Football is back! Each year as the NFL season comes to a bombastic end in February, it feels like this day will never come. September feels like it is a world away and waiting feels unbearable. The allures of summer offer us a distraction until offseason rumors and acquisitions tarnish our bliss and make us wonder how we ever handled this type of anticipation before.

But fear not folks, the agony of waiting is over. It’s back! The touchdowns, the interceptions, the Chris Collinsworth, the theme music, the strange noises that Tony Romo makes, the divisional rivalries, the rookie debuts, the field goals, the seven hours of commercial free football!! You don’t have to wonder anymore what you will do on Sunday afternoons or what you will watch on Monday night. Those questions have been answered and the day dreams have come true.

We are fully back in the best season of the year and it’s time to dissect the performances we saw in week one. To do this, I have broken all 32 teams up into six categories: Genuine Contenders, Impressive Showings, Let’s Not Panic…Yet, Let’s Not Celebrate…Yet, Panic is Brewing, and Full Blown Hitting the Panic Button. Read below to find out where I think each team falls after week one.

Genuine Contenders

Our first group contains the teams whose week one performance left a feeling of genuine promise in the air. And not just any kind of promise, I’m talking about championship promise here people. Super Bowl promise. I doubt anyone will be surprised by these selections, but let’s dive into it anyway.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are not only the AFC favorites, but the Super Bowl favorites. This is not brand new information either. There have been rumblings of this since last season ended so unceremoniously for the boys in Buffalo. Suffice to say their week one performance against the reigning champs really solidified this notion. They were humming, seemingly already in mid-season form. It was enough to scare any team who has to face them this year.

Kansas City Chiefs

As long as Patrick Mahomes is on this team, they will be genuine contenders. In my opinion anyway. Despite offseason questions after losing his favorite target – Tyreek Hill – to the AFC East, Mahomes came out hot on Sunday. This team seems to have taken the role previously held by the Tom Brady-led Patriots in the AFC: they are always expected to make a deep playoff run, anything less would be a disappointment. This year is no exception.

Los Angeles Chargers

Despite losing Keenan Allen mid-game, the Chargers handily defeated their divisional opponents this week. Both their offense and defense were impressive in this late afternoon showing. While this team has been flirting with a playoff run since Justin Herbert took the reigns, this year it feels like not only the playoffs, but the Super Bowl could be within their reach.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I don’t think I was the only one who was bored with the Sunday Night Football game this week. I am not going to pretend like I was on the edge of my seat during that one. However, it’s hard to watch that defense and not see them making big plays under the lights in January. It feels inevitable that the Buccs will make another run, especially with their roster.

Impressive showings

Miami Dolphins

While it’s a fact of life that no matter how good the Patriots are they are bound to lose a game to the Dolphins each year, this felt a little different. Tua wasn’t throwing the ball to Dolphin-turned-Patriot Davante Parker who always seemed to bring it all for divisional games, he was throwing to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. You may have heard of them. Their defense wasn’t trying to contain Gronk or track Edelman down, they were handily defending the likes of Kendrick Bourne and the aforementioned Parker. Things are different on both sides, sure, but the Dolphins trend is much more promising.

Minnesota Vikings

Another team who seems to have been on the up and up in recent years, the Vikings are finally starting to show up on the field. Against a larger-than-life divisional rival no less. With the unmatched skills of Justin Jefferson, even a semi-competent Kirk Cousins looks like a pro bowler. Not to mention, there was actually a semblance of a defense, which has been the missing ingredient on this squad for years now. Oh yeah, and they did all this with a mediocre performance from their star running back Dalvin Cook. Consider me impressed.

