Week 1 in the NFL dropped some absolute bombs, and not just for teams we expected to struggle. Three playoff-hopeful NFC squads, including last season’s Rams, Packers, and Panthers, all kicked off their campaigns with a loss. But it was the Los Angeles Rams, falling 27-7 to the 49ers, who truly hit rock bottom, becoming the only team in their division without a win and the only one across the entire group of highlighted teams failing to score double-digit points.
LA’s International Fiasco and the Low Panic Meter
Are you kidding me with that 27-7 drubbing by the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia? Matthew Stafford took a hit early after a pass, and honestly, the whole thing felt off. The Rams are currently sitting at the absolute bottom of their division, and they were the *only* team mentioned that couldn’t even break double-digits in Week 1. That’s just rough. And speaking of bad news, Myles Garrett is reportedly out for the next four games. Just another layer to the early season chaos, huh? The good news, if you can call it that after a performance like that, is that LA has had a full week and a half to chew on what went wrong against the Niners. They’ve got the Giants up next, and hopefully, they’re well-rested and fired up after what must have been an exhausting trip back from Australia. The league better hope they are, because there are no more international games on their schedule. The Panic Meter for the Rams is sitting at a low, which is wild considering their upcoming road trips to Philadelphia and Denver look absolutely daunting.
Panthers’ Record-Setting Loss: A Defensive Disaster, an Offensive Spark
Now, if you thought the Rams’ loss was bad, Carolina went and lost 59-37 to the Bears. 59-37?! I had to check my eyes! That’s not football, that’s a video game score, and it goes down as the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history. On the defensive side, it was a total meltdown. They gave up a staggering 552 yards of offense, with almost 300 of those coming on the ground. Holy cow, that’s bad! They even made Caleb Williams look like an accurate quarterback for an afternoon. But here’s the kicker: the Panthers might actually have a solid offense. Yes, Chicago was missing some key defenders, but Carolina still moved the ball well for most of the game, even if they only put up 13 points in the second half. And Bryce Young? He’s cooking, picking up right where he left off after a career year. “Bryce Young did what in Week 1?!” as Corbin (@corbin_young21) asked. Like the Rams, the Panthers should be fine, especially since they’re playing in the NFC South, which is a total clown car of a division where every team started 0-1. Their Panic Meter is also fairly low, even if their talent level isn’t quite up to LA’s.
Packers Hit a Wall as NFC Teams Sort Themselves Out
Then there’s the Green Bay Packers, who took a 39-22 beating from the Vikings. Ouch. That stings for Green Bay fans. So, yeah, it’s Week 1, people, and not every team that went 0-1 should be panicking. But some teams definitely have more to sort out than others. For the Rams, the Giants are up next, with those brutal road trips to Philly and Denver looming. Carolina gets to try and sort out that defense in their “crappy excuse for a division.” For some, Week 1 was a stumble; for others, it might have been a true sign of things to come.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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