National Football League

Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray put NFC West's firepower on display in respective victories

Updated Sep. 13, 2021 2:01 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Nine games highlighted the early slate on the first Sunday of the 2021 NFL season.

While teams returned to the field, fans also returned to the stands, setting the stage for great pregame scenes that were sorely missed a season ago.

On the field, there was no shortage of drama. 

Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray put on showcase displays for the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, respectively, while the Pittsburgh Steelers went to upstate New York and earned a big victory over the Buffalo Bills.

We almost had a tie to start things off in Week 1, too!

Here are the major takeaways from the early window of Week 1:

Steelers stun Bills

The Pittsburgh Steelers bottled up Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills for a noteworthy 23-16 victory at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

For more up-to-date news on all things Steelers, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Ben Roethlisberger went 18-for-32 for 188 yards, leaning on crucial plays from the defense and special teams to snag the upset of Buffalo.

Among those making an impression was T.J. Watt, who inked a huge-money extension with the Steelers heading into the season. 

The biggest play for Pittsburgh, which trailed 10-0 at halftime, came on a blocked punt in the fourth quarter, which the Steelers scooped up and ran in for a touchdown to make the score 20-10.

Wilson makes early statement

It’s well documented that Russell Wilson, despite consistently being one of the league’s top quarterbacks, has yet to receive a single regular-season MVP vote. 

In the Seahawks' 28-16 victory against the Indianapolis Colts, the 32-year-old QB staked an early claim to make a push for the award.

Wilson closed up shop with a final stat line of 18-for-23 for 254 yards, four touchdowns and a 152.3 passer rating. On the other side, Carson Wentz got the start for the Colts after having foot surgery Aug. 2. 

The 2016 No. 2 overall pick went 25-for-37 for 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns, making an impression in his regular-season debut for his new team.

However, Wilson torched Indy’s defense, and Seattle’s D kept the Colts largely hemmed in as Indy lost its eighth straight season opener, the longest active Week 1 losing streak in the NFL.

For more up-to-date news on all things Seahawks, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Marvelous Murray leads Cards

The vaunted NFC West looks like it’ll be even more difficult than many originally predicted, as the Arizona Cardinals showed they mean business in a 38-13 triumph over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

Kyler Murray dazzled in the blowout, throwing four TD passes and rushing for another. 

Murray finished 21-for-32 for 289 yards and an interception. DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk both caught a pair of scores apiece.

Even when the Titans thought they had Murray corralled, he’d do the unthinkable. 

For more up-to-date news on all things Cardinals, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Overshadowed by Murray’s offensive spectacle was a sensational game from linebacker Chandler Jones, who racked up five sacks against Ryan Tannehill and the Titans' offense.

Jones had three sacks in the first quarter alone, as the Cardinals put the NFL on notice in Week 1.

Jimmy G carves up Lions

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan might have kept his starting QB under wraps as best he could heading into Week 1, but Jimmy Garoppolo showed why he was the choice over rookie Trey Lance in a 41-33 win over the Detroit Lions.

Lance did get on the field, though, and he threw a TD on the first pass of his NFL career. 

But it was Garoppolo who put on a show, completing 17 of 25 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown.

For more up-to-date news on all things 49ers, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Meanwhile, Jared Goff had an up-and-down outing in his debut for his new team. The new Lions signal-caller went 38-for-57 for 338 yards and three touchdowns, but he threw a pick-six just before halftime. 

Goff’s interception marked his third straight season throwing a pick-six against the Niners. 

For more up-to-date news on all things Lions, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

The Niners had to sweat out the final few minutes after Detroit rallied from being down 41-17 early in the fourth to 41-33 in the game’s closing seconds. In the end, the Lions came up short after failing to convert a fourth down, allowing San Francisco to take over and kneel out the remainder of the game.

Chargers outlast Washington

Justin Herbert, the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year, won his duel against Chase Young, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, in the Los Angeles Chargers' 20-16 victory over the Washington Football Team.

The two young phenoms exchanged quick pleasantries ahead of kickoff.

