Sports

NFL Week One Recap

September 20, 2020

Week one of the NFL football season wrapped up after Monday night. Football is back, but it is looking a little different. The offseason was longer than usual due to the pandemic. New faces were acquired on teams across the league–Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, Cam Newton in New England, and DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, just to name a few. Week one went as follows.

In the first game of the 2020 NFL season, the Houston Texans took on the reigning Super Bowl Champions; the Kansas City Chiefs. David Johnson, a running back for the Texans, scored the first touchdown of the season late in the first quarter on a 19-yard run. It was one of a few times that Houston was able to get in the endzone. The Chiefs offense overwhelmed the visiting Texans, defeating them 34-20.

The MVP of Super Bowl 54, Patrick Mahomes, put up some impressive first game numbers. He was efficient with getting the ball to move downfield, without having to launch the deep ball. He threw for 211-yards, three touchdowns and completed 24 of 32 passing attempts. Deshauen Watson, quarterback of the Texans, completed 20 of 32 attempts, threw one touchdown, and was sacked four times.

The rookie running back out of LSU, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, had a stellar debut for Kansas City with 138 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown.

The Green Bay Packers won their first game of the season against Minnesota, 43-34. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns, but he didn’t do it alone. Rodgers linked with wide receiver Davante Adams fourteen times for 156 total yards and two touchdowns. Adams’ fourteen receptions tied him with Don Hudson’s 78-year-old franchise record for receptions in a game.

After struggling to stay healthy the past few years, quarterback Cam Newton joined Bill Belichick and the Patriots in June. On Sunday they faced the Miami Dolphins and achieved their first win 21-11. Cam Newton showed no signs of injury in his first appearance as a Patriot, Newton had a 78.9 percent completion rate for 155 passing yards but perhaps his most impressive statistic on the day was his ability to run the ball. He ran for 75 yards on fifteen carries with two touchdowns taken himself. In his first game as a Patriot, Newton broke a franchise record for quarterback rushing yards in a game.

Six-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady was traded to Tampa Bay during the offseason. Brady and the Bucs took on another veteran quarterback, Drew Brees, and the Saints. New Orleans has been the top of the NFC South for the past few seasons, and in their first game of the year, Brees handed Brady his first loss as a Buc, by winning 34-23. Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady, was 23 for 36 with 239 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss.

“Week one was what every sports fan was waiting for and we were not disappointed. It was exciting to see new faces at different franchises,” said Emory & Henry student-athlete Deondre Chambliss.

The first week does not determine the fate of the rest of the season. With sixteen more weeks of the regular season to play out the season is still up for grabs. Who will be named this year’s Super Bowl Champions?

All Scores from Week One:

Thurs 9/10

Texans 20-34 @Chiefs

Sun 9/13

Raiders 34-30 @Panthers

Eagles 17-27 @Washington

Seahawks 38-25 @Falcons

Jets 17-27 @Bills

Colts 20-27 @Jaguars

Bears 27-23 @Lions

Dolphins 11-21 @Patriots

Browns 6-38 @Ravens