Good, bad, ugly for each NFL team in Week 1: Aaron Rodgers tears Achilles; Cowboys defense, Jordan Love shine

NFL football is back, and Week 1 was just as exhilarating as anyone could have hoped. The 2023 season kicked off in Kansas City where the Detroit Lions upset the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs with a one-point victory, 21-20. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and Miami Dolphins passer Tua Tagovailoa provided an epic back-and-forth fireworks show in the latest chapter of their rivalry that stems from being picked one spot after each other in the 2022 NFL Draft. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love showed Chicago Bears fans at Soldier Field that just because Aaron Rodgers is gone doesn’t mean the Packers domination of their NFC North rivals to the south is going to end anytime soon.

And of course, Rodgers’ season and debut with his new team the New York Jets, ended after four snaps on “Monday Night Football,” after suffering a torn Achilles tendon, but Gang Green somehow, someway clawed their way back to a 22-16 victory in overtime. With that in mind, here’s a look at how each NFL team’s 2023 regular season debut went as well as the notable moments as we highlight the good, bad and ugly for all 32 clubs in from Week 1. 

The good: Head coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense. They produced six sacks, an interception, seven passes defended, and two fumble recoveries. Gannon’s side of the ball almost powered them to a win in his head coaching debut. 

The bad and the ugly: An offense quarterbacked by Joshua Dobbs was a clear ceiling, and it was hit in the fourth quarter as Arizona was held scoreless, allowing the Commanders to claw their way back to a Week 1 home win. 

The good: The Falcons newest safety Jessie Bates III, who signed a four-year, $64 million contract in free agency with Atlanta this past offseason, showed he was worth every penny on Sunday. Bates III co-led all players in Sunday’s game in tackles (10)  while forcing three turnovers: two interceptions and a forced fumble. The Falcons eighth overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, running back Bijan Robinson, totaled a solid 83 yards from scrimmage on 16 touches, including an 11-yard receiving touchdown. That touchdown made Robinson the youngest Falcon ever with a touchdown in their NFL debut at the age of 21 and 223 days. 

The bad and the ugly: Head coach and offensive play-caller Arthur Smith was around when the Falcons selected tight end Kyle Pitts fourth overall, making him the highest-drafted tight end in the Common Draft Era (since 1967). Atlanta also selected wide receiver Drake London eighth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Both underwhelmed Sunday on small target shares. Pitts racked up 44 yards on two catches and three targets. London had one pass thrown his way, and then he was ignored for the rest of the game. Smith can plan to use whoever he wants on the Falcons’ offense, that’s fine. Just don’t draft offensive skill players in the top 10 then without a plan to maximize their talents.

The good: First-round rookie Zay Flowers, the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, put together a stellar debut. With Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews out with a quad injury, Flowers totaled a Ravens-best nine catches for 78 yards. He had a team-high 10 targets while no one else had more than three (Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman). His agility and comfort with the football in his hands shined brightly as he collected nearly 70 percent of his receiving yards, 54 of 78, after the catch.

The bad: Quarterback Lamar Jackson appeared rusty after holding out for portions of the Ravens offseason program in order to secure a long-term contract extension as he threw an early interception and fumbled twice. Jackson finished Week 1 with 169 yards and the pick on 17 of 22 passing while rushing for a team-high 38 rushing yards on six carries. 

The ugly: Running back J.K. Dobbins tore his Achilles early in the third quarter on Sunday. It’s a bummer not only for the Ravens offense going forward, but also for the player who is set to hit free agency this offseason.

Bills (lost 22-16 in OT to Jets)

The good: Quarterback Josh Allen’s and wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ connection. Diggs totaled 102 receiving yards, including a five-yard touchdown, on 10 catches. 

The bad and the ugly: Josh Allen’s four turnovers, three interceptions and a lost fumble. Allen led the NFL with 19 giveaways last season, and he’s picking up right where he left off in 2023. The fumble was especially brutal given that it occurred toward the end of the game with the score tied. Allen never looked comfortable as the Jets pressured him on 40.8% of his dropbacks. He totaled 236 passing yards, the one touchdown to Diggs, and the three interceptions on 29 of 41 passing. Allen needs to take a deep breath and calm down. 

Panthers (lost 24-10 to Falcons)

The good: The first overall pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, quarterback Bryce Young, threw his first career touchdown pass. That drive provided Panthers fans hope for what could be down the line. 

