Judging biggest overreactions for NFL Week 1 - ESPN

It's overreaction time! Yes, we're back for another season of NFL overreaction Monday, and there's no overreaction like a Week 1 overreaction. Nothing like letting one game completely change the opinions formed about a team or player over months of studying and projection.

The Bengals paid Joe Burrow how much money? And he threw for how many yards?

The Falcons took Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts in the top 10 over the past three years, and they're going to lean on Tyler Allgeier?

See? We told you the Vikings' 13-win 2022 season was a mirage!

Truth is, Week 1 is but a sliver of the NFL season. Every year, we look back on some wild stuff that happened during the opening weekend and marvel at just how opposite things turned out for that player, that team or that coach. So with that in mind, here's a look at the first week of the 2023 season, and what about it might — or might not — have been real.

Jump to:
Browns winning AFC North?
Hill to win MVP?
Cowboys as most complete NFC team?
Lions as Super Bowl contenders?
Love as the Packers' answer?

Cleveland flat-out dominated a Bengals team that has won the division each of the past two years and split the past two AFC Championship Games with the Chiefs. Three days after being anointed the league's highest-paid player, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was 14-for-31 for a meager 82 yards passing. The Browns outgained the Bengals 350 yards to 142 and won 24-3 despite losing the turnover battle 2-0.

Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Steelers were totally outclassed by the 49ers, and the Ravens beat a weak Houston team while suffering a couple of injuries to key players, including running back J.K. Dobbins, who was lost for the season. Behind battering-ram running back Nick