"Sunday afternoon of Week 1 is the best sort of chaos. After months of projecting, speculating and believing, the opening afternoon of the NFL season is a seven-hour reality show. That quarterback you spent six months talking yourself into has to deal with blitzes at NFL speed. The Day 3 pick who wowed everyone in camp has to go up against the first-round stars."
"Go back to Week 1 last season, for instance. The league's top scorer was the Saints, who dropped 47 on the Panthers. The Patriots upset the Bengals with a great performance from their defense. The Commanders got blown out by the Buccaneers. And fresh off their run to the Super Bowl, the 49ers signaled that they were ready to go on another charge by beating up the Jets on Monday night."
Week 1 of the NFL season produces chaotic, small-sample outcomes that mix real signals with misleading performances. Quarterbacks, late-round rookies and coaches all face immediate tests against NFL speed, blitzes, and top competition. Some Week 1 results reflect true team quality, while others are products of luck, matchup quirks and variance. Last season's opening slate included extremes — the Saints scoring 47, the Patriots' defensive upset over the Bengals, the Commanders' blowout loss and the 49ers' Monday-night statement win. Close game decisions, such as the Ravens' fourth-down mistake, can be consequential and reveal genuine issues.
Read at ESPN.com
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