Week one of the 2022 NFL season is officially in the books, and there is an abundance of storylines to react to.
The San Francisco 49ers fell to the Chicago Bears 19-10 in hindering elements, as Trey Lance struggled going 13-of-28 passing for 164 yards and an interception. Meanwhile, Justin Fields overcame the field conditions, putrid offensive-line play, and lack of weapons in a winning effort. Yes, the 49ers have more talent than the Bears. Yes, Lance has a better coach and plays for a functional franchise, but we were expecting it to take time for Lance to find his footing this season.
There are going to be bumps and bruises throughout the season. In normal circumstances where the field is not covered in water, we may have seen a different result.
NFL Week 1 takeaways: Trey Lance struggles, but don’t overreact
Unlike Fields, Lance is very raw and needs much more to improve on in his game. Losing to Chicago is not a good look, but it’s week one and, as stated earlier, the elements and circumstances do not help out a quarterback who is not polished.
However, there were some positives to take from this game from Lance’s perspective. Besides taking unnecessary hits and staring down reads from time to time, Lance made a couple of impressive throws. One that comes to mind is Lance’s completion to Brandon Aiyuk on a crossing route. The 22-year-old quarterback showed the ability to throw the ball with accuracy and touch, as he completed a throw over the second level of the defense and between two defenders in the process.
Another throw Lance made was a 44-yard pass to Jauan Jennings down the left sideline in the third quarter. On the play, the high safety drifts to the right side of the field, leaving extra space for Lance to anticipate the open space down the left sideline. As much as people want to praise Jimmy Garoppolo for what he has done, these are two throws Garoppolo is not capable of making, much less attempting.
Nonetheless, you would like to see Lance throw the ball more consistently, but that will come with time and experience on the field. What is encouraging is that there is evidence that Lance can make special throws when he has his mechanics right. It just needs to be seen on a regular basis. That will come as the season progresses. We will know much more about Lance’s development after week two against Seattle. Until then, I am not going to make any quick judgments on the second-year quarterback.
NFL Week 1 takeaway no. 2: The NFC is pathetic
This can be categorized as an overreaction after just one week of play, but it is clear and obvious that the AFC has more good teams than the NFC. Coming into the season, the teams in the NFC that have been viewed as Super Bowl contenders are the Packers, Rams, Tampa Bay, and two honorable mentions in the Eagles and 49ers.
These teams combined to go 2-3, and there are glaring holes in each of these teams that could possibly go weeks before figuring it out.
Green Bay’s offense clearly misses Davante Adams, and yes, Allen Lazard was out in week one, but the weapons at Aaron Rodgers are underwhelming at this point. Depending on rookies and veterans like Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins is not a situation to be optimistic about. In Green Bay’s 23-7 loss to the Vikings, the leading receiver was A.J. Dillon with 46 yards on five catches. The Packers’ offense looked discombobulated to say the least.
The Rams were humiliated on opening night of the 2022 season, and their team looked like how it is constructed – top-heavy with little depth. What is important to note is that the Rams will not be playing the Bills every week, but there are several question marks about this team. Is Matthew Stafford’s elbow 100% healthy? Who will step up in the receiving game behind Cooper Kupp?
Stafford looked Kupp’s way often, and it seemed Stafford was locked onto Kupp all night. Allen Robinson was supposed to take advantage of the attention Kupp generates, but the 29-year-old wideout saw two targets, catching one for 12 yards. Not a good look for a receiver that struggled mightily last season, compiling only 410 yards and one touchdown for the Bears.
The offensive line is inexperienced and simply average. The fact that this offensive line was anchored by a 40-year-old last season lines up with the point that this team has no depth. Los Angeles will be an up-and-down team this season.
Tampa Bay has weird vibes going into this season with all the storylines revolving around Tom Brady, the offensive line injuries, and the lack of youth. Brady took a multi-day absence from the team during the preseason because of personal reasons that have rumors flying around about his marriage. In addition, Brady retired, and seemed to reluctantly return to the Buccaneers with evidence that proves he was trying to pave his way to Miami, but ultimately falling through.
Offensive line injuries across the interior have also made this a much more difficult task for Brady to succeed from the pocket. Also, despite defeating the Cowboys 19-3, there was something that was missing from Tampa Bay. It was a sluggish game that probably lulled people to sleep as both teams were horrendous offensively, especially the Cowboys, whose season looks bleak after Dak Prescott being expected out 6-8 weeks with a fractured thumb.
The Eagles unconvincingly won 38-35 over the Lions, allowing D’andre Swift to rush for 144 yards on 15 carries. The 49ers have quarterback question marks that could hold back the team. Meanwhile, the rest of the NFC outside of the Vikings, should not be taken seriously regardless of their week one outcome.
NFL Week 1 takeaways: No Tyreek Hill for the Chiefs, no problem
Watching the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, you wouldn’t realize that this team lost Tyreek Hill in the offseason. Patrick Mahomes looked like he had been playing with his new set of weapons for multiple years. The chemistry and timing were on point. Something to take note of is the fact that Kansas City was one of the few teams that played their starters for a substantial time during the preseason, and that has paid off tremendously.
Once again, it’s been week one, but the fact that Mahomes completed 30 of 39 passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns. These are numbers many people doubted him replicating without Hill on the field. Mahomes looked the best he has in a couple of seasons. We did not see him throw any interception-worthy passes and lock onto one weapon.
With Hill gone, there is pressure released from Mahomes’ shoulder to feed an alpha receiver a certain number of targets. The 26-year-old quarterback spread the ball around, hitting nine different targets. This offense looked much more comfortable taking what the defense was giving them in the intermediate areas of the field. Big targets like Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have made it easier for Mahomes to throw, giving him a lot of room for error, even though he was incredibly accurate on Sunday.
Here is a stat to consider when looking at how this offense will be constructed in 2022 – The Chiefs had 33 first downs on 66 plays. This offense is going to be the most efficient offense the Chiefs have had with Mahomes under center.
Mahomes also seemed to trust his offensive line. Last season, we saw Mahomes drift in the pocket, and escape the pocket despite protection being sound. This led to pressure that would have not been there if Mahomes had stayed in the pocket. On Sunday, we saw Mahomes be selective when escaping the pocket.
The protection was excellent, and the Chiefs also used the offensive line to their advantage in the rushing attack. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran the ball seven times for 42 yards, while Isiah Pacheco ran 12 times for 62 yards and one touchdown. The offensive line created spacious running lanes that the running backs did a great job of utilizing.
The Chiefs may not have as many highlight-reel plays, but that is not championship-winning football. Winning football is putting your will on games by conducting long, sustained drives that give balance to the entire team.