As has become almost a yearly tradition, I like to give some of my thoughts and potential overreactions to the opening weekend of the NFL season! In previous iterations, I have done decently well at predicting the landscape of the league, but there are a couple of noteworthy misses, such as entirely overlooking the eventual Super Bowl champions in my early season top-10 power rankings… hopefully this year I can be a bit more on the money!
Southern California Drama Meets Melbourne Madness
In one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the year, Thursday Night Football began on a Friday on the other side of the globe! NFC West division rivals San Francisco and Los Angeles faced off at the illustrious Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of over 100,000 people. These two teams could not have had more polar opposite offseasons, one clouded by injuries, shootings and imposter NFL players, while the other added three of the best defensive players in the world, including a (not so shocking) unretirement from one of the sport’s greatest. Despite this, it was San Francisco, the underdog, who came out as the dominant victors from this matchup down under.
In what many expected to be a coming-out party for the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl, the 49ers completely shut down what looked to be a jet-lagged Rams team. Matthew Stafford looked horrible, missing countless throws by wide margins, and the reigning DPOY did not register a single stat. Speaking of which, Garrett has now been put on the IR and is expected to miss at least four weeks with arthroscopic surgery on his knee.
Maybe I am too giddy on the upside of the 49ers if they can stay healthy, or maybe I’m being too reactionary towards the Rams, but one of my biggest hot takes this season is that the Niners will win the entire NFC and earn that bye week in the first round of the playoffs. Shanahan has proven countless times that his teams are not to be brushed to the side, and I have full confidence in this revamped San Fran offense with Deebo back in the fold and Mike Evans as the X.
Are the Bears This Year’s Cowboys?
The highest-octane matchup of the week was, by far, the game between the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers, in which there were a combined 96 points scored! The Bears accounted for 59 of those points, in large part due to a Herculean effort on the ground, amassing 291 yards on just 39 carries, along with six touchdowns. Head Coach Ben Johnson did state during the offseason that he wanted the team to have the “highest scoring offense ever,” and it’s pretty safe to assume he was not joking.
However, there is a rather glaring issue that I see with this team, found on the other side of the ball: their defense. Last season the Bears found a lot of success due to an unsustainable amount of turnover luck. Their turnover margin was +22, while the second highest (the Houston Texans, arguably the best defense in the league) was just +17. Now if the Bears had more talent on their roster this might not be such an issue, but with the departures of Gervon Dexter, Kevin Byard, Nahshon Wright and Tremaine Edmunds, it is difficult to see them crack even the top half of the league in most defensive metrics.
Like last year’s Cowboys who suffered from defensive woes that saw them miss the playoffs, the Bears have all the offensive weaponry required to go head-to-head with every team in the league. However, if they make a habit of poor defensive performances like against Carolina, a sub-par offense, then they too could fall short of the lofty goals they have for themselves.
Lamar and Josh are the Best in the Business
Following a disappointing year for Lamar Jackson, plagued by injury and offensive woes, the pressure was back on to show that he can still play at an MVP-level. Baltimore fans should be relieved after seeing how he performed, throwing for an efficient 324 yards and adding 40 more on the ground. The Ravens looked scary en route to demolishing the Indianapolis Colts, and in large part due to their superstar quarterback. We cannot forget about his running mate, Derrick Henry, who seems to be getting better with age, rushing for 144 yards and three touchdowns: a superhuman effort from the 32-year-old King.
Josh Allen was also sublime in his season debut against what many consider to be the best defense in the league. Allen also finished his 2025 season in disappointing fashion, turning the ball over five times against the Denver Broncos, but he looks in prime shape to make a charge towards his first Super Bowl. Fantasy managers across the country were delighted to see him account for four touchdowns, two through the air and two on the ground, along with 334 passing yards.
The two biggest questions surrounding the Bills will once again be their defense and Josh Allen himself limiting turnovers. Those two things killed Buffalo last year, and they’ll be hoping that those nightmares don’t come back to haunt them in crunch time later this season.
