The NFL returned this weekend for another high-octane season. The Philadelphia Eagles come into this season as defending Super Bowl champions and are one of the favorites to retain their title, potentially starting a dynasty of their own. But many teams could challenge them.
Their quest to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy starts here. Let’s look back at Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
The Buffalo Comeback
The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills are again going to be contenders for the AFC this season. In many people’s eyes, it will be one of these teams that sets out to end the dominance of the Kansas City Chiefs in the conference. In what could be a dress rehearsal for the AFC Championship game in late January, these teams met on the opening Sunday Night Football of the season.
Buffalo would start strong, with reigning MVP Josh Allen finding Dalton Kincaid on the opening drive for a 15-yard touchdown pass. While the Ravens were unable to match this, they were able to get on the board in response, with new Ravens kicker Tyler Loop finding the uprights from 52 yards out.
Baltimore took the lead early in the second quarter when running back Derrick Henry found the endzone for a 30-yard rushing touchdown. This lead was extended on their next drive, when quarterback Lamar Jackson scored a 10-yard rushing touchdown.
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In response to this, the best the Bills could do was a Matt Prater field goal from 25 yards out. This was matched by another long field goal (this time from 49 yards out) from Loop, before Pater kicked another one on the stroke of halftime to keep the Bills in this game. This meant that at halftime, the Ravens had a 20-13 lead over the Bills.
The second half opened with the Ravens extending their lead when Jackson found Zay Flowers for a 23-yard touchdown pass. However, the Bills were able to respond immediately to this. They found themselves down at the Ravens’ 2-yard line (mostly thanks to a penalty on a fourth-down attempt), where James Cook found the endzone for the touchdowns. Buffalo then attempted a two-point conversion. This failed, but a penalty against the Ravens on the play allowed Prater to score the PAT.
This made it a one-possession game, but this did not last long. Just before the final quarter, Jackson found DeAndre Hopkins for a 29-yard touchdown pass to restore the two-possession lead.
The Bills were able to slowly regain their footing in the game at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Aided by a 51-yard pass, Buffalo was at the Ravens’ 2-yard line. Here, Allen scrambled for the endzone to score a touchdown. They again decided to attempt a two-point conversion, but it failed. In response to this, Baltimore restored their two-score lead through a 46-yard rushing touchdown from Henry.
The game seemed to be out of reach for the Bills. However, nobody told them that they had under four minutes left on the clock. Allen found Keon Coleman for a 10-yard touchdown pass to reduce the lead to eight points.
Then, a fatal mistake from the Ravens happened at the worst time possible. On their 38-yard line, Henry fumbled the ball, which the Bills recovered. On the subsequent drive, Allen would find the endzone for a one-yard touchdown. Another failed two-point conversion meant that with two minutes left to play, the Ravens had a two-point lead.
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Baltimore quickly punted possession away on their last drive, meaning that all the Bills had to do was score a field goal to win the game.
The Bills made it down to the Ravens’ 14-yard line, and as time ran out, Matt Prater scored the game-winning 32-yard field goal.
The comeback was successful, and the Buffalo Bills defeated the Baltimore Ravens 41-40 in a thrilling game.
It’s week one of the season, and we are already having playoff-calibre games. But, with two Super Bowl contenders, what do you expect? This was a game that the Ravens lost as much as the Bills won, and if it weren’t for the fumble, it would have been a convincing win for Baltimore.
Next week, Buffalo faces the New York Jets, while Baltimore plays the Cleveland Browns.
Welcome Back, Aaron Rodgers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming into the new season with a new quarterback. Aaron Rodgers signed with the team during the offseason after an unimpressive stint with the New York Jets. He opened his time with the Steelers facing his old team. The Jets also have a new quarterback for this season, as last year’s Steelers QB Justin Fields is now with them. Has the quarterback swap improved either team’s performance?
The Jets were able to get points from the opening drive of the game, as Nick Folk was able to find the uprights for a 35-yard field goal. In response, Rodgers’ first drive with the Steelers was a lot better than his first with the Jets. He found Ben Skowronek for a 22-yard touchdown pass to give his new team the lead.
This lead did not last long, as on the next drive, Fields found key wide receiver Garrett Wilson for a 33-yard touchdown pass. The Jets then attempted a two-point conversion, which failed. Pittsburgh would retake the lead on its next drive, thanks to a 56-yard field goal from Chris Boswell.
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But the Jets’ offense would not take this loss of lead lying down. On the following drive, Field and the company made their way down to the Steelers’ eight-yard line. Here, Braelon Allen found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to retake the lead. This was extended on their next drive, thanks to a 51-yard field goal from Folk.
