NFL Week 1 Results 2017: 5 Takeaways From Sunday's Schedule

It was an eventful first NFL Sunday of the 2017 season. Seven of the 12 road teams were victorious, and only four games were decided by single digits.

What did we learn from all of the season openers? Here are five takeaways from Week 1:

Ravens, Jaguars Could Have Special Defenses

Neither Baltimore nor Jacksonville got much production from the quarterback position, but their defenses were so dominant that they didn’t have to. The two units finished sixth and seventh in total defense a year ago, and both have what it takes to crack the top five in 2017.

The Ravens’ defense registered the first shutout of the season, winning in Cincinnati 20-0. Baltimore picked off Andy Dalton four times and sacked the quarterback five times, forcing one fumble in the process. A.J. Green was held in check with five catches for 74 yards, and Cincinnati’s much talked about backfield was a non-factor. Rookie Joe Mixon picked up just nine yards on eight carries.

The Jaguars gave up a touchdown, but they might have been the NFL’s most impressive unit Sunday in their 29-7 road win over the Texans. Defensive end Calais Campbell recorded four sacks in his Jacksonville debut and the team had 10 sacks on the day. Things were so bad for Houston in the first half that Deshaun Watson replaced Tom Savage at quarterback, though the rookie wasn’t much better with a 60.4 passer rating and an interception.

The additions that both teams made in free agency and the draft might have turned them into playoff contenders just because of their defenses alone. The defenses will have to be great since there were few encouraging signs on offense for either Baltimore or Jacksonville.

Giants, Seahawks Have Major Offensive Line Issues

This isn’t much of a surprise, and the two teams’ issues were exacerbated by opening the season against legitimate Super Bowl contenders. New York couldn’t move the ball in their 19-3 loss in Dallas Sunday night, and Seattle’s defense couldn’t do it all in a 19-7 loss in Green Bay.

It’s the same story as 2016 for the Giants, who won 11 games with a bad offensive line and an elite defense. Failing to score a touchdown Sunday night gave New York’s defense zero margin for error. Eli Manning was under constant pressure, taking three sacks and completing a multitude of short passes that got the Giants nowhere. Odell Beckham’s big play ability couldn’t mask the line’s issues because he sat with a sprained ankle. New York ran for just 35 yards on 12 carries.

Russell Wilson might need to use his legs more than ever this year as he plays behind an offensive line that will give him little time to stand in the pocket. He felt the season-ending injury to starting left tackle George Fant as replacement Rees Odhiambo gave up three hurries to linebacker Nick Perry. Seattle’s running backs had 50 yards on 15 carries, and 30 of those yards came on one rush by Chris Carson.

The Seahawks are still the NFC West favorites with a defense that shut out Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field in the first half, though winning with this offensive line in the playoffs will be an issue. New York better hope Beckham is healthy soon, and even that won’t come close to solving their offensive issues.

Jets, Colts Are The NFL’s Worst Teams

The Jets haven’t hidden the fact that they are tanking in 2017 with their offseason moves, and it’s no surprise that they lost in Buffalo 21-12. As Andrew Luck sits, which could be for quite some time, Indianapolis might not be that much better than New York.

Not surprisingly, New York had trouble moving the ball against a defense that won’t be among the NFL’s best. Bilal Powell had just 22 yards on seven carries, and Josh McCown posted a 56.3 passer rating and two interceptions. The quarterback managed to complete two-thirds of his passes, but with the league’s worst wide receiving corps, none of it was downfield. McCown’s 4.8 yards per attempt were the worst of any starting signal caller in Week 1.

Scott Tolzien was one of just three starters that had a worse passer rating than McCown. He showed why he still has zero career wins since entering the league in 2011, completing just nine of 18 passes for 128 yards and two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. Tolzien was eventually replaced by Jacoby Brissett in the 46-9 loss to the Rams, though even Luck would’ve had a hard time winning with the way Indianapolis’ defense played.

New York will be lucky to win three games, and they are headed for the No.1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. With little talent on either side of the ball, the Colts could go winless until Luck returns, which might not be until October.

Goff, Wentz Are Improved

Two quarterbacks were taken atop the NFL Draft for the second straight year in 2016. Jared Goff and Carson Wentz both played poorly in the second half of their rookie seasons, but they looked terrific in Week 1.

Goff needed to improve much more than Wentz, having been arguably the NFL’s worst quarterback when he replaced Case Keenum as the Rams’ starter. L.A. couldn’t have asked for anything better, and his 117.9 passer rating was the highest of any signal caller that took the field Sunday. Looking much more comfortable than he did a year ago, Goff took advantage of his new weapons in rookie receiver Cooper Kupp and the recently acquired Sammy Watkins. He avoided any major mistakes, completing 21 of 29 passes for 309 yards.

Wentz made one big miscue against the Redskins, throwing a pick that was returned for a touchdown. But the rest of his day was good enough to give the Eagles a win on the road as he completed 26 of his 39 attempts for 307 yards and two scores. Philadelphia took an early lead on what might have been the best throw of Week 1 as Wentz escaped pressure and threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor. The quarterback completed passes to eight different targets.

Goff took advantage of a bad defense, though his play in the preseason and Sunday is a clear indication that he won’t be the liability he was in 2016. Wentz looked like the quarterback that led the Eagles to a 3-0 record last year, and he’ll make Philadelphia a threat to win the NFC East if he’s anything close to that for the rest of the year.

Bad Quarterback Play Will Be A Theme In 2017

Goff and Wentz were two of only a few quarterbacks that were actually impressive Sunday. Derek Carr was terrific in his regular-season return after breaking his leg last season, and Matthew Stafford bounced back from an early pick-six to perform like a player that’s worthy of making more money than anyone in the league. For the most part, however, quarterbacks were bad in Week 1.

The teams that entered Sunday with major questions at quarterback aren’t feeling any better Monday. Both Houston quarterbacks struggled, and the Colts are in big trouble with Luck still recovering from shoulder surgery. Brian Hoyer proved why he hasn’t been able to keep a starting job as the 49ers were one of three teams that didn’t score a touchdown.

Carson Palmer and Eli Manning were bad Sunday, and it might be time to consider how much longer they have as reliable starting quarterbacks. Palmer will turn 38 years old in December, and he posted a 53.2 passer rating with three interceptions. Without Beckham, Manning couldn’t get the Giants in the end zone and averaged just 5.79 yards per pass.

Kirk Cousins committed two fourth-quarter turnovers that cost Washington the game, playing poorly with a new receiving corps. Blake Bortles and Joe Flacco both threw for less than 130 yards in victories, and they won’t be able to coast on incredible defensive performances each week.