Judging biggest overreactions for NFL Week 1 games - ESPN

It has been said by some — well, by me, at least — that Week 1 is the Super Bowl for the Overreactions column.

Last year in Week 1, the Patriots beat the Bengals… then didn't win again until Week 8. The Saints scored 47 points and 44 more in Week 2… then didn't win again until Week 10. The Commanders, with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, lost 37-20 to the Buccaneers… then reached the NFC Championship Game.

So go ahead and pretend that everything in the NFL is figured out. Assume the Chiefs are done, that the Eagles can't cover anybody, that the Giants won't score a touchdown all season and that the Falcons continue to be cursed. It's Week 1 of an 18-week schedule. You're almost certainly overreacting.

But that's what we do here — sort through the weekly overreactions to figure out which ones might hold up and which ones are mirages. Week 1 is tricky because we have so little evidence, but that's also what makes it so much fun.

Jump to:
Chiefs' AFC West run is over?
Dolphins drafting No. 1?
Dart to be Giants' QB1 soon?
Steelers' offense is playoff-ready?
Packers class of NFC?

Friday night's opener in Brazil didn't go well for the nine-time defending division champions. The Chiefs lost 27-21 to the rival Chargers. The offense, after losing speedy wideout Xavier Worthy because of a dislocated shoulder on the third play, looked out of sync and nonexplosive. The defense couldn't slow Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was running for his life a lot like he did last season. A Kansas City team that we expected to come out angry about being embarrassed in the Super Bowl didn't look much different than in said Super Bowl.

Worthy might have to miss time, and top receiver Rashee Rice is