Winners and Losers NFL Week 1

     Week 1 of the NFL is officially in the books and it was a wild one. We had upsets, blowouts, and close games which led to me having a horrible week 1 for my picks. I will try and do better next week with picking the winners of games but lets look back at the action packed first week with some winners and losers.

Winner: Jameis Winston

    Jameis Winston did not have to do much against the Packers since his defense only allowed 3 points but he still had a huge day. Only passing for 148 yards, Winston threw 5 touchdowns to go along with 0 interceptions to lead the Saints to a 38-3 win. If he keeps this up over the whole season, you might see the Saints grab a Wild Card spot or maybe even challenge the Buccaneers for the division title.

Loser: O-Lines

    There were some pretty poor performances by team's offensive lines this week and three of them that stuck out the most was the Colts, Titans, and Jets. Carson Wentz got beat up behind his o-line this week, getting hit 15 times and sacked 4 in a 28-16 loss to the Seahawks. The Colts could not stop Seattle from getting to Wentz which is not good since he is coming off foot surgery just a little over a month ago. The Titans had similar problems, where they gave up 6 sacks, five of which came from Chandler Jones. Taylor Lewan even admitted he got lit up by Jones and thanked him for exposing him. Jets also had no protection for their rookie quarterback Zach Wilson in their 19-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers and possibly losing their starting left tackle, Mehki Becton, for an extended period of time. These three teams need to find some protection for their quarterbacks or it is going to be a long season for them (or short season because they get hurt because of their offensive lines).

Winner: Ja'Marr Chase

    After having a horrible preseason, Ja'Marr Chase had a huge first game where he eclipsed 100 yards and had a touchdown to go along with it. Chase's touchdown came on a 50 yard bomb from Joe Burrow, which could end up being a very special connection like it was in college when they were teammates at LSU. It seems like Chase has gotten use to the balls they use in the NFL after he commented that they were different than the ones they used in college.

Loser: Buffalo Bills

    The Bills entered week 1 as a popular Super Bowl bet and they did not play up to expectations losing 23-16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They entered halftime leading 10-0, but that lead dwindled to a loss in the second half after the Steelers held them to only six points and also had a blocked punt that contributed. This is not the end of the world for the Bills, but they will need to play better than they did in week 1 if they have any shot at the Super Bowl.

Winner: The West

    The NFC and AFC West had a strong showing this weekend going 8-0. The Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals, and Rams, who are in the NFC East, all beat their opponents rather easily and this division could see all their teams in the playoffs. I think that it can be a good possibility because the NFC is weaker than the AFC so there will be less competition for the three wild card spots. The AFC West on the other hand, saw some close games but they all ended up pulling out wins on opening weekend. The West is carrying the NFL right now.

Loser: The Last Dance

    Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams proclaimed this season "The Last Dance" and it did not start out so well on Sunday. The Packers got wolloped 38-3 against the Saints and Rodgers had two interceptions. This might not be nothing to worry about since it is only week 1 and the Packers play in the weak NFC North, but the Packers had nothing working for them on Sunday.

Winner: Tyrod Taylor

    Tyrod Taylor helped the Buffalo Bills make the playoffs in 2017 and was shipped off the next season. Ever since, he has never been able to find a starting job in the NFL that he was able to keep. That may have changed on Sunday as he led the Houston Texans to a 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Taylor, who is filling in for Deshaun Watson, may have found a home in Houston if he keeps up this kind of play and may even become the starter permanently if the Texans decide to trade Watson.

Loser: NFC North

    The NFC North did the complete opposite of what the NFC and AFC West did by going 0-4. The only team that was even close to winning was the Minnesota Vikings who lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime, 27-24. This division needs to step it up because even the NFC East somehow won a game in week 1. This will be a competitive divsion with the Vikings and the Packers and the Bengals might even sneak into the conversation as well, but right now they are all tied at 0-1.

    Who were the winners and losers for you? Comment down below!