The NFL got off to a dramatic start in the 2024 regular season. The Kansas City Chiefs narrowly beat the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of the AFC Championship Game on Thursday night. On Friday, the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles met in the first NFL game in Brazil. The Eagles won, but worse for the Packers, quarterback Jordan Love suffered an MCL injury that will likely keep him out of action for several weeks.
There will be 13 more games on Sunday before the showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets on Monday evening.
One of the great things about the National Football League is the element of unpredictability. So much can change from year to year, and the seasons themselves can be a rollercoaster ride for some teams and fans. That’s why there’s so much at stake every week and every game.
There’s no shortage of exciting storylines in Week 1 of the NFL season. Here are five we’re keeping an eye on. (You can find the NFL Week 1 schedule here.)
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1. The dynamic kickoff
The opening kickoff of each game will look completely different on Sunday due to changes the NFL made to this age-old play this offseason.
The NFL’s new setup was designed to eliminate the violent, high-speed collisions that caused concussions and other serious injuries and restore importance to this element of the game. Now, the 10 members of the kicking team’s coverage unit line up at the opposing team’s 40-yard line, while at least nine members of the receiving team line up between their 30- and 35-yard lines and two men as returners line up in the shadow of their goal line. The kick must land in the “landing zone” (between the receiving team’s goal line and the 20-yard line) or the ball will be placed at the 40-yard line. If the ball lands in the end zone on a touchback, it will now be placed at the 30-yard line rather than the 25-yard line.
We got a small taste of the changes during the preseason, when just over 70 percent of kicks were returned (up from 54 percent in the 2023 preseason). NFL officials hope the increase in returns will carry over into the regular season. There is some speculation that this new format could result in longer returns as well. But no one really knows.
Some in the league believe that teams will consider the risk of allowing long returns in the new coverage formats too great and will therefore opt for the conservative approach of kicking the ball out of the end zone, even if it means losing an additional 5 yards.
That certainly seems to be the case when looking at the first two games this week. Kansas City had to settle for touchbacks on all six kickoffs on Thursday night and didn’t allow Baltimore to attempt a single return. The Ravens, on the other hand, kicked three touchbacks and two shorter kicks, which led to Chiefs returns of 29 and 28 yards. On Friday night, the Eagles had to settle for touchbacks on five of their seven kickoffs. The Packers’ touchback-to-return ratio was identical.
Will this trend continue? We’ll soon find out.
2. High expectations for Lions and Texans
Almost every team is optimistic at this time of year. They are all undefeated. And many of them believe that if everything goes well, they will be in the playoffs in January. Then reality catches up with them. Then the teams have to prove whether they can handle the pressure effectively.
Teams like the Chiefs, Ravens, 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals know that pressure and how success can add to that pressure. Then there are those who have only recently found success – teams that have finally gained relevance after a long time or that have seemingly started ahead of schedule. The Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all fall into this category to some degree.
The Lions have gone from pathetic to dangerous in three seasons under GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell. The Texans were immediately successful thanks to new coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. The Buccaneers tested Baker Mayfield last season as a successor to Tom Brady, and the combative 2018 No. 1 pick helped them to a division title and the playoffs.
Last season’s successes were nice, but now more is expected of all of these teams. They have to prove that 2023 was no fluke and that they can compete, have long playoff runs and have a real chance at the Lombardi Trophy.
Jim Harbaugh will coach an NFL regular-season game on Sunday for the first time since 2014. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)
3. New coaching eras
Some teams were not so lucky in 2023, and their deficiencies led to a winter of layoffs, hires, and regime changes.
On Sunday, seven teams will have new head coaches: the Atlanta Falcons (Raheem Morris), Carolina Panthers (Dave Canales), Los Angeles Chargers (Jim Harbaugh), New England Patriots (Jerod Mayo), Seattle Seahawks (Mike Macdonald), Tennessee Titans (Brian Callahan) and Washington Commanders (Dan Quinn). Their owners and fans hope these new head coaches can turn their franchises around and lead them into an era of sustained success. The Las Vegas Raiders, who stripped Antonio Pierce of their interim title after nine games, hope the same.
Some teams, like the Falcons, could rebound quickly. Atlanta already had a roster full of young, tough players and then signed one of the top free agents in quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins’ arrival, along with Morris’ strengths as a leader, motivator and teacher, could catapult the Falcons toward NFC South contention. The Titans believe Callahan – the former Bengals offensive coordinator – and a series of aggressive offseason moves could put them in position to make a similar leap to Houston in 2023. Other teams, like the Panthers, Raiders, Patriots, Seahawks and Commanders, could have multi-year recoveries ahead of them.
Sunday’s games could provide insight into how close (or how far) these new coaches and their teams need to get to success.
4. Caleb Williams’ debut
Speaking of a new era, the Chicago Bears are preparing for a fresh start of their own on Sunday when top rookie Caleb Williams makes his official debut as a celebrated franchise savior. The former USC star takes over a team that general manager Ryan Poles worked aggressively to improve in the offseason. If he’s as good as advertised, Williams could make the Bears quite interesting.
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Williams has big expectations. The Bears have used 36 different starting quarterbacks since 1992 and hope he can finally end the merry-go-round. Williams is considered one of the best quarterback prospects to come into the league in a while. He has presented himself with poise and confidence in the preseason and has been very effective in learning and running the Bears’ offense. Will all of that translate seamlessly into regular season games?
In 2011, Panthers No. 1 pick Cam Newton set the record for most passing yards (422) in an NFL debut by a player. He threw two touchdowns and ran for another. Three years ago, Jacksonville Jaguars No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence burst onto the scene with 332 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in his debut game. How will Williams fare? (Titans at Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET.)
5. The 49ers’ reaction after the Super Bowl
The Chiefs opened Week 1 action and the 49ers – their recent Super Bowl victims – close out the week with a home game against the highly anticipated Jets.
The Niners have had a rocky start to the season, with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams recently extending their contracts and signing new deals. Meanwhile, rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who has been slowed by injuries, was placed on the reserve/non-football injured list after being shot during an attempted robbery. He will miss at least the first four games. Running back Christian McCaffrey is dealing with a calf injury and starting linebacker Dre Greenlaw is on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a torn Achilles sustained in the Super Bowl.
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The 49ers remain one of the most talented teams in the league, but recovering from a Super Bowl loss has traditionally been a challenge. Since the Buffalo Bills’ three consecutive unsuccessful Super Bowl returns from 1991-1993, only the 2018 Patriots have managed to return to the game (and win it) after losing the previous year. Given the hurdles they’ve already faced this preseason, the 49ers could be off to a slow start. Brock Purdy and Co. will look to prove otherwise when they face Aaron Rodgers and the Jets on the national stage. (Jets at 49ers, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET.)
(Top photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
