NFL 2024 Week 1 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Week 1 made us get reintroduced to the new rules, a reminder that the Chiefs are still a great team, and the beauty that is NFL Football. Week 1 brought us some drama, with an Opening night game going to the final minute, NFL football being played in Brazil, some drama involving Tyreek Hill and so many close games in the early game window. All that and more in this week's recap. Let's get to work!

NFL Week 1 Freaky Stat

Since 2020, the Cincinnati Bengals were 1-7 in Week 1 and 2. After the game against New England they are 1-8. 

NFL Week 1 Recap

Baltimore 20, Kansas City 27: TW: Chiefs

A game that was decided by a big toe. Lamar Jackson would play well enough hitting 26 of 41 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown pass to Isiah Likely. Jackson's feet would also do a lot of the work as he rushed for 122 yards on 16 carries. Derrick Henry, recently acquired by free agency, rushed for 46 yards with a touchdown on 13 carries. Likely caught nine passes for 111 yards in the game. He might've gotten his 10th catch and 2nd touchdown pass had he kept his big toe from touching the white out of bounds line. Had he stayed in bounds, head coach John Harbaugh called the go-ahead to go for two. After an official review, the receiver's big toe was out of bounds. Baltimore racked up 452 total yards in the game. Patrick Mahomes hit 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards with a touchdown pass and a freakish interception. The touchdown pass went to Xavier Worthy who scored his first receiving touchdown on a 35-yard deep pass. The rookie also scored his first rushing touchdown on a 21-yard run play down the middle to give the Chiefs their first touchdown of the season. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 45 yards on 15 carries with a 1-yard touchdown. Kansas City gained 353 total yards in the game. Turnovers and bad play were a factor in this game as Lamar Jackson missed on a few key passes in the final redzone drive as well as his fumble that the Chiefs recovered. For the Ravens, their season drops to 0-1 as they look to avoid an 0-2 start. For the Chiefs, the relief is pure as they get to 1-0 on their journey to a three-peat. 

Next week: 
Baltimore: vs Las Vegas
Kansas City: vs Cincinnati

All time series: Chiefs lead 9-5

TW: 1-0

Green Bay 29, Philadelphia 34: TW: Eagles

It was a slugfest but the Eagles came out on top. Sadly it isn't the top story of this game. Jordan Love hit 17 of 34 passes for 260 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception. The first touchdown went to Jayden Reed for a 70-yard deep pass that gave the Packers an 19-14 lead with the point after. The 2nd went to Christian Watson on a short 2-yard pass that gave the Packers a 26-24 lead. Love would leave the game with a few seconds left in the game from a leg injury that left the quarterback with intense pain. Jayden Reed would also get a touchdown run on a 33-yard play as well as racked up 138 yards receiving giving the player 32 fantasy points. Newly acquired running back Josh Jacobs rushed for 84 yards on 16 carries. Green Bay put up 414 total yards in the game. They had two turnovers including a fumble as well as had 10 penalties for 71 yards. Jalen Hurts hit 20 of 34 passes for 278 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and had 33 rushing yards. The first went to Saquon Barkley for 18 yards that gave the Eagles their first lead. The 2nd went to AJ Brown on a 67-yard deep pass. Saquon Barkley had 24 carries for 109 yards and two touchdown runs. Philadelphia had 410 total yards with seven penalties for 57 yards and two turnovers. Ultimately, the Packers lost this game based on turnovers and penalties. For the Packers, Love's injury might be a costly one as he will get tests on the knee but face a 0-1 record. For the Eagles, they survive the Packers as well as Brazil as they get to 1-0 on the season. The game is also a first as they play in Brazil and South America for the first time ever in the history of the NFL. 

All-time series: Packers lead 28-19

TW: 2-0

Next week: 

Green Bay: vs Indianapolis
Philadelphia: vs Atlanta

Arizona 28, Buffalo 34: TW: Cardinals

Kyler Murray and Josh Allen duke it out in Orchard Park. Murray hit 21 of 31 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to Michael Wilson with 57 rushing yards. James Conner got a rushing touchdown with 16 carries for 50 yards. Greg Dortch was the leading receiver for the Cardinals as he had 47 yards with six catches. DeeJay Dallas would earn the honors as the first returner to score a touchdown under the new kickoff rules as he returned it for a 96-yard score. Arizona had 270 total yards of offense in the game. Josh Allen had 18 of 23 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns. The first touchdown went to Khalil Shakir for his first touchdown of the new season. The 2nd touchdown went to Mack Hollins. Allen had two rushing touchdowns of his own as he rushed for 39 yards in the game. James Cook had 71 yards rushing on 19 carries. Buffalo had 352 total yards in the game. Both teams were pretty close as the time of possession was nearly dead even. They did cough up the ball once and lost the fumble. For the Cardinals, they had their chances to win this game in a close contest but they falter to 0-1. For the Bills, they win the close contest as they get to 1-0.

