We are officially one week into the 2025 NFL campaign and naturally the overreactions are FLYING. But we did in fact learn a lot about each of the 30 teams. Let’s see what each team showed us in their week 1 matchup

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Derrick Henry is still THAT DUDE

Even at 31, Derrick Henry continues to show why he’s still a top running back in this league. Despite the loss Henry finished with 169 yards on over 9 yards per carry, as well as 2 touchdowns including a 46 yarder in the 4th that could have been the dagger. He had at least 3 carries of 30+ yards and proved to everyone he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. The late fumble was rough, but it doesn’t discount the rest of the dominating performance.

Cincinnati Bengals

The defense MIGHT be a bit improved

Look the second half of this game was hideous for both Cincy and Cleveland, the Bengals just lucked out they scored 2 touchdowns in the first half. But looking back at how this Bengals defense played in 2024, this is the exact kind of game last year’s team loses. Instead, after giving up the lead with a touchdown to start the second half, this Bengals defense pulled out a very gritty win on the backs of 2 second half interceptions. You cannot say the Bengals of 2024 get those stops and win this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Aaron Rodgers is not done yet!

If you had told me Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers to a win over the Jets I would have believed you. Now if you told me he did that AND threw for 4 touchdowns??? I would’ve asked what you’re on. But Rodgers proved all the doubters wrong and led the Steelers on a late game winning drive leading to Chris Boswell’s 60 yard field goal. The whole game seemed very vintage Rodgersesque and should provide Steeler fans with lots of optimism should Rodgers stay healthy.

Cleveland Browns

We may have a running back battle starting soon

While 2nd round pick out of Ohio State Quinshon Judkins clears up his off the field stuff, there was not a clear lead option for the Browns to turn to at running back. This meant there was a wide open opportunity for one of these backs to grab the coaching staff’s attention, and Dylan Sampson did just that. While he didn’t rush for an overwhelming amount of yardage, he was incredibly useful in the passing game. The 4th round pick from Tennessee logged 8 receptions for 64 yards, 2 yards behind Jerry Jeudy who led the team. With Judkins expected to return to the team within the next week, there could be some split opinions on who should be Cleveland’s lead back.

AFC East

Miami Dolphins

Tua time might be through

It’s hard to believe a Dolphins offense which was so unstoppable a couple short years ago looked absolutely foolish compared to a Colts team led by Daniel Jones. Here the Dolphins find themselves and for once they can’t use the excuse of Tua missing time. While he did take some hits, he played the whole game and didn’t seem to be hurting, he just didn’t play good. Could he turn this around? Absolutely! The Dolphins still have 2 of the most electric weapons in the NFL in Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane, but if things don’t begin to improve soon, Miami may be desperate to find a team to take on Tua’s contract.

New England Patriots

This defense needs Christian Gonzalez

The Patriots as a whole by no means looked bad against Vegas on Sunday, but one area that certainly looked lost was the defensive secondary. Geno Smith spent his Raiders debut carving up the Patriots defensive backs for 362 yards and a touchdown. Jaylinn Hawkins did get himself an interception and was a spark for the defense, but Geno’s performance was the 2nd most yards of any QB in week 1 (Josh Allen 394). Getting Gonzalez back soon will help this secondary out exponentially, and they’re going to need it if they want any hopes of making a playoff push.

New York Jets

The Jets look light years better

Despite the last second loss, the Jets first game of the Aaron Glenn era left many fans filled with optimism for the future. Justin Fields had 3 total touchdowns and very quickly rekindled the Ohio State connection with Garret Wilson. Breece Hall got off to a great start with over almost 150 yards from scrimmage, and Braelon Allen looks like a great short down back. The defense could clearly use some improvement, but a former defensive coordinator like Glenn should be able to figure that out. They’re no super bowl contenders, but this team may get some surprising wins this year.

Buffalo Bills

This team might be their most resilient

The Bills have been so good for so many years now in the Josh Allen era, that you begin to wonder what will it take to get over the hump that is Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Well a 15 point 4th quarter comeback against the other top AFC contender in the Ravens is a good sign of things to come. A champion always gets battle tested at some point and you need to know who can make big plays in the biggest situations. This Bills team did just that Sunday night and showed there is not an ounce of quit in this Bills team.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Bo Nix could have a sophomore slump

There’s always players who find incredible success in their rookie season only to then find it a little more difficult to replicate that success. Now I’m not saying Bo Nix isn’t going to be a great quarterback, but 2 interceptions against a Titans team who isn’t known for spectacular defense is not a good start to his sophomore campaign. Last year we saw CJ Stroud go through it, Bo Nix may be the next to suffer the sophomore slump. But it is only one game, and he certainly does have the talent to turn things around and avoid quickly.

Kansas City Chiefs

They need their top receivers back

Hollywood Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster did a very good job stepping up for the suspended Rashee Rice and Xavior Worthy who left early Friday night with an injury, but the Chiefs still looked a step slower on offense. If they don’t find someone else to fill in for the first few weeks of the season, they may find themselves in an early hole and be forced to climb out if they want to get back to the playoffs. If there is a quarterback to get the job done with this core however, it probably is Patrick Mahomes.

