On Sept. 7, the NFL kicked off its season with a matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions. Almost 27 million fans tuned in to watch the first game of the season, and it was not a disappointment, the Chiefs narrowly losing 21-20. “If this first week was any indication for how the rest of the season is going to go, I’d say this is going to be a really good one,” remarked avid football fan Aayush Deshpande.
Firstly, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow all lost their opening games against their respective opponents. The following week, only Burrow lost in a tough game against the Ravens. Is this just a shaky beginning to the NFL season for these season MVPs, or will new QBs get a chance to shine?
Also, In a shut-out game as the visiting team, the Cowboys were able to perform well accumulating 7 sacks, 2 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles. A field goal attempt, blocked by safety Juanyeh Thomas, turned into a touchdown for Dallas cornerback, Noah Igbinoghene, on a 58 yard return. The Giants recovered this week, winning against the Cardinals 31-28.
Surprisingly, the 49ers embarrassed the Steelers in a 30-7 win in Pittsburgh thanks to the talents of quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffery. The momentum continued into week two with a win against the Los Angeles Rams 30-23. For week 3, they will play Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants.
Next, in the first game of the season, the Chiefs were not able to secure the win against the Lions. One of the biggest reasons for their 20-21 loss was Kadarius Toney’s underwhelming performance. Toney dropped three passes and made just a single reception for one yard. Consequently, he was the subject of mass social media hate which ended in him deleting his X (formally Twitter) account and restricting comments on his Instagram. “The social media hate for Kadarius Toney was uncalled for, but he did not do a good job in the game and I’m hoping he does better in the future,” remarked Chiefs fan Deshpande after the game.
Finally, perhaps the largest event from week one; Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury after only four plays as a Jet. After taking over the Jets quarterback position during the off-season, he played for 94 seconds before suffering a tear in his left achilles. “It’s unfortunate what happened to him and I hope that this doesn’t call for an early retirement”, said Josh Hansen, a football player and Aaron Rodgers fan.
These events and many more made the start of this NFL season especially memorable, and the rest of the season should continue to stay on this trend.
