The 69 hours between Week 1 and Week 2 of NFL action give fans and analysts plenty of time to overreact to the opening slate of games. Discussions about international travel arrangements, the Chicago Bears’ dominant offense and the return of the Kansas City Chiefs have led sports shows across the country.
Never mind that only 5.9% of games are in the books. After months of waiting, a small sample size is more than enough to open a feeding frenzy for starved football fans.
The overreactions started early, as the offseason favorite Los Angeles Rams hosted the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. The division rivals took opposite approaches to the globetrotting travel. The 49ers arrived seven days in advance to get their body clocks adjusted for a game that began at 10:35 a.m. local time on Friday morning.
The Rams, meanwhile, touched down just 28 hours before kickoff.
The differing plans acted as a referendum for future international travel, which has become more common as the NFL expands its reach globally.
Score one for the 49ers. San Francisco dominated the affair en route to a 27-7 victory, stifling a Rams squad that became early Super Bowl favorites by adding stars such as Myles Garrett, cornerback Trent McDuffie and the recently unretired Aaron Donald.
It was easy for fans and talking heads alike to point to Los Angeles’ unorthodox travel plans as a reason for their slow start.
“When you buck the trend and you do something and you say, ’We have our reasoning and our research. Don’t worry, we’ve got this.’ You put yourself open for criticism when things go as bad as they did. …” ESPN’s Peter Schrager said on “Get Up.” “They looked as sluggish a team you will see on Week 1 in any NFL season opener. They didn’t look like they belonged on the same field as the 49ers.”
The Rams weren’t the only team whose preseason storylines followed them into the opener. Bears coach Ben Johnson made headlines in August with his stated intention to break the NFL’s scoring record.
“You’ve got 31 other teams coming to training camp saying, ’Our goal is to win the Super Bowl.’ I want more than that,” he told The Athletic. “I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored [37.9], and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts.”
It’s a high bar for the second-year play-caller.
But Chicago is on track to clear it after posting 59 points in a season-opening victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
The Bears’ attack dominated through the air and on the ground. Running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both posted more than 100 rushing yards with a combined three touchdowns. Quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns through the air, with an added 65 yards and two more touchdowns as a runner.
“It’s creative. He adapts to his offense and the biggest thing is, will they be the best offense in the league after Week 1?” ESPN’s Steve Smith said of the Bears on Tuesday. “You’ve got to let them apply for the job. Because they do look like the best candidate to do it.”
No NFL weekend is complete without a series of reactions to the Kansas City Chiefs. They missed the postseason for the first time since 2014 last year, as franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes injured his ACL in December while the franchise limped to a 6-11 record.
But he was under center on Monday, as the Chiefs looked like a team that’s made five Super Bowl appearances since Mahomes was drafted. Kansas City dismantled Denver 31-10 in the final game of Week 1.
The performance elicited a chorus on X from football fans.
“The Chiefs are so back,” former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz wrote, echoing a common refrain on Monday night.
But Mahomes didn’t match his MVP form — he didn’t need to. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
His new running back shouldered the load. Kenneth Walker, who was named Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks in February, carried Kansas City to victory with 191 scrimmage yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was the best performance by any running back since Mahomes became the starter in 2018.
“I’m saying the Chiefs are back in first place in the AFC West,” popular commentator Rich Eisen said on his show on Tuesday. “The Chiefs looked like the team that won Super Bowls.”
Whether any of the early overreactions from Monday and Tuesday stand the test of time remains to be seen. The Rams — when Donald shapes into form and Garrett returns from a knee injury — could still match their high expectations. The Bears’ early success could stagnate. Kansas City could struggle to find consistency.
Week 1 aberrations happen in the NFL. Both of the eventual Super Bowl representatives lost in last year’s opener — the Patriots fell to the Las Vegas Raiders, who went on to finish with the worst record in the league.
Week 2 kicks off on Thursday, as the Buffalo Bills host the Detroit Lions in their first regular-season game at their new stadium.
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