The bad and the ugly: Unfortunately, he put two throws in harm’s way as Bates III took advantage of the young player’s NFL debut and hauled in two interceptions. 

The good: Quarterback Joe Burrow didn’t get injured after being terrorized by Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (one sack and six quarterback pressures). 

The bad and the ugly: Burrow, fresh off becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history after signing a five-year, $275 million contract, put up the worst game of his NFL career. He produced career-lows in completion percentage (45.2%), passing yards (82), and passing yards per attempt (2.6) all while Cincy’s three points scored tied for the fewest the Bengals have scored when he starts. 

Browns (defeated Bengals 24-3)

The good: New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has fixed the Cleveland defense. Garrett looked as explosive as ever, but safety Grant Delpit, once thought to be a bust after being a second round pick in the 2020, led the Browns in tackles with eight Sunday after he was flying around like a heat-seeking missile. 

The bad and the ugly: Deshaun Watson still looks a step or two slow. His interception thrown below is one of the worst passes you will see during the 2023 season. Too bad Cleveland fully-guaranteed his five-year, $230 million extension. 

The good: The Cowboys’ soul-crushing defensive performance. Five players — Parsons (one sack), defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (two sacks), defensive end Dorance Armstrong (two sacks), defensive end Chauncey Golston (one sack), and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (one sack) — combined for seven sacks of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. The Cowboys generated pressure on 62.2% of the Giants’ dropbacks (23 of 37), according the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, for the fourth-highest team pressure rate in any NFL game since 2019. 

Dallas’ three takeaways — a pick-six by cornerback DaRon Bland, a forced fumble by cornerback Trevon Diggs, and an interception by new Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore — were also evenly distributed throughout the Cowboys secondary. Dallas also blocked a field goal on the Giants’ opening  Securing the franchise’s largest shutout victory ever means there’s a lot of praise to go around. 

The bad: The Cowboys called off the troops instead of scoring two more touchdowns and securing the largest Week 1, shutout road win in the Super Bowl Era. Not going full-throttle to shatter all of the records is pretty much the only nit-pick from a 40-0 victory. 

The ugly: Second-year tight end Peyton Hendershot’s drop on what would have been a 19-yard passing touchdown from quarterback Dak Prescott. His pass hit Hendershot right in the hands on a jump ball. 

Bears (lost 38-20 to Packers)

The good: Quarterback Justin Fields threw for over 200 yards (216) for just the seventh time in his 26 career games. 

The bad: The Packers are going to be a thorn in their side even without Aaron Rodgers. Jordan Love’s performance of three passing touchdowns and no interceptions helped run Green Bay’s winning streak against the Bears to 9-0 under head coach Matt LaFleur. 

The ugly: Fields’ turnovers and inability to connect with new number one wideout DJ Moore. His lost fumble while attempting to scramble in the third quarter showcased poor football IQ in terms of knowing when to just tuck the ball and take the sack. His pick-six on a throw intended for Darnell Mooney was horrendous. Both of the Packers inside linebackers, De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker, were lurking, and Fields got what he deserved for such a poor decision as Walker nimbly returned the giveaway for a touchdown. 

The good: Russell Wilson looked much better in his first game under new head coach Sean Payton — 177 passing yards and two passing touchdowns on 27 of 34 passing — than he did during the worst year of his career in 2022. The key was Wilson’s improvement on intermediate throws, as defined by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats as passes of 10-19 air yards. He totaled 68 yards and two touchdowns on 6 of 7 passing on such throws, a massive improvement from when he threw four touchdowns and six interceptions on such throws in 2022, according to NGS.

The bad: The Broncos’ second-half offense. Denver only mustered three points on three second-half drives. The other two possessions ended with 55-yard missed field goal and a punt. 

The ugly: New Broncos kicker Wil Lutz’s Denver debut. Payton’s Broncos sent a 2024 seventh-round pick to New Orleans to acquire the head coach’s longtime kicker in Lutz. In a one-point loss, his miscues were the difference between victory and defeat. Lutz missed an extra point early in the game as well as 55-yard field goal. The Broncos were also unable to recover Lutz’s onside kick attempt on the first play of game. 

