The First Read Biggest Surprises From Nfl Week 1 Who S Up Down

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 4, 2025, 5:40 AM

the first read biggest surprises from nfl week 1 who s up down

In The First Read, Jeffri Chadiha provides a snapshot of the hottest stories and trends heading into Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, including: But to kick things off, his five biggest surprises from the start of the new campaign ... The 2024 NFL season is off and running, and it already feels like this will be another exciting campaign. There are just too many teams that have legitimate Super Bowl hopes, too many offenses with the potential to explode and too many young quarterbacks who are blossoming into stars. Yes, there will be a lot of talk about whether the Kansas City Chiefs can become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era. There should be just as much attention paid to the teams that could prevent that from happening, because there are quite a few of them.

That fact was obvious throughout Week 1. The Baltimore Ravens came within a couple toes of tight end Isaiah Likely from gaining a huge win in Kansas City last Thursday night. The Eagles and Packers then gave the people of Brazil an offensive showcase nearly 24 hours later. Eight of the 13 games played on Sunday were decided by one score. Hell, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill started his day in handcuffs outside Miami's Hard Rock Stadium and ended it by making the Jacksonville Jaguars wish they had their own reliable way of restraining him. The first weekend of the season is always thrilling because we spend months talking about what might happen.

Then the games begin, and we see what actually is possible. It's easy to overreact to the good and the bad because that's simply human nature. The cool thing is that we're just getting started and that there's about five more months to go before this all gets figured out. The NFL is back and Week 1 kicked off with a bang, delivering thrilling matchups, unexpected outcomes, and plenty of storylines to dissect. From Daniel Jones silencing his critics to the Dolphins’ offensive meltdown, we’ve got a lot to unpack. Let’s dive into the biggest takeaways from the opening week of the 2023 NFL season.

Remember when everyone was ripping the Colts for their quarterback “competition” this offseason? Well, Daniel Jones just made those critics eat their words. The former Giants QB put on a show, completing 22 of 29 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, with zero interceptions. Oh, and he added 26 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground for good measure. Jones looked comfortable in the Colts’ offense, elevating the play of his receivers and leading scoring drives on all seven offensive possessions. It’s just one game, but this performance suggests the Colts might have found their guy under center.

Raise your hand if you saw this coming. Anyone? Bueller? The Packers, led by Jordan Love, absolutely dismantled the Detroit Lions. This wasn’t just a win – it was a statement. The Packers’ defense suffocated Jared Goff and the Lions’ offense, holding them to a measly 43 total yards in the first half.

Detroit’s vaunted rushing attack? Completely neutralized. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for just 44 yards on 20 carries. In The First Read, Jeffri Chadiha provides a snapshot of the hottest stories and trends heading into Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season, including: But to kick things off, his six biggest surprises from the start of the new campaign ... If the first weekend of the 2025 NFL season is any indication, then this is going to be a wild ride.

There already were a handful of teams that were legitimate contenders to win a championship. Now it feels like two or three more have joined that list, judging by how the Chargers handled the Chiefs and the way the Packers overwhelmed the Lions. It's safe to assume that list will grow even more as other hopefuls mature. This is a great thing, by the way. The Chiefs have been the dominant team in the AFC for most of the last six seasons. The NFC has been ruled by four teams in the same time frame, with the 49ers and Eagles playing in two Super Bowls apiece and the Rams and Buccaneers both winning one championship.

There was more predictability in the past, which isn't the case today. This season started with the Eagles chasing a repeat on Thursday night against the Cowboys. It then moved to Brazil for that thrilling AFC West matchup between the Chiefs and Chargers before wrapping up Sunday's slate with the Ravens and Bills clashing in that instant classic. Week 1 culminated with a Monday night matchup between the Vikings and Bears that reminded us of how tough the NFC North will be this year, but there were plenty of surprises along the... These were the biggest ... In The First Read, Jeffri Chadiha provides a snapshot of the hottest stories and trends heading into Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season, including:

But to kick things off, 10 players and coaches who could influence the second half of the season ... We're rounding the midway point of the season now that Week 9 is winding down. We still have quite a bit of parity, but it also feels like more clarity is coming with each passing week. There's more buzz around perennial heavyweights like the Ravens, Bills and Chiefs. At the same time, there is more genuine hope in places like New England, Indianapolis, Chicago and Carolina these days. That's a great thing to see.

It means the games will be even more meaningful in the coming months. We don't have to wait wistfully for epic matchups like the one between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes that played out once again in Buffalo (with the Bills winning, 28-21). Instead, we can anticipate a number of huge games happening in the second half, especially with so many competitive division races in the works. This edition of The First Read wants to jump into that space, since we know postseason bids won't come easily this season. The theme this week focuses on the people who will heavily influence how the second half plays out. These are the ones who make the most sense.

It has been said by some -- well, by me, at least -- that Week 1 is the Super Bowl for the Overreactions column. Last year in Week 1, the Patriots beat the Bengals ... then didn't win again until Week 8. The Saints scored 47 points and 44 more in Week 2 ... then didn't win again until Week 10. The Commanders, with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, lost 37-20 to the Buccaneers ...

then reached the NFC Championship Game. So go ahead and pretend that everything in the NFL is figured out. Assume the Chiefs are done, that the Eagles can't cover anybody, that the Giants won't score a touchdown all season and that the Falcons continue to be cursed. It's Week 1 of an 18-week schedule. You're almost certainly overreacting. But that's what we do here -- sort through the weekly overreactions to figure out which ones might hold up and which ones are mirages.

Week 1 is tricky because we have so little evidence, but that's also what makes it so much fun. Jump to: Chiefs' AFC West run is over? Dolphins drafting No. 1? Dart to be Giants' QB1 soon? Steelers' offense is playoff-ready?

Packers class of NFC? Week one of the NFL season will wrap up tonight with MNF between the Vikings and the Bears. The first week of the season can always bring surprises, and these 7 games were the ones with the most surprising outcomes last week. Which game was the most surprising to you? Let us know! This is not what we expected to see in the season opener.

The Eagles were expected to win big, but their offense, other than Jalen Hurts, didn’t look too good. The defense lost Jalen Carter before their first defensive snap, and they struggled because of it. If not for some crucial drops by CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys might have even won this game. These are two teams known for their defenses, not their offenses, yet they combined for 66 points in what was the most exciting game of the day. Rodgers threw for 4 TDs in the win, and Justin Fields made plays in both the passing game and with his legs. Breece Hall had a great game for the Jets as well.

This was a blowout right from the start. The Dolphins looked dreadful from the first snap of the game, while the Colts defense made big plays, and Daniel Jones looked incredibly comfortable in his first start with his new team. The Dolphins look like they could be one of the worst teams in football this year. The Lions were the highest scoring offense a season ago, but in this game, despite moving the football, they struggled to score points. Their defense gave up a bunch of big plays as well to the Packers offense in a game that saw the Lions only score 6 points until the final minute, when they scored a... Jordan Love was sharp, Jacobs scored a TD, and Micah Parsons got his first sack as a Packer.

Beware of reading too much into Week 1 in the NFL. It's easy to leap to conclusions, but first impressions aren't always accurate. Here are five surprises from the first week of the regular season that probably won't repeat in Week 2 and beyond: This time last year, the New Orleans Saints were riding high off a dominant 47-10 win over the Carolina Panthers and preparing for another blowout win in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. The Colts' 33-8 demolition of the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 felt like that win, too. Forgive us if we're not ready for a world in which Indianapolis' Daniel Jones is an elite quarterback.

The First Read Biggest Surprises From Nfl Week 1 Who S Up Down

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