How can the madness surrounding an NFL matchup unfold? Just ask the Chicago Bears’ fans. During Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, Bears fans began chanting, “Green Bay sucks.” The chant became so loud that the broadcast team had to acknowledge it live.
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“No matter where the Bears are, no matter if they’re on the road or not, the Packers are gonna catch some strays,” the commentator said on air.
The Bears-Panthers matchup also turned into one of Sunday’s highest-scoring games. Meanwhile, the game between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles produced several unexpected moments of its own.
One came from none other than Stefon Diggs, who repeated an old mistake that once cost him $12,154. Without further delay, let’s get into the biggest talking points from Sunday’s action.
Stefon Diggs couldn’t avoid the penalty in the Eagles-Commanders game
On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles secured a 24-22 victory over the Washington Commanders, but the game sparked plenty of debate over both the officiating and Stefon Diggs’ actions.
First, NFL fans questioned whether the officials gave preferential treatment to the Eagles during the matchup. Then came the discussion surrounding Diggs’ unsportsmanlike conduct.
Diggs scored his first touchdown in a Washington uniform on a 10-yard pass from Jayden Daniels. However, he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after celebrating by hugging the goalpost.
The 15-yard penalty, as seen in the X clip posted by Warren Sharpe, pushed Washington’s two-point conversion attempt back, forcing the Commanders to kick an extra point. That margin ultimately proved costly when Philadelphia stopped a late two-point attempt to preserve the win.
After the game, Diggs admitted that he forgot about the rule in the heat of the moment and took “full accountability” for putting his team in a difficult situation.
Notably, Diggs made the same mistake in 2017 while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. He celebrated a touchdown against Washington by hugging the goalpost, resulting in a 15-yard penalty and a $12,154 fine from the league. Now, he could be facing another fine for repeating the offense.
The high-scoring game between the Bears and the Panthers
One of the highest-scoring openers in modern NFL history unfolded at Bank of America Stadium, where the Chicago Bears put on an offensive show. Chicago scored 59 points, a Panthers franchise record for most points allowed in a game, while piling up 291 rushing yards.
D’Andre Swift led the ground attack with 124 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while second-year player Kyle Monangai broke free for a 61-yard touchdown and finished with 100 yards on 10 carries.
Despite the loss (59-37), the Carolina Panthers produced plenty of offense themselves, totaling 478 yards. Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns, while third-year wide receiver Jalen Coker caught eight passes for 138 yards and two scores, including a 51-yard touchdown.
The officiating debate in the Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings’ game
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings caught fire, scoring 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter (the final score, 39-22). Justin Jefferson led the charge with two touchdown receptions and a successful two-point conversion. However, Green Bay Packers fans questioned the officiating and alleged that the referees favored the Vikings.
The Saints’ late surge failed to help
Ford Field delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the early window. The Detroit Lions appeared to have the game under control after building a 21-0 second-half lead behind Jahmyr Gibbs, who finished with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with strong play from Jared Goff.
However, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough led an incredible comeback, throwing for more than 400 yards and three touchdowns to force overtime. After Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a four-yard touchdown in the extra period, New Orleans answered with a score of its own.
Rather than kick the extra point, Saints head coach Kellen Moore opted to go for two and the win. Shough’s pass, however, sailed over Bryce Lance in the end zone, allowing Detroit to hold on for a 31-30 overtime victory.
The Bills-Texans game witnessed an Allen-Stroud competition
Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud went back and forth in Houston. With the Bills trailing late in the fourth quarter, Allen put together a clutch touchdown drive to give Buffalo a five-point lead.
Stroud then rallied the Texans to the 9-yard line with seconds remaining. But on third-and-goal, Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau delivered a game-sealing strip-sack before Stroud could get the pass off, securing a dramatic victory for the visiting Bills (36-31).
The Raiders-Dolphins game saw records
The Raiders opened their season with a 27-13 win over the Dolphins, with new QB Kirk Cousins and running back Ashton Jeanty making an immediate impact.
Making his Raiders debut, Cousins completed his first 10 passes and finished 21-of-30 for 160 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also crossed the 300-career touchdown pass milestone.
Jeanty added 102 rushing yards on 23 carries while catching two 13-yard touchdown passes from Cousins. For Miami, Malik Willis rushed for a 14-yard touchdown, while rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas recorded five catches for 94 yards, tying Tyreek Hill for the most receiving yards by a Dolphins player in his franchise debut.
The Cardinals humbled the Chargers
The Arizona Cardinals opened Week 1 with a 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, controlling the game with a disciplined, mistake-free performance.
Arizona committed zero turnovers and maintained control of the tempo throughout the contest. The Cardinals also made the most of their offensive possessions, turning long drives into points while their defense kept Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ passing attack in check. Los Angeles did build some momentum in the second half with a touchdown in the third quarter, but eventually couldn’t capitalize.
The Jets’ clinical victory over the Titans
The New York Jets controlled the game from start to finish, beating the Tennessee Titans 23-10 while dominating the time of possession.
The Jets kept the offense on the field for nearly 39 of the 60 minutes, allowing them to dictate the tempo. Their defense also kept Tennessee’s passing attack in check, repeatedly forcing quick three-and-outs. That gave New York’s backfield plenty of opportunities to drain the clock in the second half and secure a two-score victory.
Derrick Henry set a milestone in the Ravens-Colts game
Baltimore’s two-headed ground attack was unstoppable. Derrick Henry found the end zone and moved past Hall of Famer Marcus Allen for third place on the all-time career rushing touchdowns list as Baltimore pulled away for a 41-23 win.
Joe Burrow led from the forefront
Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense made Tampa Bay pay for its mistakes, forcing four Buccaneers turnovers and converting almost all of those into points at Paycor Stadium. Cincinnati held on for a 33-27 victory.
The Jaguars won the game with authority
Trevor Lawrence delivered an efficient Week 1 performance, picking apart Cleveland’s defense with four touchdown passes as the Jacksonville Jaguars cruised to a 34-10 win.
2nd-year QB stood tall in the Giants-Cowboys game
Last year’s overall 25th pick, quarterback Jaxson Dart, made a strong first impression in his Week 1 game, throwing three touchdown passes without any interceptions to lead the Giants to a 28-20 victory over Dallas.
T.J. Watt sealed the game for the Steelers
T.J. Watt delivered the signature defensive play of the day, returning an interception for a second-half pick-six to seal Pittsburgh’s hard-fought 20-13 home win.
Those were the biggest highlights from Sunday’s NFL action in all 13 games that were played. For more updates and the latest developments from around the league, keep your eyes on this space.