TW: 2-1

All-time series: Bills lead 7-5

Next week:
Arizona: vs LA Rams
Buffalo: @ Miami

Carolina 10, New Orleans 47: TW: Saints

The Dave Canales era in Carolina ends on kind of a whimper. Bryce Young had a rough game as he hit 13 of 30 passes for 161 yards with two costly interceptions. Young would have some glimmer of hope as he scored the only touchdown for the Panthers on a 2-yard scramble in the 3rd quarter. Miles Sanders wouldn't get a lot of yardage going as he rushed for 22 yards on five carries. Chuba Hubbard had 14 yards rushing with six carries. Carolina would just put up 193 total yards in the game. The turnovers would be a factor but it was also the defense that would falter as well as the Saints would put up 17 points in five minutes. Derek Carr hit 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards with three touchdowns. Rashid Shaheed, Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson would be the Saints that would catch balls from Carr to score six points. Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams would find the endzone as well as the scored touchdowns while rushing for 83 and 38 yards respectively. The 30 of the 47 points scored by the Saints happened in the first half. New Orleans had 379 total yards in the game. For the Panthers, they drop to 0-1 as they are still looking for themselves in the Bryce Young era. For the Saints, their season starts with a 1-0 record. 

TW: 3-1

All-time series: Saints lead 31-28

Next week: 
Carolina: vs LA Chargers
New Orleans: @ Dallas

Houston 29, Indianapolis 27: TW: Texans

CJ Stroud hangs on to beat Anthony Richardson. Stroud hit 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns. Both touchdowns went to Stefon Diggs. Joe Mixon, who played his entire career in Cincinnati, hit the ground running with 159 yards with 30 carries. Nico Collins caught six passes for 117 yards including a 55-yard play that was the longest in the game for the Texans. Houston had 417 total yards in the game. Anthony Richardson would have a decent game as he hit 9 of 19 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The first went to Alec Pierce in what looked like a prayer of a pass to the wide out that ended up being a 60-yard play in the 1st quarter. The 2nd touchdown went to Ashton Dulin for a 54-yard play in the 4th quarter. Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor scored rushing touchdowns in the game as they had 56 and 48 yards rushing respectively. Indianapolis would get 303 total yards in the game. The time of possession was dominated by Houston who had 40 minutes even of ball control while the Colts had 20 despite the score. The Texans would have not as much success in converting 3rd down as they would've liked but they did have 7 of 14 compared to the 5 of 10 for the Colts. For the Texans, they hold off the Colts and get to 1-0 start. For the Colts, they drop to 0-1 on the season. 

TW: 4-1

All-time series: Colts lead 33-12-1

Next week:
Houston: vs Chicago
Indianapolis: @ Green Bay

Jacksonville 17, Miami 20: TW: Dolphins

It would take a Jason Sanders field goal to win it but the Dolphins overcome the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence hit 12 of 21 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. Tank Bigsby rushed for 73 yards with 12 carries. Travis Etienne rushed for 44 yards with a touchdown on 12 carries. Gabe Davis, the former Bill, had three catches for 62 yards. Jacksonville had 267 total yards in the game. Tua Tagovailoa hit 23 of 37 passes for 338 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. Hill would have a day as he caught seven passes for 130 yards, 80 of them from the touchdown. He would have an interesting time getting to the stadium as he was apprehended by Miami Police. Why he was arrested is unknown. Jeff Wilson had five carries for 26 yards. Devon Achane had 10 carries for 24 yards with a touchdown and had 76 yards receiving. Jaylen Waddle had a stellar game as well as he caught five passes for 109 yards, 63 yards on one play. Miami had 400 total yards in the game. The game would have its moments in penalties as both teams combined for 17 flags for 174 yards. Jason Sanders would give the Dolphins the win on a 52-yard field goal. For the Jaguars, they drop to 0-1 ont he season. For the Dolphins, they get to 1-0 and avoid the upset. 