Las Vegas Raiders

Geno is the best QB this team has seen since Derek Carr

Yes there was a time when Derek Carr was leading the Raiders to great records and they looked like a playoff team. Since those days he struggled for a bit and then the Raiders found themselves without really any options at quarterback. Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew split snaps for the most part last year, but this team looked completely different with a new face under center. We’ll see if the money spent on Geno Smith ends up being worth the Raiders time, but for the first time in a while they can say they have a franchise quarterback.

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert is a top quarterback

Justin Herbert reminded everyone that while he doesn’t have the playoff wins some of the other top QBs have, he is just as talented as anyone in the league. 318 yards and 3 touchdowns in a shootout against the Chiefs, in a home game played in Brazil, is incredibly impressive and was the main reason the Chargers walked away victorious. The connection to Keenan Allen didn’t dwindle at all during his year in Chicago, and Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey looked great. This trio plus a solid offensive line could give us a potential Justin Herbert MVP season.

AFC South

Houston Texans

CJ Stroud might have peaked

After a historic rookie season led to a sophomore slump, Texans fans really could use the rookie CJ Stroud back this year. Unfortunately they would not get that CJ against the Rams. Zero offensive touchdowns on the day puts blame on a lot of people, but naturally the QB will take the bulk of that. Stroud only ended up throwing for 188 yards and an interception, as the Texans offense looked its worst in almost a year. There’s a fair chance CJ Stroud may have just peaked as a rookie.

Indianapolis Colts

They chose the right QB

Daniel Jones….Danny DIMES. Jones had one of the best offensive days in Colts history in his debut game against the Dolphins. In fact he’s the only quarterback in league history to lead an offense to points on every single drive of the game since they began tracking such stats in the early 90s. Jones proved every doubter wrong in this debut and showed the world maybe it wasn’t entirely his fault the Giants couldn’t succeed with him under center.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Etienne is THE running back on this team

After a down year Travis Etienne bounced back hard in this one, so hard in fact right after the game the Jags traded backup Tank Bigsby to the Eagles for a pair of picks. Trevor Lawrence certainly has some question marks around him right now, so his best friend would be a consistent run game. If Etienne can continue putting in 140 plus yards any given night, this Jaguars offense is going to raise some eyebrows.

Tennessee Titans

Cam Ward needs a WR1

Cam Ward wasn’t expected to throw for 300 yards and beat down a phenomenal Broncos defense in his debut, but 112 yards was definitely lower than he or anyone else anticipated. His top wide receiver dropping 4 passes does not help with that. Calvin Ridley has plenty of talent, we’ve seen it, but he has got to cut down the drops if this offense is going to have any chance at success. Ridley right now is the clear number one option and he’s going to have to step up to that level of responsibility.

NFC East

New York Giants

Jaxson Dart will start at some point this year

It’s seemingly inevitable that eventually Brian Daboll is going to have to turn to rookie Jaxson Dart at QB. Whether it’s to save his job or to get wins is yet to be seen, but it’s clear Russell Wilson is not the answer for this team. With every passing game there will be more and more fans clamoring to make a change at quarterback, which could force Daboll’s hand. If making fans reengaged because of a flashy rookie QB keeps his job for another year, Daboll is going to make that change immediately.

Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels will NOT be a sophomore slump

The biggest question Washington had coming into this season was simply will they get the same Jayden Daniels as last year. It’s safe to say that the rookie of the year is still in there after week 1. A clean game with zero turnovers and very well sustained drives is exactly what fans want out of a quarterback, and that’s exactly what Daniels delivered on Sunday. Against a Giants defense that is oozing with talent makes it an even more impressive performance.

Dallas Cowboys

Defense misses Parsons

Yeah this is pretty obvious, what defense wouldn’t miss an all pro edge rusher in the prime of his career, but this defense REALLY missed him Thursday night. The run defense did a decent job at containing Saquon and the offense looked stellar in the first half , but the missing piece to what could’ve been a huge upset was the edge rushers. It seemed like every time the Cowboys got close to making a stop Jalen Hurts would get a wide open pocket to either strike one to an open receiver or take off running for a first down. Marshawn Kneeland got the lone sack for Dallas in this one, and if no one steps up the defense is going to continue to get worse and worse.

Philadelphia Eagles

Zack Baun is a top linebacker in football

Who would’ve thought a former special teamer in New Orleans would become the Eagles best linebacker. But Zack Baun earned himself a nice contract after last year and continues to play incredible as the heart of this defense. His 9 tackles led the team and his hustle on what could have been a breakaway touchdown for Miles Sanders led to an eventual turnover on that same drive. He’s got all the tools of a great linebacker in today’s NFL and clearly shows the heart of one too

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams still looks like a rookie

Caleb Williams had some very impressive plays on Sunday against Minnesota. His speed looks on par with Lamar Jackson, and his arm strength is clearly off the charts. But his mental mistakes limit what he can do with his physical gifts. He still holds onto the ball too long sometimes in the pocket, or will sling a pass to a receiver 5 yards away so fast it slips right through their hands. He’s got all the tools to be a great quarterback, plus weapons and a decent offensive line, but he just hasn’t made that leap since going pro when it comes to the mental aspect of the game.