New York Giants

Some people forgot how explosive and talented Saquon Barkley can be. And by “people,” I mean me. This weekend in his first game as a head coach, Brian Daboll led the Giants to a victory over the former AFC number one seed Titans. That is not something to overlook. In addition to Saquon’s prowess, their defense delivered a hit to Derrick Henry that I don’t think anyone thought was possible. Even though it pains me to say this as a Patriots fan, the Giants delivered an impressive opening game.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are known for their reliance not just on Lamar Jackson, but on their run game. To see them win a game with mostly pass plays was more than impressive, it was scary. Nothing like seeing a team excel at something considered their weakness just week’s before your team plays them. As a Patriots fan, I’m hoping it was a fluke against the Jets. As a football fan, I am excited to see a good team gain a new and exciting dynamic.

Seattle Seahawks

People wrote him off, but he didn’t write back. With the twelfth man at his side, Geno Smith led the Seahawks to a very emotional victory over the Broncos on Monday night. Some people may think that they shouldn’t start the celebration yet, but this was a feat I wasn’t quite sure they would be able to achieve. I was positive that Russell Wilson and the Broncos would steamroll them, but I should have known when DangeRuss arrived in that atrocity of a suit that they were doomed. Either way, kudos to the Seahawks, I am very impressed.

Houston Texans

The Colts are a fundamentally better football team than the Texans. Ever since the latter lost their now disgraced Quarterback, that has been true. Seeing them go toe-to-toe with a talented Colts team was quite the shock for me. Yes, it’s true that they tied, but let’s be honest: that tie was a win for the Texans.

It’s just one loss, let’s not panic…yet

Los Angeles Rams

Let’s break this down, shall we?

• The Bad: Rams, you just opened up your season with a loss. A tough one too. Even though you were hanging in there for a little bit, things got ugly in the second half. The words “Super Bowl Hangover” are starting to get thrown around.
• The Flip Side: It’s one game, against the Super Bowl favorites no less. Not to mention it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Cooper Kupp has still very much got it even against one of the league’s best defenses. Let’s chalk this up to a warm up and try to let it roll off our shoulder.

Cincinnati Bengals

• The Bad: Until a bit too late in the game, Joe Burrow was playing pretty terribly. And by “pretty terribly” I mean he looked atrocious. The pro bowl QB was throwing picks and fumbling left and right. It was almost like he was giving the game away. On top of all that nonsense, number two receiver Tee Higgins left the game with a concussion.
• The Good: Joe might have dug the team a hole, but he was also the one who brought them back within striking distance of the Steelers. Ja’Marr Chase stepped up too and the team nearly won the whole damn thing. Even though they did lose, they crawled nearly all the way back and lost due to some bad snaps to the kicker. It’s not the worst way to go and certainly not worthy of hitting the panic button.

Green Bay Packers

• The Bad: Without Davante Adams, the Packers were already down bad. Take away Allen Lazard who missed the game with an ankle injury and the former MVP is not left with many solid receiving options. And it showed. The Pack only put up seven points against their divisional rivals this weekend. It wasn’t pretty.
• Silver Lining: Even though there was little to no passing game, the running backs stepped up to the plate. Especially second-year power back AJ Dillon who showed some serious promise. Let’s not forget that last year the Pack got bodied by the Saints in their week one match up. How did that season end? Oh yeah, with the Packers finishing as the number one seed in the NFC. Let’s not make a mountain out of a mole hill on this one.

Denver Broncos

• The Bad: Wasn’t Russell Wilson supposed to be the solution to the problems that have plagued the Broncos since Peyton Manning’s departure? So why are they still losing? And to a team led by Geno Smith no less? On paper this seems like a game that the Broncos should have easily won and the fact that they didn’t is hard to get past.
• The Flip Side: This was an emotionally charged game. The Seahawks were playing with 10x the motivation. That’s hard to come up against successfully. Let’s just chalk it up to the drama of the moment and not dwell too much.

Tennessee Titans

• The Bad: If you are a Titans fan, you are really missing AJ Brown. This week was messy for Mike Vrabel’s squad. Saquon ran all over them and the defense pretty handily contained the threat that is Derrick Henry.
• On the Bright Side: It was a missed field goal that ultimately decided the game. It doesn’t feel great, but it also means that the boys were right there despite not having played their best game. Plus, the defense looked alright.

