Optimism made way for disappointment — and in some cases, dismay — as the 2024 NFL regular season kicked off and 16 teams stumbled out of the gate with a defeat.
Some teams lost in narrow, heartbreaking fashion (the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams) while others delivered listless performances (the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants).
But it’s a long season. Some teams will promptly resume their Super Bowl quests. Others will take a step in the right direction even if title hopes remain unrealistic. And then there are those that will struggle to shake off the ills that plagued them in Week 1 and spend the season toiling toward a top draft slot.
So, your team lost. What do you do? How worried should you be? Is there a real cause for concern? Or were these losses simply small hiccups?
Here’s a look at each of the 16 teams that lost in Week 1 and their prospects going forward.
Baltimore Ravens
Result: Lost 27-20 to Kansas City Chiefs.
Reaction: Relax.
Yes, the Ravens are playing the could’ve-should’ve-would’ve game after yet another loss to Kansas City. And yes, they showed they have some things to work on to attain championship form. But they will likely rebound in a big way Sunday in Baltimore against the Raiders, and their prospects for contending for a top AFC playoff seed remain strong.
Cincinnati Bengals
Result: Lost 16-10 to New England Patriots.
Reaction: Relax.
Stumbling out of the gate is common for the Bengals. It makes even more sense this year, given that Ja’Marr Chase has been distracted by his contract dispute, and that Joe Burrow’s other top wide receiver, Tee Higgins, was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Jerod Mayo and the Patriots defense played well, but this Bengals team certainly wasn’t at full force.
As noted, though, we’ve seen this movie before. The Bengals are now 1-10 in the first two weeks of the season since 2019, when Zac Taylor became coach. Since 2021, they have always roared back to life to contend. Can they do it again?
Indianapolis Colts
Result: Lost 29-27 to Houston Texans.
Reaction: Be encouraged.
The Colts held their own against a tough division opponent, and second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson delivered some fireworks while passing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. Richardson, who missed all but four games last season because of shoulder surgery, also showed off his arm with completions of 60 and 54 yards. He still needs to work on touch for shorter to intermediate throws. It’s a loss, but the Colts played hard, and there were plenty of other bright spots.
Atlanta Falcons
Result: Lost 18-10 to Pittsburgh Steelers.
Reaction: Reserve judgment.
The Falcons and new coach Raheem Morris certainly hoped Kirk Cousins would shine in his Atlanta debut. But some rust is to be expected given their top free-agent addition hadn’t played since tearing an Achilles tendon in Week 8 last season. The offensive line didn’t exactly help Cousins, surrendering seven quarterback hits and two sacks. Hope remains, however. Atlanta’s defense did hold the Steelers to zero touchdowns, and the Falcons do have a roster full of talented young players. Cohesion might just take a few weeks.
Arizona Cardinals
Result: Lost 34-28 to Buffalo Bills.
Reaction: Reserve judgment.
The Cardinals showed promise early in this game; they took it to Buffalo and led 17-3 late in the first half. Then their second-half possessions went like this: punt, fumble, field goal, touchdown, punt, turnover on downs. After passing for 131 yards in the first half, Kyler Murray completed only five passes for 31 yards and was sacked three times. Josh Allen torched the Arizona defense for four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing), including three in the second half.
The collapse is troubling, especially since the second half featured many of the Cardinals’ same defensive struggles of the past. It’s also startling that rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. had only one catch for 4 yards. Patience is necessary with the Cardinals, who are still rebuilding. By midseason, the offense should find a rhythm. The defensive shortcomings may extend longer, however.
Denver Broncos
Result: Lost 26-20 to Seattle Seahawks.
Reaction: Reserve judgment.