Minnesota Vikings

JJ McCarthy is the future

JJ struggled a bit early on in this one. The pick six was one of the worst throws he’s probably made in his football career. But his second half performance was unbelievable for someone making his NFL debut. Kevin O’Connell knows how to maximize a quarterback’s potential as well, so while they may play low risk to start out McCarthy’s career, the talent is clearly there and everyone can tell he has the heart of a winner.

Green Bay Packers

Defense is the key

This Packers team was already close to a Super Bowl roster, then they added all pro Micah Parsons. Even not 100% his impact was still felt and it led to an easy night for Jordan Love. Taking the pressure of needing to put points up on the board let Love and the Packers coast throughout the second half and fairly easily walk their way to a victory against a Lions offense that averaged over 30 points a game last year

Detroit Lions

This team needs to run the ball

Losing an offensive coordinator as brilliant as Ben Johnson is not easy to replace, and this offense did not look good at all in its first game without him. Unable to put a touchdown up until the 4th quarter, something has to change within this Lions offense. 46 total rushing yards from a tandem including David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs is just simply asking to lose football games, and Dan Campbell has to capitalize on this Super Bowl window before it’s too late.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Michael Penix can lead this offense

Penix had to wait to get his shot last year after serving as backup to Kirk Cousins, but since getting the starting job he’s transformed how this offense looks. While they could’ve done better in the red zone, there is still lots to be encouraged by in this game. Bijan Robinson and Penix have a great system getting him the ball in space, and Kyle Pitts Jr looked much more involved in the offense. Add in Drake London and these are all signs to this offense being very hard to stop when it all clicks.

Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young still has work to do

Bryce looked very solid down the stretch last season after being benched for veteran Andy Dalton, but in this matchup we saw Bryce resemble much closer to his play at the start of the year. The turnovers were again a problem and the team struggled to craft sustained drives to get into scoring range. 1st round pick Tetairoa McMillan looked solid in his debut, but he and Young need to seriously get on the same page and fast or Young’s time in Carolina could be fading.

New Orleans Saints

Spencer Rattler has potential

Rattler did not look anywhere close to a starting quarterback in his time playing last year, and many expected the Saints quarterback woes to continue into this season. However Rattler, despite the loss, really did not look bad in his first game this season. He finished with over 200 yards and while he couldn’t get into the end zone much, he didn’t turn the ball over at all and only took one sack, very difficult tasks for a young quarterback to do. He’s got plenty of work to do still but don’t give up on Spencer Rattler just yet.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Emeka Egbuka is him

Everyone had high expectations out of the 1st round pick from Ohio State. But in an already crowded wide receiver room, it seemed like Egbuka would have to wait to really have that breakout moment. The injury to Chris Godwin gave him a prime opportunity starting next to Mike Evans, and he took full advantage leading the team in yards and touchdowns. By the time Godwin returns there’s a good chance Egbuka has taken the bulk of his targets by that point.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

They’ll go as far as the Oline takes them

5 sacks is an awful number for a quarterback to take, but it’s even worse when it happens to one of the quickest and most elusive quarterbacks in the league. Kyler did a good job at making plays when he could, but 20 points against a bottom tier Saints team is not enough to make anyone think Arizona will make noise this year. It’s tough being an undersized QB as it but if the Oline doesn’t start protecting Kyler this season could get away from them very quickly

Los Angeles Rams

Offense needs to be better

An offense with players such as Matt Stafford, Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams, 14 points is nowhere close to their expectation. They got lucky their defense stepped up and forced 3 turnovers, but they can’t rely on that every single week. Plus with guys like Stafford and Adams not getting any younger, the window will close quickly for this team. The Texans do boast one of the top defenses in the league, but eventually this offense will have to get going.

San Francisco 49ers

They still can’t stay healthy

Christian McCaffrey had a great game for the 49ers against Seattle and made it out without any injury issues with the calf. However this time it was George Kittle who went down and is out multiple weeks now. Brandon Aiyuk is still working his way back from injury as well, which has led to an emergence from Ricky Pearsall. So it’s clear this team is filled with talent, they just can’t seem to find a way to get out of the year without too many crippling injuries.

Seattle Seahawks

They need to hold onto the football

Sam Darnold didn’t have a relatively awful game in his Seahawks debut, but it was very clear this offense left more than enough points on the board that they should have won this game. 3 fumbles is just too much to overcome without a dominant defense. If Jaxon Smith-Njigba is really going to be the number one option in this offense, which he’s shown he can be, he has got to do a better job of holding onto the football, 2 fumbles is just too much.