So the Chiefs, Bengals and Bills are all 0-1, scoring a total of 3 TDs in Week 1.

The Raiders lead the AFC West by themselves at 1-0, Cleveland and Baltimore get the 1-0 start in the AFC North and it’s the Jets and Dolphins at 1-0 in the AFC East.

The form was more expected in the NFC in Week 1 with the preseason picks of the Eagles, 49ers and Cowboys all winning, the latter two in decisive fashion.  The Lions and the Packers were the big winners in the NFC North.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

QB JOSH DOBBS was a secret starter in Week 1, but he has been publicly anointed the starter for Week 2 against the Giants. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon declined to name a starting quarterback ahead of Week One and cited competitive advantage as the reason for his secrecy, but he’s throwing caution to the wind heading into Week Two.

Gannon said at a Monday press conference that Joshua Dobbs will remain the starter when the Cardinals host the Giants next Sunday.

Dobbs was 21-of-30 for 132 yards and did enough to help the Cardinals hold a lead into the fourth quarter in Washington, but he lost a pair of fumbles late in the game. Those turnovers led to 10 Commanders points and proved to be the difference in a 20-16 Cardinals loss.

After the game, Dobbs said he sees a “huge jump” is coming for the Cardinals offense and he’ll get his chance to make that vision a reality this week.

SAN FRANCISCO

Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com sings the praises of QB BROCK PURDY.

Winner: Brock Purdy

It was fair to be a little concerned about Purdy’s small sample size as the 49ers’ improbably poised starting QB late in 2022. But “Mr. Irrelevant” picked up where he left off against the supposedly stingy Steelers defense, picking apart Pittsburgh in a 30-7 rout. Sure, he plays in a Kyle Shanahan system, but he executes so smoothly, complete with off-script mobility. San Francisco’s in good hands.

Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, not usually a bandwagon jumper, is all in with the 2023 Niners after what he saw in Pittsburgh:

You can’t win a Super Bowl in Week 1 of the regular season, but you sure can get everybody’s attention. You can make the NFL ground shake. You can stake your claim loud and proud right at the start of things.

Maybe most importantly, if you’re the 49ers, you can remind yourselves just how good it feels to be extremely, immensely, intensely, impressively good at football. And how badly you want everybody to see this.

That’s what the 49ers did in a nearly perfect first half on Sunday, when they wiped out the Steelers’ offense, blew right through the Steelers’ defense, silenced the Acrisure Stadium crowd and stormed to a 20-0 lead before the Steelers had even picked up a first down. All this was only slightly downgraded when the 49ers gave up a touchdown at the end of the half, but the dominance ratcheted right back up to the highest levels, and stayed there, once Christian McCaffrey took off on a 65-yard TD run in the opening minutes of the second half.

Brock Purdy was terrific against a good Steelers defense that had jabbered at him a little in the days leading up to this game. Brandon Aiyuk was uncoverable. Rookie kicker Jake Moody made all three of his field-goal tries and all three of his extra-point attempts. And probably most significantly, the 49ers’ defensive line, led statistically by Drake Jackson’s three sacks and obviously jump-started by Nick Bosa’s return from a long holdout, took complete control of this game from the first snap.

So it’s logical that Bosa, in his usual droll and profound way, summed up everything that happened in this eventual 30-7 victory.

“You love to get a good start,” Bosa said. “We had five sacks today as a D-line. … Drake broke out, which we were expecting. We just have so many players. It’s fun to watch Aiyuk do his thing. And Purdy shut some haters up.

“It’s nice to be on a really good team.”

When Bosa says the 49ers have a really good team, you know it means that the 49ers know they can be great and should be great. And when he says the 49ers have many players, he means they have great players. A lot of them.

Almost nothing is significant and lasting from anything that happens in the opening weekend of the NFL season, but the 49ers traveling across the country and stomping every bit of the Steelers to open up the 2023 season meant something. Maybe it won’t last. Maybe it was just one weird game. Maybe Purdy and the 49ers’ offense will play much worse the rest of the season and maybe the 49ers’ defense can’t keep this up.

But why would you argue against what we saw on Sunday? If anything, the 49ers can play better — the right side of the offensive line got whomped by T.J. Watt (three sacks and a forced fumble), Deebo Samuel and George Kittle weren’t involved much in the offense, the defense missed a couple of takeaway opportunities, and the 49ers still won going away in a tough road stadium.

If anything, the 49ers might be even scarier to the rest of the league than what they showed on Sunday. I think the rest of the league, once they see highlights or just feel the rumble, will understand this.

“I don’t think we need to send any messages,” Arik Armstead said. “We are who we are and we play how we play. People watch the film and see what we do. I don’t think we sent a message. We just do what we do.”

This is what the 49ers expected to play like in the NFC Championship Game last January against the Eagles, only to have it all unravel when both Purdy and backup Josh Johnson were injured in the first half. This is what they played like in the 12-game winning streak leading up to that loss in Philadelphia.

