NEW YORK — The NFL set a record for the most points scored on opening Sunday since the league merger in 1970 as the Buffalo Bills edged the Houston Texans 36-31 in Houston, the Baltimore Ravens cruised past the Indianapolis Colts 41-23 in Indianapolis and the Chicago Bears romped to a 59-37 road win at Carolina. The New York Giants also beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 at MetLife Stadium, the Arizona Cardinals won 26-14 at SoFi Stadium over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Minnesota Vikings rallied past the Green Bay Packers 39-22 in Minnesota and the Cincinnati Bengals held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-27 in Cincinnati.
Buffalo promoted offensive co-ordinator Joe Brady to head coach to try to reach the Super Bowl with star quarterback Josh Allen, and his debut came against last season's meanest defence. The lead changed hands eight times. Running back David Montgomery scored three touchdowns on his Houston debut, but Allen ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more. The 2024 Most Valuable Player was almost intercepted on a hopeful pass into the endzone with less than two minutes remaining, then held his nerve on the next play with a 34-yard throw to Joshua Palmer that clinched the 36-31 win. Buffalo's first five games are against potential Super Bowl contenders.
Baltimore ended John Harbaugh's 18-year tenure after missing last season's play-offs and made a flying start under successor Jesse Minter. Zay Flowers, who became the NFL's fourth highest-paid wide receiver in the off-season, made five catches for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone, while Derrick Henry scored twice before half-time to move into third on the all-time list for rushing touchdowns and added a third after the break in the 41-23 win. Flowers and rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane both missed the second half with hamstring and wrist injuries respectively. Chicago then eclipsed that margin, level at 31-31 midway through the third quarter before running away as D'Andre Swift finished with three touchdowns in the 59-37 victory, the highest-scoring Week 1 game in NFL history and Chicago's highest score since 1980. "We want to be the highest scoring. We want to have the most wins. We want to win Super Bowls," head coach Ben Johnson said after leading the Bears to their first division title in seven years last season.
Harbaugh is now in charge of the Giants and opened on a poignant night at MetLife Stadium, which hosted the football World Cup final in July. Two days after the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Giants honoured New York's first responders and those impacted by the attacks before the primetime game, then delivered a 28-20 win over Dallas as second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns and fit-again running back Cam Skattebo rushed for another. At SoFi Stadium, which will host Super Bowl 61 in February, the Cardinals humbled the Chargers 26-14 to spoil play-off expectations for Los Angeles. Arizona is trying to make a fresh start under new head coach Mike LaFleur after releasing quarterback Kyler Murray, who earned the starting role with Minnesota. Murray's first pass with the Vikings was intercepted against Green Bay, coached by Matt LaFleur, Mike's older brother, and he then suffered a concussion before being replaced by veteran Carson Wentz. Despite trailing 22-10 late in the third quarter, Minnesota fought back to win 39-22 as Justin Jefferson claimed two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. The Vikings have had nine starting quarterbacks since Jefferson was named offensive player of the year for 2022.