The NFL's wild Week 1: Bears-Panthers score 96 points, Texans defense struggles, and early overreactions emerge

The early Sunday slate featured the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history, an overtime thriller and plenty of other wild moments, showing the wildness of the NFL is fully back. In the late-afternoon slate, we got several thrillers and the biggest upset of the week by far.

That means that overreactions are back, too. It's only been one week of action, so it's all we have to react to. But it can also be fool's gold. Remember the Raiders beating the Patriots in Week 1 last year?

We'll be back for more as the late-afternoon games and "Sunday Night Football" finalize, but through one window, here's what we've seen.

The Bears can score and allow the most points in the NFL

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Yes, that's 96 points combined in the Bears' 59-37 win over the Panthers, the most ever in a Week 1 game and scorigami.

Chicago's 59 points were tied for second-most in an opener by any NFL team and the Bears' most since 1980. Caleb Williams threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and two scores. D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for 224 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. It was absolutely ridiculous in the best way.

Now for the other side ... the Bears allowed Bryce Young to throw for 361 yards. There were tackling issues all over the place, and the coverage left much to be desired -- to be nice.

When Ben Johnson said he wanted to have the highest-scoring team in NFL history, he wasn't joking. And he might need it. The Bears' defense simply doesn't have enough talent across the board, especially with the injuries to Coby Bryant and Kyler Gordon.

Cam Lewis, who never started more than six games for a Bills defense that has long needed secondary help, played all 62 snaps for Chicago. Fourth-round rookie corner Malik Muhammad played 49. The Bears had just a 21% pressure rate. With issues in coverage and a pass rush that can't get home, this unit is in trouble.

The good thing is Williams looked outstanding: accurate downfield, often on time, and still as good as ever (if not better) as a scrambler. The run game was dominant. This is as good as it gets in terms of Week 1 offense. The defense? Hide your eyes.

The Texans' defense is in trouble

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Yes, the Texans allowed 36 points to Josh Allen and the Bills, an opponent they have long dominated. But it's far too early to worry. The Texans play an extremely aggressive style of defense, and Allen made them pay with a ton of pinpoint downfield shots. Here's one example:

It was that kind of day. Credit Allen for a quite literally perfect throw, but that's not a throw many people can make.

And the Texans' defense was very close to making this a very different game. It forced two fumbles, both of which were recovered by the Bills. There was also a late potential interception that was dropped.

Every once in a while, a defense like this gets beat by big plays downfield. Sunday was one of those times. Don't expect there to be many more.

DJ Moore was the NFL's best offseason addition

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

This one looked true in Week 1, but it's also a good reminder that it's still only Week 1. Moore was excellent in his Bills debut, catching five passes for 100 yards and the score above. He brings the downfield juice the Bills desperately needed at wide receiver.

But it's still too early to definitively say this. Mike Evans was excellent in his 49ers debut. David Montgomery had a hat trick of touchdowns for the Texans. A handful of additions to the Bengals' defense made their mark. And while it'll be a while before Myles Garrett plays for the Rams again, I'm still bullish on his impact.

Rather, it's worth arguing if Moore's addition -- plus a healthy Dalton Kincaid -- finally gives Josh Allen and the Bills the pieces they need to get back to having an explosive downfield passing attack. Allen averaged 13.2 air yards per attempt, his highest number in a game since the 2022 season. Kincaid's health will be absolutely crucial. But Moore was a very strong add, not just in terms but in terms of style, and the Bills are already reaping the rewards.

Lamar Jackson will challenge for another MVP award

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Here's the play that should stand out to everyone:

Obviously, the end product is the fun part: Zay Flowers juking and sprinting and scoring. But the start of the play is worth noting. Flowers was lined up in the backfield, a spot he has never been before. Never. Jesse Minter was the headline-grabbing coaching change in Baltimore, but his offensive coordinator hire of Declan Doyle cannot go under the radar -- and was awesome Sunday.

Jackson went 17-for-25 for 324 yards, an astounding 13 yards per attempt. He threw for a touchdown and ran for another. And the biggest takeaway is how easy some of the plays were: screens, quick passes, play-action finds. On under-center, play-action plays, Jackson was 5-for-5 for 101 yards. It doesn't get a lot better than that.

Jackson has won MVP both times the Ravens have changed offensive coordinators. Sunday was a great start toward going to three for three.

It's already getting late early for the Titans

Overreaction or reality: Reality

When the Titans hired Robert Saleh, I said he had to nail his offensive coordinator hire to make his second tenure as a head coach go better than his first.