The Steelers closed the deficit on their final drive before halftime, when Rodgers found Smith for a three-yard touchdown pass. This meant that at halftime, the Jets had a 19-17 lead over the Steelers.
After a good first half for both teams on offense, the second half did not begin well for either side. The first three drives ended in punts. On the fourth drive, the Jets would use this to extend their lead. A 21-yard pass from Fields to Wilson brought the team down to the Steelers’ two-yard line. From here, Fields found the endzone for the rushing touchdown.
In response to this, the Steelers found the endzone on the first play of the final quarter, when Rodgers found Jaylen Warren for a five-yard touchdown pass. This made it a two-point game with one quarter left to play.
Then, the Jets made a pivotal mistake. On the kickoff return, the Jets fumbled the ball, which the Steelers recovered on the edge of the New York red zone. Then, with a short field, Rodgers found Calvin Austin for an 18-yard touchdown pass to give them their first lead since the first quarter.
This lead did not last long. On the next drive of the game, Fields was able to move the Jets offense down to the Steelers’ one-yard line. Here, he found the endzone himself for the rushing touchdown. The Jets would then attempt a two-point conversion, which failed. This gave them a one-point lead.
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The Steelers would then impressively retake the lead when Chris Boswell found the uprights on a 60-yard field goal with one minute to go. This gave Pittsburgh a two-point lead, but the Jets had possession. All they needed was a field goal to win. Could they get it?
On the final drive of the game, Fields threw three incomplete passes, which ended any hopes of victory. This meant that the Pittsburgh Steelers had defeated the New York Jets by a score of 34-32.
This game showed that Aaron Rodgers is still able to perform at a high level, and that the Steelers are unlikely to struggle with him as QB. However, the Jets’ performance was strong as well, and it shows that they could be in contention for a few surprise wins if they can maintain this form.
Next week, the Steelers face the Seattle Seahawks, while the Jets play the Buffalo Bills.
Is the Chiefs’ dynasty over?
The NFL made its return to Brazil in week one, as the Los Angeles Chargers played the Kansas City Chiefs. This is the first competitive game that the Chiefs have played since their heavy Super Bowl defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. Can they restore some pride and show the NFL that they are still a contender?
The Chiefs had the opening drive of the game, but it went nowhere. On the other hand, it would be the Chargers who found the endzone on their first drive. Led by Justin Herbert, the Chargers offense quickly made its way down to the Chiefs’ five-yard line. Here, Herbert found Quentin Johnston for the touchdown pass.
This game is being played at the Corinthians Stadium in São Paulo, home to the famous soccer team Corinthians. The NFL paid tribute to this team and Brazil’s love of the sport by having the next seven drives end in some form of kick. The first three ended in punts.
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We would then see four consecutive field goals. First, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker would find the uprights from 39 yards out, and then 36 yards on the following drive. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker also made two field goals, first from 35 yards out and then from 59 yards out on the stroke of halftime.
This meant that as the team returned to the locker rooms, the Chargers had a 13-6 lead over the Chiefs.
Kansas City was able to close the gap to the Chargers on their first drive of the second half. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led his offense down to the Chargers’ 11-yard line. From here, Mahomes found the endzone himself for the touchdown. However, Butker’s PAT kick went wide, keeping the Chargers in the lead by one point.
The Chargers extended their lead on the next drive when Herbert found Keenan Allen for an 11-yard touchdown pass. This meant that as the final quarter starter, the Chargers had an eight-point lead.
This lead was immediately reduced to two points when Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a 37-yard touchdown pass. A subsequent two-point conversion to level the score failed. The Chargers were again able to extend their lead soon after, when Herbert found Johnston for a 23-yard touchdown pass.
With five minutes left to play, the Chiefs had to find the end zone if they were going to win this game. On this drive, Mahomes and company were able to move down to the Chargers’ nine-yard line. On a third down, Mahomes threw an incomplete pass, forcing Butker to kick a 27-yard field goal.
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This handed possession of the Chargers, who held onto the ball until the end of the game. This meant that the Los Angeles Chargers had defeated the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 27-21.
This is not the best start to the season for the Chiefs. The opening-week defeat against a division rival will not help their reputation, nor will it stop the opinion that the Chiefs’ era of dominance is over.
Next week, the Chargers face the Las Vegas Raiders, while the Chiefs have a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, a team they faced in the Super Bowl.
A Strong Start for the Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles had a very impressive season last year. They convincingly won the Super Bowl in a very one-sided game, and the Eagles come into this season with an expectation that they will go back-to-back. They opened the season against NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys, who lost Micah Parsons in the offseason after a contract dispute. Can the Eagles get an early-season win against their division foes?