If Sean Payton wants to dial up 35-45 pass plays for rookie Bo Nix every week as he would for Drew Brees, then this is going to be a long and painful year for the Broncos. Payton insists that wasn’t his plan entering Sunday’s loss to Seattle — a game Denver led 13-9 at halftime. So, look for the coach to try to put together a more balanced attack in Week 2. Payton was critical of his team’s pass protection, and his receivers for repeated drops. It will take Nix time to develop, so it’s unwise to heavily criticize the rookie even after a two-interception, 26-for-42, 138-yard performance. His coach and teammates needed to support him better.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Result: Lost 20-17 to Miami Dolphins.
Reaction: Reserve judgment.
The gut reaction is to worry. The Jaguars blew a 17-7 halftime lead, went scoreless in the second half when they had the chance to put away a usually explosive Dolphins team and managed only 12 yards in the fourth quarter. But Jacksonville did move the ball well early in the third quarter, marching 94 yards only for Travis Etienne to fumble just before crossing the goal line when Miami’s Jevon Holland punched the ball out.
Who knows how things would have played out from there, had the Jaguars extended their lead to 24-7. It’s troubling that Trevor Lawrence (12-for-21 for 162 yards and a touchdown) still can’t take over games despite being in Year 4 and despite earning $55 million per season. But we’ll reserve judgment rather than panic just yet. If these struggles extend much past Week 3 or 4, then concern is an acceptable response.
Tennessee Titans
Result: Lost 24-17 to Chicago Bears.
Reaction: Temper expectations.
Feel good about the way this young team jumped out to a 17-0 lead. Feel good about the fits the defense gave top pick Caleb Williams (93 passing yards) and the Bears’ offense (148 total yards, 2-for-13 on third down). But worry about Will Levis’ ball security issues and decision-making. The second-year QB can definitely sling it, but a fumble and two interceptions crippled his team. If the Titans are to force their way into the AFC South picture, they’ll need Levis to play better.
Carolina Panthers
Result: Lost 47-10 to New Orleans Saints.
Reaction: Worry.
The Saints’ offense may have made great strides under the direction of new play-caller Klint Kubiak, but it’s not THIS good. Before Sunday, New Orleans’ most points in a season opener was 45 in 2009.
The Saints looked like a well-oiled machine against the Panthers. But even more concerning for Carolina is how poorly second-year quarterback Bryce Young played, going 13-for-30 for 161 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions while getting sacked four times (three times by cornerback Alontae Taylor). Dave Canales was supposed to come in and fix the first pick of the 2023 draft, but Young looked just as lost Sunday as he did last season. This certainly is no quick fix.
Cleveland Browns
Result: Lost 33-17 to Dallas Cowboys.
Reaction: Worry.
It’s extremely worrisome that Deshaun Watson looked as bad as he did. Sure, he has rust to work off after missing all but six games last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery. But Watson continues to look like a shell of himself. He completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, with a passer rating of 51.1 in Sunday’s loss.
The Cowboys’ defense is aggressive, and Cleveland’s line struggled with that pressure. But the Watson of old was great at escaping pass rushers, extending plays and delivering clutch passes. Watson on Sunday did display some escapability, but he couldn’t finish plays with chain-moving completions. Throughout the game, Watson settled for short passes, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt (down from 6.5 the last two seasons and a league-leading 8.9 average in 2020).
The Browns are in a tough spot because of the massive contract they gave Watson and the massive dead cap hit they would have to absorb if they cut him. But it’s impossible not to wonder how long Kevin Stefanski will be able to afford to stick with Watson when he has strong-armed Jameis Winston on the ready. If Stefanski was able to position Joe Flacco for a playoff run and success last season, he certainly could achieve something similar with a serviceable quarterback.
Green Bay Packers
Result: Lost 34-29 to Philadelphia Eagles.
Reaction: Worry.
Mainly because of the uncertainty facing quarterback Jordan Love, who suffered an MCL sprain late against the Eagles. Love’s injury means the Packers must turn to Malik Willis, who was traded to Green Bay two weeks ago but remains a project after two seasons in Tennessee. The Packers could really struggle to tread water in Love’s absence. Willis has appeared in just 12 games in his three-year career, throwing no touchdown passes and three interceptions, with a 48.7 passer rating.