Lions (defeated Chiefs 21-20)

The good: The Lions’ top picks from the last two drafts, and head coach Dan Campbell’s all-out coaching approach. Second-round safety Brian Branch’s 50-yard pick-six of Patrick Mahomes was the 2022 NFL MVP’s first interception in a Week 1 game, and it stemmed the Chiefs momentum by tying the game up at 14. Second-round tight end Sam LaPorta (five catches for 39 yards), first-round running back Jahmyr Gibbs (60 scrimmage yards on nine touches), first-round linebacker Jack Campbell (two tackles), and 2022 second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson (seven quarterback pressures, tied for the fourth-most in Week 1) all contributed nicely in the victory. 

The bad: The Lions offense only scoring 14 points on a Chiefs defense missing 2022 First-Team All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. Sure it’s only Week 1, but for a team entering its second season under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson after averaging 26.6 points per game in 2022, the fifth-most in the NFL, more was expected. However, they did do just enough to scrape by with a victory this week. 

The ugly: Gibbs losing the timeshare battle in the Lions’ backfield 2:1. If a team is going to make the poor value decision to draft a running back in the first round, they might as well utilize that player. Gibbs averaged six yards a carry on seven carries for 42 yards while veteran David Montgomery plodded ahead for 3.5 yards a carry on 21 carries for 74 yards, and an eight-yard rushing touchdown. In order to make the most of their investment, the Lions need to get Gibbs more involved in their game plan.

Packers (defeated Bears 38-20)

The good: Jordan Love’s 245 passing yards and three passing touchdowns on 15 of 27 passing were critical in the Packers securing a road victory over the Bears. Of Love’s 245 yards through the air, 35% came with Aaron Jones on the receiving end with a 51-yard catch-and-run on a screen pass as well as a 35-yard catch-and-run touchdown on a second-half fourth down. The Pro Bowl running back and the Packers’ sole Aaron remaining in Green Bay, Jones totaled 127 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches — 41 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown plus 86 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown on two catches. That duo along with second-year receiver Romeo Doubs, who caught eight-yard and four-yard touchdowns from Love, helped provide the Chicago crowd at Soldier Field with a familiar feeling of disappointment following another defeat.

The bad: Jones only having five touches, all rushing attempts, for 24 yards in the first half. His lack of involvement after the opening drive is big reason the score was 10-6 at halftime. Head coach Matt LaFleur atoned for his sin of not utilizing his dynamic, all-purpose running back in the second half.

The ugly: LaFleur’s end of the first half clock management. Following a second-and-10 sack by new Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue at the Chicago 26 on a play that began with 37 seconds on the clock, Green Bay was pushed back to the 34. LaFleur curiously opted to let the clock run down to four seconds before burning the Packers’ final timeout. Sixth-round rookie Anders Carlson blasted his 52-yard field goal attempt through the uprights, but Green Bay could’ve run at least two more plays if LaFleur had been quicker on the timeout call.

Texans (lost 25-9 to Ravens)

The good: Head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense could be better than expected this season. They forced Lamar Jackson to turn the football over twice, and they sacked him four times. The third overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Will Anderson Jr., looked downright ferocious on Sunday, racking up a sack and five quarterback pressures. 

The bad and the ugly: Ryans’ initial in-game management. He used all three of his timeouts in the first two quarters with just over eight minutes left before halftime. The coaching staff also opted to keep 2023 second overall pick quarterback C.J. Stroud on the field to go for it from their own 47, and following a play-action pass attempt from the shotgun formation on fourth down-and-one, he was sacked. 

The good: Fourth overall draft pick quarterback Anthony Richardson, at 21 years-old an 111 days, he became the youngest player with a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown in a game since Bill Dudley in 1942. Richardson finished the contest with 223 passing yards, one passing touchdown (a 39-yard strike to Michael Pittman Jr.), and an interception on 24 of 37 passing. He also led the Colts in rushing with 40 yards an a touchdown on 10 carries.

The bad and the ugly: Richardson suffered an apparent lower body injury that knocked him out of the game with just over a minute left to play. Fortunately for Indy, head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Richardson is “ok” and “not in danger to miss any additional time.”

Jaguars (defeated Colts 31-21)

The good: Calvin Ridley looks like a legit, number one, Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver. He hauled in eight catches for 101 yards and a receiving touchdown after 686 days had passed between Sunday and his last NFL game. Trevor Lawrence is going to have a lot of fun throwing his way this season.

The bad and the ugly: The Jaguars offense hit a lull in the fourth, allowing the Colts to come back and take a 21-17 lead into the fourth quarter. Jacksonville would respond with a couple late rushing touchdowns to seal the deal. 

