NFL Analysis
9/8/24
8 min read
The NFL's Biggest Winners, Losers From Week 1
The first Sunday afternoon slate of the season has come and gone, and it was a wild one across the league. We saw major upsets (Patriots over Bengals) and a few games that came down to the final kick. But what players stood out the most? And who left a lot to be desired? Here are the biggest winners and losers from a fantastic Week 1:
NFL Week 1 Winners, Losers
⬆️Winner: Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints
There might not have been a starting quarterback in the NFL whose fans were more “down” on than Derek Carr.
In fact, there was even more excitement around Spencer Rattler, their Day 3 pick at quarterback from South Carolina. However, Carr played arguably his best game as a Saint in Week 1.
He started the game off with a bomb to Rashid Shaheed for a 59-yard touchdown. Carr continued his efficient day, leading the Saints to 47 points. He finished the game with a passer rating of 142.5 after throwing three touchdowns on just 23 attempts.
Carr and the Saints will take on the Cowboys in Dallas with all sorts of confidence and momentum.
⬆️Winner: Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans
The Bengals were ready to cut Joe Mixon this offseason, but the Texans swooped in and offered a late-round pick for the veteran running back.
It seemed like an odd deal for the Texans to trade for an older running back and give him a new contract. So far, that move looks like a smart one for Houston.
In his first game with the Texans, Mixon racked up 178 yards against the Colts, including 159 on the ground. He got into the end zone once and routinely churned out positive runs despite his longest run being only 13 yards.
It remains to be seen how long his body can hold up after games like this (33 touches), but he looked dynamic against the Colts.
⬆️Winner: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
One of the cooler stories from Week 1 was the resurgence of J.K. Dobbins, who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles injury in the first game of the 2023 season. There were some real concerns about whether Dobbins could return to the league after multiple lower-body injuries. But he did and was the Chargers' starter against the Raiders.
Notable running backs who previously suffered a torn Achilles in recent years:
- James Robinson (2022)
- Tarik Cohen (2022)
- Cam Akers (2021)
- Marlon Mack (2020)
Dobbins had a massive performance against the Raiders and broke off multiple long runs to help the Chargers win. He received only 10 carries but rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown. His longest run was a 61-yard run that set up a touchdown a few plays later.
jk dobbins the man that u are
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 8, 2024
📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/YZGjq4cXYm
If Dobbins can stay healthy, the Chargers will have a chance to be very good on offense right away under Jim Harbaugh. So far, so good for the former Ohio State star.
⬆️Winner: Micah Parsons, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys
You couldn’t ask for a better start for Micah Parsons. The All-Pro EDGE defender was the best player on the field, and the Cowboys won in dominate fashion because of it. Mike Zimmer moved his star defender all over the field, and the Browns had no answer.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Parsons racked up nine pressures against the Browns in Week 1. He also had a sack and a pass deflection that led to an Eric Kendricks interception.
Parsons was flying around the field, and the Cowboys’ defense was dominant. They allowed just 10 points in the first 59 minutes of the game (the Browns scored a late touchdown with 0:29 seconds remaining), and Deshaun Watson played arguably the worst game of his career.
If there were any concerns about how Zimmer would replace Dan Quinn, those were quieted. Parsons continues to be one of the league’s most disruptive players, and his DPOY campaign is off to a fast start.
⬇️Loser: Bryce Young, QB, Panthers
No one will argue that Bryce Young didn’t have a rough rookie season. The Panthers had the worst record in the NFL, and Young had very few bright moments.
However, with Dave Canales' hiring and the acquisitions of Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette, there was hope that Young could turn it around in Year 2.
Well, the sophomore breakout season is off to a rough start. Young’s first pass of the season was an interception, and it didn’t get much better.
The Panthers lost by 37 points on Sunday, and Young averaged just 5.4 yards per attempt. He had a passer rating of 32.8, which was the lowest by any starting quarterback in the early slate by a big margin. The clock is officially clicking on Young and the Panthers.
⬇️Loser: Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
The only quarterback who might have had a worse day than Young is Daniel Jones. The preseason wasn’t kind to Jones, and there were some concerns about how he would look early in the year, returning from a torn ACL. Unfortunately, those concerns were correct.
Jones couldn’t have looked worse in Week 1. Brian Flores and the Vikings frustrated him, and the Giants scored just six points. They had just one drive of more than 40 yards and just three drives of 35 or more yards.
Jones finished the game with 186 yards on 42 attempts on top of two interceptions and five sacks. It was a rough day at the office for everyone on the New York offense.
⬇️Loser: Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
I hate to make all four losers’ quarterbacks, but they deserved it. Kirk Cousins signed a massive contract with the Falcons this year, hoping he could revitalize the offense.
The Falcons have used three top-10 picks on playmakers (Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts) and have one of the league’s best offensive lines. But you wouldn’t know that if you watched them on Sunday.
Atlanta managed to score just 10 points (at home) against the Steelers and had three turnovers. Cousins looked afraid to be hit and rarely threw the ball down the field. His arm looked dead, and he never challenged the Steelers downfield. Atlanta had just 226 yards of offense and was an awful 2-9 on third down.
We should give Cousins some slack, considering he is coming off a torn Achilles and he is playing in a new offense. Still, it’s fair to wonder if Cousins just doesn’t have it anymore. With a game against the Eagles in Week 2, things will get stressful in Atlanta pretty quickly.
⬇️Loser: Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns
There are some legitimate reasons why Deshaun Watson struggled in Week 1. It was his first game since his season-ending shoulder surgery early last year. Both of his starting offensive tackles were out, and he was facing one of the league’s top defenses from a year ago. Those are all valid reasons to explain his poor performance.
However, it wouldn’t be a big deal if Watson looked great in his other 12 starts for Cleveland. But this is just more of the same for the Browns quarterback. Watson threw 45 passes for just 169 yards (3.8 yards per attempt) and was sacked six times. He threw two interceptions, and the offense racked up just 230 yards on 70 offensive plays.
The Browns were dismantled at home by the Cowboys in a game that was never competitive. Unless things turn around quickly, there's a good chance that the Browns could bench Watson soon.
It was that bad on Sunday.