TW: 5-1

All-time series: Series tied 6-6

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Cleveland
Miami: vs Buffalo 

Minnesota 28, NY Giants 6: TW: Vikings

Sam Darnold hits two touchdowns while the Giants wear interesting uniforms. Darnold hit 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The first touchdown went to Justin Jefferson on redzone trip for a 3-yard score. The 2nd went to Jalen Nailor for a 21-yard touchdown in the last offensive touchdown for the Vikes. Aaron Jones, the former Packer, hit the ground running with 14 carries for 94 yards with a touchdown that gave the Vikings an early 7-3 lead. Justin Jefferson had four catches for 59 yards. Daniel Jones would have somewhat of a forgettable afternoon. He hit 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards and two interceptions. One of them went to Andrew Van Ginkel for a 10-yard pick six that sealed the win for the Vikings. Devin Singletary rushed for 37 yards on 10 carries. Malik Nabers caught five passes for 66 yards. Minnesota had 312 total yards and New York would get 240 total yards. Graham Gano hit two field goals in the game for the G-men. For the Vikings, they reach the 1-0 mark for the season. For the Giants, they drop to 0-1. The Giants uniforms were what they were wearing in the 1920's as they are celebrating their 100th season this year. 

TW: 6-1

All-time series: Vikings lead 19-13

Next week:
Minnesota: vs San Francisco
NY Giants: @ Washington

New England 16, Cincinnati 10: TW: Bengals

The Patriots pull it off as Jerod Mayo gets his first win as a head coach. Jacoby Brisssett did enough as he hit 15 of 24 passes for 121 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown but didn't toss an interception either. Rhamondre Stevenson was the workhorse for the Pats as he rushed for 120 yards with the Patriots lone touchdown coming in the 2nd quarter. Jacoby Brissett would get some pressure all game but the mobile quarterback did find some daylight in 32 yards rushing on seven carries. Austin Hooper was the leading receiver for the Patriots with 31 yards with two catches. New England would get 290 total yards in the game. If there was some wrinkles in the game, it would be the 6-15 on 3rd down conversions and going on 1 for 4 in the Red Zone, something that the 2023 Patriots would suffer from. Joe Burrow hit 21 of 29 passes for 164 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions either. Zack Moss, the new acquisition, scored the lone touchdown for the Bengals while getting 44 yards on nine carries. Unlike the Patriots, the Bengals would find some luck in the run game but never stay with it throughout the game. Ja'Marr Chase was the leading receiver for the Bengals with 62 yards on six catches. Cincinnati had 224 total yards with 4 for 11 on 3rd down conversions. Pass protection broke down a fair bit as the Patriots sacked Burrow three times. Turnovers killed opportunities for the Bengals as well as they fumbled twice, one of them was in a sure-fire scoring opportunity. For the Patriots, they start off 2024 with a 1-0 record as Jerod Mayo is wins his first game of his head coaching career, something that hadn't been done since Dick MacPherson did it in 1991. For the Bengals, they start yet again on a 0-1 mark. 

TW: 6-2

All-time series: Patriots lead 17-10

Next week:
New England: vs Seattle
Cincinnati: @ Kansas City

Pittsburgh 18, Atlanta 10: TW: Steelers

Arthur Smith gets his revenge on his former team. Justin Fields got the start as Russell Wilson was dealing with a calf injury. The former Bear hit 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards. Najee Harris hit 70 yards of ground on 20 carries. Justin Fields showed off his legs as he rushed 14 times for 57 yards. George Pickens caught six passes for 85 yards. Chris Boswell would do the scoring as he hit six field goals from 57, 56, 51, 44,  40 and 25 yards. I wonder if that's some sort of record. Pittsburgh had 270 total yards in the game. The Kirk Cousins era in Atlanta started off with a bit of a sour note. In his first action since October of last year, Kirk Cousins hit 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards with a touchdown pass but also tossed two interceptions. Kyle Pitts was the recipient of the touchdown pass from Cousins. Bijan Robinson had 68 yards rushing with 18 carries. Ray Ray McCloud had 52 yards receiving with four catches. Atlanta had 226 total yards of offense. Atlanta could not convert 3rd downs as they went 2 for 9 on those conversions. Arthur Smith, the former head coach of the Falcons, would get his revenge as he became the offensive coordinator of the Steelers. For the Steelers, they get to 1-0 for the season. For the Falcons, they drop to 0-1. 

