Week 1 of the NFL season hardly went according to plan. Then again, does it ever? Offseason expectations are often far off from reality, and that showed in more ways than one.
Take the Green Bay Packers, for example. After acquiring Micah Parsons and beating down the Detroit Lions, their Super Bowl odds increased from +1300 to +900.
Other teams were not so fortunate and ended up on the wrong side of a blowout. And while there’s certainly still hope for some, others may already be sounding the alarm.
NFL Week 1 Scores
NFL Week 1 saw 16 games played from Thursday through Monday. Here are results for all 32 teams:
- Cowboys 20, Eagles 24
- Chiefs 21, Chargers 27
- Buccaneers 23, Falcons 20
- Bengals 17, Browns 16
- Dolphins 8, Colts 33
- Panthers 10, Jaguars 26
- Cardinals 20, Saints 13
- Raiders 20, Patriots 13
- Steelers 34, Jets 32
- Giants 6, Commanders 21
- Titans 12, Broncos 20
- 49ers 17, Seahawks 13
- Lions 13, Packers 27
- Texans 9, Rams 14
- Ravens 40, Bills 41
- Vikings 27, Bears 24
There were a handful of blowouts this week: four games were decided by two scores or more. Some of those were expected, but a few teams on the losing end are in desperate need of answers – and fast.
Are the Dolphins done?
Of all the teams that lost in Week 1, Miami should be most concerned about its result. The Dolphins were obliterated, 33-8, by a Colts team that’s only expected to win a handful of games this year.
The game wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. Indianapolis went up 30-0 early in the fourth quarter and forced three turnovers, all of which came from Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa. This matchup was also a pick ‘em, which makes the Dolphins’ 25-point loss look even worse.
Unfortunately, things won’t get much easier from here. The Dolphins host division rival New England in Week 2 before taking on the Bills on the road in Week 3. It’s almost impossible to single out just one player who can help right the ship, but Tagovailoa obviously needs to be better moving forward.
After opening at +4000 to win the Super Bowl, the Dolphins can now be had at +20000.
A quarterback change in New York?
The Giants ranked among the league’s worst offenses in 2024, scoring just 16.1 points per game. As a result, the franchise completely gutted the quarterback room over the summer in an attempt to turn things around.
The early returns, however, are not great. New York mustered little offense in its 21-6 loss to the Commanders. QB Russell Wilson completed just 17 out of 37 passes for 168 yards, and the offense struggled to establish the ground game, too.
Wilson remains the starter ahead of Week 2, but his time may be running out. The Giants drafted rookie QB Jaxson Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and it won’t be long before fans begin putting pressure on the coaching staff to make the change.
In any case, fans hoping for a turnaround from last year’s 3-14 campaign shouldn’t get their hopes up.
Should we worry about the Lions?
One of the more surprising Week 1 results came on Sunday in an NFC North matchup between the Lions and Packers. Detroit, which went 15-2 last season (with two wins over Green Bay, no less), was humbled, losing 27-13.
The game wasn’t all that close, either. The Lions went down 10-0 early and trailed 27-6 late in the fourth quarter before a touchdown inside the final minute made the deficit a more respectable 14 points.
Detroit certainly has the talent to overcome the loss, but it appears there will be some growing pains. The Lions installed new coordinators on offense and defense after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn took head coaching jobs elsewhere.
It’s not time to panic just yet, but Detroit’s early-season schedule is a doozy. Over the next six weeks, the Lions play Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay.
