On Sunday, Josh Allen and the Bills became the first team in NFL history to win in regulation after trailing by 15-plus points with less than four minutes remaining.
On Sunday, Josh Allen and the Bills became the first team in NFL history to win in regulation after trailing by 15-plus points with less than four minutes remaining.Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press
The Ravens kept repeating the same thing in the postgame locker room: It’s only one game.
“We’ve got 16 games in front of us,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We’re disappointed, but we’ll be fine.”
Harbaugh may be right, but the first one, a 41-40 loss to the Bills on Sunday night, was a kick to the teeth, gut, and any other painful part on the body you can imagine, which is where we begin the Week 1 review:
⋅ The Ravens spent the last eight months stewing in the misery and pain of January’s 27-25 playoff loss to the Bills. Given a chance for revenge Sunday night in Buffalo, the Ravens instead began their season with an epic meltdown.
The Bills became the first team in NFL history to win in regulation after trailing by 15-plus points with less than four minutes remaining. The Ravens became the first team to score 40 points and rush for 235 yards in a loss; such teams had been 277-0.
In both losses to the Bills, one of the Ravens’ star players wore the goat horns. In January, it was tight end Mark Andrews dropping a 2-point conversion pass. Sunday night, it was running back Derrick Henry fumbling with 3:06 remaining. Lamar Jackson also said he had cramps that prevented the Ravens from going for it late on fourth and 3.
“This one is definitely going to sting for a while,” said Henry, who had 182 total yards and two touchdowns.
Harbaugh’s leadership and mettle are going to be tested after this loss. The Ravens have the look of a Super Bowl contender, but to start the season with such a massive letdown could be demoralizing in the locker room. Plus, this loss is likely going to have significant implications at the end of the season, when the Bills and Ravens may be battling for the No. 1 seed.
“You play tough games in tough environments, and hopefully you learn from it and keep getting better,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a long journey.”
⋅ How ‘bout those Colts? On the day they honored their late owner Jim Irsay, the Colts were the biggest surprise in the NFL, thumping the Dolphins, 33-8, for the franchise’s first Week 1 victory since 2013. The Colts became the first team in at least 47 years to score on every offensive possession of a game.
Former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones established himself as the early leader for this year’s Ryan Tannehill/Geno Smith/Sam Darnold Breakout Player, throwing for 272 yards and accounting for three touchdowns. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren had an impressive debut with seven catches for 76 yards.
Colts coach Shane Steichen went 9-8 and 8-9 the last two years with below-average quarterback play from Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, and Joe Flacco. If Steichen can unlock Jones’s potential, the Colts could be dangerous.
⋅ Week 1 offered the first opportunity to assess the new kickoff rules, and whether moving the touchback to the 35-yard line would increase returns. The result was a resounding yes, with only 18.6 percent of kickoffs going for touchbacks entering Monday night’s game.
That’s down from 64.5 percent in Week 1 last year (when the touchback was at the 30) and 77.6 percent in 2023 (when it was at the 25).
Teams have overwhelmingly determined that kicking short and covering is better than handing their opponent the ball at the 35. The number of kickoff returns basically tripled, from 32 in 2023 to 57 in 2024 to 109 in 2025 entering Monday night.
The NFL two years ago set out to revive the kickoff while also making it safer, and had to be thrilled with Week 1’s results.
⋅ However, the increase didn’t lead to more scoring. Week 1 was mostly a dud outside of the Bills-Ravens game, with the 40.7 points per game entering Monday night the second fewest in the last 15 years (2017).
This year marked the first Week 1 in NFL history in which there were no return touchdowns on defense and special teams. Nine teams scored one or fewer touchdowns, and kickers missed a lot of chippies, with the 49ers’ Jake Moody missing from 27 and 36 yards and the Browns’ Andre Szmyt missing a 36-yarder in the fourth quarter of a 17-16 loss to the Bengals.
Tracking former Patriots
⋅ Dolphins LB Matthew Judon: Had a quiet two tackles in his Miami debut.
⋅ Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton: Had two catches for 41 yards with a career long of 38, and was the fastest ball carrier of Week 1 at 21.48 miles per hour. The fact that Thornton, who couldn’t cut it with the Patriots, got four targets is a bad sign for the Chiefs.
⋅ Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: Looked like he was done with the Patriots but had five catches for 55 yards against the Chargers.
⋅ Jets K Nick Folk: The Patriots are on their third kicker in three seasons since dumping Folk. Their latest, fifth-round pick Andres Borregales, missed a 40-yarder on his first NFL attempt. Folk is as steady as ever, hitting all four of his kicks, including field goals of 35 and 51 yards.
⋅ Cardinals K Chad Ryland: The Patriots’ kicker in 2023 hit from 42 and 50 yards but had a 46-yarder blocked.
⋅ Titans K Joey Slye: Last year’s Patriots kicker went 4 for 4 on Sunday, hitting from 33, 35, 42, and 50 yards.
⋅ Giants coach Brian Daboll: His team scored just 6 points in a loss to the Commanders. Why is Russell Wilson playing over rookie Jaxson Dart?
⋅ Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley: His team managed just three field goals and 265 yards in his play-calling debut, a 14-9 loss to the Rams.
⋅ UNC coach Bill Belichick: His team defeated Charlotte, 20-3, to earn his first NCAA win.
⋅ Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia: His team shut out Grambling, 70-0, to improve to 2-0.
Quick hits
⋅ The Steelers found a simple formula with Aaron Rodgers. He had the shortest completions in the NFL in Week 1 (2.8 average air yards), the third-fastest time to throw (2.43 seconds), and went 8 for 10 on play-action passes. The result was 244 yards and four touchdowns, three coming on play-action, and a win over the Jets.
Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in his Steelers debut.
Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in his Steelers debut.Matt Slocum/Associated Press
⋅ The Bengals finally won in Week 1, but barely escaped with a 17-16 decision over the lowly Browns. The Bengals had 141 total yards, the fewest by a winning team since 2013, and only 7 yards in the second half. Coach Zac Taylor just doesn’t know how to get his offense ready for September.
⋅ The Titans had just 133 total yards and seven first downs in their 20-12 loss to the Broncos, and coach Brian Callahan didn’t challenge a potential catch because he didn’t know the rule that one elbow equals two feet. Callahan looked overmatched last year as a rookie coach, and Week 1 didn’t help his cause.
⋅ Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel might not make it out of September. Tyreek Hill needs to be traded back to the Chiefs.
Week 1 couldn't have gone much worse for Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
Week 1 couldn't have gone much worse for Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.AJ Mast/Associated Press
⋅ It’s not time to hit the panic button in Detroit yet, but Lions fans are starting to sweat after their team gained just 246 yards and scored 13 points without former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
⋅ Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka became the second player (Ernest Wilford, 2004) to score a winning touchdown in the final minute of his NFL debut.
Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka scored the winning touchdown in is NFL debut.
Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka scored the winning touchdown in is NFL debut.Danny Karnik/Associated Press
⋅ Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter played 42 of 66 snaps on offense and 6 of 64 snaps on defense, finishing with six catches for 33 yards and half a tackle. This is the correct usage. The NFL is an offensive league, and Hunter is more valuable with the ball in his hands.
⋅ Stat of the week: Sunday’s loss to the Steelers marked the first time since at least 1991 that the Jets did not punt in the first half of a game.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.