1. Houston Texans (1-0): Yikes. Kingke absolutely destroyed the CPU Jaguars this week and broke a few of the stat limits. Will the commissioners bring the hammer down next week, especially after seeing pre-season stats blown up a bit?
2. New England Patriots (1-0): Riley Leonard is the future in New England and he only missed one of his passes against a porous Colt’s defense this week. SP proved week 1 that he’s out for blood and his loss in the Superbowl will be avenged this season.
3.New Orleans Saints (1-0): If only Derek Carr were 10 years younger he would be one of the top 3 quarterbacks in PML. JC is making the best out of Carr as he went for 4 scores and 0 picks in the season opener. All the rumblings of the veteran losing his starting job this season should be silenced.
4.Green Bay Packers (1-0): Hype shows us who is still king of the North taking down the ‘revamped’ Chicago Bears in convincing fashion week 1. The season 1 roster is still pretty much intact and a deep playoff run in Green Bay should be expected, right?
5.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0): Cammy is trying his best to replicate the Madden 23 Bengals offensive attack, and it just might work even with a poor-mans Joe Burrow. I like what I see in Tampa and the Bucs could be a darkhorse to sneak into a final wildcard spot if they can clean up on divisional games and win out of division games like they did against Dallas.
6.Philadelphia Eagles (1-0): Eagles are soaring high- for the time being. After being shut down in the 1st half, Hurts made the adjustment necessary to pick apart the Ravens defense to win in blowout fashion. Could possibly be the favorites to win the division, especially the way the Cowboys looked last week.
7.Cleveland Browns (1-0): Bengals versus Browns hasn’t been played at the time of me writing this. KMFO is going to win the division this season. Trading away Chubb is a very smart move. It frees up cap space and he is back in the first round of the draft.
8.Minnesota Vikings (1-0): Well, well, well, look who just entered the NFC North battle. In come the Vikings who seem ready and willing to compete this season under rookie quarterback Joe Milton III. You had to like what you seen from the rookie who went for 250 yards and 4 scores in a flawless game against the Commanders. Lets see if he is the real deal as some stiffer competition visits Minny week 2.
9.Kansas City Chiefs (1-0): Kansas City’s defense struggled against the pass this week, but played clutch enough to keep the Steelers at bay. It’s going to be crucial for Matigy to scheme his defense to play better against the pass, especially against better coaches in the league.
10.Las Vegas Raiders (1-0): Jayden Daniels looked rough in pre-season, but he had quite the outing this week and led his team to a victory. This is what we expected from KingMike, so maybe he is back on his winning ways now that he has a quarterback that is suited for his style of offense.
11.Los Angeles Chargers (1-0): Codes dismantled his Chargers in the off-season and it was a very bold approach that paid off in week 1. Codes made it known last season that he can make it work with low rated halfbacks and his third round pick Raheim Sanders rushed for over 100 yards and is a name to keep an eye on for rookie of the year.
12.Los Angeles Rams (1-0): Rams pickup where they left off, in the win column. The Henderson to Fleming rookie combo will be one to watch the rest of the cycle. Would you have ever imagined a 5th and 6th round pair of QB/WR rookies leading a team to the Super Bowl? Imagine the storylines there.
13.Buffalo Bills (1-0): Josh Allen managed to throw 5 interceptions and the Bills still came away with the win this week. Interceptions are not new for Allen though. He was in danger of losing his dev last season due to interceptions, but Beast made it work this week.
14.Detroit Lions (1-0): Jared Goff looks to be the man in Detroit, and rightfully so. If only he can find a way to not look Williams way as often deep and keep the man off the suspension list that would be awesome for the Lions offense. Lions look to keep rolling and are in for a test this week as they visit Buffalo.
15.Denver Broncos (1-0): It took a season for DK to revamp his Denver Broncos into his own image. The addition of Nick Chubb gives DK some flexibility, but Chubb had 27 carries against the Falcons and we can expect to see Chubb as one of the leading rushers this season. He was a big reason that the Broncos defeated the Falcons this week.
