New coaches among Week 1 winners
The first week of the 2022 NFL regular season is in the books.
And kickoff weekend was not kind to the two participants of Super Bowl 56: the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, both of whom lost their games, nor was it kind to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
On the flip side, all four rookie head coaches who were making their debuts won their games. And, a pair of AFC West quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert got off to blazing hot starts.
Here are the winners and losers from the opening week in the 2022 NFL season.
Winners
h Tom Brady, 7. Cowboys, 0.
Though quarterback victories aren’t the most reliable of stats, Tom Brady – again – has topped the Dallas Cowboys. In games in which he has started in his career, he is now a perfect 7-0 against the Cowboys, with five of those coming when he was a Patriot.
Of course, Brady doesn’t do it alone in the games he wins against Dallas. On Sunday, Tampa Bay’s defense stifled last year’s No. 1 scoring offense. The Bucs limited Dak Prescott to 14 completions and 134 yards with a pick before a hand injury forced him out of the game in the fourth. Leonard Fournette (127 rushing yards) and the Tampa offensive line bullied Dallas’ defensive front. h Rookie head coaches.
There were four rookie NFL head coaches making their debuts Sunday: Mike Mcdaniel of the Dolphins, Kevin O’connell of the Vikings, Brian Daboll of the Giants and Matt Eberflus of the Bears. Each of them won their games.
Mcdaniel had to face arguably the greatest coach of all time in Bill Belichick. Daboll and the Giants went on the road and took down a team that has made the playoffs in four of the last five years, and helped seal the victory with an aggressive two-point conversion call that won the game. O’connell’s squad shut down the reigning two-time NFL MVP in Aaron Rodgers. Eberflus’ Chicago
team withstood a torrential downpour.
h The (very early) MVP campaigns of two AFC West QBS.
The players who have posted the highest QB rating from Week 1’s games so far happen to be two of the bright young passers who play in the AFC West: Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Justin Herbert of the Chargers. Mahomes put on a clinic (30-of-39 for 360 yards with five touchdowns) and showed no signs of a dip in production after Kansas City traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in March. He hit nine different targets.
Herbert (26-of-34 for 279 yards with three touchdowns) showcased the accuracy, mobility, arm strength and processing in a 24-19 victory against the Raiders. He, too, hit nine different pass catchers. h Super Bowl hangovers.
The participants in Super Bowl 56 had a Week 1 to forget. First, the Rams got rolled in the kickoff opener Thursday night against the Bills. Then, on Sunday, the Bengals somehow stayed in a game in which they committed five turnovers – including four in the first half – only to lose 23-20 in overtime to the division-rival Steelers.
Burrow ended up accounting for all five of Cincinnati’s giveaways, which was a career-high. The offensive line was
an issue last season and it’s clear it has lingered; the Bengals yielded seven sacks against the Steelers. But the most painful part of the loss for Cincy will likely be that it was long snapper Clark Harris’ leaving the game with a bicep injury that made the difference. Misplaced snaps led to the blocked extra point at the end of regulation and the missed 29yard field goal attempt with 3:37 left in overtime, both of which would’ve won the game.
Losers
h The other side of the Aaron Rodgers-davante Adams breakup.
It’s such a small sample size, but if Week 1 is an indicator of what the future holds, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may have gotten the worst of the March trade that sent receiver Davante Adams to the Raiders.
It became apparent early on – Green Bay’s first offensive play, in fact – after Rodgers lofted a perfectly thrown pass to wide open rookie receiver Christian Watson. Had it been caught, it was a sure touchdown, but Watson let the ball dribble off his fingertips. Rodgers finished the game 22-of-34 for 195 yards with one interception. His receivers combined for 120 yards.
h The Joe Judge and Matt Patricialed Patriots offense.
It’s early, yes, but after the Patriots offense struggled in training camp practices and flopped in a 20-7 loss against the Dolphins, New England might already have to consider significant changes. Matt Patricia called the plays, but having him and Joe Judge handle the direction of the unit has led to an identity that can only be called disjointed.
The offensive line had moments of apparent miscommunication. They gave up three turnovers, one of which was a strip-six that put the Patriots in a 10point hole. They gained just 271 total yards. They entered the red zone only once. h The start of the Trey Lance era. The conditions were absolutely miserable, so it’s not fair to judge Lance’s first game as the unquestioned 49ers starter off of a rain-soaked, 19-10 loss against the Bears.
Still, Lance (13-of-28 for 164 yards with one interception; 54 rushing yards) admitted after the game that he has a lot to clean up.
Perhaps feeling the pressure of a three-point deficit on the road in the middle of the fourth quarter, Lance forced a pass into double coverage that was picked off by safety Eddie Jackson. Five plays later, the Bears scored a touchdown to put the game out of reach. h QB revenge games.
Sure, asking Joe Flacco and the Jets to upset a legitimate AFC contender in the Ravens was always going to be tough. So, New York getting thumped 24-9 was expected. Still, Joe Flacco (37-of-59 for 307 yards with one touchdown and one interception) wasn’t the only quarterback who lost against his former team.
In his first game as the Panthers’ starter, Baker Mayfield played against the Browns and also had his chance at revenge spoiled. Mayfield (16-of-27 for 235 yards with two total touchdowns and one interception) fought hard and played decently well, helping put the team in position to win after Carolina faced a 13-point deficit entering the fourth quarter. But he also had too many passes tipped and a costly interception on an overthrow early in the game that led to Browns points.