Chiefs (lost 21-20 to Lions)

The good: Patrick Mahomes almost overcame the lack of All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce on Thursday. He totaled 226 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick-six (not his fault) on 21 of 39 passing. If not for critical drops by wide receiver Kadarius Toney, the Chiefs likely begin the season 1-0.

The bad and the ugly: Kadarius Toney’s two drops including one that led to Lions rookie safety Brian Branch’s 50-yard interception return touchdown. He now has eight drops on 82 career targets in the NFL since he entered the league as a first-round pick with the Giants in 2021. That 9.8% drop rate is the highest in the NFL among 105 receivers with at least 75 targets in that span. 

Raiders (defeated Broncos 17-16)

The good: New quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s connection with his top two receivers, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. They accounted for 73.1% of Garppolo’s targets (19 of 26) as 147 of Jimmy G’s 200 passing yards went to Meyers (81 yards and two receiving touchdowns on nine catches via 10 targets) and Adams (66 receiving yards on six catches via nine targets). Without this Week 1 chemistry, the Raiders would be 0-1. 

The bad: Josh Jacobs’ 2023 debut. The running back market isn’t fair, which means Jacobs, who led the league in rushing yards in 2022, has to put up a similar performance in order to get paid the way he would like next offseason. After holding out and missing all of training camp, Jacobs looked rusty on Sunday, only mustering 48 yards on 19 carries, an average of 2.5 yards per rush.

The ugly: Garoppolo’s third-and-goal interception. Trailing by three, 13-10, near the end of the third quarter, the Silver and Black reached the Broncos’ six. In a three-point game, Garoppolo, best known as a game manager, attempted to scramble and improvise in order to throw someone open on third-and-goal. His pass was easily deflected and intercepted.

Chargers (lost 36-34 to Dolphins)

The good: Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. One of the many star running backs to unsuccessfully receive a long-term extension this past offseason, proved his worth to the Chargers on Sunday. He totaled 164 scrimmage yards, including 117 rushing) and a one-yard rushing touchdown on 20 touches. Sixteen of those were handoffs on which he averaged 7.3 yards per carry. Ekeler now has a league-leading 39 touchdowns since 2021, 37 of which occurred in the red zone. 

The bad: The Chargers secondary allowed Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to throw for 466 yards, the most the Bolts have allowed in a game in franchise history. For a team with as many defensive playmakers as Los Angeles has — Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa, Pro Bowl outside linebacker Khalil Mack, Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson, and Pro Bowl safety Derwin James — it seems insane that they couldn’t provide much resistance at all on Sunday. 

The ugly: Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore going away from Ekeler in the fourth quarter. He totaled eight yards on three touches in the game’s final 15 minutes. 

The good: Quarterback Matthew Stafford turning back the clock and rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua. The 35-year-old Stafford dealt with neck and concussion issues at the end of 2022, casting doubt on what he could be going forward. Stafford turned back the clock to the 2021 Super Bowl season with 334 passing yards on 24 of 38 passing with 119 yards going to both 2023 fifth-round pick Puka Nacua and 2021 second-round pick Tutu Atwell. That output makes Nacua and Atwell the first Rams duo with over 100 receiving yards each in a season opener since Pro Football Hall of Famer Issac Bruce and Torry Holt in 2003. The 119 totaled by Nacua made history as the most by a Rams player in their NFL debut, and it’s the most receiving yards by a player taken in the fifth round or later in NFL debut since Joey Clinkscales in 1987. 

The bad and the ugly: The Rams secondary let DK Metcalf get loose for Seattle’s only touchdown.

Dolphins (defeated Chargers 36-34)

The good: The Tua Tagovailoa-Tyreek Hill connection. Both Tagovailoa (466 passing yards) and Hill (216 receiving yards) totaled the second-highest, single-game yardage total of their careers while Tua threw two of his three touchdown passes to Hill. The last of the two scores was the game-winning, four-yard score on third-and-goal with under two minutes to go. No quarterback-wide receiver duo had a better Week 1 in 2023. The effort also made Tagovailoa the only other Dolphins quarterback with multiple 400-yard passing games in their career alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino. 

The bad and the ugly: The Dolphins’ ground game. MIami’s rushing attack suffered greatly with both Jeff Wilson Jr. and De’Von Achane out with injuries. Raheem Mostert could only muster 37 yards and a two-yard rushing touchdown.