16.Seattle Seahawks (1-0): Its officially Bo Nix time in Seattle! The Seahawks came away with the win in an overtime thriller, or snoozer, however you want to look at it. Nevertheless, these are the games Z has to win to solidify himself as a legit NFC title contender.
17.San Francisco 49ers (0-1): After taking a flier on two quarterbacks in the draft, it seems Brock Purdy’s job is safe for the time being. The 49ers have to win a good amount of divisional games to be able to stay in the hunt for the division and wildcard. That will be a true test this season especially with the emergence of the Cardinals who have entered the dance.
18.Atlanta Falcons (0-1): Tough one to swallow for Nef and the Falcons week 1. At a WAR standpoint, Jaylen Waddle may have a solid case as the most impactful player in the league for his given team. Since his arrival, the Falcons have done a complete 360 in terms of competitiveness and it really all points to his presence on the field.
19.Arizona Cardinals (0-1): Should I write about the Cardinals, or Xaiver Worthy? Fine, we will start with Worthy. He had an underwhelming debut for the Cardinals going for only 15 yards. In other news, the Seahawks put on a clock management clinic in overtime to take down the Cardinals.
20.Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1): Zach Wilson had the most passing attempts (41) in week 1 and is leading the league in passing yards, but there was zero balance on offense. 11 rushing attempts isn’t going to fool the defense and the game box looked closer, but Kansas City pretty much
21.Tennessee Titans (0-1): Tennessee should have came away with the win this week, especially after having a lead and forcing Josh Allen to throw 5 interceptions. There was a lot of lag disrupting the flow of the game, but I think Dlloyd is going to bounce back from this game, just remember what he was able to do late last season.
22.New York Giants (1-0): Cousins, nor Brissett could get anything going in the opener against the visiting Lions. I will say, Saquan looked good, and when an able-bodied quarterback gets under center, the offense will look a lot better if Saquan can play the way he did week 1.
23.New York Jets (0-1): Caleb Williams was all the hype in New York. He was the only X-factor in the draft and expectations are extremely high, but the Jets flopped this week against the Chargers. Williams threw two interceptions and fans are questioning if Caleb should really be the starter when Aaron Rodgers is still on the team?
24.Dallas Cowboys (0-1): The Cowboys lost their week 1 game by 3 scores to the Buccaneers. Have the Cowboys officially peaked this cycle? Many believe so, and with a top roster in the league, and a winnable division, there are no excuses in Big D.
25.Chicago Bears (0-1): Deja-vu to last season when the Bears lost week 1 in blowout fashion to the Packers. If there is one thing about Jefe, he uses these games as a learning experience and should be ready to roll for their next encounter later on in the season.
26.Miami Dolphins (0-1): The Ls keep piling up for the Dolphins. Trading away Jaylen Waddle for draft picks that you weren’t able to select for yourself isn’t a good approach and then losing this week against a Raiders team that had an awful season 1 is a step back. Achane had an impressive performance, but as long as Tua is the starting quarterback in Miami, the Dolphins are going to struggle this cycle.
27.Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1): The Jaguars CPU stood no chance against the Texans this week, but they could have put a dent in the Texans personnel for a few weeks. After reaching in the draft, the Jaguars still have some holes on the team, but it will be interested to see how Bandit matches up against his division mates this season.
28.Cincinnati Bengals (0-0): Bengals versus Browns hasn’t been played at the time of me writing this. However, I think Goose is going to struggled against KMFO but he’ll keep it close enough to beat the Sportsbook spread.
29.Indianapolis Colts (0-1): Three more interceptions for Anthony Richardson and I feel like he is fated to be doomed from throwing turnovers. He was benched this week and while CB has had some ups on the field, he has to evaluate his roster and tailor an offense suited to a run first approach.. Or seek out a trade that gives him a down field passing quarterback.
30.Washington Commanders (0-1): So much for the excitement in Washington. Miles picks up where he left off during his last PML stint. Rookie Drake Maye was pulled after throwing 4 interceptions in his debut. Growing pains will be the theme for not only the rookie signal caller, but the returning owner as well as he gets reacclimated with the competition of PML.