Las Vegas Raiders
Result: Lost 22-10 to Los Angeles Chargers.
Reaction: Worry.
The Raiders closed out last season with an encouraging stretch, and that level of play convinced Mark Davis to remove the interim tag from Antonio Pierce’s title. But Pierce’s first game as official head coach of the Raiders was dismal, disjointed and perplexing. Gardner Minshew won the starting quarterback job but wasn’t great, with an interception and lost fumble to just one touchdown. Kicker Daniel Carlson missed a field goal, the defense let J.K. Dobbins gash it for 135 rushing yards and Pierce made some head-scratching decisions. There’s still time for this unit to improve over the course of the season, but this loss falls in the disheartening category.
Los Angeles Rams
Result: Lost 26-20 (OT) to Detroit Lions.
Reaction: Worry.
The Rams displayed great fortitude despite dealing with rampant injuries along their offensive line and then at receiver. Second-year pro Puka Nacua reaggravated a right knee injury in the second quarter and is now on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four games. Despite having to plug backups into key roles, the Rams remained in the game and rallied to take a fourth-quarter lead before losing in overtime.
Sean McVay always has his team well-prepared, but this rash of early injuries is worrisome. No Nacua for at least the next month will diminish the Rams’ firepower, and a patchwork line will subject Matthew Stafford to a greater risk of injury. Sunday night, he appeared to repeatedly shake off ankle and back injuries. If healthy, Stafford ensures the Rams have a chance against just about any team. But if they’re unable to keep their quarterback healthy, the season could quickly take a turn for the worse.
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New York Giants
Result: Lost 28-6 to Minnesota Vikings.
Reaction: Worry.
It’s going to be a long year. Daniel Jones completed just 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Combining Sunday’s outing with last season’s six games, Jones has thrown just two touchdowns and eight interceptions since he signed that $140 million extension. It’ll be interesting to see how much longer Brian Daboll sticks with Jones before giving Drew Lock a shot. If that leash is long, the Giants very well could be looking at a last-place finish.
New York Jets
Result: Lost 32-19 to San Francisco 49ers.
Reaction: Worry.
A rusty Aaron Rodgers and the struggles of an offense that generated 266 yards and just 13 points (until Tyrod Taylor directed a touchdown in garbage time) weren’t even the most concerning elements of the Jets’ loss. It’s how poorly the defense performed.
Jets coach Robert Saleh understands Kyle Shanahan’s offense well, having coached against it during their time together in Houston and again in San Francisco. Saleh knows every Shanahan tendency and, along with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, should have been able to prepare the Jets accordingly. And yet the 49ers gashed New York’s defense for 401 yards, 32 points and 24 first downs. Christian McCaffrey’s backup, Jordan Mason, rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in the first start of his career. The 49ers didn’t commit a single turnover and won the time of possession battle 38:40 to 21:20.
While the offense can blame its slow start on Rodgers’ need for re-acclimation after an Achilles injury wiped out his 2023 season, what excuse does the defense have? The Jets view themselves as Super Bowl contenders. But they faced the Super Bowl runners-up, who were missing key pieces and got trounced. Not on the same level.
Washington Commanders
Result: Lost 37-20 to Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Reaction: Worry.
Jayden Daniels showed promise while rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns and passing for 184 yards on 17 of 24 attempts. It’s a little concerning that he missed wide receiver Terry McLaurin on one deep shot and otherwise connected with him just twice for 17 yards. Some of that, though, has to do with Kliff Kingsbury’s play selection.
More concerning is that Washington’s defense now has new leaders in head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., yet exhibited many familiar struggles. The defense failed to get stops on third down and had just one sack and no takeaways while also playing poorly in pass coverage. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was in midseason form, passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
Rebuilding is a process, especially when the foundation is as shaky as Washington’s has been in the last two decades-plus. Any hopes for a quick turnaround feel farfetched.
(Top photos of Joe Burrow and Brian Daboll: Jason Mowry and Ed Mulholland / Getty Images)
