The NFL is finally back, and there are already plenty of talking points. The Kansas City Chiefs have been the team in the headlines heading into the new campaign having won the Super Bowl in each of the last two seasons. Now, they have the chance to become history makers by becoming the first team in history to lift the Lombardi in three straight seasons.
Patrick Mahomes and Co. started the new campaign in perfect fashion, defeating last season’s AFC number-one-ranked team, the Baltimore Ravens. The two met in the conference championship game last term and it was the Chiefs that managed to eke out the victory, and they did the same again in the 2024 season’s kick-off game. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson had the opportunity to tie things up with the game’s final play however, he found Isaiah Likely with one toe out of bounds and an equalizing touchdown was ruled out amid dramatic circumstances.
The Ravens of course were not the only team to lose on the opening weekend. But here are the defeats that hurt the most.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals headed into the new campaign with genuine Lombardi ambitions, and a popular crypto sportsbook had earmarked them as a +1600 contender for the Super Bowl this season. They headed into their week one clash with a New England Patriots side at the lowest point in its recent history as a huge 8.5-point favorite and were many people’s lock for the opening weekend. However, as it so often has in recent years, Cincy’s campaign was to have a disastrous start.
The Bengals were forced to punt on their first two plays before the Pats forced a fumble on their third and forced a turnover on their fourth. That left New England with a healthy ten-point lead following the impressive Jacoby Brissett seven-yard touchdown throw as well as a field goal from Joey Slye. The game followed the same flow at the start of the second half with yet another fumble and another field goal securing a healthy 13-point lead.
The Bengals showed some signs of life in the third quarter, pulling back with a score through Zack Moss’ rushing touchdown. However, that was as good as it would get for the hosts. The two teams traded field goals before the Patriots’ defense shut down Burrow in a convincing fashion. Now, the Bengals have to go back to the drawing board and fast if they are to resurrect their campaign.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers had the worst season of anybody last year, selecting Bryce Young over C. J. Stroud with the first overall draft pick before going on to pick up just two wins all season. They headed into the new campaign with low expectations, but their opening-day contest against the New Orleans Saints couldn’t have gone much worse.
The Superdome is never an easy place to visit, even with a relatively weak Louisiana outfit calling it their home. However, the hosts still managed to carve out a massive 17-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. That lead was stretched out to 30-0 before the Panthers finally got on the board with the final play before halftime.
Ultimately, the game would follow the same pattern in the second period, with the Saints going on to emerge as a whopping 47-10 victors. Even more questions are being asked of quarterback Young, and his paltry display of 13 successful passes out of 30 for just 161 yards – with zero touchdowns and two interceptions – will have done nothing for his confidence.