This is what the 49ers planned to be when they signed Javon Hargrave last spring. This is who they are when Bosa is in the lineup and drawing two and three blockers at a time. This is what the 49ers knew they were while they waited for Purdy’s elbow to heal up after March surgery.

I mean, how much more clearly can Kyle Shanahan signal his sense about this team and this quarterback than his decision not only to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Steelers’ 45-yard line on the 49ers’ first possession but to have Purdy throw it to Kittle cutting across the formation to the left flat for 11 yards?

When asked if that was a sign of his confidence in Purdy, Shanahan shrugged slightly and said: “A little bit.” Again, in the universe of 49ers understatement, that means: a lot.

Shanahan and the 49ers’ locker room had no questions about Purdy going into this season. Any doubt about him comes from the outside, but now maybe less of it from the Steelers’ locker room, where last week cornerback Patrick Peterson predicted he’d intercept Purdy in this game. Except Peterson didn’t do that (though he had a chance early in the game).

Instead, Purdy burned Peterson twice for touchdown passes to Aiyuk and then Purdy gave a sublime postgame response.

“The deep ball, was that on Patrick?” Purdy asked innocently enough.

Yes, it was, he was told, though it was fairly obvious that Purdy absolutely knew that from the moment he threw the pass to Aiyuk’s back shoulder.

“That one felt good,” Purdy said. “It was good, man. (Peterson)’s a competitor. I have nothing but respect for Patrick Peterson and anything he does.”

The last time the 49ers opened a season this well, their defense overwhelmed the Buccaneers in 2019. That 49ers team started 8-0 on its way to the No. 1 seed in the NFC and then to the Super Bowl. In 2020, the 49ers were crushed by injuries and never really got started. In 2021, they started 2-4 and had to dig back out of that hole the rest of the season but got to the NFC Championship Game. In 2022, they started out 3-4 before things got going.

With games in Los Angeles against the Rams next Sunday and then their home opener Thursday night Sept. 21 and then a home game against the sad-sack Cardinals, the 49ers could be looking at a 4-0 start this season if they don’t fumble one of these. They don’t want to look too far ahead, but they also understand what this all could mean.

“I think it was exactly how we wanted to come out,” Fred Warner said. “There was an emphasis — in past seasons, us coming out, slow starts. We knew that we needed to come in, set the tone right from the jump, offense, defense, special teams. I think across the board we did exactly what we wanted to and executed.”

Could this defensive front be as good as the group that led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season before losing to the Chiefs in that game? Wait, scratch that, could this team be as good as the 2019 squad? OK, scratch it again: Could it be better?

“All you ask is for the chance to be like that,” Shanahan said. “I think we have an opportunity to. We got a long way to go before that. But I liked our first start today.”

It’s one out of 17 regular-season games. It’s early. Small sample size. Anything could happen in the NFL and often does, especially to the 49ers. But on Sunday, the 49ers looked like they could go the distance this season. And afterwards, they sounded like they are expecting it.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com explains how the loss of WR COOPER KUPP is not the end of the Rams offense:

In the week leading up to the Los Angeles Rams’ dominant victory against the Seahawks, coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford fielded multiple questions about what the first Sunday would be like without Cooper Kupp.

The questions made sense. Last season — the year after Kupp won the triple crown of receiving — Stafford depended so heavily on Kupp that the receiver’s target share was 31% through Week 10 before he injured his right ankle and missed the rest of the season.

But unlike the final eight games of the 2022 regular season — most of which were played without Stafford — the Rams showed off the depth they believed they had in the receivers room in the 30-13 victory. Kupp, who missed the game with a hamstring injury, will be out at least three more games after he was placed on injured reserve on Saturday.

While McVay was quick to say that Sunday’s victory was just one of 17 guaranteed games, here’s a look at why this offense succeeded in Week 1, and why they might survive (at least) four games without Kupp on the field.

Depth at wide receiver

The Rams had not just one, but two receivers with more than 100 receiving yards on Sunday. Tutu Atwell set career highs with six catches for 119 yards, and rookie fifth-round pick Puka Nacua’s 10 catches for 119 yards were the most receiving yards in a rookie debut in team history.

And although fourth-year receiver Van Jefferson finished with just four catches for 24 yards, McVay said after the game that the receiver “is going to continue to be a big part of this as well.” Unlike last season when Jefferson was out with a knee injury, where defenses knew Kupp was Stafford’s most likely target, the Rams had multiple successful options.

“Cooper is a special player, and we can’t wait to be able to get him back,” McVay said. “But I do think that our offense has operated at its best when you get everybody involved and you make people defend the full width and depth of the field and make them defend all five eligibles.

“And I think that’s an important thing for us to be cognizant of while not being naive to the fact that you wanted to get certain players involved and get them their targets so that they can affect the game in a positive way.”

