Week one is in the books and there is so much to discuss! We had wild finishes, overtime thrillers, big comebacks and struggling offenses. Let’s dive into the action!

First Down

Windy City Rally: Our first story this week takes us to the Windy City, site of a wild comeback that win. The Bears had so much excitement surrounding their team this offseason because of rookie QB Caleb Williams. But Williams struggled mightily and with the team trailing 17-3, the defense and special teams combined to save the day. A Jonathan Owens blocked punt return set up the pick six above, to take the lead. The 24-17 final score was summed up perfectly by Will Levis reaction to the pick six.

Second Down

Mistake by the Lake: For the longest time Cleveland Ohio and its all teams have lived with the moniker of “the mistake by the lake.” The Browns are now enduring their own mistake by the lake, with the poor QB play of Deshaun Watson plaguing their roster. After struggling last year and being replaced by Joe Flacco, Watson was looking to start fresh in year against the Cowboys. He had no such luck going 24/45, for 169 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions as the Browns dropped the opener 33-17. The frustration was mounting for the fans in Cleveland, which should only fuel calls for backup Jameis Winston. That drama combined with seemingly more legal peril for off field for Watson, perhaps Watson’s days in “the land” could be numbered.

Third Down

Kickers need Love Too: Few things are as common in the league this days as what I call “the Steelers grindhouse win.” Allow me to explain this, typically in this kind of game, the Steelers go on the road, their defense wrecks the game and their special teams makes a big play. Sunday in Atlanta was one such example as the Black and Yellow beat the Falcons 18-10, without much from backup QB Justin Fields and the offense. Their defense was led by a dynamic performance from stud pass rusher TJ Watt, who single handedly wrecked the game. Watt’s defensive running mates were complimented by a big day for kicker Chris Boswell who went 6/6 on kicks, the longest of which was 57 yards. It was enough for Pittsburgh to be 1-0 headed to Denver to play a weak Broncos squad.

Fourth Down

Hats on Hats: The first Sunday of the season was capped by an excellent game between the Rams and Lions. The prime time battle wound up going to OT where the Lions decided enough was enough. With the game tied at 20, it was time for some “man football.” Detroit put hats on hats, AKA let their o-line bully the Rams d-line, and ran the ball repeatedly with physical back David Montgomery. Monty bowled his way down the field and into the end zone to end the game and Detroit took the opener 26-20. A fun way to end a good game between two playoff teams.

You can find Nick on Twitter @YNWA9623, Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our fall of podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. The store is live and Little Ed has been in the lab cooking up some can’t miss items for you fans. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!