Vikings (lost 20-17 to Buccaners)

The good: The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson is still dominant. He finished with seven catches and 138 receiving yards through just the first half alone. The Vikings need to come up with the money to extend him ASAP. 

The bad: Quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with Jefferson just two more times for 12 yards in the second half. That was a critical reason why they lost their first one-score regular season game since the 2021 season on Sunday.

The ugly: Cousins’ three turnovers, two fumbles lost and an interception. The pick occurred just 23 seconds left before halftime with Minnesota threatening to score a touchdown and break the 10-10 tie. Cousins threw a pass from the Buccaneers 13 behind intended target K.J. Osborn’s back, leading to an easy interception.  

The good: Matt Patricia may not have completely ruined Mac Jones. The third-year quarterback produced his first career game with 300+ passing yards (316) and three touchdowns on Sunday against the Eagles while also throwing an interception on 35 of 53 passing. His connection with Kendrick Bourne (64 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six catches) also revealed itself to be alive and well after the 28-year-old receiver topped the one touchdown catch in 16 games played last season in Week 1 of 2023.

The bad and the ugly: The offense still has a long way to go to shake the bad habits built up from last season. The Patriots amassed only 43 total yards on New England’s first five possessions. They failed to establish the run with 76 team rushing yards with new running back Ezekiel Elliott leading the team in rushing yards (29). 

The good: New starting quarterback Derek Carr did just enough to push the Saints across the finish line for the win. Even though he was pressured on 44.7% of his dropbacks, he was able to hang tough in the pocket just long enough, like he did on what became the game-winning, 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. Carr finished with 305 yards, the 19-yard touchdown and an interception on 23 of 33 passing. 

The bad and the ugly: Carr’s early struggles. He didn’t put enough juice on a throw to Michael Thomas near the goal line, and that caused New Orleans to have to kick a field goal instead. The offensive output wasn’t enough, but thanks to the New Orleans Saints defense, Carr had a nice margin for error on Sunday. 

Giants (lost 40-0 to Cowboys)

The good: That quarterback Daniel Jones, the team’s $160 million quarterback, didn’t get injured on the MetLife Stadium turf. Jones was sacked seven times and pressured on nearly two-thirds of his dropbacks (62.2%), which resulted in him throwing for 104 yards on 13 of 24 passing with two interceptions and the lowest passer rating of his five-year career, 32.4. 

The bad: Daniel Jones and the offense got pummeled, and the Giants defense’s best tool to slow down the Cowboys passing attack was the rain. 

The ugly: Having a promising drive that looked like it was going to end with three points for the G-Men concluded with six points for Dallas after the Silver and Blue blocked New York’s field goal attempt and ran it back 58 yards for a score.

Jets (defeated Bills 22-16 in overtime)

The good: Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson’s acrobatic touchdown catch while laying on the ground. That play saved the game for Gang Green, bringing things back to even, 13-13, with just under five minutes left in regulation. 

Also, undrafted rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson’s game-winning, 65-yard punt return touchdown in overtime. The Hard Knocks star and Stephen F. Austin alum had to sweat out cutdown day, but he provided Jets fans with a temporary cure to their long-running anxieties.

The bad and the ugly: The Aaron Rodgers era with the New York Jets lasting only four plays. The future Hall of Fame quarterback suffered a complete tear of his Achilles tendon. 

Rodgers suffered the injury after being sacked by Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd  early in the first quarter. The four-time NFL MVP appeared to be ok, but then he crumpled to the ground shortly thereafter. 

Eagles (defeated Patriots 25-20)

The good: The Eagles defense. Philadelphia couldn’t have asked for a much better start. Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay returned a Mac Jones interception 70 yards to the house on the Patriots’ opening drive of the game.

Defensive tackle Jordan Davis forced an Ezekiel Elliott fumble on the very next play, which allowed their offense a short field. That led to a touchdown, a five-yard pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts to wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and a 16-0 lead. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, co-led the entire NFL in quarterback pressures in Week 1 with eight, which included one sack in his NFL debut.

The bad and the ugly: The Eagles’ offense could only muster one offensive touchdown, and it was after they forced the Elliott fumble, which set them up 26 yards from the end zone. Philadelphia was forced to kick four field goals, and only one passing play gained more than 15 yards. Hurts’ fumble with 3:30 minutes left in the game nearly opened the door for Philadelphia to blow the game completely. 

