The NFL is back and it was certainly worth the wait. Whether it was Packers being blown out by the Saints, the Texans getting a shock win, or the Steelers late comeback, Week 1 had it all. Here are the biggest takeaways from the opening weekend of the 2021 season.
Packers look toothless in loss to the Saints
Coming into Week 1 this looked like a contender for game of the week. In the end, the Packers didn’t even turn up. The Saints ran out 38-3 winners, dealing Aaron Rodgers the biggest loss of his NFL career. It was also just the second time since 2015 that a Rodgers-led Green Bay have been held to single digit points.
Green Bay showed none of their offense prowess from 2020, combining for just 75 yards in the first half. Rodgers looked rushed and threw multiple interceptions for just the third time in four years. Their defense was dire too. They could not stop the running game all afternoon and gave up 171 yards on the ground. Their inability to generate pressure in the passing game also put strain on their secondary. Jameis Winston finished the game with five touchdowns on just 14 attempts.
Whilst the Packers’ meltdown will be the biggest story from this game, the Saints deserve plenty of praise. Green Bay had the NFL’s best offense in 2020 and they almost managed to shut them out. They also appear to have adjusted seamlessly to Jameis Winston at quarterback. If they can continue to play like this they will find themselves challenging the Bucs for the NFC South.
Houston deliver surprise opening day win
Houston’s offseason has been the stuff of nightmares. From the ongoing Deshaun Watson saga to the practical dismantling of their roster, it hasn’t been an easy few months for Texans fans. Prior to this weekend they were already being touted as the overwhelming favourites for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Draft and some were wondering whether or not they would win a game all season. It is safe to say they comfortably exceeded expectations.
Tyrod Taylor looked excellent in his first game as a Texan, finishing 21 of 33, for 291 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that their defense showed up and managed to snag three interceptions from Trevor Lawrence in his debut outing. For the majority of this game they were leading the Jaguars by 20+ points and their victory never really looked in doubt.
In this instance you do have to adjust for the opponent. The Jaguars have added Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence, but this is still a roster that went 1-15 last season. Nevertheless, the Texans deserve credit and this performance will have given them some hope as they head towards a tough Week 2 matchup against the Browns.
Browns and Chiefs deliver Week 1 thriller
This game promised to be the best of Week 1 and it delivered. The Browns are coming off an excellent offseason that has seen them assemble a strong roster. Many were suggesting that they could seriously compete with the top teams in the AFC this season and there are no better tests than the Chiefs. Whilst they didn’t get the win, their performance has put the rest of the conference on notice.
The Browns got off to a hot start, taking an early lead that they would hold until midway through the fourth quarter. They had a number of big drives, going for 75+ yards on each of their four first half possessions. The Chiefs managed to keep things fairly close thanks to Mahomes and Tyreek Hill, who had 11 catches for 197 yards and a touchdown.
The game went right down to the wire and the Browns could have won if it weren’t for a number of costly mistakes. Nick Chubb had a rare fumble and Browns punter Jamie Gillan botched a snap deep inside his own half. Cleveland then had a chance to make a winning drive in the dying seconds, but Baker Mayfield’s interception sealed the win for the Chiefs. The manner of defeat will have left a bad taste in the mouth of Browns fans, but they were really impressive in this one.
Will the real Josh Allen please stand up?
After an up-and-down first two seasons in the league, Josh Allen blossomed into one of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks last season. He almost doubled his passing touchdowns from 20 to 37 and jumped from 37th in completion percentage to fifth. This saw him sign a six-year, $258 million extension this offseason that was widely praised around the league.
One bad performance in Week 1 doesn’t mean you should hit the panic button, but Allen’s performance against the Steelers will have raised eyebrows. He looked like the Josh Allen of old in this game, with his accuracy issues returning. He completed just 58.8 per cent of his passes against Pittsburgh. Despite being pressured on 41.1 per cent of his dropbacks, his most concerning play seemed to come in a clean pocket. Allen averaged just 5 yards per attempt and a 2.9 per cent big-time throw rate. This stands in contrast to last season, when these numbers were at 8.6 and 4.9 respectively.
Despite the shaky performance, this is a game the Bills should have won, and they will be keen to put it behind them. Next week they have a tough test against their divisional rivals in the Miami Dolphins. A win in that one would calm the nerves and leave them tied for first in the AFC East. If they are to have any chance of winning against that defense they will need Allen to be back to his 2020 best. It just remains to be seen as to which version of the Bills quarterback we get.
Titans offense goes missing in Todd Downing’s OC debut
The Titans established a reputation as one of the league’s most powerful offenses under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith departed during the offseason to take the head coaching job in Atlanta and it was always going to be interesting to see how the team would adjust. The Titans hired former Raiders OC Todd Downing to take over the reigns and if the first week is anything to go by, it doesn’t look great.
Tannehill was under pressure on almost 40 per cent of his dropbacks and was sacked six times. The much-vaunted combination of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones combined for just seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps the most concerning thing was their running game. Derrick Henry managed just 58 yards at an average of 3.4 per carry. The offense as a whole average 3.9 yards per play.
This all came against a Cardinals defense who entered 2021 with a bunch of question marks, particularly in the secondary. Titans fans will hope that this performance was just a case of teething problems with the new coordinator. It will be interesting to see how they fare in a tough game next weekend against the Seahawks.
Week 1 MVP
Chandler Jones, Arizona Cardinals – Jones was a game-wrecker against the Titans this weekend. He racked up five sacks, becoming just the second player in the last four seasons to do so. He also contributed six defensive stops and managed to force two fumbles.
Rookie of the week
Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals – Drops had been an issue for Chase in the preseason, but he was exceptional this weekend. He finished the game with five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, with zero drops. He is just the fifth rookie receiver to go for 100+ yards in Week 1 since 2014.
Stat of the week
74 – The Steelers have taken their sack streak to 74 consecutive games. This puts them just two behind the NFL record, set by the Detroit Lions in the 1960s.
