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Monday, September 13, 2021
There's nothing better than the first weekend of NFL football and that's exactly what 99% of the country got on Sunday. I say 99% because I'm not exactly sure what the Packers did qualifies as football so everyone in Wisconsin is going to have to wait another week to witness an actual NFL game. 
The only upside for the Packers after their 38-3 loss is that they're still in first place in the NFC North and that's because every team in that division lost on Sunday. Normally, I'd say 0-1 is a bad thing, but not in Detroit, because THE LIONS ARE IN FIRST PLACE BABY. That's a sentence I definitely didn't think I'd type out a single time this entire season, but here we are. Dan Campbell's strategy of biting off knee caps is already working. 
Anyway, we have a lot to cover today, so let's get to the rundown. 
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1. Today's show: Week 1 winners and losers, plus full recap
It's Monday, which can only mean one thing: I stayed up until 3 a.m. last night recording a podcast with Will Brinson and Ryan Wilson that touched on everything you need to know about Week 1, and let me just say, it's probably for the best that you listen. We covered all 14 games from Sunday, which means we likely spent some time talking about your favorite team. 
One thing we do every week is hand out our weekly winners and losers from Sunday's action. For our winners this week, Wilson and Brinson went with bird teams, but I spoiled our ornithological theme by going full homer.  
Ryan Wilson
  • Winner: Cardinals. It wasn't surprising that the Cardinals won on Sunday, but the way they did it was surprising: They absolutely steamrolled the Titans and Chandler Jones did most of the steamrolling with five sacks of Ryan Tannehill. The only player more impressive than Jones was Kyler Murray, who totaled five touchdowns.   
  • Loser: Browns. No one is worse at playing in NFL openers than the Browns and they proved that on Sunday. After taking a 29-20 lead in the third quarter, the Browns totally melted down in all three phases of  the game. The defense gave up a 75-yard TD pass to Tyreek Hill. The punter bobbled a snap that basically gave Kansas City a free touchdown and the offense imploded over the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter with just 37 yards and a Baker Mayfield interception that sealed the loss. The Browns are now 0-16-1 in openers since Week 1 of the 2005 season. 
Will Brinson
  • Winner: Eagles. New coach Nick Sirianni looks like he actually knows how to use Jalen Hurts at quarterback, which should be a scary thought for the rest of the NFC East. Two days ago, the Eagles were a trendy last-place pick in the division, but after one week, they look like they might contend for the title.   
  • Loser: Packers.  The award for most embarrassing loss of Week 1 definitely goes to the Packers, who looked like they forgot how to play football. The only consolation for the Packers is that the last time a team lost 38-3 to the Saints, that team went on to win the Super Bowl (The Saints beat the Buccaneers 38-3 last season).
John Breech
  • Winner: Bengals.  Ja'marr Chase can't catch. Joe Burrow is having a horrible training camp. Drafting a kicker in the fifth round was dumb. The Bengals are going to suck. It's not easy to shut up all of your critics with just one win, but I think the Bengals might have actually managed to do that. 
  • Loser: Jaguars.  The Urban Meyer experiment is already looking like a disaster. The Jags' opener against Houston was supposed to be one of their best shots of picking up a win this season and they got blown out. To get an idea of just how badly things are already going in Jacksonville, you should read Jason La Canfora's take from Sunday and you can do that by clicking here
Not only did we list our winners and losers, but we also recapped every game from Sunday. To listen to today's episode -- and to subscribe to the best daily NFL podcast out there -- be sure to click here
2. Rookie receivers taken in the top 10 go off in Week 1
It's not often that you see three receivers get selected in the top 10 of an NFL Draft, but that's exactly what happened this year, marking just the second time since 2006 that three receivers have gone that high. Taking a receiver that high can be a gamble, but so far, that gamble has paid off for the Bengals, Dolphins and Eagles as their rookie receivers all had impressive games in Week 1. 
Here's a look at how they did: 
  • Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals selected him with the fifth overall pick). After being plagued by drops during training camp, Chase suddenly remembered how to catch the ball on Sunday and Burrow took advantage of that. Chase caught five passes for 101 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown just before halftime that you can check out by clicking here
  • Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins selected him with the sixth overall pick). Waddle didn't have as many catches as the other two guys on this list, but he made the most of them. The Dolphins rookie caught four passes, including a crucial 3-yard TD catch in the third quarter that ended up providing the winning points. Waddle also had an impressive 36-yard catch on a day where he finished with 61 yards. 
