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It never seems to end in the NFL. There was a cascade of close games, dramatic comebacks and memorable performances highlighted in an exciting opening weekend. For the first time in 45 years, three teams trailed by at least 14 points and came back to win in Week 1, and 10 games were decided by one score (eight points), trailing only 2013 (12), 2016 (11), 2010 (11) and 2002 (11) for the most such games in Week 1 all-time.
Since 1990, history has shown that teams that are victorious in their season openers are more than twice as likely to advance to the playoffs as teams that lose their opener (54.2 percent; 285 of 526 teams). However, an 0-1 start is not impossible to overcome, as 25 percent of teams (131 of 525) since 1990 that lost a season opener advance to the playoffs, including four teams in 2023 – the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.
With the introduction of the dynamic kickoff for the 2024 season, teams recorded 1,548 kick return yards on Kickoff Weekend, more kick return yards than any week last season and the most in a week since Week 16, 2022. In Week 1, 33 percent of kickoffs were returned (57 of 172), up from 21 percent in Week 1 in 2023 (32 of 156). There were 21 made field goals of 50-or-more yards in Week 1, surpassing Week 3 of the 2023 season (15) for the most in a single week in NFL history.
Check out the NFL weekly picks to see the four opposite plays that are projected by the Congrove Computer Rankings at CollegeFootballPoll.com. Beware, you have to be seriously concerned about the one that has Green Bay favored by 1.11 over Indianapolis (-3.5). Jordan Love did not practice again on Friday and Malik WiIlis had already been named the starter anyway after Love suffered a sprained MCL in the opener.
Over the past three seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs have met five times, including both the 2021 and 2022 AFC Championship Games, with the Bengals holding a 3-2 advantage. Each of the five games were decided by eight points or less, including four games that were decided by three points and three games that were decided on a game-winning field goal, including both Championship Games.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, with a 3-1 career record against the Chiefs, has 1,252 passing yards (313 per game), 10 total touchdowns (nine passing, one rushing) and a 107.0 passer rating in 4 career starts against Kansas City, including the playoffs.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has 1,686 passing yards (281 per game), 14 total touchdowns (13 passing, one rushing) and a 107.2 passer rating in 6 career starts against Cincinnati, including the postseason. Mahomes is set to make his 98th career regular-season start and can establish multiple records for quarterbacks across their first 100 career regular-season starts:
Quarterback Wins: Mahomes has won 75 of his first 97 career starts and can tie Tom Brady (76) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach (76) for the most wins by a quarterback in his first 100 career regular season starts.
Completions: Mahomes has 2,406 career completions and can surpass Matthew Stafford (2,410) for the most completions by a quarterback in his first 100 career regular-season starts.
Touchdown Passes: Mahomes has 220 career touchdown passes and can surpass Aaron Rodgers (222) for the most touchdown passes by a quarterback in his first 100 career regular-season starts.
Passing Yards: Mahomes already holds the record for the most passing yards by a quarterback in his first 100 career regular-season starts, with 28,715.
Five games this weekend in Week 2 feature both teams that earned victories in Week 1, the most such games in the second week of a season since 1970.
Two of the six teams that scored at least 30 points in Week 1, the New Orleans Saints (47 points, most in Week 1) visit the Dallas Cowboys (33 points) in Week 2. New Orleans (193 yards allowed) and Dallas (230 yards allowed) also possessed top-five total defenses on Kickoff Weekend. Saints quarterback Derek Carr completed 19 of 23 attempts (82.6 percent) for 200 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 142.5 rating in Week 1. Since Week 14 of last season, he has 17 touchdown passes with two interceptions for a 123 rating in his past six starts. Since 2016, Carr has nine games (minimum 20 pass attempts) with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher, trailing only Dallas’ Dak Prescott (11) for the most such games among active quarterbacks. Since Week 2 of the 2022 season, Dallas has won 16 consecutive regular-season home games, the longest active streak in the NFL and tied with New England (16 consecutive home wins from Week 17, 2012 to Week 15, 2014) for the fourth-longest such streak since 2000. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, in Week 1 at 25 years and 153 days old, became the third-youngest player all-time to reach 400 career receptions, trailing only Jarvis Landry (25 years, 33 days) and Larry Fitzgerald (25 years, 84 days). Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson has 396 career receptions and will be 25 years and 91 days old in Week 2.
In the 2023 NFC Divisional playoffs, the Lions defeated the Buccaneers, 31-23, as running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown scored fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure the victory. Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield recorded four touchdown passes with no interceptions for a 146.4 rating in Week 1 and has four career games with at least four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 140-or-higher, tied with Aaron Rodgers (four) for the third-most such games by a player in his first seven seasons in NFL history. In his past eight starts, since Week 14 last season and including the postseason, he has 2,229 passing yards (278.6 per game) with 20 touchdown passes against four interceptions with a 111.8 rating. Detroit defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson, who had a sack in Week 1 and had a sack in the 2023 NFC Divisional playoffs, has 15 sacks in 20 career homes games (including the postseason), including each of his past four home games.
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel totaled 77 scrimmage yards (54 receiving, 23 rushing) with one rushing touchdown in Week 1. Since 2019, he is one of four players with at least 20 rushing touchdowns (20) and 15 receiving touchdowns (19), joining Washington’s Austin Ekeler, Minnesota’s Aaron Jones and teammate Christian McCaffrey. Per Next Gen Stats, San Francisco tackle Trent Williams pass blocked on 33 snaps and allowed zero pressures last week, the most pass blocking snaps by an offensive tackle without allowing a pressure in the NFL in Week 1. Minnesota allowed a league-low six points on Kickoff Weekend and were one of two teams (Dallas) to record five-or-more sacks (five). In his Vikings debut, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel became the first player since 2018 (Khalil Mack) to record a sack and interception return for a touchdown in Week 1. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, who spent the 2023 season with the 49ers, completed 19 of 24 pass attempts (79.2 percent) for 208 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a 113.2 rating in Minnesota’s Week 1 win over the New York Giants.
The two youngest active head coaches, both Seattle’s Mike Macdonald (37 years old) and New England’s Jerod Mayo (38) earned their first career victories as head coaches in Week 1. The meeting between Macdonald and Mayo will mark the sixth unique matchup between first-year head coaches both under the age of 40 since 2000, joining DeMeco Ryans and Shane Steichen in 2023 (twice), Mike McDaniel and Kevin O’Connell in 2022, Joe Judge and Kevin Stefanski in 2020, Brian Flores and Zac Taylor in 2019, and Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan in 2017 (twice). The Patriots defeated the Seahawks, 28-24, in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015, as New England overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to win. Mayo, who played for the Patriots from 2008-15, was placed on injured reserve following Week 6 of the 2014 season.
On Sunday Night Football, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, in his first career road game, visits 2023 No. 2 overall selection C.J. Stroud. Williams became the first rookie quarterback selected No. 1 overall to start and win his NFL debut in Week 1 since 2002 (Houston’s David Carr vs. Dallas on September 8, 2002). Including the postseason, Stroud has 2,760 passing yards (306.7 per game) and 20 touchdown passes with a 112.5 rating in nine career home starts. The players with the most passing yards in their first 10 career home games, including playoffs, in NFL history: Patrick Mahomes (3,011), Justin Herbert (2,945), Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (2,909), Joe Burrow (2,810) and Marc Bulger (2,787).
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