The season is launched
7 months of endless waiting since the Super Bowl but here it is, football is back to brighten up your fall evenings
The Panthers are still mediocre…
Bad in defense, catastrophic in attack, 2024 looks like 2023 for the worst team of last season. The change in staff has had no effect so far. With what they showed throughout the game, the ordeal is only just beginning for the Panthers.
…Like their quarterback
Calamitous. That's how to describe Bryce Young's performance. Totally lost on the field, the 1st pick in the 2023 draft is simply not worthy of playing in the NFL at the moment. Even his catastrophic statistical record (13/30, 161 yards, 2 interceptions) is below the visual truth.
No more excuses, if progress does not come by next week, Young will be permanently classified as an industrial accident.
Pre-season could be useful
By boycotting the pre-season more and more by letting their starters rest, the favorite teams played at scaring each other. If Buffalo and Miami got away with it after being there for most of the match, the Bengals never came back.
More generally, the problems of execution, coordination, and silly mistakes were all legion for the teams without any running-in.
Daniel Jones is hopeless
Less than 200 yards, barely 50% of passes completed, no touchdowns and especially two interceptions. The Giants quarterback is starting again on the same bases as before his injury last November. New York can expect nothing other than another season in limbo.
Handing the offense over to Drew Lock could not be a worse idea than sticking with Jones.
Patrick Mahomes has his number 1 receiver
Despite what his detractors say, Xavier Worthy had a brilliant start in the NFL. Two touchdowns, one on the ground, one on the reception, and a quality of speed brilliantly used (as always) by the Andy Reid – Patrick Mahomes duo. While he will probably never be the best receiver in the league, he will be the preferred target of his quarterback and will rack up a lot of yards and touchdowns.
Jim Harbaugh still has it
Away from the NFL field for 10 years, Jim Harbaugh made a winning return with the Chargers. Using a recipe that he particularly likes (and that he has often succeeded with), the run and defense were the keys to victory. The coach knows how to get the best out of a team that is not necessarily the most talented and that is promising for the Bolts' season.
The Packers will have to turn their backs
Jordan Love thought he was going to lose his knee and his season in the final seconds of the game against the Eagles. But more fear than harm, the quarterback will only miss a few weeks. But these few weeks with Malik Willis at the helm could well be an endless ordeal for Green Bay.
With no touchdowns thrown in two seasons, great inaccuracy and a very uncertain level, Matt LaFleur's men will have to stand firm to try to keep the team afloat and keep the playoff hopes alive. The upcoming schedule is not inaccessible but they will still have to be able to score points.
Baker Mayfield is a force for Tampa Bay
There were fears that 2023 would be a flash in the pan, that the loss of his offensive coordinator would send him back to his old ways. But none of that. Baker Mayfield trounced Washington and carried his team with four touchdowns.
A connection that works well with his targets, a nice line in front of him. When he is confident, Mayfield is simply good.
Rookie quarterbacks have a lot of work to do
Three rookie quarterbacks selected in the first round of the last draft began their NFL careers yesterday. None of them threw a touchdown! While Jayden Daniels made up for it on the ground with two makes, the aerial record is not brilliant. Caleb Williams shone with his inaccuracy and finished with less than 100 yards. We are very far from the announced phenomenon and the future best quarterback of the Bears. Bo Nix threw almost as many interceptions as he did in his entire last year of university. Get to work, everyone.
Strike hurts productivity
The summer was turbulent with tense contract negotiations between star receivers Ceedee Lamb with Dallas and Ja'Marr Chase with Cincinnati. Negotiations punctuated by a training strike. As talented as he is, this lack of rhythm hurt the performance of both players during their return game. Less than 65 yards each and no touchdowns. If Dallas easily won its game, the Bengals, no longer without Tee Higgins, unexpectedly sank at home against the modest Patriots.
