The Chargers, Patriots, and Saints are underrated
The Los Angeles Chargers were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL last season, finishing last in the AFC West. With Jim Harbaugh now calling the shots, Los Angeles will be much better this year.
They beat the Las Vegas Raiders 22-10 with their defense and ground attack, two parts of the game that were not strengths for the Chargers last season. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 135 yards on 10 carries, and the defense came through with four sacks, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.
The New England Patriots were thought to be one of the worst teams in the league coming into the year, but they showed up in week one, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10. New England will lean on a defense led by Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger, Jahlani Tavai, and Christian Gonzalez. Even with Ja’Marr Chase not getting a full workload and Tee Higgins out, holding Joe Burrow to ten points is impressive.
The New Orleans Saints had the largest margin of victory on Sunday, destroying the Carolina Panthers 47-10. It was an all-around group effort, as every facet of the game was working for New Orleans. Carolina is not supposed to be good this year, but a 37-point win in the NFL can not be overlooked. Alontae Taylor had three sacks in the game, and Derek Carr threw touchdown passes to three different wide receivers.
Watson, Jones, and Cousins are not franchise quarterbacks
When the Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson in 2022, they believed they had found their quarterback of the present and future. Watson led the league in passing yards and threw for 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his last season with the Texans. Ever since coming over to the Browns, he has been a complete disaster. He threw two interceptions and fumbled on Sunday. Watson has still yet to top 300 yards passing in 13 career starts in Cleveland. He is owed a ridiculous amount of money, and we might see Jameis Winston at some point this year by the time it is all said and done.
This list has a theme, as all three quarterbacks are being paid to be the face of the franchise. The contract the New York Giants gave to Daniel Jones raised some eyebrows when they first extended him, and now they are living with their mistake. New York’s offense looked utterly incompetent, as they only put up six points against a rebuilding Minnesota Vikings team. Jones took five sacks, threw two interceptions, and once again proved he is a player who has to rely on the talent around him to make him better rather than the other way around.
7-for-7 to end the half ? pic.twitter.com/8wBA5v69yI
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 8, 2024
Kirk Cousins has the best chance of turning things around out of the three players on this list. The new Atlanta Falcons quarterback played his first game since suffering a season-ending Achilles injury and has been a prolific passer in the NFL for an extended period of time. Still, it was a rough debut for Cousins. He threw two bad interceptions and did not look like the same player he was in Washington or Minnesota. He has a first-round rookie, Michael Penix Jr., waiting behind him, and if Cousins’ struggles continue, we could see the former Washington Huskies quarterback sooner than expected.
The rookie quarterbacks need time to develop
C.J. Stroud took the league by storm last season, raising the expectations for the 2024 rookie quarterback class. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Bo Nix took their first NFL snaps under center on Sunday, and none of the group topped 200 passing yards. They showed flashes of potential but also looked like rookies in the process.
Williams needs to learn that he is not Superman against NFL defenders and understand when to throw the ball away. Nix has to cut down on turnovers and figure out how to be more efficient. Daniels has to try to get his playmakers more involved, as no Commanders’ wide receiver had more than 18 yards through the air.
Daniels showed the most promise in week one, demonstrating that he is a dynamic player at the NFL level, rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns. All three signal callers should be fine and will continue to develop as the season progresses, but they are nowhere near the level of Stroud yet.
Dallas and Detroit are still Super Bowl contenders in the NFC
The Dallas Cowboys rolled their way to a 16-point victory on Sunday, which looked relatively easy. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb did not have to do too much, and they dominated on defensive and special teams with six sacks, three turnovers, and a punt return for a touchdown. Their name should once again be near the top of the NFC standings, and the Cowboys’ season will once again come down to whether or not they can show up in the playoffs.
The Detroit Lions came away with the toughest win of the weekend by beating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. They picked up right where they left off last year, running the ball efficiently and spreading it around to all of their different playmakers. Jared Goff might be the weak link, but that is only compared to the all-star cast surrounding him. He has made it to the big game before and could easily lead the Lions to the Super Bowl in his fourth season in Detroit.
The Bills, Texans, and Dolphins are playoff teams in the AFC
The Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Miami Dolphins pulled off gritty wins in week one.
The Bills came back from down 17-3 against the Arizona Cardinals, and Josh Allen showed he is still an elite quarterback without Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Allen passed for two touchdowns through the air and ran in two more. He spread the ball around, completing passes to nine different players. After being voted NFL’s Most Overrated QB by his fellow league-mates, Allen will play with a chip on his shoulder all season long.
There were zero expectations last year in Houston, and they made it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. After adding some big names this offseason, all eyes are now on the Texans. They held on to beat their division rival Indianapolis Colts by two points on Sunday and proved they are the real deal once again. Diggs and Joe Mixon scored in the Houston debuts, and there is no telling how good this team can be in Stroud’s second year.
Miami was stagnant early on, but after finding themselves in a 0-14 hole, they stormed back in the second half to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. Speedsters Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane all had 100-yard games, and this offense will be just as explosive as it was last year under Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins are too fast at the wide receiver and running back position, and their head coach is a master at setting them up in open space.
Top photo caption: ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 08: Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields (2) drops back to pass during the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons on September 8th, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.