A week of football is officially in the books. The Bills looked as explosive as expected. The Cowboys are in a world of trouble. And the Seahawks got the better of Russell Wilson. How’s that for a first round of NFL action?
Get completely taken with The NFL Morning Scramble, a new weekly roundup of the best takeaways and snippets from the latest games list. Like the best greasy breakfast plates at your local restaurant, this is meant to be a hodgepodge of good stuff – from weekly MVPs and true-or-false storytelling to a look at the weekend’s top games and hottest contestants. next end.
Now dig in and recap:
Week 1 Rewards
AFC MVP: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
MVP award, here it is! Without Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs gunslinger actually looked…better? Maybe the Cardinals defense is just Swiss cheese (very possible), but Mahomes effortlessly went 30 of 39 for 360 yards and five touchdowns in a 44-21 rout. The craziest thing is that few of us blink at those numbers because he set the standard so high.
MVP NFC: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
Does anyone collect as many wide-opening midfield passes as this guy? I do not think so. And to be clear, that’s not an insult to him, but a compliment, because he does most of the work; it’s not his fault if he leaves the defenders in the dust! Nine catches for 186 yards and two scores in the Vikings’ 23-7 upset against the Packers, and he still had plenty of gas.
Coach of the Week: Bills’ Sean McDermott
Mike Tomlin deserves credit for rallying the Steelers to an ugly, hard-fought, what-else-you-expect-from-AFC-North win over the Bengals. But McDermott had his boys prepared like no other in Thursday’s opener. Under his watch, with Ken Dorsey detached as offensive coordinator, Josh Allen looked as confident as ever throwing the ball, and the Rams paid for it.
Mr. Cool of the Week: Geno Smith
Talk about a confident performance from the longtime backup, who owned the stage with smart, backyard-style throws to lead the Seahawks over former leader Russell Wilson in prime time. As if that weren’t enough, he capped it off with one of the best quotes of the season, to be sure: “They wrote me off, but I won’t respond, though.”
Teams of the week
- The Steelersfor humiliating Joe Burrow, enduring the loss of TJ Watt and surviving overtime to beat the Bengals
- The crowsfor dashing all the Jets offseason hype in Lamar Jackson’s effortless wrist flick
- The Commandersfor showing all the Carson Wentz experience in a thrilling win over the Jaguars
- The vikingsfor embarrassing the Packers on his debut in Kevin O’Connell’s modern offense
- The sea hawksfor spoiling Russell Wilson’s comeback with a big night from Geno Smith and Pete Carroll’s defense
Fantastic Favorites
Chris Towers and the CBS Fantasy Crew have you covered with the latest waiver recommendations, Week 2 screenings and more. In the meantime, here are the guys I would 100% watch:
- Commanders WR Curtis Samuel: Health will remain a concern, but 12 touches against the Jaguars confirms Washington is seriously considering using him as a utility. As long as Brian Robinson Jr. is out, he has added value as a flexible game.
- Saints TE Hill of Taysom: Yes. I’m serious. And I don’t care if he actually lines up at the tight end. This team refuses to stop deploying Hill like a Swiss army knife, and the fact is, he’s always susceptible to interrupting a big run or appearing in the red zone.
- 49ers RB Jeff Wilson Jr.: With Elijah Mitchell indefinitely, that’s obvious. Kyle Shanahan is counting on the run and Wilson is the next man. Even if the screaming numbers don’t follow, the volume should be there.
True or false
Which developing narratives – popular or contrived – are actually valid?
The Cowboys are doomed: With Dak Prescott out for maybe two months with a broken hand, Cooper Rush will be tasked with making Mike McCarthy-Kellen Moore’s offense functional again, behind a shoddy line and throwing to a makeshift receiving corps. Verdict: TRUE.
The Patriots could be bad: After falling 20-7 to the rival Dolphins, they may or may not have a healthy Mac Jones under center for Week 2 against the Steelers. Somehow, Bill Belichick still thinks the best way to develop his young QB was to hand the offense to… Matt Patricia? Verdict: TRUE.
The Packers, as we knew them, are dead: Essentially lifeless offensively in their 23-7 thrashing at the hands of the upstart Vikings, Aaron Rodgers and Co. may be lacking some terrific receivers right now, but their line should be healthier as the weeks go on, and Matt LaFleur can still get away with it. lean on his elite. -two punches in the backfield. Verdict: FALSE.
On the Horizon: Week 2
Game of the week: Chargers at Chiefs
The Powers play early this week, kicking off in Kansas City on Thursday. It’s Mahomes and Justin Herbert, for a shot at an early lead in the AFC West. Los Angeles could lose some key players, including Keenan Allen, but the Chargers also have a defense that racked up six sacks and three picks in Week 1. Buckle up.
Hot Seat Alert: Nathaniel Hacket
His job is certainly not in jeopardy at the moment, but after missing the final minute of the Broncos’ nasty 17-16 loss to the Seahawks, not only wasting time but refusing to rely on Russell Wilson in favor of a 64-yard field goal try, Denver’s freshman coach will be under a lot of pressure to right the ship against the lowly (or not so lowly?) Texans.
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