather just talk about today, because I haven’t had time to even look at the tape,” Monken said. “I mean, I’m sure as hell not firing me. I’m not firing our staff. I’m not giving up on the players. So [Watson] happens to be one of the 53, and however many practice squad guys we’ve got, and our staff, he’s one of them. We’ll evaluate everything. But to just say that emotionally here at the end, when we didn’t play good enough and didn’t coach well enough.”

This was going to be a long year before the Browns traded Garrett to the Rams for a slew of draft picks, sacrificing today for tomorrow in losing the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. They gave up 24 points in the first half Sunday in their first game without him, and it matched the most points they’d allowed in any first half since Sept. 2017, two weeks before Garrett’s debut with the Browns.

“It’s like boxing,” said Jared Verse, acquired from the Rams in the Garrett trade and tasked with replacing him. “They hit you in the face, you get your feet right back up and punch back. We just backed up a little bit, and by the time we got more collected … it was too late. They already had done the damage.”

If you had to encapsulate all that was wrong with Cleveland on Sunday, take a sequence of plays just before halftime, when Watson had completed back-to-back passes for 20 and 11 yards, getting them to the Jaguars’ 39 with 51 seconds before halftime. A touchdown would cut the lead to 17, but instead, they had a holding penalty and a false start and a delay of game, all in a row, to set up first and 30. A short gain, then another holding penalty for second and 34. They did not score.

Deshaun Watson was sacked five times on Sunday as he completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the blowout loss. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

–>

Accountability has never been Watson’s best skill, and Sunday was no different, owning his part but saying things like, “Of course, everyone’s going to look at the quarterback in this situation overall.” Asked how he handles adversity and keeps his confidence, he spoke to the support he says he has from his teammates.

“Just keep moving forward, keep stepping forward, you know, keep smiling, regardless of who’s against me or who’s with me,” Watson said. “I think that’s more beneficial for the team in that locker room. I had a lot of support in that locker room after the game, telling me to keep my head up, keep pushing forward, keep working. They’re behind me, so that’s always positive to see and hear. We’ve just got to keep going. You know, the adversity is going to be there. You know you’ve got to embrace it … keep pushing through until you break that wall.”

There weren’t many hopeful moments Sunday. Rookie receiver Denzel Boston caught a 46-yard touchdown in the final two minutes, but the game was over an hour earlier. Quinshon Judkins, a second-year back with potential, had 12 carries and none of them went for more than five yards. Verse, a potential star, had just one tackle in the first half.

Monken is a patient man (you don’t take the Browns job in 2026 without patience), and his combination of optimism and bluntness will serve him well in surviving what will be a long season. They have other bad teams on the schedule — the Titans in Week 7, the Raiders in Week 12 — but they look to be hard-pressed to match last year’s 5-12 record. Knowing that each loss increases their odds of landing an elite quarterback in next year’s draft, that might not be a bad thing.

“I told the team, ‘There is no testimony without a test,'” Monken said. “It’s just one of them. This is one of 17 games we’ve got, and we certainly didn’t play well enough. We certainly didn’t coach well enough. But I love our guys. I love the way they work, and we’re going to come back tomorrow and fight like hell to fix it.”
 

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