Las Vegas Raiders

• The Bad: You lost to your divisional rivals who you beat to clinch a playoff birth last year. It’s not a fun thing to do. Derek Carr looked pretty bad and seemed addicted to throwing interceptions for a while there. Not to mention, the defense didn’t have an answer to what Justin Herbert was throwing.
• Silver Lining: Davante Adams is unreal and has some serious chemistry with Carr. Nothing to be mad about with this addition to the team. Oh yeah and you still have Darren Waller. All is certainly not lost.

Arizona Cardinals

• The Bad: The Chiefs kinda balled all over the Cardinals this week. In a way that I’m sure the Cards and their fans didn’t enjoy. With no DeAndre Hopkins, Kyler struggled to get things going in the pass game. Simply put, the Cardinals were offensively and defensively outmatched in this one.
• On the plus side: The Chiefs are one of the best teams in the league and a hard one to open your season against. Though it took a while, things started to work for the Cardinals near the end of the game. James Connor still has a nose for the end zone and Kyler is still…Kylering. Let’s just give them some time.

It’s just one win, let’s not celebrate…yet

New Orleans Saints

• The Good: It feels like the hangover from losing Drew Brees might be ending. Michael Thomas is back and scoring touchdowns, Jarvis Landry looks as good as he ever has, and Jameis is being…well Jameis. Things didn’t start well, but when they took a turn things started to flow nicely.
• But: The Saints did this to us last year. They crushed the Packers week one and then settled into the middle of league. Let’s not get too excited about this team until they are able to prove that this wasn’t a fluke. Not to mention it’s not the most impressive thing in the world to beat the Falcons these days, most teams can and will do it. Oh yeah and then you have the fact that Jameis hurts…everywhere? Take that one for what you will.

Philadelphia Eagles

• The Good: The Eagles won and AJ Brown is looking like a team-changing talent.
• The Not so Good: They let up 35 points against the Lions and won by three. That’s not the most inspiring victory of all time.

Washington Commanders

• The Good: The Commanders have a pretty decent receiving corps including one of the most promising rookies of the season thus far, Jahan Dotson. Dotson and Curtis Samuel were tearing up the field and just when you forgot about him, good old Terry McLaurin scored a 49-yard touchdown.
• The Bad: It’s just a real shame that Carson Wentz is the QB throwing to all these talented men. Not unlike the Eagles, the Commanders shouldn’t feel too high about barely beating a team like the Jaguars.

Chicago Bears

• The Good: The Bears beat a team that made a great run in last year’s playoffs, Justin Fields looked good, and the weather really worked in their favor. San Francisco isn’t exactly known for their wild and crazy weather. Chicago on the other hand is built for whatever comes it’s way.
• Yeah, But: The 49ers that played this week are not the same 49ers who made that run last year. Trey Lance is still finding his NFL sea legs and George Kittle was injured. It’s tough to measure just how happy the Bears should be to defeat a beat-up team.

Cleveland Browns

• The Good: The last time the Browns won in week one was a staggering eighteen seasons ago. This is more than just a win for this team and this city, it feels like a changing of the tides. It is also positive to see the team pull away a victory with their interim non-assailant Quarterback.
• Hold Up Though: The Panthers are the least of the Browns problems this year. They should have won this game. The bigger issue lies in the fact that they are playing in one of the league’s most contentious divisions. Plus, they have a number of games left before Mr. Sexual Assault is eligible to play. Will it be too late at that point?

Pittsburgh Steelers

• The Good: I mean, they won! For me personally, it is also refreshing to see the Steeles play without Big Ben. I don’t hate them as much anymore!
• The Not So Good: They didn’t win this game as much as the Bengals lost it. Plus they lost their best player, TJ Watt, for a few weeks to injury – an actual worst case scenario for this team.