The running game

Despite the success the Rams had in the passing game, it was the Rams’ running backs who found the end zone on Sunday. Los Angeles was led on the ground by 2022 fifth-round pick Kyren Williams, who had 52 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts.

He is just the second Rams player to score two rushing touchdowns in a season opener in the last 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He set career highs in both rushing yards and attempts against Seattle.

Running back Cam Akers, who ended the 2022 season with three consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards, scored a touchdown but had just 29 yards on 22 carries. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that is the fewest rush yards in a game with 20 or more attempts since Adrian Peterson in 2017 (21 attempts for 29 rush yards).

McVay pointed out that while the Rams were “pretty efficient in some of those second down-and-longer situations … you don’t want to make a habit in living in those” and would rather be more efficient overall in the early downs.

“And so I thought that was something that we can definitely improve upon, even though we were able to overcome it,” McVay said. “I don’t think that’s a sustainable model and method for playing the kind of ball that we want to be able to play.”

Clean pocket

Despite the loud environment of Lumen Field, Stafford said he thought the team “did a great job of handling the noise.” The offensive line, a unit that struggled to stay on the field last season as the Rams started 12 different offensive line combinations through their first 13 games, didn’t allow a sack on Sunday. Stafford, who attempted 38 passes against Seattle, only took two quarterback hits, and was pressured on just 20.5% of his snaps, the third-worse rate for any team in Week 1.

“They did a great job and kept me clean and [I] was able to click through some progressions and hit some guys,” Stafford said.

This might be more of a challenge in Week 2 against the 49ers, a team that had five sacks, nine quarterback hits and eight tackles for a loss in their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. None of those sacks were even registered by Nick Bosa, who played in Week 1 after signing a contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.

Long drives

Six of the Rams’ nine offensive drives on Sunday went at least 9 plays, including a 16-play drive on their first possession. Los Angeles only had one three-and-out against Seattle. The Rams averaged 4:22 time of possession per drive on Sunday in Seattle. Last season, their high was 4:03 per game, but their average for the season was 2:52, which was 12th in the NFL. Their average plays per drive were their highest since the start of the 2022 season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

McVay credited the complimentary football the Rams played on Sunday.

“They’re playing excellent third-down defense, they’re doing it really first, second and third down, they’re forcing punts, they’re getting off the grass, so they did an outstanding job,” McVay said. “And then for us, for the offense to be able to sustain possession is key and critical. We talk about playing complementary football all the time. I thought that was really on display yesterday.”

Healthy Stafford

Perhaps the most important part of this Rams offense and its ability to overcome Kupp’s absence is the play of Stafford, who checked “all the boxes” with his performance on Sunday, according to McVay. Stafford completed 24 of 38 passes for 334 yards against Seattle.

“I want to come out and play good football,” Stafford said. “I know I can when I’m healthy and I feel good, and I felt good today.”

Even before Stafford missed time in the concussion protocol last season while dealing with a spinal cord contusion, he was dealing with an elbow injury as well, one that kept him on a strict throwing schedule during training camp.

“He was sharp throughout the game,” McVay said. “There was a couple plays that — you show me a great quarterback, I’ll show you a guy that’s always going to want a couple plays back, [but] I thought he was best in those biggest moments.”

SEATTLE

With both tackles injured, the Seahawks have signed veteran T JASON PETERS.  Adam LaRose of ProFootballRumors.com:

12:27pm: The Peters visit has produced a deal, as noted by his agent. Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes, to no surprise, that the two-time All-Pro will indeed start out on the practice squad. Depending on the severity of the Cross and Lucas injuries, though, Peters could find himself on the active roster before long.

9:24am: Jason Peters‘ bid to continue his NFL career may see him suiting up in Seattle soon. The veteran tackle is set to visit the Seahawks today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The news comes as Seattle may be shorthanded on the blindside for the time being. Rapoport notes that 2022 first-rounder Charles Cross is currently week-to-week with a turf toe injury. When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Pete Carroll indicated (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson) that Cross is day-to-day, as is starting right tackle Abraham Lucas. In any case, a Peters addition would provide depth at both positions.

The 41-year-old indicated last month that he hopes to find a landing spot in 2023 and suit up for a 19th NFL season. Peters spent last year with the Cowboys as a fill-in option following the injury to Tyron Smith. He wound up seeing time at left and right tackle, as well as left guard while Dallas worked through a number of different O-line combinations. The team is heathier up front now, making it no surprise Peters remains on the open market.

The 2010s All-Decade member was recently mentioned as a potential Bills addition, with Buffalo dealing with a number of injuries up front. Peters is still unsigned as of now, though Rapoport adds a plan is in place for the Seahawks to add him to the practice squad and quickly elevate him to the active roster. Presuming today’s visit goes well, then, a deal could be finalized in short order.