31.Carolina Panthers (0-1): The Panthers didn’t get a touchdown on the board week 1 against the Saints. The good news is they play the Ravens week 2, who also couldn’t get a touchdown on the board week 1. Somethings gotta give right?
32.Baltimore Ravens (0-1): Lamar Jackson is looking completely hopeless in his offense. The Ravens have committed to getting into the lab and scheming up a style of offense that helps the Ravens compete a bit better this season.
Z’s Corner: Divisional Dissections
NFC West: Rams, Seahawks Get Off to 1-0 starts in the division
Rams: 1-0-0
Seahawks: 1-0-0
49ers: 0-1-0
Cardinals: 0-1-0
In a week that saw all 4 teams play a divisional opponent, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams came away with close victories. The Seahawks won an overtime thriller against the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 33-30, while the Rams beat the 49ers 32-25. Week 1 divisional games are always going to be tough, so not much stock to be put into this week as far as how the season will go.
NFC South: Saints, Bucs, Win By Large Margins in Week 1!
Saints: 1-0-0
Buccaneers: 1-0-0
Falcons: 0-1-0
Panthers: 0-1-0
The New Orleans Saints got off to a hot start against the Carolina Panthers, winning comfortably by a score of 37-3. The Buccaneers, perhaps the story of week 1, decimated the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 45-26. If the Bucs are for real, the Saints might have a challenger on their hands. The Falcons lost a close one at home due to an awful miss by Desmond Ridder. They’ll have to get things back in gear if they want to compete for this division
NFC East: Fly Eagles Fly?
Eagles: 1-0-0
Cowboys: 0-1-0
Giants: 0-1-0
Commanders: 0-1-0
In a development no one predicted, the Philadelphia Eagles are leading the NFC East after week 1. There’s a serious chance for them to go 5-0 to start the season, but I’ll withhold the Eagles hype train. The Giants get their QB back in week 2 while the Commanders look to find their footing. Dallas is currently reeling, but they have a chance to get back into form with a tough Saints team awaiting in week 2.
NFC North: Packers Establish Dominance, Lions and Vikings Get Back On Track
Packers: 1-0-0
Lions: 1-0-0
Vikings: 1-0-0
Bears: 0-1-0
The Packers dominated the Bears in rainy Chicago, much to the surprise of the league. Is this the year Mike reaches his potential? It’s too early to tell, but this was one h*** of a start. The Lions and Vikings also got back on track, picking up week 1 wins after tough season 1’s. The Bears will look to bounce back as they integrate Marvin Harrison Jr. into an explosive offense.
AFC West: Everyone’s Undefeated
Chiefs: 1-0-0
Chargers: 1-0-0
Broncos: 1-0-0
Raiders: 1-0-0
All four teams sit at 1-0 heading into week 2. With a big matchup between the Chargers and Raiders looming in week 2, this h*** division should begin to take shape.
AFC South: Lag Gate in Tennessee?
Texans: 1-0-0
Titans: 0-1-0
Jaguars: 0-1-0
Colts: 0-1-0
In an otherwise uneventful week 1 for the AFC South, there have been brewings of a lag controversy in Buffalo! The Titans were out to a big lead until the Bills and some framerate issues took control of the game. Not much to be made out of this opening week. The Texans still reign supreme. We’ll see over the course of the season if anything changes.
AFC East: Patriots Start off Strong, Bills Rally to Victory
Patriots: 1-0-0
Bills: 1-0-0
Dolphins: 0-1-0
Jets: 0-1-0
Business as usual for the Patriots as they dismantle the Colts in Riley Leonard’s debut. The Jets and Dolphins got off to tough starts and will look to turn it around. The Bills win a game in which Josh Allen threw 5 Ints, not ideal, but they’ll take it.
AFC North: Cleveland Prevails in Cincy, Starting the KMFO Era off 1-0
Browns: 1-0-0
Steelers: 1-0-0
Bengals: 0-1-0
Ravens: 0-1-0
KMFO returns and wins his first game, not to anyone’s surprise. The Steelers lose a tough one in KC. The Bengals played the Browns closer than the score indicated through 3 quarters, but their offense stalled out in the second half. The Ravens have a lot of work to do after getting dominated by the Eagles.
