Caleb Williams and Josh Allen threw for 269 and 334 yards respectively on Sunday, but the real headline was written in the scoreboard. Week one of the NFL season shattered a record that had stood since the league's 1970 merger: the most points ever scored on an opening Sunday. The Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears all helped push the total into the history books — and each one made a statement of its own.
The Bills changed head coaches in a bid to finally reach the Super Bowl with their star quarterback, Josh Allen, promoting offensive co-ordinator Joe Brady to the top job. His first game was a grilling — a road trip to face last season's meanest defence in Houston, where the lead changed hands eight times. Running back David Montgomery scored three touchdowns on his Houston debut, but Allen answered with two rushing and two passing scores. With less than two minutes left, the 2023 MVP launched a hopeful pass that was nearly intercepted. Then the 30-year-old held his nerve, firing a 34-yard throw to Joshua Palmer to seal a 36-31 thriller. Buffalo's next five games come against Super Bowl contenders, so they needed to hit the ground running.
The Bears were even more emphatic. Level with the Carolina Panthers at 31-31 midway through the third quarter, they romped to a 59-37 road win — the highest-scoring week one game in NFL history and Chicago's biggest tally since 1980. D'Andre Swift finished with three touchdowns. After leading the Bears to their first division title in seven years last season, head coach Ben Johnson has set his sights high. "We want to be the highest scoring. We want to have the most wins. We want to win Super Bowls," he said.
Baltimore, meanwhile, celebrated a new era. John Harbaugh's 18-year tenure as head coach ended after the Ravens missed last season's play-offs, and successor Jesse Minter made a flying start. Zay Flowers, now the NFL's fourth-highest-paid wide receiver, made five first-half catches for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown at the Indianapolis Colts. Derrick Henry scored twice before half-time to move third on the all-time rushing touchdown list, then added another in a 41-23 win. The only worry: Flowers and rookie Ja'Kobi Lane sat out the second half with injuries.
Harbaugh has landed at the New York Giants, a young squad playing on a poignant night. Two days after the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the team honoured first responders before a convincing 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys, second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart passing for 230 yards and three touchdowns. With their basketball neighbours the Knicks finally winning an NBA title this year, there's genuine belief in New York that the Giants can follow. From routed records to fresh starts, the NFL's opening weekend made one thing clear: this season will not be quiet.