TW: 7-2

All-time series: Steelers lead 16-2-1

Next week:
Pittsburgh: @ Denver
Atlanta: @ Philadelphia

Tennessee 17, Chicago 24: TW: Bears

The Caleb Williams era started off with a meh performance. Will Levis hit 19 of 32 passes for 127 yards with a touchdown pass to Chigoziem Okonkwo. Levis did hit two interceptions in the game. Tony Pollard rushed for 82 yards with a touchdown in his Titans debut. Calvin Ridley caught three passes for 50 yards. Tennessee had 244 yards in offense. Caleb Williams made his debut as a Bear. He hit 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards. Not quite the debut that most would've wanted but he didn't blow it. Dandre Swift was the leading rusher for the Bears with 30 yards on 10 carries. DJ Moore caught five passes for 36 yards. Chicago had 148 total yards in the game. The scoring for the Bears came from a blocked punt caught by Jonathan Owens (husband to Simone Biles) for a score, three field goals from Cairo Santos, and Tyrique Stevenson with a pick-six for a 43-yard score. For the Titans, not quite the start they wanted as they drop to 0-1. For the Bears, it was a defensive win but they get to 1-0 regardless. 

TW: 8-2

All-time series: Series tied 7-7

Next week: 

Tennessee: vs NY Jets

Chicago: @ Houston

Denver 20, Seattle 26: TW: Seahawks

The Seahawks hold off the Broncos at home. Bo Nix would have a mixed debut as the quarterback hit 26 of 42 passes for 138 yards and threw two interceptions. Nix the runner rushed five times for 35 yards with a touchdown. It was the only offensive score for Denver. Wil Lutz hit two field goals in the game. A rarity came as the Broncos defense got not only one but two safeties on the Seahawks. The first was on a Geno Smith incompletion that was flagged for offensive holding that was enforced in the endzone. The 2nd came on a play that was tackled by Zach Charbonnet giving the Broncos another two points. The last time there was two safeties in a game was in 2017 when the Dolphins did it. Jaleel McLaughlin had 10 carries for 27 yards. Josh Reynolds had five catches for 45 yards. Denver had 231 yards of offense in the game. Geno Smith would have a decent game as he hit 18 of 25 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Smith also rushed four times for 30 yards with a touchdown. Zach Charbonnet had the touchdown catch. Kenneth Walker III had 20 carries for 103 yards with a touchdown run. Tyler Lockett was the leading receiver for the Seahawks with six catches for 77 yards. Seattle had 304 total yards in the game. For the Broncos, they drop to 0-1 on the season. For the Seahawks, it is Mike MacDonald's first win as a head coach. 

TW: 9-2

All-time series: Broncos lead 35-23

Next week:
Denver: vs Pittsburgh
Seattle: @ New England

Las Vegas 10, LA Chargers 22: TW: Raiders

Jim Harbaugh and company shine in debut. Gardner Minshew hit 25 of 33 passes for 257 yards with a touchdown pass to Alexander Mattison in the 1st quarter. It would be the only touchdown for the Raiders in the game. Minshew would also toss a costly interception to Poona Ford. Zamir White rushed for 44 yards on 13 carries. Jakobi Meyers was the leading receiver with 61 yards on three catches. Las Vegas would put up 296 total yards in the game. Along with the interception, the Raiders would fumble two times in the game. Along with that the pass protection broke down resulting in four sacks to Minshew. Justin Herbert hit 17 of 26 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey, the draft acquisition out of Georgia, for his first career NFL touchdown. JK Dobbins, the former Raven, rushed for 135 yards with a touchdown run, 61 of them on one play. McConkey had 39 yards receiving with five catches. The Chargers hit 316 total yards in the game. They would take advantage of the turnovers with a field goal. On the ensuing 2-point conversion the Raiders Jack Jones and Chargers player Joshua Palmer would get into a scuffle that would lead to the two getting personal fouls and disqualification. For the Raiders, it was a tough afternoon as they stare at a 0-1 record. For the Chargers, they get their first win in the Harbaugh era with 1-0. 

TW: 10-2

All-time series: Raiders lead 69-58-2

Next week: 
Las Vegas: @ Baltimore
LA Chargers: @ Carolina

Dallas 33, Cleveland 17: TW: Cowboys

The Cowboys win as Tom Brady debuts as a commentator. Dak Prescott got some good news as he got paid with a 4-year, $240 million dollar contract Sunday morning. He proceeded to reward his team with 19 of 32 passes for 179 yards with a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks. Ezekiel Elliott would make his return to the Cowboys as he rushed for 40 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Ceedee Lamb was the leading receiver for the Cowboys as he caught five passes for 61 yards. Dallas got a boost in scoring from a punt return as Kavontae Turpin returned one for a touchdown. Brandon Aubrey was perfect as he hit 4 for 4 on field goals. Dallas would manhandle the Browns as the defense really shut down the Browns offense. The Cowboys would only put up 265 total yards in the game. DeShaun Watson hit 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards with a touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy. The quarterback would toss two bad interceptions in the game. Nick Chubb would be out for this game. Jerome Ford would handle the workload as he rushed 12 times for 44 yards and scored a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Cleveland would have its woes on the offensive line as pass protection broke down resulting in six sacks on Watson and hit him 11 times. Cleveland got 230 total yards in the game. For the Cowboys, they get to 1-0 on the season. For the Browns, they drop to 0-1 and hope to get back to better football. As for the Tom Brady debut on FOX: I thought he did alright, he seemed a bit off in the first quarter. He got better as the game went on and gave us the insights that most of us expected. I'll give him a C+. 

