NFL Week 1 overreactions: Can Jets figure it out? Browns, Bengals in trouble

Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone. Now, it’s time to overact.

Are Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets going to figure this thing out?

Is Deshaun Watson’s $230 million deal the worst in NFL history?

Are the Cincinnati Bengals in trouble this year?

The NFL’s new kickoff rule is here to stay, but do teams even care for it?

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Dallas Cowboys going to win the Super Bowl. Not a question, just a statement.

Here’s more on these overreactions from Week 1:

Same old Jets? Yeah, in Week 1. But give them some time.

If you thought the Jets would beat the 49ers on opening night, that’s on you.

Rodgers’ highly anticipated return didn’t end in victory, but the Jets deserve some slack after Week 1. Let’s face it, they’re a rebuilding team finally underway since Rodgers thankfully made it through a full game. They faced a juggernaut in the 49ers, who reached the NFC title game three times in the last five years.

Rodgers’ arm is still elite, and his free-play touchdown to Allen Lazard was vintage and everything you love from him as a gunslinging quarterback. The Jets have plenty of time to figure things out, and turn into a playoff contender. There just might be enough patience after enduring Rodgers’ injury fallout last year.

The Browns have a quarterback problem

Watson’s dropoff from one of the league’s most promising quarterbacks to one of the worst has been sad to see. Watson has not regained his form following his lengthy layoff from the sport from 2021-22 due to his off-field transgressions, which led to another lawsuit this week.

When you think back to how Joe Flacco did enough to help Cleveland reach the playoffs last season, it shows there’s no issue with coaching or play calling. Just the Browns’ $230 million player. And yeah, it might be the worst deal in all of sports.

Watson was abysmal in the Browns opener (24 of 45, 169 yards, two INTs) despite showing a flash with a 6-yard touchdown pass. Watson didn’t see any playing time in the preseason, which is mind blogging for a quarterback who played in his 13^th game in three years Sunday.

This could be the Bengals' core last season together

The Bengals might be in trouble this season, and a loss to the New England Patriots should set off alarms in Cincinnati.

Sure, Ja’Marr Chase caught all his six targets. But this was the type of game where Chase should have had double-digit receptions, where he and quarterback Joe Burrow could have won with their combined star talent. Instead, Chase’s contract holdout showed its effects. Tee Higgins, who also seeks a new deal but was sidelined due to a hamstring, was also missed.

The Bengals offense was too much dink-and-dunk in the opener, and failed to really establish a run game (16 carries, 70 yards despite a touchdown) in the 16-10 loss at home. The Bengals need to figure things out quickly or this Burrow-Chase-Higgins era with Zac Taylor at coach could be in its final season.

NFL’s kickoffs not as dynamic in Week 1. That’s an understatement.

The NFL’s new kickoff rule won’t be dynamic if teams are just okay with kicking touchbacks and allowing offenses to start at the 30-yard line.

NFL teams returned 54 of 159 kickoffs (33.9%) before the Monday night game, which is above the 20.5% league average of returns last year. It’s a slight improvement just one week into the season, but it would be nice to see more kickers attempt to drop a kick into the landing zone for more returns or worse starting field position.

A big, Michael Scott thank you to Cardinals returner Deejay Dallas for returning the first touchdown in dynamic kickoff history against the Bills, and the Saints and Panthers for really committing to the bit: They combined for 11 of 54 returns.

The Cowboys going to win the Super Bowl

C’mon, guys. Just kidding.

Kudos to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys for beating the Browns 33-17 in Week 1. The Cowboys defense was superb against Watson, while Prescott and the offense did enough to pull out an easy victory. But look above, it was just the Browns.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.