It’s finally week 1 of the NFL season, and Sports Illustrated is here to provide live analysis and updates throughout the day. Thursday’s game between the Bills and Rams gave fans a season-opening spectacle: Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns in a 31-10 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions, send a clear message that the bills can live up to the hype surrounding them. (Buffalo entered the season as a betting favorite and at No. 1 in our MMQB power ratingswith six of the eight first-place votes.)
And the action continues today – follow SI’s Conor Orr for live analysis all day.
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Chiefs vs. Cardinals
(6:21): Why don’t we talk more about Justin Reid scoring an extra run and then kicking into the end zone for a touchdown? Kicking is incredibly difficult, and while all athletes are naturally gifted in one way or another, it’s a very different skill set. Have you ever approached a soccer ball and tried to explode it as hard as possible? More often than not, you end up looking like Charlie Brown.
Giants vs Titans
(5:11 p.m.): See a lot of “same old giants” tweets this afternoon. I have to be careful: it’s going to look bad for half a season. It is a reconstruction without disassembly. But I came out of training camp high on this staff, as they tried to combine the best principles from the front offices of the Chiefs, Ravens and Bills. I think it’s a forward-looking operation. In the meantime, enjoy watching Daniel Jones. He’s playing for his future in New York right now.
Packers vs. Vikings
(4:50 p.m.): The look on Aaron Rodgers’ face said it all. Rookie wide receiver Christian Watson beat Patrick Peterson and was wide open for what looked like an easy touchdown, but the ball went through Watson’s hands and the Packers were forced to punt. Rodgers had expressed frustration with rookie receivers throughout the preseason, and it was a frustrating game for Rodgers and the Packer offense with no points and three minutes left in the half – which was normally money in the bank with Davante Adams is now change.
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Lions versus Eagles
The Dan Campbell effect is in the spotlight in Detroit. The Lions may not win this thing, but they are absolutely on fire in a game against an opponent who is clearly better from a personal standpoint.
Bengals vs. Steelers
- If you want to see an example of why Mike Tomlin is the best defensive mind in football, just watch the Bengals’ fourth attempt at the end of this game. Cincinnati has one of the deepest reception halls in the NFL. Joe Burrow had absolutely nowhere to go with this football.
- Joe Burrow’s pass to Ja’Marr Chase with just over five minutes left in the second quarter reminds me of something I discussed with NFL vet JT O’Sullivan for Burrow’s article we have. did a few weeks ago. Burrow is a young but athletically superior clone of Tom Brady in the pocket. What does that mean? While Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen can escape and run, Burrow can continue to escape into a narrow window to throw from a sound platform. This is how he keeps readers alive. Only one bright spot for the Bengals today, who have already seen Three Burrow Interceptions and Escape.
Panthers vs. Browns
- One thing you can never do is count Baker Mayfield. After scoring on a seven-yard run, Mayfield just hit Robbie Anderson on a 75-yard touchdown pass to bring the Panthers up 23-21. Can Baker end the rally and get revenge on the Browns?
- Myles Garrett was the Browns’ No. 1 pick in 2017. Baker Mayfield was the team’s No. 1 pick in 2018. Garrett didn’t mince words when asked what he wanted to do against Mayfield Sunday: “I think he has a big family, but he’s the opposition now, and at the end of the day, I have to take him out,” Garrett told Cleveland.com. The comment related to the fact that Garrett wanted to sack Mayfield multiple times…Garrett now has two sacks from Mayfield with another quarterback to play.What a day for Garrett and the Browns and not so good day for Mayfield.
- Pretty obvious what the game plan is here for the Panthers RE: Baker Mayfield. If you have good passing throwers, you want to get the ball out fast. Not only because he avoids a sack, but he makes the rushers run at full speed for no reason. Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are (probably) particularly interested in sacking Mayfied. It’s a good idea to burn off their juice.
Commanders vs. Jaguars
- Commanders gave up a few draft picks for Carson Wentz and thought they might have their quarterback of the future. But the Jaguars came back from a 14-3 deficit to take a 22-14 lead, thanks to some Wentz interceptions. Remember, it was Wentz last year who cost the Colts a trip to the playoffs when he and the Colts lost to the Jags in the final week of the regular season. Turnovers have plagued Wentz since his time in Philadelphia and now his mistakes could cost the Commanders dearly in their home opener.
- The Washington Commanders were selling mugs with a silhouette of Washington State in the background, Bill Cowher and Boomer Esiason were fighting during the CBS Sunday pregame and a helpful text I sent to a group of older adults attempting their first fantasy league over potential rain conditions was seen as subterfuge. It’s like we never left, but anyway, it’s good to be back, NFL.
49ers vs Bears
- We wrote earlier that poor conditions and Matt Eberflus’ defense were a recipe for disaster for the 49ers. And that’s exactly how it goes against the 49ers at Soldier Field. Trey Lance struggled and the Bears took advantage of the former No. 1 pick, intercepting him to set up a touchdown to give the Bears a 19-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Bears were once known as the Monsters of the Midway. But they’ve also mastered the art of winning ugly.
- Trey Lance was just sacked on a fat third. Soldier Field is an absolute swamp that, despite Justin Fields’ struggles, strongly favors a defense coached by Matt Eberflus. At this year’s combine, we talked about his stunt development (meaning the little maneuvers he makes his defensive linemen do to help them get to the quarterback) . He credited Rod Marinelli (former defensive coordinator/head coach) with coming up with many of these ideas. The Bears will enter the backfield using fewer defenders (and fewer first defenders) than any NFL team. In bad conditions, it’s deadly.
Colts vs. Texans
Matt Ryan’s trade to the Colts was one of the biggest stories of the offseason after the Falcons failed to secure a trade for Deshaun Watson. But Ryan was completely outplayed today by Davis Mills. The second-year Stanford quarterback has a pair of touchdowns against OJ Howard, who was late signed by the team after he didn’t make the final roster with the Bills. So maybe the Texans have something with Mills and Howard
Dolphins vs. Patriots
- I like a good dead horse to beat, don’t get me wrong, but I approached the Patriots’ offseason with some hesitation. I thought giving the call duties to Joe Judge and Matt Patricia wasn’t that bad just because the offense has been in place for 20 years and their presence could help reduce what Tom Brady has built into a volume. But after a half of football, it looks miserable. Bill Belichick went out last season to an absolute beating by the Buffalo Tickets and is now eliminated by the Dolphins in Game 1.
- As a side note, watch how Mike McDaniel sends the ball to the players with momentum heading towards the line of scrimmage. Coaches love the CFL because you can go full sprint before you hit the line. That orbital movement pattern the Dolphins just ran to Cedrick Wilson has the same kind of impact while still sticking to NFL rules.
- A game-changing game in Miami puts the Dolphins up 10-0, which is worth watching. The defense generates a free runner on Mac Jones’ blind side, resulting in a strip sack returned for a touchdown. Much has been said about the Patriots’ plan with their offensive coaching staff. Jones was without a net on this unusually long fall.
Jets vs. Ravens
Baby steps obviously for the Jets, but first-round pick Garrett Wilson has had one of the plays of the day so far, putting them inches away from a first down after a desperate pass from Joe Flacco. He broke a tackle, froze on a penny and threw a Ravens defender. Robert Saleh gets booed for not trying to convert. That’s a fair review from Jets fans. You cannot place John Harbaugh on the field. You’re going to have to throw a surprise uppercut at some point and keep Lamar Jackson off the field.
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