Everyone rejoice, because NFL football is back.
And it got real weird over Week 1. Players were getting into spitting matches, gamblers the world over groaned as one with the fantasy football world turning on its head, and Daniel Jones looked like an All-Pro (that last one might be the weirdest of the bunch). But amongst all the weirdness and shaking off of rust, these are the biggest winners and losers from Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
Winner: Justin Herbert
1-7. That was Justin Herbert's record against the Kansas City Chiefs going into Week 1 of the 2025 season. For the quarterback of the team that has been the AFC's 'next man up' since his rookie season, every game against Patrick Mahomes is primetime for Herbert and the Bolts. And if you remember his meltdown against the Jaguars in the playoffs, Herbert is painfully familiar with primetime.
But then, as three point underdogs to the reigning AFC champs, Herbert led an absolute masterclass (25/34, 318 YDS, 3 TDs, 131.7 passer rating) on the way to a 27-21 win that, at times, didn't even feel all that close. So much for running the ball.
Let it be known that Kansas City will likely bounce back -- Mahomes & Co. have reached that Brady Patriots territory of never being counted out. But for the QB that's living in his shadow, Herbert didn't just get the monkey off of his back, but slung it off to his two favorite receivers (welcome back, Keenan Allen). And as a bonus win, how about Quentin Johnson (5/7 REC, 79 YDS, 2 TD's) finally looking like the big playmaker LA saw him as in 2023? Welcome to the NFL, Quentin. You'll love it here.
Loser: The Giants' front office
This might not be Brian Daboll's or Joe Schoen's fault, not truly. But the optics have done a complete 180 on the Giants in a matter of a week. Gone are the vibes of the pre-season. Gone are the hot takes of New York sneaking into the playoffs. The reality of their league-toughest schedule hit New York like a baseball bat after an embarrassing 6-21 loss to open the season.
But it gets worse. Not only did they lose to a division rival, but on the same week, Daniel Jones played a historically good game as his new team dismantled their opponents. And while Miami might actually be the worst team in the league this season, the optics are terrible for New York's front office. Just a year ago, they let Saquon Barkley walk away to the tune of a 2,000 yard season and a Super Bowl win as the NFL's best player, and now the guy they gave him up for and then abandoned just went nuclear.
It might not be their fault, but Daboll and Schoen's seats just got way hotter after this week.
Winner: Green Bay Packers' Defense
Jerry really screwed this one up.
Last year, the Detroit Lions led the NFL in touchdowns, points (total and per game), first downs, and trailed only the Ravens in total yards. And in their Week 1 tilt against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit was held to 3.8 yards per play, 246 total (62 going into the second half), and 1/4 red zone attempts.
And despite playing less than half of their defensive snaps after getting likely less than a week's worth of practice, Micah Parsons already looks like he's worth every premium penny they shelled out for him. This was an embarrassing loss for the Lions, who might have just had their Super Bowl hopes stolen out from under them by Green Bay. And we won't even get into the Packers' offense here, because their defensive line might be the actual best in the NFL (4 sacks, 9TFL, 9 QB hits).
Loser: Patrick Mahomes
And on the other side of the Chargers' big Week 1 was not just the Chiefs, but Patrick Mahomes himself. The loss isn't his fault (24/39, 258 YDS, 1 TD, 89.9 passer rating), but the Chiefs' identity is changing before our eyes. Say what you want about their stingy defense, but Kansas City is turning into the late-stage Belichick Patriots with how their skill positions look.
If we aren't questioning the talent and greatness from Patrick Mahomes' side of the bargain (we aren't), then going 0/7 on third downs for an entire half is sheer and utter failure on the rest of the roster -- or whatever's left of them. Mahomes is down to his third option for an indeterminate amount of weeks after Rashee Rice's suspension and Xavier Worthy's collision with Travis Kelce. And it's been a minute since Hollywood Brown's gamebreaking debut on the Ravens.
The Chiefs investing in their defense is a good thing. We've seen what happens when a team relies overmuch on the brilliance of their quarterback (it's called the 2024 Bengals). But a near-middle-aged Travis Kelce is no Tyreek Hill, chemistry or no, and the Chiefs have been punting on re-investing in Patrick Mahomes' arsenal of skill teammates. Consider this their wake-up call.
Winner: The Cincinnati Bengals
Many would be surprised to see the Bengals on this list as a winner, given how they would have lost to a competent kicker (seriously, even making his PAT kick would have sent the game to overtime, forget the field goal) . And yet, here they are.
But why? Well, it's because Burrow's Bengals only have one way to win, at least to most experts. If I told you that Joe Burrow threw for 113 yards while Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase combined for 9 targets and 59 receiving yards, you would've thought the Bengals got spanked. And yet, thanks to a defensive performance that included two sacks and two picks, Cincinnati escaped by the skin of their teeth with a little luck. Common sense and basic empirical investigation would imply that this team goes where Burrow goes, and neither have gone anywhere much in a Week 1 game since 2021 (also, the last time Cincinnati scored over 20 points in a Week 1 game).
The Bengals' slow start to the season are like death and taxes. But they not only successfully held a team five points under their implied total, but did it in a win where there were no fireworks from their best unit.
Pass rush or not, the Bengals' offense is as sure of a thing as any in the league. But if this defense is foreshadowing what they are capable of, that is the actual biggest win for Cincy coming out of Week 1.