Panic is brewing

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have been a relatively successful NFL team in recent years even without the most competent QB in the world. But they also haven’t won anything either. This past weekend we got to see Trey Lance give it a go in a messy, rainy version of Soldier Field. The result was not very pretty. Though he was no franchise quarterback, Jimmy G seemed to show much more aptitude when orchestrating this 49ers offense. While the team was sorely missing George Kittle, they still have a great defense and the Swiss Army Knife that is Deebo Samuel. For them to lose to a team that is – roster wise – much less talented than them is unsettling.

Carolina Panthers

Christian McCaffrey is back! But Baker Mayfield is your quarterback. It’s a mixed bag down in Carolina to say the least. Unfortunately for them, the thing that will prevent them from taking the next step and leave them in a constant state of near-panic is their coach. Matt Rhule has yet to prove himself as an NFL caliber coach and has honestly had way too much time to do so.

Detroit Lions

It kind of feels like this Lions team is the same as last year’s squad: always frisky, but always losing. Even though it might feel different in the moment, it doesn’t matter whether you lose by 3 or by 30 it’s still a loss. They have talent and a coach with all the veracity in the world, they just can’t get over the finish line. So long as that’s true, panic will be brewing in Detroit.

Indianapolis Colts

I don’t know about anyone else, but I went into this weekend thinking that Matt Ryan was going to be exactly the missing piece that the Colts needed to get to the next level. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case. Maybe it wasn’t just the Falcons that couldn’t get the job done. It’s harsh, but tying the Texans week one is essentially a loss for a team that needed to come back with a vengeance after barely missing the playoffs last year.

New England Patriots

I have been dreading this, but here we are. Panic is brewing within me as I write this. It’s always weird when the Patriots and Dolphins play. Ever since I can remember, I have been nervous when the boys take their yearly trip down to South Florida. But like I mentioned earlier, this game was different. There isn’t a scapegoat we can blame anymore, Cam Newton is gone and Mac isn’t a rookie anymore. Without this we have to face the cold hard facts that the Patriots looked straight up bad at points during this game. The offense wasn’t as abysmal as some people in the media and my life are making it out to be, but it also wasn’t what we are typically used to seeing. Our defense on the other hand is being held up by the sore shoulders of Matthew Judon, Adrian Phillips, and Kyle Duggar. The part of our team that never used to be an issue is suddenly a huge liability in our ability to perform successfully. I actually changed the station with about five minutes left, I didn’t have the strength to continue watching.

To me, this game signaled a big change for Patriots fans. We have to face the facts that we aren’t the top or even number two team in our division anymore. For a team and a fanbase with a lot of pride, that is not an easy pill to swallow.

While I, personally, want to hit the panic button, I need to go outside myself for a moment and realize that the season is not over after one game. (Hopefully).

New York Jets

The defense didn’t look terrible, but they didn’t last year either. Maybe it’s the Joe Flacco of it all that kept the boys in green from being victorious this week? Reality is, even with Zach Wilson back the Jets are likely having the same realization that the Lions are having. This might be a different season, but things still feel the same. It feels like everyone else in the AFC East is shifting into a new role except the Jets. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence was holding down the fort at Clemson for what felt like an eternity. He appeared to have perfected the art of Quarterbacking. Now, looking back, it seems that he merely mastered the art of quarterbacking in college. The pros are another beast entirely and he has yet to really prove that he has what it takes to be successful here. It’s a fascinating comparison to think of the position he held in college vs where he sits now. But it’s the reality that the Jaguars are existing in right now. It’s not all dark, Christian Kirk is a great addition and the RB’s are looking good. But it’s also not all bright either.

Atlanta Falcons

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Falcons blew a big lead. It’s a tired thing to say these days, but no lead is safe with this team. It’s almost like they are cursed or something. And to see this phenomenon in the first game of a fresh, new season? That can’t feel good for Falcons fans.

Full blown hitting the panic button

Dallas Cowboys

Dak is out for a while with a thumb injury and the rest of team looked terrible? It’s time to break out the panic button in Dallas because this is not what you want to see after the team’s best season in years.