Peters earned a 70.3 PFF grade in his limited Cowboys action last year, a far cry from his Eagles-era evaluations. Still, he could represent an experienced stop-gap if either Cross or Lucas were to miss time.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

EDGE CHRIS JONES has a one-year deal.  Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

Defensive tackle Chris Jones ended his holdout Monday by agreeing to terms on a new one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Chris is an elite player in this league and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in a statement. “He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform. I’d like to thank Chris and his representation, Michael and Jason Katz, for their desire and patience to get this done. Through this process two things were obvious, Chris wanted to be a Chief and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf.”

Jones should be available to play for the first time Sunday when the Chiefs visit the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last week, during a charity event in Kansas City, Jones said he was keeping in shape and would be ready to play the day after he signed a new contract.

“I could play right now,” Jones said then. “I work out every day, twice a day, but in Miami with my team that I’d normally be with in my offseason. I’m staying at it.”

Jones received incentives in the new contract that would allow him to earn more than the $19.5 million he was scheduled to make this season under his old contract, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jones did not play in the Chiefs’ season opener last week against the Detroit Lions — a 21-20 loss — forfeiting his game check of about $1.1 million.

Jones did not report to training camp as he was seeking an upgraded deal. He was entering the final season of a four-year, $80 million contract he signed with the Chiefs in 2020. He would have been the ninth-highest-paid defensive tackle in the league by average salary under the contract.

Mike Florio does a deep dive.

First, he’ll have his same base salary of $19.5 million, minus the lost game check for Week 1 (i.e., $1.08 million). He has an incentive package that pushes the maximum total value of $25.16667 million.

He gets $1 million for participating in 35 percent of the defensive snaps. He gets another $1 million for participating in 50 percent of the snaps.

He had an existing $1.25 million incentive for reaching 10 sacks. That now increases to $1.75 million if he has 15 sacks.

Also, he gets $1 million is he’s named a first-team All-Pro and if the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl. He gets another $2 million if he’s named defensive player of the year and the Chiefs win the Super Bowl.

The $2.1 million in training camp fines were not waivable; he needs to make that back through his incentives — along with the lost game check. Thus, if he hits every incentive, he’ll end up with a net of $22.16667 million.

So, basically he came back without any significant gain in compensation likely as he has cost himself $3.1 mil in fines and lost wages.

This key fact from Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

Jones did not receive a clause preventing a franchise tag, so he could be subject to receive that tender from the Chiefs next offseason, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Something to keep an eye on with RB AUSTIN EKELER.  Charean Williams ofProFootballTalk.com:

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler injured his ankle in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins.

Head coach Brandon Staley said Monday that Ekeler is day to day, with his status for Wednesday’s practice to be determined. Ekeler was unable to finish Sunday’s game, finishing with 20 touches for 164 yards and a touchdown on 41 snaps.

Backup Joshua Kelley played 39 snaps and had 16 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers chose to make Isaiah Spiller, a 2022 fourth-round pick, a healthy scratch in favor of undrafted rookie free agent Elijah Dotson, who played only one snap.

Ekeler played all 17 games in 2022 and missed only one game in 2021.

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

The Browns have lost T JACK CONKLIN. Zac Jackson  of The Athletic:

Browns right tackle Jack Conklin tore his ACL and MCL in Sunday’s win against the Bengals and will miss the rest of the season, team and league sources confirmed to The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:

Conklin left the game early in the second quarter after 22 offensive snaps.

Dawand Jones, a 6-foot-8, 374-pound rookie out of Ohio State, replaced Conklin and is now in line for his first career start.

Conklin received a four-year extension from Cleveland in December.

How the Browns will replace Conklin

The Browns have heavily invested in their offensive line and gave Conklin a four-year extension last December that included more than $28 million in guarantees. Now, they have to accelerate the development of Jones, who was Kevin Stefanski’s choice to replace Conklin over third-year tackle James Hudson.

Jones impressed the team’s decision makers with his pass protection in the preseason. But now he’ll be asked to take on a full-time role and help a passing offense that’s still trying to find consistency. Before Conklin’s injury, left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was probably the team’s biggest concern among its offensive linemen. Now, the Browns have two tackles who must play better — and earn the trust of both Stefanski and quarterback Deshaun Watson. — Jackson

Backstory

The Browns gave Conklin a four-year extension worth up to $60 million in December. Conklin started 14 games for the Browns in 2022 but has battled injuries during his time in Cleveland.

He suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 12 of the 2021 season, limiting him to seven games that season after he previouly missed time due to a dislocated elbow.

A first-round pick in 2016, Conklin spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Titans before signing with the Browns as a free agent in March 2020.

PITTSBURGH

DL CAMERON HAYWARD will have surgery on his groin and won’t be playing for Pittsburgh anytime soon.  Mike DeFabo of The Athletic:

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward will undergo surgery for a groin injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers and is out indefinitely, a team source confirmed to The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:

The team expects to have Heyward back at some point this season, according to a team source, although a trip to injured reserve (which would require a minimum of four games missed) appears likely.