Herbert went 31-for-47 for a touchdown and an interception, finding Keenan Allen for nine catches for 100 yards and Mike Williams eight times for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Misfortune struck WFT in the second quarter, when starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick exited the game with a hip injury and did not return. Taylor Heinicke entered in his place, completing 11 of 15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

For more up-to-date news on all things WFT, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

An Antonio Gibson fumble in the fourth quarter proved to be costly for Washington. Gifted a short field, the Chargers cashed in to take the lead with 11:25 left and wouldn’t look back.

For more up-to-date news on all things Chargers, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Bengals narrowly avoid a tie

The first tie of the 2021 NFL season nearly came in the first window of Sunday games, but the Cincinnati Bengals did just enough to avoid that outcome against the Minnesota Vikings.

After a scoreless first quarter, the offenses picked up in the second. Joe Burrow, making his return after a devastating injury a season ago, completed 74.1% of his passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns against Minnesota.

After a difficult preseason, rookie Ja’Marr Chase, bounced back with a team-high five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

For more up-to-date news on all things Bengals, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Adam Thielen, who had nine receptions for 92 yards and two scores, was the favored target of Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.

For more up-to-date news on all things Vikings, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

The Vikings scored 10 fourth-quarter points, leaving the game knotted at 24-24 at the end of regulation. In the extra period, neither team had much success on offense. 

A fumble from Dalvin Cook after the two-minute warning gave the Bengals a window to win, which they capitalized on. After driving down the field behind running back Joe Mixon and Burrow, rookie kicker Evan McPherson drilled a 34-yard field goal as time expired to secure the overtime victory. 

Texans torch Jags

The Houston Texans put a hurt on Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, drumming them 37-21 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Tyrod Taylor went 21-for-33 for 291 yards and two TDs, hooking up often with Brandin Cooks, who finished with five receptions for 132 yards.

For more up-to-date news on all things Texans, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Lawrence, who went 28-for-51 for 332 yards, had his moments and got the Jags on the board early in the second quarter with a delightful pass to tight end Chris Manhertz.

For more up-to-date news on all things Jaguars, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

The 22-yard pass marked Lawrence’s first career TD, and he had three for the game. However, he wouldn’t pick up his first career victory. His three interceptions didn’t help in that department. 

Lawrence joins a long list of quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall who have failed to win their first career start.

Including Lawrence’s loss, No. 1 overall QBs have gone 0-13-1 in their respective debuts.

Darnold gets revenge against Jets

Sam Darnold got the better of his former team as the Carolina Panthers outlasted the New York Jets with a 19-14 victory.

Fittingly, Darnold hooked up with Robby Anderson, another Jets castoff, for the first touchdown of the game.

For more up-to-date news on all things Panthers, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Darnold completed 68.8% of his passes for 279 yards and the score while also rushing for a short TD. Christian McCaffrey played a major role in the victory, rushing for 98 yards and catching a team-high nine passes for 89 yards.

Zach Wilson had some early struggles but managed to settle in as the game went on.

When the dust settled, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft went 20-for-37 for 258 yards, two TDs and an interception in his regular-season debut.

For more up-to-date news on all things Jets, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Hurts hounds Falcons

Led by Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles ended an 0-3 streak against the Atlanta Falcons since 2009 with an impressive 32-6 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Their first-round pick, Devonta Smith, opened the scoring with a TD catch to put the Eagles up 7-3 on their first possession of the game. 

Smith wrapped up his day with six catches for 71 yards and a score. It was Hurts, however, who stole the show in Philly’s victory. At halftime, the second-year QB was 18-for-24 for 169 yards and two TDs, plus 37 yards on the ground.

For more up-to-date news on all things Eagles, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

The 23-year-old QB finished the contest 27-for-35 for 263 yards and a trio of touchdowns, handing the Falcons their fourth straight Week 1 loss.

For more up-to-date news on all things NFL, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League

Seattle Seahawks

Indianapolis Colts

San Francisco 49ers

Detroit Lions

Minnesota Vikings

Cincinnati Bengals

Philadelphia Eagles

Atlanta Falcons

Pittsburgh Steelers

Buffalo Bills

Arizona Cardinals

Tennessee Titans

Los Angeles Chargers

Washington Commanders

New York Jets

Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans

Kyler Murray

Russell Wilson

Trevor Lawrence

Joe Burrow

Jalen Hurts

Ja'Marr Chase

T.J. Watt

Justin Herbert

Kirk Cousins