After a long wait, the NFL is back. The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens may have already played the game of the season while kickers across the league suffered from first week jitters. Here are five key takeaways from last week’s games.

Give Josh Allen a Purple Heart

With nine minutes left on the clock and down 15 points, Bills fans began leaving the stadium. They thought the game was over. The Bills were down eight points in the fourth quarter with three minutes on the clock as running back Derrick Henry lined up in the backfield with 169 yards on the day. However, Henry showed that he is human after all, as Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver punched the ball out. The Bills recovered the ball and reigning MVP, quarterback Josh Allen, led his team on a scoring drive to put them within two points of tying the game. However, Allen missed the two-point conversion and gave the Ravens the ball back with two minutes left on the clock. 

Capitalizing on the momentum generated by the offense, the Bills’ defense finally stopped the run and hurried mercurial Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson into a throw well short of the first down marker, giving Allen the ball back with a minute left. Allen proved why he was voted MVP when he led his team on a miraculous two-minute drive allowing 41-year-old veteran kicker Matt Prater to make a 32-yard field goal as the clock ran out, winning the game 41-40.

Lost in the drama were numerous impressive feats from both teams. Regrettably, Henry’s game will be remembered for the fumble instead of his 169 yards and two touchdowns, netting 28.2 points standard scoring and 29.2 points per reception, or PPR. Allen’s superhuman fourth quarter, when he passed for 251 yards and scored three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), secured Allen owners 38.8 fantasy points.

The Bills currently sit at 1-0, and their offense, despite missing a marquee threat in the receiving corps, looks ready to battle and outscore anyone. However, every powerhouse has an Achilles heel. For the Bills, their defense giving up 40 points in only the first week is a cause for concern, especially after general manager Brandon Beane spent the offseason shoring up the defense, bringing in players like defensive end Joey Bosa and cornerback Tre’Davious White to add experience to the roster and mentor early draft picks Maxwell Hairston and T.J. Sanders. Head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will need to troubleshoot and figure out solutions because, as legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Ryan said, “Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships,” and the Bills seemingly hope to end their championship drought.

 Just like old times

It felt like 2011 all over again. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was throwing four touchdowns while Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a generational talent at receiver. However, it is a miracle that they continue to perform at the same level 14 years later.

Rodgers took his revenge on the New York Jets and their new head coach, Aaron Glenn, throwing for 244 yards and four touchdowns en route to a victory in his Steelers debut Sept. 7. Rodgers established connections with his new receiving core quickly, targeting wide receivers DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III for seven receptions, 153 yards and one touchdown in a 34-32 victory over quarterback Justin Fields’ Jets. Fields should feel proud about his performance, with 208 yards, one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns earning him and his fantasy owners 29.5 points, the second most on the week after Allen. Rodgers will need to maintain this form to challenge their division rivals, the Ravens, and keep up Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s enviable streak of winning seasons every year as an NFL coach.

Stafford ensured that he remained consistent, racking up 245 yards and one touchdown against a tough Houston Texans defense in a low scoring game where he was sacked three times. Stafford’s main target was third-year All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua, who had 10 receptions for 130 yards. Nacua is looking to bounce back from an injury-shortened sophomore season and prove that he can be the leading receiver in a team that added All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams in free agency.

 Just kicking around

On a day that should be remembered for Matt Prater’s heroics, multiple teams had kicking issues with 10 missed field goals and four missed extra-point tries across the league that cost both teams and players dearly. The most notorious was perhaps Cleveland Browns kicker Andre Szmyt missing an extra-point attempt and a field goal, causing the Browns to lose by one point to the division rival Cincinnati Bengals.

Alongside Szmyt in kicking fails of the week was Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, lauded for his accuracy and ranked in the top 15 in the NFL’s field goal percentage leaders since 1938. Koo missed a kick against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that caused the Falcons to fall 23-20 to their division rivals. Following the game, head coach Raheem Morris signed John Parker Romo from the practice squad, suggesting a replacement is imminent.

While Jake Moody’s two missed kicks didn’t cost the San Francisco 49ers the game against their division rival Seattle Seahawks, it did cost his job. Moody was waived the following day after a series of missed kicks in previous seasons and a career field goal percentage of 74.2%.The 49ers signed veteran Eddy Piñeiro in hopes that he can perform better than Moody. 

Neo-McCarthy-ism on the rise

Fans doubted J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings would beat the Chicago Bears, especially after McCarthy threw a pick-6 to Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright, putting the Bears up by 11 in the third quarter. However, longtime Bears fan and Chicago native McCarthy orchestrated a comeback even the 2016 Chicago Cubs would have been proud of, rallying the Vikings to 21 unanswered points and clinching a 27-24 win against their division rivals. After suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee in the 2024 preseason opener and missing his entire rookie season, McCarthy showed fans and critics alike that he has the mental fortitude and skill necessary to play at the professional level. Playing under AP Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, McCarthy and the Vikings are an exciting team to watch and a sleeper contender to make a playoff run.

Do the Cowboys need Micah Parsons?

The Dallas Cowboys were supposed to be in for a tough time. They lost one of their best players and had to travel to the Lincoln Financial Field, home of the defending Super Bowl champions, a stadium known for its hostile fans. Anticipation was high, and things kicked off before the first snap as Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, resulting in an ejection from the game. Despite the loss of linebacker Micah Parsons to a requested trade, the Cowboys stifled reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year and 2,000-plus-yard rusher Saquon Barkley, holding him to 3.3 yards per carry on 18 carries and one touchdown. The Cowboys had no answer for quarterback Jalen Hurts, however, who rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for 152 yards.

