What a great first week of football! NFL fans could not be happier with the start to the new season. Tom Brady looks like he is ready to attempt to seize his eighth Super Bowl title. Patrick Mahomes is back for revenge after losing to Brady in the Super Bowl. The Steelers’ defense looks like the real deal once again. Kyler Murray looks like the early MVP favorite for the Arizona Cardinals. Aaron Rodgers lost 38-3. Wait what? Yes, that is right, Aaron Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP, lost by 35 points. 

The first NFL game was a beauty. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 31-29 on Thursday, September 9th. Dak Prescott didn’t miss a beat after his gruesome ankle injury early last season and Tom Brady and Gronk looked like their prime selves. 

On Sunday, there were a few notable upsets including the Pittsburgh Steelers beating the Buffalo Bills on the road. Coming into the season the Bills looked like a team who could make a run in the Postseason with Josh Allen at the helm. Allen looked uncomfortable all game and PIttsburgh’s defense was stifling as the Steelers went into Buffalo and won 23-16. 

Some things stay the same. One thing one can say for certain is that Russell Wilson is still one the top quarterbacks in the NFL. With one of the best receiver corps in the league led by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Russ and the Seahawks will attempt to find themselves in the playoffs once again. 

With all of the off-season antics involving Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the entire roster did something the whole league didn’t anticipate: losing by 35. In the opener to Jameis Winston and the Saints, the Packers looked hapless and uninspired. The Packers pulled their future Hall of Fame quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, with 11 minutes left in the game. However, credit is given where credit is due, the New Orleans Saints played a fantastic game. Winston looked completely different in the pocket passing for five touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Saints will look to make the playoffs in their first year without the NFL’s all time passing yard leader, Drew Brees, who retired following the 2021 season. 

Perhaps the game of the week was in Kansas City, as the Cleveland Browns traveled to face the Chiefs in a rematch of one of the best games of the previous postseason. Cleveland had all the momentum in the beginning taking a 22-10 lead into halftime, but you cannot forget about Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes led a second half comeback as the Chiefs beat the Browns 33-29. 

The night game between the Los Angeles Rams and the visiting Chicago Bears wasn’t as competitive as one might think. The Rams’ new quarterback, Matthew Stafford, fit into head coach Sean McVay’s system perfectly, throwing for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns on 20/26 passing. Bears first round pick, quarterback Justin Fields, only played one possession in the red zone throwing for 10 yards and rushing for a touchdown in the loss to the Rams. 

A great week of football was played across the country. The NFC North went a combined 0-4 while the NFC West and AFC West both went a combined 4-0. This week was full of phenomenal catches, rivalries, and competitive games as the NFL regular season kicks off in 2021.