The Cowboys had the opening possession of the game and were able to get the opening score from it, when Javonte Williams found the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown. The lead did not last long, as in response, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found the endzone for a rushing touchdown of his own to level the scores.
Williams repeated what he did on the first drive in the following drive to restore the lead for the Cowboys, but Hurts again matched this in the responding drive.
Dallas was able to score on their next drive, but this would only be a 41-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey. However, unlike the previous two drives, the Eagles did not match the Cowboys’ performance. This time, they bettered it, with Saquon Barkley finding the endzone for a 10-yard rushing touchdown to give Philadelphia the lead. The best Dallas was able to do in response was another Aubrey field goal on the stroke of halftime.
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This meant that the Eagles had a 21-20 lead over the Cowboys at halftime.
The first half was a high-scoring affair. The second half began in a very similar way. The Eagles had the opening possession of the half, but this time were unable to find the endzone, settling for a 58-yard field goal from Jake Elliot.
In response to this, the Cowboys’ offense, led by Dak Prescott, rallied down to the Eagles’ 11-yard line. However, a massive turning point in the game occurred here. Miles Sanders fumbled the ball, which was recovered by the Eagles’ defense.
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After this moment, nothing else of note happened in this game. We went from high scoring to punts, with the final six drives of the game ending in kicks. An underwhelming end to what could have been a good game.
In the end, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 24-20.
The Eagles started their title defense with a win. It wasn’t perfect, but a win is a win, and it means more when the win comes against a divisional rival.
Next week, the Eagles have their Super Bowl rematch while the Cowboys face the New York Giants.
What Happened in the Other Games?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened their season against the Atlanta Falcons in what was another closely fought game between the two NFC South rivals. With one minute left in the game, Buccs quarterback Baker Mayfield found former Ohio State Buckeye Emeka Egbuka for a 25-yard touchdown pass to record a 23-20 victory over the Falcons.
Joe Burrow and his Cincinnati Bengals began their quest to return to the playoffs with a game against the Cleveland Browns. In a heavily defensive play, a late field goal from Evan McPherson gave the Bengals a 17-16 win.
The Indianapolis Colts, with new quarterback Daniel Jones, were able to demolish the struggling Miami Dolphins. Jones played one of the best games of his career, throwing for 272 yards (and going 22 of 29) in the Colts’ 33-8 win.
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When the Raiders face the New England Patriots, it is always an entertaining affair. This clash was another instance of this kind. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith threw for 362 yards in their 20-13 win.
The Arizona Cardinals opened their season against the New Orleans Saints, with both teams not predicted to do much this season. In what was a standard win, the Cardinals defeated the Saints 20-13.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, now with Heisman Trophy-winning Travis Hunter, opened their season against the Carolina Panthers in a battle of two struggling teams from recent years. The Jaguars were by far the better team on the day, recording a 26-10 win.
The number one pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, Cam Ward, made his debut for the Tennessee Titans when they played the Denver Broncos. Ward threw for 112 yards in this game, scoring no touchdowns. This was a game that was mostly consistent of field goals, with Broncos quarterback Bo Nix struggling. However, Denver was able to hold on for a 20-12 win.
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Sam Darnold was one of the best quarterbacks last season with the Minnesota Vikings. Now, he is with the Seattle Seahawks, and began his time with the team against the San Francisco 49ers. In a tight game, a late touchdown from Brock Purdy to Jake Tonges gave the 49ers a 17-13 win.
The Detroit Lions made it to the NFC Championship game last season and will want to reach the Super Bowl finally. If their performance against the Green Bay Packers is anything to go by, these dreams may be put on hold. The Packers were able to trounce their NFC North rivals 27-13, with Jordan Love throwing two touchdowns.
The Los Angeles Rams opened their season against the Houston Texans in what was another highly defensive game. In the end, the Rams were able to hold on for a 14-9 win.
Former Michigan Wolverine quarterback J.J. McCarthy finally made his debut for the Minnesota Vikings in their Monday Night Football clash with the Chicago Bears. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was looking like he was going to lead his team to a win after a very impressive start. However, a fourth-quarter comeback led by McCarthy gave the Vikings a 27-24 win to open their season.
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And finally, a look at how the New York Giants ruined my weekend. It was all change at the quarterback position for the Giants, as Russell Wilson took the reins of the team. However, despite this change, it felt like the same old Giants in their opening game against the Washington Commanders. The team had no offense and paid for it. The Commanders easily won the game 21-6.
That was week one of the 2025 NFL season. Next week, the slate is highlighted by the Super Bowl rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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