TW: 11-2

All-time series: Browns lead 18-15

Next week: 
Dallas: vs New Orleans
Cleveland: @ Jacksonville

Washington 20, Tampa Bay 37: TW: Buccaneers

Tampa Bay takes care of the Commanders at home. Jayden Daniels the passer did alright. He hit 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards. He didn't throw an interception but didn't throw a touchdown either. Daniels the runner did well as he rushed 16 times for 88 yards with two touchdowns. Brian Robinson Jr. had 12 carries for 40 yards with a touchdown. Austin Ekeler had four catches for 52 yards. Washington had 299 total yards in the game. Baker Mayfield didn't miss a beat as he hit 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards with four touchdowns. Chris Godwin had one touchdown, Mike Evans and two and Jalen McMillan had the other one. Bucky Irving had nine carries for 62 yards with a 31-yard run being the longest for him. Chris Godwin had eight catches for 83 yards. Tampa Bay had 392 total yards in the game.  For the Commanders, their season starts off with a 0-1 mark. For the Buccaneers, their dominating win gives them a 1-0 record on the season. 

TW: 12-2

All-time series: Series tied 13-13

Next week: 
Washington: vs NY Giants
Tampa Bay: @ Detroit

LA Rams 20, Detroit 26: TW: Lions

David Montgomery's touchdown gives the Lions a sense of survival against the Matthew Stafford Rams. Stafford hit 34 of 49 passes for 317 yards with a touchdown but also tossed an interception. The touchdown went to Cooper Kupp. Kupp caught 14 passes for 110 yards. Kyren Williams had 18 carries for 50 yards with a touchdown. Rams kicker Joshua Karty hit two field goals in the game. Los Angeles had 387 total yards of offense. Jared Goff hit 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown pass to Jamaal Williams. Williams caught five passes for 121 yards in the game. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 40 yards with a touchdown run. David Montgomery was the workhorse for the Lions in the game as he rushed for 17 carries and 91 yards and had the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard run. At one point the Lions had a 17-3 lead with 10:29 left in the 3rd quarter. Detroit had 363 total yards in the game. For the Rams, they drop to 0-1 and Stafford is 0-2 against his former team. For the Lions, they survive a scare and make it to 1-0 for the 2nd year in a row. 

TW: 13-2

All-time series: Rams lead 45-42-1

Next week:
LA Rams: @ Arizona
Detroit: vs Tampa Bay

NY Jets 19, San Francisco 32: TW: 49ers

The good news: Aaron Rodgers lasted the whole game. The bad news: they ended up losing big to the NFC champs. Aaron Rodgers hit 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown pass to Alan Lazard for a 36-yard score in the 3rd quarter. Aaron Rodgers would toss a costly interception in the game as well. His backup Tyrod Taylor got some playtime with 6 of 8 passing for 36 yards with a touchdown pass to Alan Lazard for a 3-yard score. Breece Hall got 16 carries for 54 yards with a touchdown. The leading receiver for the Jets was Lazard with six catches for 89 yards. New York had 266 total yards in the game. The offense not able to get drives going and the defense not able to get off the field hurt the Jets in this one. Brock Purdy hit 19 of 29 passes for 231 yards. Christian McCaffrey would not play in this game but the 49ers didn't feel the loss at all. Jordan Mason would get the most of the opportunity with 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown. Deebo Samuel had the other touchdown with eight carries for 23 yards. Jauan Jennings had five catches for 64 yards for the 49ers as a leading receiver. San Francisco didn't miss a beat in this game as they had 401 total yards. Jake Moody hit six field goals in the game. For the Jets, they still kept their quarterback upright but they drop to 0-1 regardless. For the 49ers, their march to the Super Bowl gets rolling as they improve to 1-0. We also have a scorigami as the 32-19 score is an unique score! 

TW: 14-2

All-time series: 49ers lead 11-3

Next week: 
NY Jets: @ Tennessee
San Francisco: @ Minnesota

Records

My record: 

2024:
Week 1: 14-2

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 2 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom