NFL Winners and Losers, Week 1: Kyler Murray balls out, Jalen Hurts makes believers

NFL Week 1 Winner: USC Trojans Coaching Search

I said coming into the season that Urban Meyer already looked out of his depth. There was nothing that the Jaguars head coach put on the field in Week 1 that changed my mind.

The Jaguars didn’t just lose to the Texans, a team we’ve already covered as being expected as the worst in the league this season, but they looked completely outmatched. On both sides of the ball, Jacksonville looked ill-prepared to compete in the NFL, which comes down to Meyer. And with Clay Helton likely out at USC sooner than later, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Meyer there in 2022.

NFL Week 1 Loser: Zach Wilson’s Physical Well-Being

Goodness. Zach Wilson did not play particularly well overall against the Panthers in his debut for the Jets, though he did flash some potential. But it’s hard to play well when a quarterback is constantly under duress. Even before the Mekhi Becton injury, the New York offensive line was a sieve for pressure against Carolina. For a team that tried to address that this offseason, it was worrisome and the health of the young signal-caller could be in jeopardy because of it.

NFL Week 1 Winner: Defense-First Steelers

Not much about the Pittsburgh Steelers offense changed my mind about what they could accomplish in the 2021 season. Their offensive line wasn’t a disaster but wasn’t great either. And it was really a few plays in which the Steelers thrived.

But against the Bills, Mike Tomlin’s group showed that it might not matter. That defense was devastating throughout the day as they got Josh Allen completely uncomfortable and came up with plays consistently. The Steelers may not be going away just yet thanks to their defense.

NFL Week 1 Winner: Matthew Stafford Era Rams

Talk about living up to the hype. Matthew Stafford joining the Rams was supposed to take the Sean McVay offense to new heights and, through one game, that looked to be the case.

Stafford was almost perfect in his debut with Los Angeles, throwing for 300+ yards with three touchdowns and remaining efficient. Everything looked in-sync and able to eviscerate any defense. With this guy under center, the Rams could very much live up to the Super Bowl contender hype.