He left Sunday’s game with roughly five minutes to play in the second quarter.

Heyward, 34, entered Sunday’s game two sacks away from the franchise’s sack record of 80.5.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Who steps up with Heyward out

Under first-year GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, the Steelers made a concerted effort this offseason to build quality depth, especially in the trenches. The test of that approach now comes sooner than anticipated. Rookie defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, who was one of the bright spots in Sunday’s lopsided loss, would be a prime candidate to see an expanded role. He’s most likely to contribute in the base defense and on run-downs. Others like Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal (who was injured himself on Sunday) would be candidates to fill the void, especially in sub packages and in situations when the Steelers will want more-polished pass rushers. — DeFabo

How this impacts Pittsburgh

Over the years, Heyward has developed into a perennial Pro Bowler who in many ways is the heartbeat of the Steelers’ defense. While he’s 34 years old, Heyward is still producing at a high level. The Steelers will miss his veteran leadership as well as his solid performance up front. Because of his age and the wear and tear on his body, it’s also fair to wonder how quickly he can recover and how close to 100 percent he’ll be at any point this season. — DeFabo

Backstory

Heyward is a six-time Pro Bowler and has been named to four All-Pro teams. The veteran defensive lineman, in his 13th NFL season, is coming off back-to-back 10-sack seasons and started all 17 games in 2021 and 2022.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

From a Buffalo standpoint, QB JOSH ALLEN’s regression continues.  Charles McDonald of YahooSports.com:

In a game full of surprises, from an immediate injury to Aaron Rodgers to a walk-off punt return in overtime that sealed a 22-16 New York Jets victory, one of the biggest was the play from Buffalo Bills All-Pro quarterback Josh Allen.

In a game where he found himself in a duel with Zach Wilson, Allen was the one who played like a young quarterback looking to get his career back on track. Three brutal interceptions that were unquestionably his fault, five sacks, another fumble lost and a handful of errant throws put the Bills in a situation in which they could not score against one of the few elite defenses in the league.

Allen put together one of the worst games he’s played since he entered the league in 2018. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Allen was worse throwing without pressure than he was with pressure. Allen averaged just 4.6 yards per attempt and threw two of his interceptions from what Next Gen Stats would describe as a clean pocket. This was a bit of déjà vu for Buffalo — when the Bills traveled to MetLife Stadium last season, Allen struggled with just 205 passing yards and two interceptions in a three-point loss.

“I was trying to force the ball,” Allen said soberly after the game. “Same s***, same place, different day. I hurt our team tonight. I cost our team tonight. This feels eerily similar to last year and I hate that it’s the same. I do.”

The Bills were up 13-3 going into halftime against the Jets on Monday, but couldn’t close the game out because of Allen’s exceedingly reckless style of play. Head coach Sean McDermott was honest with his assessment of the play of his franchise quarterback.

“We made it pretty hard on ourselves,” McDermott said. “It’s hard to win in this league when you’re playing two opponents: the one on the other sideline and yourself and that’s what we did tonight. That’s not the right formula to win games in the NFL.”

McDermott noted that part of the reason why the Bills struggled was because of their poor efficiency on first down, which kept them in disadvantageous positions throughout the game. According to Ben Baldwin of The Athletic, the Bills averaged -0.13 expected points added (or EPA) for all their first and second downs. For reference, that’s about on par with how the Indianapolis Colts performed all of last season (-0.153 EPA per play). Allen’s interceptions came on third-and-8, second-and-13 and another third down with two yards to go.

“If you study turnovers around the NFL and around the game, a lot of the turnovers take place when you’re off schedule or behind the sticks or what we call ‘in the red,’” McDermott said. “It’s not a good place to be so when you’re in those situations, you’ve gotta be smart and it’s a one-dimensional offensive thought in those situations, but they know it’s one-dimensional also. You just gotta be smart with the ball and don’t put yourself where the ball is in harm’s way.”

Still, it’s important to keep perspective that this is only Week 1, Allen is still an elite NFL quarterback and it’s unlikely that he plays another game with four turnovers the rest of the season. Even with his tendencies to be a gunslinger on the field, this was only the second career game where Allen turned the ball over four times.

It’s a bit of an anomaly for him to have a performance this bad. Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins kept a leveled head about what had occurred with his quarterback during the game.

“It’s football, man,” Dawkins said. “You go up, but they score. It happens. Some people score early, some people score late. Things happen. A 10-point lead is nothing. It’s the NFL … it’s one loss, flush it, let it go and go onto new things.

“It’s one loss, it’s not two, it’s not three. The type of guys we have, we’re not going to let this define us. We have great athletes and I’m rocking with the Buffalo Bills, man.”

