The season-opening Sunday has concluded, which shifts focus to the NFL Week 1 biggest disappointments. There were a few teams that underperformed to start the year, but these organizations noticeably blew their opportunity and lacked improvement the most. With all things considered, here are the three squads that were the most underwhelming in Week 1.
During the offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers were thought to be a dark horse within the AFC. The addition of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel was expected to take their offense to new heights. Unfortunately, they fell flat in Week 1 against an Arizona Cardinals team that they were predicted to defeat.
The Chargers lost to the Cardinals 26-14 with their offense looking out of sync. They were outgained by 125 yards, lost the turnover battle by two, and had the ball 15:02 less than Arizona did. Los Angeles struggled to move the ball into scoring position, reaching the red zone only three times, while the Cardinals did so five times.
Los Angeles’ offense was outmatched by the Arizona defense. The Cardinals generated three sacks and five QB hits against Justin Herbert, preventing him from getting comfortable in the pocket. Meanwhile, the Chargers only generated one sack and six QB hits.
The Cardinals’ quarterback Jacoby Brissett seemed composed in the pocket, as he sliced through the Chargers’ defense. He completed 27 of 37 pass attempts for 277 yards and a touchdown. His primary target was Trey McBride, who led Arizona with nine receptions for 95 yards and a score.
The Chargers simply could not establish consistency throughout the game. The connection between Herbert and Ladd McConkey was on display, but it wasn’t enough. Herbert passed for 209 yards with a touchdown and an interception, completing 63% of his passes. McConkey caught five passes for 82 yards and a score.
Los Angeles’ inability to finish drives makes them one of the biggest disappointments in Week 1. After scoring a touchdown on their first drive, they lost a fumble, turned the ball over on downs, and then punted on their three subsequent drives. To make matters worse, they suffered this loss against one of their easier matchups, as five of their next seven games are against teams that made the playoffs last season.
Throughout recent years, the Dallas Cowboys have made legitimate efforts to improve their defense. They traded for Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, then drafted Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence. Despite those moves, the look of the defense didn’t change much in Week 1.
The Cowboys lost to the New York Giants 28-20 behind their lackluster defense. Dallas’ defense struggled to get off the field, as they allowed the Giants to successfully convert on third down nine of 11 times. This led to New York controlling the ball for over 36 minutes.
The Giants managed to march down the field consistently, as both the passing game and the rushing game consistently moved the ball well. Jaxson Dart threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns, completing 23 of 29 passing attempts. Meanwhile, Cam Skattebo rushed for 81 yards on 18 carries with a score.
New York’s top receiving targets, Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely, gave the Cowboys trouble. Nabers compiled six receptions for 69 yards. Likely added 78 yards and caught all eight of his targets with two scores.
Though Dallas’ defense was unsatisfactory, the offense’s performance was fairly impressive. They scored on three of their seven drives and moved the ball well by earning 21 first downs. Dak Prescott was valuable, completing 22 of 34 passes for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
The poor performance of the Cowboys’ defense makes them one of the biggest disappointments of Week 1. With the game within reach at halftime, they allowed the Giants to score touchdowns on two of their last three drives. Their season opener display resembled the defensive struggles of last season, which led them to a 7-9-1 record and missing the playoffs.
Following a productive first half, the Green Bay Packers led the Minnesota Vikings 19-10 at halftime. Then, they looked to have taken full control of the game once they knocked in a 26-yard field goal to extend the lead to 12. The Packers took their foot off the gas and allowed the Vikings to take the momentum.
Green Bay allowed Minnesota to score touchdowns on four straight possessions and eventually win the game 39-22. The Vikings earned these four scores while only gaining 126 yards. They accomplished this by winning the battle of field position.
Minnesota’s four touchdowns were set up by their defense and special teams units. They had a kick returned for 68 yards to the 28-yard line, a fumble recovered at the goal line, and an interception returned to the 14-yard line. Those plays allowed the Vikings offense to start drives in prime scoring positions.
Carson Wentz then helped Minnesota take advantage of the field position. He passed for 133 yards and three touchdowns while completing 12 of 19 attempts. Justin Jefferson was his top target, catching eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
On offense, Packers QB Jordan Love stayed under pressure as Minnesota sent blitzes. Love was sacked four times and hit 15 times. While massively under pressure, he managed to throw for 387 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception and two fumbles.
Along with the turnovers, Green Bay struggled to play with discipline. They were penalized 12 times for 98 yards. This penalty yardage and the 34 yards lost from sacks were major reasons why the Packers only converted three of 12 third-down attempts.
The Packers’ inability to protect their 12-point lead makes them one of the biggest disappointments in Week 1. Despite outgaining the Vikings by 180 yards, their turnovers penalties, and poor execution gave Minnesota too many opportunities.
While there were other teams that disappointed in Week 1, the Chargers, Cowboys, and Packers were the most underwhelming. Los Angeles’ offense didn’t look nearly as impressive as thought to be. Dallas’ defense appears to be the same as last season. Meanwhile, Green Bay’s game mechanics were simply lackluster.
The season is obviously still young, so these teams have plenty of time to fix their issues. Nevertheless, with their underwhelming displays, they are the most underperforming teams of the week.
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