Week 1 of the 2023 NFL regular season looked a lot like Week 4 of the 2023 NFL preseason for too many teams.
The first Sunday of the season was littered with sloppy performances. Great quarterbacks looked lost. The Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks were defeated by teams who looked like they’d be better off tanking this offseason. The Cincinnati Bengals got beat by some elves.
But interwoven with that disappointment was plenty to like. In some cases it was the silver lining of a losing effort. In others it was an outright domination and statement about their Super Bowl aspirations. And, for what’s likely a couple of these items, it was an aberration that nonetheless sparked hope before the weather got too cold.
Here are the five things I liked the most about Week 1, from Mac Jones’ modest competence (a step forward!) to the Packers’ Jordan Love safety net.