The Student News Site of Florida Gulf Coast University

Eagle Media

Eagle Media

Eagle Media

A look at opening week in the National Football League

After a long four weeks of exhibition games, the wait is over and football season is here. The first week of the NFL season was eventful as we saw teams begin their long road to the Super Bowl.
The week began Thursday night when the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks began the year with a bang against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks picked up right where they left off last season, winning the game 36-16.
Rodgers took his up-tempo offense downfield, taking the first lead of the game with just over a minute to go in the first quarter.
Following the Seahawks’ slow, three-point first quarter, Marshawn Lynch and the rest of the offense returned to last year’s form. Lynch rushed for 110 yards and added two touchdowns on the night alongside Russell Wilson’s two touchdowns and 191 passing yards.
Looking to return from a very disappointing last season, the Houston Texans had a great start to the new season with a 17-6 win over the Washington Redskins. The Texans were lead by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who passed for 206 yards with one touchdown and took the lead after a 76-yard touchdown reception by DeAndre Hopkins in the second quarter. The victory snaps a 14-game losing streak for Houston.
An exciting week one for football fans saw two games head into overtime and six games end with deficits less than 10 points. Among those overtime thrillers were games involving the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears. Despite Jay Cutler’s 349 yards and two touchdowns, the Bears faltered after a failed series to open the extra quarter of play. Fred Jackson took over for the Bills, bringing them to the 1-yard line with a 38-yard run and putting them into perfect position for a game-winning field goal.
According to NFL.com, Seattle currently sits at the top of the power rankings following its week-one domination over the Packers. The Seahawks look to become the first team to successfully defend their Super Bowl title since the Patriots in 2004.
New England sits seventh in the power rankings following its week-one loss to the Miami Dolphins. Tom Brady had a poor day throwing the ball, and it looks like his days are coming to an end slowly. Ryan Tannehill of the Dolphins looked to be coming into his own this past weekend as he led his team to the 33-20 victory.
A Week One filled with upsets and nail-biters shook up the league to begin the new season. The top two teams, according to ESPN.com, Seattle and Denver, held on to the top of the rankings while five of the top 10 teams lost their footing heading into week two. The Patriots look to rebound against Minnesota to avoid the worst start to a season for them in more than 10 years while Atlanta looks to stay hot heading into No. 5-ranked Cincinnati. Will the second week of the season shake up the league or will the powerhouses continue to dominate?

Story continues below advertisement
More to Discover