One down, 17 to go! The NFL season is finally here and Week 1 certainly had some winners and losers. Who is trending up and who is trending down? Let’s take a look at some of the up and downs from Week 1.
Stock up: Dak Prescott
I refuse to fall into the “early season Cowboys” trap, but at the same time, you can’t help but say that Dak Prescott’s stock didn’t rise after Sunday’s 33-17 win over Cleveland. First of all, Dallas started with a win. Dak was good, even if he didn’t set the world on fire. But he also signed a MASSIVE four-year, $240 million contract extension before kickoff that also includes a whopping $231 million guaranteed.
To sign that contract, you have to go to Cleveland, take on a very good defense and a quarterback with a ridiculous contract, and come out on top.
NFL offenses haven’t had the best opening week, but Dak played well against a very good defense, the Cowboys won on the road, and he got PAID. It’s hard not to see his value rising right now.
Share price falls: Bryce Young and the Panthers
I couldn’t decide whether to lump the Panthers together or just talk about Bryce Young. I think we have to say both. Bryce Young looked terrible in his first start of his second season in the NFL. Granted, the Superdome is a tough place to play and the Saints are strong defensively. But even so, he was pretty bad at 13-30 with two INTs.
The rest of the Panthers team wasn’t much better. They couldn’t run the football, allowing 47 points against an offense led by Derek Carr and Taysom Hill. It was never the best year for Carolina. But with a second-year quarterback, a couple of solid offensive players, and a brand new head coach, you had to expect a better performance on opening day. A loss in the Superdome happens, but a 47-10 loss to a team that could very well miss the playoffs this season is a brutal sight for everyone involved.
Increase: The Bears Secondary
We’re a Chicago site, so of course I included the Bears! While the offense had its struggles, the Bears defense was everything we hoped it would be once it settled in. They absolutely dominated the second half, and if Jaylon Johnson looked like the best cornerback in the NFL on Sunday, it’s because he was, according to PFF, with a missed chance on a near second interception!
The Bears’ defense and special teams won Sunday’s football game. The secondary played outstandingly in the second half and Jaylon Johnson, with his brand new contract, was the best player. Not every week will be perfect, but if Jaylon and the secondary play like this for most of this season, the Bears will be in every single game and that will make Caleb Williams’ life and development a lot easier.
Stock price falls: Cincinnati Bengals
That was a terrible start. I know the first few weeks haven’t been the Bengals’ best friends over the years, but this week feels especially rough. A home loss to a Patriots team that will likely be battling for the first pick in the draft is already a bad start to the season, but next week they have to go to Arrowhead and face the Chiefs!
It could have been worse, I think. The Bengals had more than enough chances to win the game/score more points, but they kept shooting themselves in the foot. I guess that’s better than not getting in the end zone at all. But they’re still in a VERY tough division. They can’t afford to lose games to weaker teams, especially at home.
The only positive is that the Bengals have recovered from slow starts before, but Sunday’s loss was particularly unacceptable. Maybe those orange uniforms should just be thrown in the trash where they belong?
Stock up: Pittsburgh Steelers
Aside from the Bears, the Falcons entered the season with as much hype as anyone in the NFC. The Pittsburgh Steelers did their best to contain that hype. They held Atlanta to under 90 yards in the running game, intercepted Kirk Cousins twice while holding him to under 160 yards in the passing game, and did enough offensively to pull out the win.
For the Steelers, it still feels like they’re in quarterback limbo with Justin Fields (he’s ready to start again in Week 2) and Russell Wilson (they should definitely move on with Fields and see what they can get out of him). But they’re so well coached and play so well on defense that no matter what their offense does, they’re never really going to be easy to beat.
Share price falls: New York Giants
I mean, you saw the game. Sam Darnold crushed them. Daniel Jones was brutal. And to make matters worse, Saquon Barkely had a fantastic debut with the Eagles. It feels like they’re just going to have to ride out the Daniel Jones storm this season until they get out of his contract, but this year it really feels like it could be a huge waste.
The good news for the G-Men is that there appear to be a slew of quarterback options in next year’s draft. And if Sunday was any indicator, they’ll be in the running for those top names. But until then, woof. There could be a long 16 games left.