  • DeVonta Smith (Eagles selected him with the 10th overall pick). Although Smith missed several weeks of training camp with a knee injury, he looked perfect healthy during Philadelphia's 32-6 win over Atlanta. Not only did Smith lead the team in receiving yards with 71, but he also tied for the team lead in receptions with six. Smith also caught an 18-yard TD in the first quarter that gave the Eagles the lead for good. 
All three receivers have one big thing in common and that's the fact that they were college teammates with their quarterback, which might help explain why they seem to have such a good connection with their QB just one week into the NFL season. 
3. Monday preview: Prepping you for Ravens at Raiders
Every team in the AFC West won on Sunday and the Raiders will be looking to make it a clean sweep with a win over Baltimore. Of course, that won't be easy and that's mainly because no one is really expecting the Raiders to win. The Ravens are favored by four and that number hasn't changed much even though Baltimore has lost its top three running backs to season-ending injuries over the past few weeks.  
My good buddy Jared Dubin put our deep-dive preview for this game here at CBSSports.com, and here's how he sees the game playing out:
  • Why the Ravens can win: The Ravens backfield has taken a beating over the past few weeks as the team has lost each of their top three running backs for the season  (JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill). Despite that, the Ravens still have Lamar Jackson and they still have an upgraded offensive line compared to last year and they're going up against a Raiders defense that might not be that good, which means Jackson could end up having a big night.  
  • Why the Raiders can win:  With fans in attendance at Allegiant Stadium for the first time ever, the Raiders are going to need to ride their home-field advantage to a victory. On paper, the Ravens are the more talented team, but the Raiders should have enough weapons on offense to keep this interesting. 
Dubin's pick: Ravens 24-16 over Raiders.
My pick: Raiders 34-31 over Ravens. I'M PICKING THE UPSET.
If you're thinking about betting on the game, Tyler Sullivan put together a full gambling preview. 
  • ONE PROP TYLER LIKES: Henry Ruggs OVER 34.5 receiving yards (-115): "Ruggs hit the Over on this prop in six of his 13 games during his rookie season and the former first-round pick should be an even bigger piece to this Las Vegas offense as he steps into Year 2. The fact that Nelson Agholor and Tyrell Williams are no longer on the roster also clears up some more opportunities for Ruggs."
  • ONE PROP I LIKE: Lamar Jackson to score a TD (+100): With all his running backs injured, I have a feeling Lamar is going to look to make some magic happen any time the Ravens get in the red zone tonight, so I won't be surprised at all if he ends up scoring a TD. The fact that this bet is even-money makes me love it even more.  
You can check out Sullivan's full gambling preview by clicking here
4. Week 1 grades: Packers get an 'F'
Every week I team up with six of my colleagues here at CBSSports.com to hand out grades, and this week we all shed a tear as Jameis Winston and the Saints graduated out of our imaginary football school with an 'A+' performance in their shocking win over the Packers. 
Here's a look at the grades from two notable games that were played Sunday:
Saints 38, Packers 3 (Click here for full recap)
  • Saints takeaway: The biggest surprising of Week 1 might have been how well Jameis Winston played. The man who became known as the human turnover machine in Tampa Bay didn't have a single turnover. Oh, and he also threw FIVE touchdown passes. The only thing more surprising than Winston's performance was how easily the Saints defense was able to shut down Green Bay's high-powered offense. Grade: A+
  • Packers takeaway:  The Packers should probably just burn the film from this game and forget it ever happened. They couldn't do anything right, they couldn't get out of their own away and I'm pretty sure Aaron Rodgers gave up all hope of winning at some point in the third quarter. Grade: F
Steelers 23, Bills 16 (Click here for full recap)
  • Steelers takeaway: The Steelers defense kept things close in the first half and then once the second half of the game started, the defense finally got some help from the other two phases of the game. Ben Roethlisberger and the offense came alive in the second half with four scoring drives, which was mildly shocking considering they only totaled 54 YARDS in the ENTIRE FIRST HALF. The special teams also came through big time with a blocked punt for a touchdown. This win marked the first time in franchise history that the Steelers overcame a halftime deficit of 10 points or more in an opener. Grade: A
  • Bills takeaway:  After taking a 10-0 lead at half time, the Bills seemed to completely melt down in the second half. Last year, it seemed like the coaching staff was always making the right calls, but there will definitely be some second-guessing after this loss thanks mostly to the fact that the Bills failed twice on pivotal fourth downs in the second half. The special teams also allowed the Steelers to return a blocked punt for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which effectively iced the win for Pittsburgh. Grade: D
As for the other 24 grades we handed out on Sunday, you can check those out by clicking here
5. Week 1 injuries: Ryan Fitzpatrick placed on IR with hip injury
Hopefully we won't need to have an injury roundup every week, but there were so many injuries around the NFL over the weekend that we definitely needed one for today. 
