Week One of the NFL season always comes with it's fair share of upsets, injuries, and overreactions. It's a very long season, so let's look at some overreactions that folks can relax about. Week One does not translate to Week Two for NFL teams most of the time. September is a month where we do not learn much due to the fact that every team in the league still doesn't know just how bad, or good they will be, but, every team gets every other teams best shot.
Los Angeles Rams Losing To The 49ers, & Whether Matthew Stafford Has Finally Lost Ability
Yes, the Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers 27-7 across the pond, but we cannot gauge much from that game. After a 16-hour international trip, Myles Garrett was injured, and Aaron Donald's status is still
in a bit of limbo. Fans have said the Rams shouldn't have made the trade for Garrett and that Matthew Stafford is "washed." Let's calm down a bit; the Rams will be in the thick of it come January.
Stafford has had plenty of games in the past where he didn't play very efficiently, and followed up the following week with a better performance. He's a streaky QB, and always has been. Nothing suggests Stafford has fallen off a QB cliff. Garrett was injured, and that happens. The Rams would make that trade 100 out of 100 times if given the opportunity to land someone as talented as Myles Garrett. The Rams' "next man up" mentality will be evident soon.
Chicago Bears Going For The NFL Scoring Record With Ben Johnson
The Bears did score 59 points in their season opener against the Carolina Panthers, and with head coach Ben Johnson stating that he wanted to have the NFL's highest-scoring offense in history, he wasn't joking, but the Bears will not put up these numbers every week. Looking back, the Bears had major tackling issues that need to be addressed, and they allowed Bryce Young to throw for 361 yards against them. They are not equipped to win shootouts week in and week out.
The Bears can put up points in bunches as Caleb Williams improves every week, but the defense will need to tighten up quickly to sustain.
The Houston Texans Defense IS Not As Good As They Were Last Year
The Texans' defense did give up some chunk plays, which defenses like theirs do from time to time, but some of the throws that Josh Allen made could only be made by him in those situations. When you break it down, Houston's defense could have easily sealed the game by forcing a couple of fumbles that the Bills recovered, and they also dropped an interception late. The Texans' defense will be just as good as advertised.
Should The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Regret Extending Baker Mayfield?
This may be an overreaction, but it's a toss-up. Mayfield put the ball on the ground several times and took four sacks, which cannot happen. Mayfield will play his game, and the jury will still be out on whether Tampa jumped the gun on an extension, but it is very early, and Mayfield's highs and lows have always been there.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: NFL Week 1 overreactions: Texans D not as good? Mayfield regret?