The Cowboys nearly matched the Eagles on offense, with the Eagles edging them 21-20 at the end of the first half. Scoring dried up in the second half, however, with a total of only three points scored between both teams. Wide receiver Ceedee Lamb was a standout performer, catching seven targets for 110 receiving yards. However, Lamb had three crucial drops, one on an important fourth down in the fourth quarter, which cost the Cowboys the game.

Currently, the Cowboys sit at 0-1 but are anticipating two easier games against the Bears and New York Giants, before a reunion with Parsons in Arlington, Texas. If the defense can perform at a similar level to how they did on Sept. 4, the Cowboys could enter Week 4 with momentum. 

With the NFL back in season, that also means that fantasy football is back. It’s estimated that over 30 million Americans play fantasy football every single year, which is more than double what any non-football sporting event gets viewership-wise.  Let’s get into our recommendations for who you should start and sit this week!

Start

Hollywood Brown (WR, KC) (Home vs PHI)

After being picked in the first round by the Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown never truly lived up to expectations. After a brief stint in Arizona, he signed with Kansas City last offseason but was injured for much of the season. Now, with Rashee Rice suspended for the next five games and WR 2,  Xavier Worthy likely to miss some time after getting injured in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Brown could be quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ primary receiving target in the near future. In fact, in Week 1, Brown had an outstanding 16 targets, 10 receptions and 99 receiving yards (good for 19.9 points in PPR format), leading the Kansas City Chiefs in all three stats. With the Chiefs playing the Eagles team last  week, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to get a commanding lead and just run the ball; they might instead have to pass to chase the game. This bodes incredibly well for Brown’s prospects last  week, making him a strong start option.

Justin Fields/Breece Hall (QB/RB, NYJ) (Home vs. BUF)

Fields has always been a significantly better fantasy quarterback than actual quarterback due to his rushing upside. This was incredibly apparent in Week 1 against a solid Steelers defense, as Fields only threw for 218 yards and a touchdown. He did, however, shine in the running game, as he had 12 carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 29.5 points and making him QB2 for the week. Now, the Jets are playing a Bills defense that gave up almost 250 yards on the ground against the Ravens last week. 

There were questions going into the season about how the RBs would split carries in the Jets’ backfield, leading to concern for Breece Hall’s fantasy prospects. However, Hall ultimately got 19 carries compared to Braelon Allen’s six. Hall was also Fields’ second most targeted receiver, showing his PPR upside. Overall, Hall was good for 17.5 PPR points in Week 1, and now that he’s playing a defense that was run all over last week, it’s easy to feel confident about him (and Fields) as fantasy options for Week 2.

Omarion Hampton (RB, LAC) (Away vs. LV)

While rookie Omarion Hampton only scored eight points  Week 1 playing the Chiefs, there is no doubt that he’s RB1 in the Los Angeles Chargers system. In fact, no other running back got more than one carry, while Hampton was given 15 (as well as two receptions). Head coach Jim Harbaugh has a history of coaching run-first teams and wants them to run the ball well, there’s reason to feel confident in Hampton’s usage. While the statistics weren’t great, Hampton showed a few sparks of what he’s capable of and why the Chargers spent a first-round pick on him this offseason. The only concern regarding him last week was that the New England Patriots didn’t run super well against the Las Vegas Raiders, but the Patriots seem to be a total mess, and the Chargers seem more competent. 

Sit

Kenneth Walker III (RB, SEA) (Home vs. PIT)

When healthy, Kenneth Walker III has always been a viable fantasy option with a career average of over 14 points per game. However, in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, Walker was not great, to put it lightly. He only had 20 yards on 10 carries, as well as four receiving yards from three receptions. What’s more worrying is the presence of another running back, Zach Charbonnet, who was given 12 carries, the goal line and third down snaps. These are some of the most important snaps for a running back, and if Walker isn’t the running back who’s touching the ball on these plays, it becomes a lot harder to feel confident about him. 

Jared Goff (QB, DET) (Home vs. CHI)

After ending last season as an MVP finalist, fans had fairly high expectations for what Goff would be able to accomplish this season. He has a great team around him, led by wide receiverR Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, along with tight end Sam LaPorta and WR Jameson Williams. However, Goff looked bad in Week 1. Fantasy points aside, Goff looked off. Perhaps he, and the offense as a whole, are trying to figure out their identity post-Ben Johnson (their previous offensive coordinator who left to take the head coaching job in Chicago). Still, Goff looked less like the elite quarterback we’ve seen over the past few years and more like the one the Los Angeles Rams were eager to trade away. The Detroit Lions are playing the Chicago Bears team in a game that is unlikely to be a shootout and could very well have a game script in which the Lions run the ball a lot. Ultimately, the Lions are too talented of a team to not figure it out, but until their offense starts to improve, Goff should be staying on fantasy benches.

Tetairoa McMillan (WR, CAR) (Away vs. ARI)

Tetairoa McMillan was the eighth overall pick in the recent NFL Draft and the first receiver taken. He was drafted with the idea of giving third-year quarterback Bryce Young a reliable target to  throw to, which belies the problem. It’s not that McMillan looked bad Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, just shy of 12 points in PPR, but the issue was how his quarterback looked. While Young may have ended last season on a bit of a hot streak, the vast majority of his NFL career has been an incredible disappointment for a former No. 1 overall pick. Against the Jaguars, Young had a horrible game, throwing two interceptions for only 154 yards and one touchdown. It’s hard to feel confident about a receiver who doesn’t have someone to throw him the ball, creating concern for McMillan’s fantasy prospects. The Arizona Cardinals’ defense is likely better than the Jaguars, having done a strong job of shutting down (an albeit not great) New Orleans Saints passing attack last week. All of this leads to worry for McMillan and is why it may be best to sit him on fantasy benches this week.