He went with Brian Daboll, a guy who has called plays for a long time but hasn't done it well in a long time, either. And the results, so far, have been disastrous. The Titans looked absolutely horrific in a 23-10 loss to the Jets. Here are some numbers:

Cam Ward: 19-for-32, 140 yards (4.4 yards per attempt), 1 pass TD, 3 sacks

Titans: Allowed 36% pressure rate, 2.21 seconds per pressure allowed

Titans: 4.0 yards per play

The number that's most worrisome is the 2.21 seconds. That is way, way too fast. The fastest average press ure allowed in 2025, for reference, was 2.38 seconds. And that was the Dolphins, who always threw super quickly.

This is an offensive environment that's untenable. The offensive line looked atrocious, as did the protection plans. Ward is a guy who's best pushing the ball down the field, but with these surroundings, he has no chance to do so. He threw exactly two balls more than 10 yards downfield, one of which was a garbage-time touchdown.

This was a chance to show last year was behind the Titans. That a really ugly preseason didn't actually mean much. Instead, it's more of the same, with no end in sight.

The Buccaneers should regret extending Baker Mayfield

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Baker Mayfield lost three fumbles and took four sacks in the Buccaneers' 33-27 loss to the Bengals. It was bad, and the fumbles were really inexcuable. He has to take better care of the ball.

But this is who Mayfield is. There are some high highs and some low lows. Week 1 can be all over the place, and Mayfield was all over the field, too. Turnovers are absolute killers. They cannot happen. But outside of them, he was 23-for-28 for 216 yards and ran for a score. The Buccaneers moved the ball fine. This team should still be the NFC South favorite (surprise, all four NFC South teams lost), and Mayfield should be fine.

Chargers' backs already against the wall to figure out offense

Overreaction or reality: Reality

There were few -- if any -- coordinator hires this offseason expected to have a bigger impact than Mike McDaniel joining the Chargers. Think of the motion! The running game! The pass protection plans! Justin Herbert, at long last, in a modern offense!

Not so fast.

The Chargers scored a measly 14 points -- tied for their fewest in Week 1 in the past quarter century -- in a dispiriting 26-14 loss to the Cardinals. "Dispiriting" might be putting it nicely. The Chargers were 9.5-point favorites against a team expected to be in contention for pick No. 1 next year ... and lost by 12.

Herbert was 17 for 27 for 209 yards with a touchdown, an interception and three sacks. The running game managed just 3.9 yards per carry, and Omarion Hampton lost a fumble when he ran into the back of his own teammate. Lest we forget, the offense is just one phase. The Chargers also had a punt blocked, setting up a Cardinals touchdown. The defense managed just one sack of Jacoby Brissett and allowed him to complete 73% of his passes.

Still, it came down to the offense, and it just wasn't good. Herbert wasn't good. The offensive line wasn't good. There were six offensive penalties, including four false starts. Ladd McConkey got hurt.

Perhaps we should have known there'd be growing pains. Herbert has long been a player who wants to hang in the pocket and push the ball downfield when he can. McDaniel prefers a quick-hitting, rhythm-based air attack. It wasn't a perfect fit, and the Chargers knew it needed work. That's why Herbert played so much in the preseason.

But to lose this game is rough, because here's what's ahead:

Week 2 vs. Raiders

Week 3 at Bills

Week 4 at Seahawks

Week 5 vs. Broncos

Week 6 at Chiefs

Week 7 BYE

Week 8 at Rams

Week 9 vs. Texans

Week 10 at Ravens

That is an absurd stretch. And the AFC playoff contenders we grouped around the Chargers looked good, too. There's not much room for error. Everyone everywhere penciled this in as a Chargers win. Now it's not, and bigger challenges loom.

Eagles, Commanders have major offensive worries

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

The Eagles topped the Commanders, 24-22, in a game that was stuck in neutral for long stretches. Out of 28 teams that had played this week entering "Sunday Night Football," Washington and Philadelphia ranked 25th and 26th, respectively, in success rate.

That's a little bit worrisome, but it's not Chargers-level worry. The Eagles have a top-five defense in the NFL, and the Commanders debuted a new defensive system that featured tons of creative blitzes -- Daronte Jones was under Brian Flores in Minnesota last year, and you could tell. Both teams have new offensive coordinators, too.

Jalen Hurts deserves enormous praise for some of the biggest plays he made all afternoon, none bigger than a 22-yard scramble on third and 18. Then, on a third and 6, he took advantage of Washington's confusion and found Dallas Goedert for a touchdown.

Hurts also threw a 17-yard touchdown to Goedert on third and goal earlier in the game and hit DeVonta Smith on a beautiful 31-yarder on a third and 5 in the third quarter. Overall, Hurts generated 0.66 expected points added per play on third down; last year, Brock Purdy led the NFL at 0.58.

It will take some time. There will be some bumps. But both teams showed glimpses of what they want to do on offense, mostly overshadowed by penalties and miscues. It's Week 1. Both teams have things to iron out; both teams have things to build on.