The good: Quarterback Kenny Pickett came alive while running the two-minute drill just before halftime, completing seven of his 11 passes on the possession that ended with him hitting tight end Pat Freiermuth for a three-yard touchdown. However, that level of play wasn’t reached often on Sunday. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt carried his weight, creating three sacks, forcing two fumbles, and recovering a fumble.

The bad: Pickett when running offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s regular offense. Pittsburgh went three-and-out on their first five drives, not earning a first down until the second quarter. 

The ugly: Injuries. Both wide receiver Diontae Johnson and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Heyward departed early. Heyward will reportedly miss multiple weeks after likely being placed on injured reserve. 

49ers (defeated Steelers 30-7)

The good: Quarterback Brock Purdy looked completely healthy after undergoing elbow surgery this offseason. He guided the 49ers on four consecutive scoring drives early, helping San Francisco build a quick 20-0 lead. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was open often during his 129-yard performance that included two touchdowns on eight catches. Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey also dominated, racking up 152 rushing yards on 22 carries, 65 of which came on his longest touchdown run as a 49er. 

The bad: The 49ers allowed a two-minute drill touchdown to Kenny Pickett and the Steelers, but that was all the scoring Pittsburgh did at home on Sunday.

The ugly: Nothing. San Francisco had a fairly smooth path to victory in Week 1. 

Seahawks (lost 30-13 to Rams)

The good: Receiver DK Metcalf was able to provide the only touchdown of the day for Seattle, a 10-yard reception. Longtime Seahawks Bobby Wagner also made his second Seahawks debut after spending the 2022 season with the Rams. 

The bad and the ugly: Seattle was shut out in the second half. After taking a 13-6 lead into the locker room at halftime, they allowed 23 unanswered points to conclude the game. Reliable wide receiver Tyler Lockett suffering what appeared to be a concussion rattled the Seahawks offense, and they were unable to recover against Aaron Donald and Co.

Buccaneers (defeated Vikings 20-17)

The good: New starting quarterback Baker Mayfield played well in Buccaneers debut and helped power Tampa Bay to a. Week 1 win. He finished with 173 passing yards and two passing touchdown on 21 of 34 passing to account for the only Buccaneers touchdowns of the afternoon. Mayfield also put his body on the line with a couple late fourth quarter runs that were pivotal for getting kicker Chase McLaughlin in position to kick the game-winning, 57-yard field goal.

The bad and the ugly: The Buccaneers needed to punt on five of their first six drives, mustering up only 29 yards during that span. If Tampa Bay wants to shock the world and win the NFC South without Tom Brady, they’ll need to come out of the gate a lot faster going forward.

Titans (lost 16-15 to Saints)

The good: Running back Derrick Henry still has some juice despite years of wear and tear on his tires. He provided Tennessee with their most explosive play in the passing game, a 46-yard catch-and run off of a screen pass. His efforts — 63 rushing yards on 15 carries — were in vain on Sunday, but he can still be a force to be reckoned with in 2023.

The bad and the ugly: Quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s three-interception performance that cost the Titans the game. He threw for 198 yards on 16 of 34 passing, but he couldn’t consistently connect with new top wideout DeAndre Hopkins, tossing two of his three picks when targeting the perennial Pro Bowler.  

Commanders (defeated Cardinals 20-16)

The good: Ron Rivera’s defense dominated in the second half, holding the Cardinals to 93 yards and just three points after halftime. It all started up front where Montez Sweat (1.5), Jonathan Allen (1.0) and Abdullah Anders (0.5) took turns racking up sacks. Sweat additionally forced two fumbles, and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Daron Payne’s presence helped facilitate the entire afternoon’s events. Quarterback Sam Howell also added a passing and rushing score to become the first Washington quarterback to do so since Kirk Cousins back in 2015. He is only the fifth quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger with a passing and rushing touchdown in each of his first two starts. Howell is the first quarterback to do that since Cam Newton, who also played for Rivera, back in 2011. 

The bad and the ugly: Washington surrendered six sacks against the lowly Cardinals, the second-most allowed in Week 1, trailing only the seven let up by the Giants. Some of that is obviously on the quarterback: Howell tallied an interception and a lost fumble. However, he did stay upright long enough to make just enough plays.