The world isn’t ending for the Bills even though it certainly felt like it in what should have been their first victory of the season. Like Dawkins said, things happen, but at the same time the Bills can’t afford too many more performances like this in the AFC East. The Dolphins look like they can score 40 against anyone, the Jets have a top-tier defense and the Patriots are a feisty team yet again.

The Bills just need Allen to not revert into the worst version of himself like he did against the Jets.

NEW YORK JETS

At the Meadowlands, the Jets gave Monday Night as much drama as was lacking in Sunday’s Giants debacle.

As Tuesday’s MRI confirmed, QB AARON RODGERS gave four plays to New York in 2023, and zero pass completions, before tearing his Achilles.

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com covers the Rodgers injury:

On his fourth snap of the season, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered what is feared to be a significant Achilles tendon injury, a crushing blow to the future Hall of Famer and New York’s Super Bowl aspirations.

Rodgers will have an MRI on Tuesday, according to coach Robert Saleh, who painted a grim picture Monday night after the Jets’ 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium.

“The MRI is probably going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight,” a somber Saleh told reporters. “But it’s not good.”

A torn Achilles would be a season-ending injury. Because of Rodgers’ age, 39, a severe injury also would raise questions about his future, even though he said recently that he hopes to play a few more years.

After a thunderous reception during pregame introductions, Rodgers — in his highly anticipated Jets debut — went down with 10:56 remaining in the first quarter. He tried to spin out of a sack by defensive end Leonard Floyd and twisted to the ground, with his left foot seemingly getting stuck in the turf.

Rodgers injured the same lower leg — a strained calf — in OTAs during the spring. He didn’t miss any practice time in training camp because of the injury.

After the sack, Rodgers stayed on the ground and had to be helped to the sideline by two members of the medical staff. He spent a few minutes in the injury tent before being carted down the sideline. He got out and limped through the midfield tunnel toward the locker room.

“As we were trying to lift him up or talk to him about getting up, he was just like, ‘No. I’m not getting up,'” guard Alijah Vera-Tucker said. “Any time a player says that, you know it’s probably not good, definitely not the most ideal thing to have happen.”

Former starter Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers, threw a touchdown pass and helped rally the Jets to a come-from-behind victory. Afterward, the mood was dampened by Rodgers’ injury.

“Personally, I don’t hurt for me, I don’t hurt for our locker room, I hurt for Aaron and how much he has invested in all this,” Saleh said. “I’m still going to say a prayer and hold out hope. My heart is with Aaron.”

Rodgers wasn’t available after the game; he had already left the stadium. He was in the locker room at halftime, with several players saying afterward that they told him they loved him.

The injury occurred on an odd play. It was supposed to be a quick pass, but Rodgers held the ball and extended the play. Left tackle Duane Brown, expecting a quick throw, fired out of his stance and tried to cut block Floyd. But Brown stumbled, leaving Floyd with a clear path to Rodgers.

Brown was disconsolate after the game.

“It was a cut block. I went to cut the defensive end,” he said softly. “He played it well and he got home and Aaron got hit. … It sucks, man. I got all the love and respect for Aaron. I just hate to not see him out there.”

Zack Rosenblatt and Matthew Fairbairn of The Athletic on what happened afterwards:

The New York Jets overcame an early injury to star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to beat the Buffalo Bills in dramatic fashion at MetLife Stadium on Monday. Here’s what you need to know:

Undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson sealed a 22-16 victory with a 65-yard touchdown on a punt return in overtime.

Trailing 13-6 late in the fourth quarter, New York’s Garrett Wilson made a spectacular 3-yard touchdown catch to tie the game with 4:55 remaining.

Bills QB Josh Allen — who finished 29-of-41 with 236 passing yards and a touchdown — was picked off three times by Jets safety Jordan Whitehead and lost a fumble.

Rodgers exited his team debut after getting sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd on New York’s first drive of the game. Jets coach Robert Saleh said Rodgers is feared to have suffered an Achilles injury.

Gipson the hero in OT win

Everyone in the Jets organization has been raving about Gipson for weeks, coaches and teammates. He won a job on the final 53-man roster largely because of his skills as a returner, and his potential as a receiver. Well, he showed exactly what he’s capable of on a walk-off touchdown.

This is what Garrett Wilson said about Gipson on Thursday: “Let me just say this: Zay is a special person. He has a huge heart. That’s the main thing I noticed about him when he got here. When it came to football it was a slow burn. He always was ballin but then it was like: Oh, this is an every day-type thing with Zay. He was consistent. That’s one of those words that’s everything in football, how consistent can you do it. Zay embodies that. He came out every day and was the same person.

