The NFL opener in a quick check
For Burrow, a mega contract is followed by a mega slap
September 11, 2023, 5:59 a.m
In contrast to the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles are not showing any weakness at the start of the NFL. At the New England Patriots, the team around quarterback Jalen Hurts won 25:20. The losing team in the Super Bowl is one of several teams off to a good start. Among other things, the Miami Dolphins impress in a wild duel. The first matchday in a short summary.
Last season’s promoted sensation just keeps going: Quarterback surprise Brock Purdy made a strong comeback for the San Francisco 49ers at the start of the season. The team won convincingly at the Pittsburgh Steelers with 30:7 and thus achieved their eighth win in the ninth game with Purdy as a playmaker. The only loss comes from the final game of last season, when the 49ers lost the National Football Conference Finals after Purdy injured his elbow early on and required surgery after the game.
A year ago, the now 23-year-old was only number three in the quarterback hierarchy for the 49ers and was only used because both of his competitors were injured. Now the 49ers around Purdy and stars Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are among the title candidates. Purdy finished with two touchdown passes and throws for a total of 220 yards against the Steelers.
The Chiefs lose and what does Super Bowl opponent Philadelphia do? Defending champion Kansas City Chiefs around star quarterback Patrick Mahomes surprisingly lost at home against the Detroit Lions on Friday night. At 21:20 for the guests, Amon-Ra St. Brown scored the first touchdown of the season and took the lead. Now, three days later, Super Bowl competitor Philadelphia also got involved and completed its first task with a 25:20 win over the New England Patriots. The Eagles started brilliantly and quickly took a 16-0 lead. After that, however, the guests didn’t manage to do much. The Patriots, on the other hand, turned up the heat midway through the second quarter and scored two touchdowns before halftime thanks to strong quarterback Mac Jones. For the Eagles, however, Jake Elliott then scored three field goals in a row from at least 48 yards each in wet weather, putting his team at a distance.
A gigantic contract does not ensure gigantic benefits: The Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow, on the other hand, experienced bitter disappointment. Shortly after Burrow agreed to a new five-year contract with the team and became the highest-paid football player in the NFL, the Bengals suffered a 3:24 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Burrow only had 82 yards on passes. This isn’t just underground for him. He remained on the bench a few minutes before the end – one thing is certain: he had injured his calf a few days ago.
The winner of the matchday comes from Miami: The duel between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Chargers developed into a wild shootout, with the Dolphins winning 36:34. The outstanding man on the field was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He threw passes for a total of 466 yards and three touchdowns. This is offset by an interception, but the 25-year-old is nevertheless a clear winner of the matchday. And another Dolphin delivers extremely well: Tyreek Hill. The “Cheetah” offered viewers an absolute spectacle. There are 215 yards run, topped off by two touchdowns. An incredible game from the exceptional receiver.
And what will the Packers do without legend Aaron Rodgers? Well, they just win: 28:20 against the Chicago Bears. Arguably the biggest shoes in the NFL had to be filled by Jordan Love, who has to replace Rogders after more than 15 years. He did this brilliantly against the Bears: Although he only completed 15 of his 27 passes, he gained 245 yards of space and three touchdowns. Rodgers will only play his first NFL game in the new jersey with the New York Jets on Tuesday night against the Buffalo Bills.
What is there to report from a German perspective? The season also started with a success for Jakob Johnson from Stuttgart. Against the Denver Broncos, his Las Vegas Raiders got a 17:16. The Raiders gave new Broncos coach Sean Payton a good start as quarterback Russell Wilson’s boss.
And without Tom Brady it just doesn’t work: Three years after his departure from the New England Patriots, the team has officially said goodbye to quarterback superstar Tom Brady. At halftime when the Patriots lost 20:25 to the Philadelphia Eagles, there was a ceremony with videos from their time together and lots of applause for the now 46-year-old. Brady played for the team for 20 years and led the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories during that time. In 2020 he went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won the Super Bowl for a seventh time. After last season, Brady ended his career as the most successful professional in NFL history.
“One thing that will never change is that I am a patriot for life,” Brady said, thanking him for “another day in this stadium that I will never forget.” Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that he wanted to induct Brady into the Patriots Hall of Fame next summer in front of 65,000 spectators, ignoring the four-year deadline between the end of his career and induction for his former quarterback.