Here's a look at the biggest injuries from Week 1: 
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick placed on IR. Washington's new quarterback didn't even make it through one game with his new team. Fitzpatrick suffered a hip injury and will miss multiple weeks and possibly longer, depending on the severity of the injury. To add depth at QB, Washington signed Kyle Shurmur to its practice squad. As for this week's game, Taylor Heinicke will likely be the starter on Thursday night against the Giants.  
  • 49ers lose Jason Verrett. The 49ers fear that Verrett tore his ACL on Sunday and if that's the case, then he'll be out for the season. With Verrett likely out, there's a chance the 49ers could look to make a reunion happen with Richard Sherman . Raheem Mostert (knee) was also injured in the 49ers' 41-33 win, but the team doesn't believe it will be season ending. 
  • Lions lose Jeff Okudah. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is done for the season after rupturing his Achilles against the 49ers. It's a big blow for a player that was looking to bounce back after an up-and-down rookie year. 
  • Jerry Jeudy sprains his ankle. The injury to the Broncos receiver was bad enough on Sunday that he had to be carted off the field. However, the Broncos got some good news when the X-rays came back negative. The diagnosis is a high-ankle sprain, which means Jeudy likely won't be back until some time in October at the earliest. 
  • Bears lose two tackles. The Bears were down to their third left tackle on Sunday after both Jason Peters (quad) and his backup Larry Borom (ankle) had to leave the game due to injuries. If both are out in Week 2, that would be a huge blow for the Bears offensive line.
  • Mekhi Becton injures his knee. The Jets second-year offensive lineman had to be carted off the field on Sunday against the Panthers. The initial diagnosis is that Becton had a kneecap dislocation that popped back into place , which means he'll definitely be back on the field sooner rather than later, but there's no clear timeline for his return just yet. 
  • Michael Gallup likely out for multiple weeks. This injury happened Thursday, but it's still notable. The Cowboys receiver is likely going to miss multiple weeks after suffering a calf injury against the Buccaneers.
  • Browns tackle Jedrick Wills (ankle) day to day: Willis was injured during Sunday's loss to the Chiefs but coach Kevin Stefanski had good news today as Wills' X-rays came back negative
A couple other players were also injured on Sunday and didn't return, but it's not clear what their prognosis is right now. They include: Patriots tackle Trent Brown (knee) and Chargers tackle Bryan Bulaga (back).
6. Rapid-fire roundup
It was a busy weekend in the NFL and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. 
  • Vikings legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mick Tinglehoff passes away. After being signed as an undrafted free agent in 1962, Tinglehoff went on to play his entire 17-year career in Minnesota and the craziest part is that he never missed a single game with team (That's 240 straight games if you're scoring at home). The Vikings legend went to the Pro Bowl six times and was named an All-Pro a total of five times. Tingelhoff was 81. For more details on his life, be sure to click here
  • Marshon Lattimore lands monstrous extension. After the Saints beat the Packers on Sunday, Lattimore landed a nice reward from the team in the form of a a five-year, $97.6 million extension that includes $68.3 million in guaranteed money. The guarantee represents the largest one that's ever been given to a corner. Unfortunately, Lattimore might not be on the field in Week 2 and that's because he's set to undergo thumb surgery, which will make him week to week going forward. 
  • Eagles also hand out a giant contract extension. The Eagles and Jordan Mailata agreed to terms on a four-year, $64 million extension over the weekend. Mailata is now the team's starting left tackle, which seems almost impossible to believe when you consider that as recently as three years ago, he had never even played football. 
  • Cowboys La'el Collins hit with five-game suspension. The Cowboys are going to have to go the next five weeks without one of their top linemen after Collins was given a five-game suspension by the NFL on Friday. According to NFL.com, Collins was suspended because he missed multiple drug tests.  
 
 
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