“He’s got a special ability. I tell him, if you can do that every day, you’re going to be one of the top dudes in this league for a while. He’s got all the ability in the world. He’s got a great head on his shoulders and I’m excited to see what he does with it. I’m happy he’s on our team because he can ball and y’all will be hip on that here soon.” — Rosenblatt

Defense keeps Jets afloat

The Jets’ defense will need to be nearly perfect most weeks if they’re going to survive however long Rodgers is out. This was a nice start. The defense kept the Jets afloat — like they often did last year — and showed why this is a legitimate Super Bowl contender … with the right quarterback. Last year the Jets had trouble forcing turnovers — on Monday night, they forced four, three of them coming on interceptions thrown to Whitehead. Saleh said this about Whitehead on Aug. 31:

“He had a really good year last year. I know he dropped four interceptions, which would have changed everybody’s perception about what he did, but he was phenomenal last year, and I think he’s going to be even better this year.”

Well, Whitehead didn’t have that problem against the Bills. The Jets absolutely stifled Allen — who committed all four turnovers — and their much-hyped defensive line was dominant. That group had five sacks — with two from defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson — plus seven tackles for loss and nine QB hits. Then, they stopped the Bills offense in overtime, setting up Gipson’s punt return touchdown. — Rosenblatt

Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall shine on offense

The Jets’ two youngest offensive stars showed they’re both ready for an encore after impressive rookie seasons. Garrett Wilson did what everyone expected, making a remarkable 3-yard touchdown catch with 4:55 remaining where he was draped in coverage, bobbled the pass from Zach Wilson and tipped it to himself as he was falling.

The more surprising star, though, was running back Breece Hall, who seems to be on a much faster path back to his old self than expected coming off a torn ACL. Hall ran 10 times for 127 yards — including an 83-yard run that set up a short Greg Zuerlein field goal in the second quarter. If Zach Wilson can take care of the ball, maybe Garrett Wilson, Hall and the defense can take care of the rest for a while. — Rosenblatt

Allen, Bills bottled up by Jets

The Jets were able to keep this game close because of how they bottled up Allen and the Bills offense. The Jets sacked Allen five times, hit him eight times and picked him off three times. Allen didn’t look comfortable in the pocket all night and made careless mistakes with the football. His first two interceptions were unnecessary risky throws down the field, and the third was an off-target pass into coverage.

After all that, the game was still tied at 13, and Allen had a chance to lead the Bills down the field. Instead, he fumbled a snap and gifted the Jets prime field position for what would be a go-ahead field goal. The Jets’ defense is one of the best in the NFL and deserves plenty of credit for what it did to Allen, but the Bills’ star quarterback wasn’t sharp. To put it into perspective, this was the first time Allen had four turnovers in a game since the 2019 season opener on the road against these Jets. — Fairburn

Key stat

Gipson’s 65-yard score was just the third overtime punt return touchdown in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The Jets rookie joins Patrick Peterson (2011) and Tamarick Vanover (1995) as the only other players to achieve the feat.

What they’re saying

“I see the ball in the air and I seen I had a shot,” Gipson said of his game-winning touchdown. “I had (Justin) Hardee and Bryce Hall on the ends — I trust them guys to my core. And I just seen the opportunity and I just took it.”

ESPN was quick to throw cold water on the legitimacy of the punt return.  Alicia DeArtola of Fansided:

Xavier Gipson’s 65-yard return gave the Jets the win, but rules analyst John Parry thought a flag should have been thrown for tripping, which would have wiped out the return.

What is the NFL tripping rule?

Tripping is defined as “the use of the leg or foot to obstruct any opponent.” It is illegal.

One of the reasons the rules analyst might have been pointing out the potential infraction is the NFL made it a point of clarification this year. The league reclassified the penalty into a personal foul, which would warrant a 15-yard penalty. Players can also be subject to additional discipline from the league for tripping even if a flag is not thrown.

The big question on the Jets call is interpretation. Yes, the blocker’s foot obstructed the opponent, but was that obvious enough tripping to warrant a flag? Was it incidental? The refs on the field kept their flags in their pockets.

NFL Twitter could not care less about Jets tripping no-call

Whether or not the refs got it right, NFL Twitter was on board with the no-call.

@James30545

Nah, he tried to jump over dude and didn’t get completely over him. That ain’t tripping

@noah_p42

Nah that’s not tripping by definition. Tripping has to be intentional. He dove shoulder first and his leg happened to clip him

@ProFootballTalk

That supposed missed tripping call on the punt return is not nearly as blatant and clear as John Parry was making it out to be.

@ToneDigz

That wouldve been a very very ticky tack tripping call. Lets relax on that Mr Ref Specialist Guy.

@DemocracyBilly4

@ESPN  wtf is John Perry’s problem. Bringing up a tripping call when game is over. I don’t root for either team but that was weird

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com crunched some numbers:

Xavier Gipson did something rare in NFL history on Monday night.

Gipson won the game for the Jets with a punt return touchdown in overtime, and it was just the third time in NFL history that a punt was returned for a touchdown in overtime. Bills-Jets was the 650th regular-season overtime game in NFL history.

Of those 650 games, the Jets are just the 12th team in NFL history to win after kicking off in overtime, without their offense ever taking the field.

