Week 1 of the NFL season was rife with drama, from the sputtering debut of the L.A. Rams superteam in Australia to a loud statement of record-setting intent from the Chicago Bears. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs might be back. The Los Angeles Chargers? Well, same as it ever was.
Point differential typically means more with a larger sample size, but let's break down the current NFL standings by who won (or lost) by the most as a tone-setter for the season ahead. Context is everything, however: Some of these wins and losses are better (or worse) than they seem.
AFC standings by point differential
Team | Record | Point Differential |
|---|---|---|
1. Jacksonville Jaguars | 1-0 | +24 |
2. Kansas City Chiefs | 1-0 | +21 |
3. Baltimore Ravens | 1-0 | +18 |
4. Las Vegas Raiders | 1-0 | +14 |
5. New York Jets | 1-0 | +13 |
6. Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-0 | +7 |
7. Cincinnati Bengals | 1-0 | +6 |
8. Buffalo Bills | 1-0 | +5 |
9. New England Patriots | 0-1 | -3 |
10. Houston Texans | 0-1 | -5 |
11. Los Angeles Chargers | 0-1 | -12 |
12. Tennessee Titans | 0-1 | -13 |
13. Miami Dolphins | 0-1 | -14 |
14. Indianapolis Colts | 0-1 | -18 |
15. Denver Broncos | 0-1 | -21 |
16. Cleveland Browns | 0-1 | -24 |
The Jaguars are so much better than folks realize. The Browns are naturally the worst team in the AFC, if not the NFL writ large, so that all checks out.
The natural focus will be on Kansas City and Denver after a lopsided battle on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs missed the playoffs entirely last season, but did we ever believe for a second that Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid would fade into obscurity? Kenneth Walker III looked the part of a reigning Super Bowl MVP, running for 173 yards against a supposedly stout Broncos defense. Mahomes was fine enough in his return from knee surgery. As for Bo Nix? Well, let's just say new OC Davis Webb has a lot to figure out if he wants to keep Sean Payton's hands off the playbook.
On the "context is important" front, the Raiders' 14-point win was a pleasant opening statement from new head coach Klint Kubiak. It also came against the Dolphins, a football team many are predicting to go 0-17. So take Vegas' win with a grain of salt, and know Kirk Cousins has much more to prove if he wants to stave off No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.
We can render a similar qualifier for the Jets' 13-point win over the Titans. New York looked sharp, Geno Smith went untouched in the pocket and didn't commit a single turnover, and yet Tennessee is hardly a real test.
The worst loss of the week, by far, was the Chargers' 26-14 defeat at the hands of Arizona. The Cardinals entered the season with zero expectations. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is hoping to finally take the leap to Super Bowl contention with Mike McDaniel calling plays on offense. Justin Herbert looked tepid and indecisive all afternoon. He was under constant duress and abnormally inaccurate downfield. It felt like watching the Chargers in a playoff game, which is never a good sign.
NFC standings by point differential
Team | Record | Point Differential |
|---|---|---|
1. Chicago Bears | 1-0 | +22 |
2. San Francisco 49ers | 1-0 | +20 |
3. Minnesota Vikings | 1-0 | +17 |
4. Arizona Cardinals | 1-0 | +12 |
5. New York Giants | 1-0 | +8 |
6. Seattle Seahawks | 1-0 | +3 |
7. Philadelphia Eagles | 1-0 | +2 |
8. Detroit Lions | 1-0 | +1 |
9. New Orleans Saints | 0-1 | -1 |
10. Washington Commanders | 0-1 | -2 |
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-1 | -6 |
12. Atlanta Falcons | 0-1 | -7 |
13. Dallas Cowboys | 0-1 | -8 |
14. Green Bay Packers | 0-1 | -17 |
15. Los Angeles Rams | 0-1 | -20 |
16. Carolina Panthers | 0-1 | -22 |
Ben Johnson said he wants the Bears to set the NFL scoring record this season. After Chicago dropped 59 points on Carolina in Week 1, that suddenly feels very attainable. The Bears are a total machine. Caleb Williams might be the most dynamic, explosive quarterback in the NFL. Very few options are unavailable to him on a given play. Whether the Bears defense can generate a single stop (Carolina scored 37 points and has the worst point differetial, which is hilarious) remains to be seen.
The Rams are the big shocker here after looking impotent in their 27-7 loss to San Francisco on Thursday Night Football. While it's fair to be concerned about the Rams' collective age and injury history, especially now that Myles Garrett is on the IR, we can probably chalk this up to poor travel planning. Los Angeles flew halfway across the globe to Australia less than two days before kickoff. It sure felt like their bodily clocks had not adjusted. If the Rams still can't move the football in Week 3 or 4, we can start a more serious dialogue.
And how about them Vikings, huh? Minnesota scored the final 22 points on Sunday to overcome a 22-17 fourth quarter deficit and win in blowout fashion — all with their backup quarterback, as Carson Wentz took over in the first quarter after Kyler Murray suffered a gnarly concussion. Wentz tends to be hit-or-miss these days, but he's one of the best backup QBs in the NFL and Minnesota's offense is a fruitful setup. Justin Jefferson; that guy's pretty good.
The Giants' win over Dallas on Sunday Night Football was another pleasant surprise (or unpleasant, if you're a Cowboys fan). So much was made this summer of the Cowboys' revamped defense. In Week 1, it looked an awful lot like the Swiss cheese unit of last season. Jaxson Dart was shaking and baking all over the field, Cam Skattebo is a psychopath and a baller and New York's defense keeps getting better with each top-10 pick used on an edge rusher.
The whole NFC South lost, which is fitting and funny in equal measure. The Falcons were subject to two missed field goals and some truly horrendous quarterback play from third-stringer Cooper Rush, but the Steelers still only won by seven. Going back to the AFC for a second, we should probably be concerned about what Mike McCarthy and 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers are cooking up. The Saints lost on the road, in Detroit, on a failed two-point conversion in overtime. So New Orleans takes the divisional crown for "most respectable loss." Tyler Shough threw for 410 yards!
Add us as a preferred source on Google