Can the Bears’ offense be stopped? Which AFC contenders impressed? Our experts’ Week 1 takeaways

Each Sunday, three of The Athletic’s NFL writers react to the biggest news, plays and performances from the day’s games.

The first Sunday window of the NFL season couldn’t have offered much more in the way of drama. The Chicago Bears responded to coach Ben Johnson’s desire to set the NFL scoring record by dropping 59 points in Carolina. (The 59-37 final made it the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history.) The Buffalo Bills outlasted the Houston Texans, 36-31, in a game that featured nine lead changes. The New Orleans Saints rallied from a 21-point deficit to force overtime in Detroit, where things got even nuttier; the Lions won, 31-30, after a Saints two-point attempt in the extra session failed.

There was more. In their first appearance together with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers combined on a 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons; the Cincinnati Bengals’ new defense forced four turnovers in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and the Cleveland Browns … well, let’s not talk about the Cleveland Browns. (They lost 34-10, in Jacksonville).

NFL writers Jeff Howe, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their thoughts on an opening Sunday of the NFL season filled with offensive fireworks, impressive debuts and the last-second endings that fans spent a long offseason dreaming about.

The Bears were considered a prime candidate for regression this season. Should those worries be retired after they buried the Panthers, or is the defense still a cause for concern?

Pompei: The question is this: Is the Bears’ defense as bad as the Bears’ offense is good? The answer is no. But the Bears defense isn’t very good at the moment and needs to make significant improvement if Chicago is going to be a Super Bowl contender. The offense will be incredible if Caleb Williams performs the way he did Sunday. Johnson calls plays as well as anyone. When it comes to players who can do damage with the ball in their hands, they have high quality and high quantity. Their leading receiver Sunday was someone no one expected — Kalif Raymond. And tight Colston Loveland, the leading receiver in 2025, didn’t have a reception. The Bears are going to score a lot of points this season, but their opponents might, too.

Nguyen: The Bears’ defense looked really bad, but they were able to get takeaways, which they also did last year. However, Caleb Williams and the offense looked absolutely incredible. The running game looked great and D’Andre Swift looked even more decisive than he did last year, carrying the ball 18 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns. Williams completed 72 percent of his passes and looked like an MVP candidate. Johnson told Pompei that his team wanted to break the league’s scoring record; they might have to to be successful, and they have the arsenal to do it.

Howe: I’m not in the Week 1 retirement business, especially when the Panthers still have much to prove of their own, but this was quite the start. I expected Williams to make another jump this season, and he was in total command. He’ll always be a big-time playmaker, but the Bears will be equally encouraged that he didn’t turn it over.

Most impressive head coaching debut: Joe Brady for the Bills — who rallied to beat the Texans on the road — or Jesse Minter for the Ravens, who smashed the Colts in Indianapolis?

Howe: Brady got the bigger win, but I’m more impressed that the Ravens looked very much like the Ravens despite the coaching change. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry were the offensive identity, and the defense held its own in a tough challenge against Shane Steichen’s Colts offense. That’ll continue to be the Ravens’ recipe. While the Bills will continue to go as far as Josh Allen takes them, I’m concerned Buffalo’s defense will take him up on that offer.

Pompei: Both were outstanding, but the quality of Brady’s win stands out. He clearly had the Bills as prepared as any coach could have. And his offense put up 36 points against a defense that didn’t allow more than 30 in any game last season. While Brady’s Bills squeaked by, Minter’s Ravens were dominant. He tapped into his stars and brought out their best, as Jackson, Henry, receiver Zay Flowers and linebacker Roquan Smith were Colts slayers. After one game, his hiring of offensive coordinator Declan Doyle looks brilliant. As impressive as both rookie head coaches were, we also should remember each is coaching an MVP candidate at quarterback, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the award come down to Jackson versus Allen.

Nguyen: Though both wins were impressive and the Ravens’ offense looked incredible, which is a credit to Minter’s hiring of Doyle, Brady deserves the nod for going into Houston and scoring 36. Brady’s game plan was excellent, and the Bills negated what could be the best pass rush in the league. It’s truly a game of inches, though. The Bills could have lost if Kamari Lassiter caught a “gimme” interception late in the game. And the Bills’ defense is still an issue.

A year after one of the worst defensive seasons in NFL history, the Bengals recovered four fumbles and held the Buccaneers to two offensive touchdowns in a 33-27 win. Is this new-look defense for real?

Howe: The Bengals’ defense will be competitive, which is a significant upgrade over the past two seasons. They made life tough on Joe Burrow during training camp, and they clearly punished Baker Mayfield on Sunday. But the Bengals’ defense also has a built-in superpower with Burrow’s ability to light up the scoreboard. If Burrow can stay healthy and give the Bengals some early leads, Dexter Lawrence and the rest of that defensive front will have their opportunities to get after opposing QBs.

Nguyen: Aside from the takeaways, which involve an element of luck, the Bengals looked so much more physical than they did last year. They were hitting ball carriers with authority. Also, they were able to get a consistent pass rush against a good Bucs offensive line, sacking Mayfield four times. The Bucs had 27 points, but that included a defensive touchdown. If this performance is reflective of how they’ll play all year, the Bengals are serious contenders.

Pompei: The Bucs’ offense contributed to the Bengals’ defensive success, because the Bucs did not protect the football and were penalty-prone. And the Bucs still averaged 4.5 yards per run and scored 27 points — four more than the NFL average last season. But the Bengals should be credited for taking advantage of opportunities. They rushed the passer efficiently against a good offensive line. The newly acquired Lawrence didn’t have any big plays, but he is a force multiplier — his teammates all play better when he’s on the field.

There were at least 60 points scored in five of the eight 1 p.m. games Sunday. Nine teams scored at least 30 points in that window; only five teams reached 30 in all of Week 1 last season, and only six did in 2024. What should we make of that offensive explosion?

Howe: Defenses typically have the upper hand early in the season, so this was an unexpected but certainly welcome development. (Hey, if it’s gonna be sloppy, let’s at least be entertaining with the scoring.) Last September felt like an offensive obituary by comparison. I tend to think this was a fluke rather than the dawn of a trend. Specifically, though, I’d circle back to spotlight Allen’s performance against the Texans, who I absolutely still expect to boast a top-flight defense this season. I’d call that more of an Allen masterpiece than a Houston meltdown, a situation where an unstoppable force actually chiseled through the immovable object. Maybe the offenses are ahead of the defenses early this season.

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