The Big Jab

Connor Roche of Boston.com joined the brothers to break down the Patriots victory of Cincinnati this Sunday and a look ahead at the home opener against Seattle this weekend

One week down, 17 to go. Here’s how I think things stand across the entire league after the first week of the regular season.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
The Chiefs remain a forced to be reckoned with and have an explosive offense again, which is bad news for the rest of the league. After winning the Super Bowl in a “down” year, Kansas City picked up right where they left off in an impressive 27-20 opening night victory over the Ravens. Rashee Rice looks like he’s taken a step forward and Xavier Worthy gives this team a much-needed jolt in the speed department. Defensively, Kansas City’s pass rush looked stout against a weakened Baltimore line, and their back end held up nicely. These Chiefs could be fun, something we haven’t seen in a few years. The Chiefs have a home date set with Cincinnati on Sunday. 

2. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Despite not having one of the best players in the league due to injury and Trent Williams missing a portion of the game, the 49ers looked as dominant as ever on Monday night in a stomping of the Jets. The unbreakable SF run game was at it yet again, Brock Purdy kept the ball out of harm’s way, and the defense held what should be a pretty good Jets offense to 266 yards of total offense. The injury to McCaffrey clouds a few things, and Brandon Aiyuk will have to get up to seed after a pretty dreadful performance on Monday, but all is right right with San Francisco as they head into a Week 2 showdown with Minnesota. 

3. Detroit Lions (1-0)
The burden of expectations falls on the Lions this season, and getting off to a 1-0 start with a primetime overtime victory over your former franchise quarterback is a great way to get things started. The elite rushing attack was in full force, racking up 163 yards on the ground with two touchdowns. The defense was the major question mark for the Lions going into the season, which I would give a passing grade to in the first game. Matthew Stafford threw for over 317 yards with a patchwork offensive line and one receiver who was targeted on 21 of Stafford’s 49 attempts. The secondary remains a question mark, but the Lions look primed for another great season. 

4. Houston Texans (1-0)
Week 1 couldn’t have gone any better for a Texans squad with massive expectations in 2024. CJ Stroud looked awesome yet again, Joe Mixon added a punch in the run game that Houston was missing last season, and Stefon Diggs made a seamless transition, for now, into the Texans offense. It was a weird game defensively, as the Colts racked up yardage but Anthony Richardson only completed 9 passes. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations and many wondering if those aspirations are valid, Week 1 put those questions to bed for now. Houston hosts Chicago on Sunday night.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
After how last season ended the Eagles needed to start this season on a good note, especially considering a 9.5-hour flight was awaiting following the game win or lose. Saquon Barkley looked worth every penny on Friday, delivering 3 total touchdowns and being one of the main differences in the game. The defense looked as bad as last season, however, allowing 7.8 yards per carry and 29 points to the Packers offense. There are still plenty of questions with this team, mainly with the coaching staff, but a 1-0 start to the season is all Philly could really ask for given the circumstances. They host Atlanta on Monday night.

6. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
It’s hard to knock the Ravens down this far from last week’s rankings after a road loss in Kansas City, but several problems emerged for Baltimore on Thursday. Their offensive line, mainly the right side, is a major problem. The duo of Patrick Mekari and 2nd round pick Roger Rosengarten left a lot to be desired, and I was not a fan of how they utilized Derrick Henry in his first game as a Raven. Nevertheless, the Ravens lost to the best team in the NFL on the road in Week 1, and despite the problems that currently exist should still be a legitimate contender. Baltimore hosts Las Vegas on Sunday.

7. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
It wasn’t the usual Week 1 fireworks that we’ve come to expect from the Dolphins, but Miami is 1-0 yet again. Behind a big day from Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill through the air, and a timely drive late, the Dolphins knocked off their in-state rivals 20-17 on a last-second field goal by Jason Sanders. New DC Anthony Weaver looked fit for the role, holding the Jags to just 17 points and Trevor Lawrence to just 162 yards through the air. September isn’t a problem for this Dolphins team, and it’s still hard to truly believe until they see success in December and January. Miami hosts Buffalo on Thursday in a big early-season AFC East showdown.

8. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
Dallas had quite possibly the most unanswered questions coming into the season, and they answered some of them in a blowout Week 1 win in Cleveland. Fresh off a new contract Dak Prescott controlled the offense and kept his team out of trouble, all that was needed in Sunday’s win. The run defense looked much improved compared to last season, but it helps when the opposing QB is Deshaun Watson in 2024. Dallas looked a lot better than I thought they would, and still have valid questions when it comes to their squad. One thing is for sure though, and it’s that Dallas is still very much a contender in the NFC East. They host New Orleans on Sunday.

9. New York Jets (0-1)
The return of Aaron Rodgers went far from what was planned, but similar to Baltimore I have a hard time knocking the Jets down too far due to a road loss to one of the best teams in the league. Rodgers was rusty, Breece Hall could never really get going, and the defense was on the field way too often. The Rodgers and Garrett Wilson connection looked awesome early, something that should excite Jets fans. This is still very much a work in progress, but I’m not even close to hitting the panic button yet. New York gets Tennessee on the road on Sunday.

10. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Josh Allen is so damn good at football, and that was on display once again in a tight win over Arizona on Sunday. Allen did it all on Sunday, accounting for 4 total touchdowns capped off by a magical touchdown run hurdling over defenders into the end zone. While it’s awesome to watch Allen play football, there are some major problems with this team. As mentioned, Allen was awesome and they beat the lowly Cardinals by just 6 points at home, and the defense allowed 28 points. The play-calling was eyebrow-raising, as Allen had just thrown 2 passes deep into the second quarter. I still wonder about this Bills team truly is, but Allen will win them more games than they should. They face Miami in South Florida on Thursday.