Five NFL teams that need to prove Week 1 wasn't a fluke
Editor’s note: Follow all the NFL Week 2 action with USA TODAY Sports’ live coverage.
Week 1 in the NFL has a way of skewing expectations.
While the opening round of games can provide some useful insights, some of the initial showings prove to be aberrations that will later be hard to square with the rest of the season. As fans try to determine what lessons they can glean from their teams, they would be wise to acknowledge that some results won't be indicative of a larger trend.
With that in mind, ahead of Week 2, we asked NFL writers and columnists from USA TODAY Sports: Which team needs to prove their Week 1 performance wasn't a fluke?
Their answers:
Dallas Cowboys
In their 40-0 Week 1 demolition of the division-rival New York Giants, everything went the Cowboys’ way on a slippery night at MetLife Stadium. A blocked kick returned for a touchdown and a tipped interception going for six points as well won’t happen every game. What should carry over is the relentless pass rush that unlocks a defense that is among the most dominant in the league. Zach Wilson and the New York Jets, sans Aaron Rodgers and dealing with the emotional blow of losing their quarterback for the season, are entering Jerry World wounded. Dallas should take care of business in a big way again to prove they can pummel the downtrodden while showing they can topple the teams that have had their number in the past (cough, San Francisco 49ers). – Chris Bumbaca
Green Bay Packers
It’d be easy to pick the Cowboys or Dolphins here. But my pick is the Green Bay Packers. Jordan Love was efficient, throwing three touchdowns, while the Packers defense forced two turnovers and scored a touchdown in Green Bay’s 38-20 win in Chicago last week. The Packers look like they’re a few steps ahead in this next phase of their franchise, with Love’s experience and their defensive makeup, following Aaron Rodgers’ departure. For a team that may have been written off in the relatively weak NFC, the Packers might buck expectations and make the NFC North a lot more interesting this season. – Safid Deen
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Elves, er, Browns. I mean, look who's in first place (with Baltimore) in the AFC North after smashing the defending division champion Bengals? Sure, purely beating Cincinnati doesn't offer much shock value as the Elves (that's what Ja'Marr Chase called them before he was limited to 39 yards on five catches on Sunday) have defeated their in-state rival nine times over the past 11 meetings. Yet it was the manner in which the Browns defense manhandled Cincinnati in the debut of their new coordinator, Jim Schwartz, that served as a major statement. The unit heads into Monday night's game at Pittsburgh ranked No. 1 in the league after giving up just 142 yards in the 24-3 victory. Joe Burrow had career lows for passing yards (82) and pass efficiency rating (52.2), the Browns yielded just six first downs and allowed just 2 of 15 on third-down conversion attempts. Schwartz, per his rep, unleashed a barrage of creative twists, like lining up defensive end Myles Garrett over the center in a stand-up position. Now do it at Pittsburgh. The Browns offense is powered by an amazing running back in Nick Chubb, and Cleveland paid Deshaun Watson (154 yards, 67.3 passer rating last weekend) a ton of money, but if Week 1 is any indication, the identity of these Elves will stamped by the D. We think. – Jarrett Bell
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions had a signature Week 1 win against the defending Super Bowl champions that will no doubt boost the team’s confidence. A Week 2 win against the 0-1 Seattle Seahawks will give Detroit two straight wins against playoff teams from a season ago. The Lions haven’t started 2-0 since 2017. But if the Lions lose their home opener against the Seahawks, they will lose the momentum gained from a big victory in Kansas City. If the Lions want to prove they are for real and last week wasn’t a fluke, they need to win the games they are supposed to, especially at home in Motown. – Tyler Dragon
Los Angeles Rams
One of the more overlooked surprises of the first Sunday of this season was the Rams' 30-13 demolishing of the Seattle Seahawks. With Los Angeles trotting out a roster rife with rookies after last season's calamitous 5-12 campaign, many expected more of the same from a team that acknowledging it was departing from its perennial all-in approach. Yet in the opener, the defense limited an explosive Seahawks attack to just 180 yards, and a Cooper Kupp-less offense turned to youngsters Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell to keep the passing game rolling. Was any of this tenable over the course of the larger season? With the powerhouse San Francisco 49ers riding an eight-game regular-season win streak over the Rams into the Week 2 NFC West tilt, we should get a good barometer for where this team really stands. – Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys, Browns among NFL teams needing to prove Week 1 wasn't a fluke
