Overreaction Monday: 4 teams that won in NFL Week 1 but will miss the playoffs
By Kristen Wong
NFL Week 1 was great -- if you're a Niners, Cowboys, or Tua fan. A healthy 49ers offense with Christian McCaffrey ready to run through walls? Woof. Dallas' 40-0 rout of the Giants in New York, from here on out known as The City That Never Should Have Paid Daniel Jones? Ouch. And Tua's masterful performance against the Chargers already puts his name on the ballot for league MVP voting -- maybe all quarterbacks should practice jiu-jitsu in the offseason.
For the rest of the league, it was more of a mixed bag. There were plenty of wins to go around, but everyone -- especially fantasy football players -- knows Week 1 doesn't mean squat.
It's a step higher than preseason, as Kenny Pickett and the Steelers found out the hard way, yet teams would much rather pick up steam throughout the year than fizzle out after a loud bang.
We cannot stress this enough: it's only Week 1. Overreactions are overreactions because they are, by nature, over the top. With an absurdly small sample size in mind, here are four teams that won in Week 1 but may screech by to an ugly season record.
NFL Week 1 Winner, Season Loser No. 4: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens will absolutely bounce back after a sluggish offensive performance against the Texans, there's no question about that. We'll chalk up Lamar Jackson's performance to rust more than anything else; however, the Ravens suffered from more than just mediocre quarterback play.
On Sunday's 25-9 win against the Texans, a whopping four key starters suffered injuries of some kind. RB1 J.K. Dobbins tore his Achilles and will be out for the season, his second serious injury in the last three years. The Ravens are awaiting tests on center Tyler Linderbaum, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, and safety Marcus Williams; Williams is suspected to have torn his pectoral muscle.
One season-ending injury to a top skill player would have dampened any playoff contender's hopes, but to tack on three more devastating blows to crucial players across the field?
Baltimore simply may not have the depth to recover. With Mark Andrews and Marlon Humphrey still nursing their own wounds, a twist of cruel fate may have hit the Ravens yet again in 2023.
In a jacked-up AFC North gauntlet, winning records are far from guaranteed. Even if the Ravens find their rhythm by Week 2, the injuries may prove too catastrophic to overcome.