The Jets were the 280th team to win in overtime after losing the coin toss. In 341 overtime games the team winning the coin toss has on the game, and 29 overtime games have ended tied. So the team winning the coin toss has a .547 winning percentage.

It was the 175th overtime game to end with a touchdown, compared to 443 that have ended with a field goal, three that have ended with a safety and 29 ties.

The initial response is that QB ZACH WILSON, who was somewhere between ok and fine on Monday, will stay the course with the Jets roster that is far better than when he was a 2021 rookie.  But Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com has been noodling other options:

So, where do the Jets go from here? Just because Rodgers is shelved doesn’t mean the Jets’ season is over. With their elite defense and a rushing attack headlined by Dalvin Cook and Breece Hall, New York can be in the playoff mix. Saleh said former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson will be the guy moving forward, but who knows what will really happen?

Below, we will rank five quarterback options for the Jets.

5. Sign veteran Carson Wentz

If the Jets want to add a veteran who could start, well, Wentz is an option to consider. The former No. 2 overall pick has played for three teams over the last three years, the most recent being the Washington Commanders in 2022. Wentz went 2-5 as the starter for Washington, throwing for 1,755 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight total games played.

4. Roll with Zach Wilson

This is the most likely scenario. Whether you like it or not, the Jets could move forward with Wilson, as Saleh said Monday night. He has certainly been through the ringer early in his NFL career, but the Jets haven’t fully given up on him yet. In 2022, he became the first quarterback since Ed Brown in 1957-58 to record the worst passer rating in the NFL in back-to-back seasons.

Wilson completed 14 of 21 passes for 140 yards, one touchdown and one interception Monday night. He rebounded from an ugly INT in the first half to lead a 13-0 run in the second half. Something he has over the other quarterbacks on this list is that he has been working in this new offense all offseason. Wilson is also a very underrated runner, but his biggest issue is decision-making.

3. Trade for Jameis Winston

There could be a few intriguing signal-callers available via trade. Winston has accepted his role as a backup in New Orleans, but he may be a top 32 QB in the NFL. He’s infamous for the “30 and 30” season he had with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, but he’s thrown 18 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions with the New Orleans Saints.

Winston went 5-2 as the starter for New Orleans in 2021 before a torn ACL cost him the season, and then a back injury prematurely ended his 2022 campaign. Injuries are obviously an issue for the former No. 1 overall pick, but he’s a gunslinger that could get the most out of downfield weapons like Garrett Wilson. If the Jets are perusing the trade market, Winston is an option.

2. Trade for Jacoby Brissett

Jacoby Brissett was the loser in the Commanders’ quarterback battle, but he was impressive starting for the Cleveland Browns while Deshaun Watson served his suspension last year. The Browns were top 12 in points per game and yards per game with Brissett in 2022.

The 30-year-old has started in 48 games, and has thrown 48 touchdowns compared to 23 interceptions. New York could make the playoffs with him. It’s unknown if Washington would consider parting ways with Brissett, as he’s the vet that can replace the young Sam Howell at any given moment. But Brissett is an option nonetheless.

1. Lure Tom Brady out of retirement

Wouldn’t this be something. The Goat just took part in a Week 1 halftime ceremony with the New England Patriots where he got to run around Gillette Stadium in the No. 12 again in front of a raucous crowd. He told his fans that he is a “Patriot for life,” but this is the same guy that retired from football only to return to the Bucs months later!

Not only would Brady have to want to return and want to play against his former team in the AFC East, but then there’s the issue of his ownership stake with the Las Vegas Raiders, which could cause some issues.

Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? There’s no such thing in the NFL.

Who else?  Well, the DB was surprised to see how good QB ANDY DALTON’s numbers were last year with New Orleans.  He’s now holding a clipboard behind QB BRYCE YOUNG in Carolina.

THIS AND THAT

RIP MIKE WILLIAMS

This is sad news.  WR Mike Williams, the one from Syracuse who played for the Buccaneers, and not the one from Tampa who went to USC and not the one who plays for the Chargers, has died after a terrible accident an.

Former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams has died, his agent said Tuesday. He was 36.

Agent Hadley Engelhard said Williams died Tuesday morning at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida.

Williams had been hospitalized in intensive care after an accident at a construction site in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, that left him partially paralyzed. The Tampa Bay Times, citing Tierney Lyle, the mother of Williams’ 8-year-old daughter, reported he was taken off a ventilator Thursday.

Williams was from Buffalo, New York, and played nearby at Syracuse University.

He burst onto the scene in 2010 as a fourth-round pick with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, catching 65 passes for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. His touchdown-reception total set the single-season club mark at the time for any player, and he wound up second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

“We are saddened to hear of the untimely death of Mike Williams, which has left our organization, his former teammates and fans with heavy hearts,” the Buccaneers said in a statement. “We send our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy.”