Football’s kickoff weekend is a total crapshoot. Some teams are wildly underprepared, others blow their wad too soon and a few manage to surprise everyone. When you look at the oddest NFL week 1 results of the past six years, there are examples of all three.
The Monday and Tuesday following week 1 are pretty awful to sit through with talking heads spewing hot takes based on an extremely small sample size. It’s akin to someone smelling a bag of McDonald’s and proclaiming the Golden Arches to be the most delicious restaurant of all-time. Sure, good luck with that.
We don’t know what upsets and fluke results will happen this year, but make no mistake, they are going to occur. Before the world overreacts, let’s explore the oddest NFL Week 1 results of the past six years.
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The oddest NFL week 1 results of the past six years
2020
Jags go one and done
The Jacksonville Jaguars won exactly one game in 2020. It came against Indianapolis in week 1. The Colts would go on to win 11 games and make the playoffs. This is the perfect example of why you don’t overact to what happens during the first week of a new season.
Browns crushed but still win 11
The Baltimore Ravens annihilated the Cleveland Browns in what would become one of the oddest NFL Week 1 results of the past six years. That’s because these two sides were basically even, each finishing 11-5 and advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs. Not a single person would have predicted that after this matchup.
2018
Fitz-magic bedevils the Saints
The New Orleans Saints were coming off a painful loss in the 2017 NFL Playoffs with the Minneapolis Miracle derailing a promising season. Things would not get any better in Week 1 of 2018 with Ryan Fitzpatrick leading what would be a pretty bad Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an upset victory in the Superdome.
The Jets score 48 points!
The New York Jets and Detroit Lions faced off in a Monday Night Showdown featuring two franchises going nowhere. Sam Darnold’s first pass as a pro was a pick six. Not to be outdone, Matthew Stafford threw four interceptions of his own. This game was actually tied at 17 in the third quarter before the J-E-T-S scored 31 unanswered points in a little more than 13 minutes.
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2017
Death of the Patriot Way…almost
Everyone wanted to predict the death of the New England Patriots dynasty throughout the 2010s. These rumblings were at their loudest during Week 1 of 2017 when Tom Brady and company were boatraced by the Kansas City Chiefs who scored 21 straight points to end the game. Bill Belichick would have the last laugh winning the Super Bowl later that season.
2016
Chip Kelly ruins the LA Rams’ first game
Chip Kelly compiled a 2-14 record in his lone season as San Francisco 49ers Head Coach. Half that total came during Week 1 in 2016 when a Blaine Gabbert-led side managed to shutout the LA Rams in football’s return to Los Angeles. The Niners would allow Carolina to score 46 points a few days later and lost their next 13 games.
2015
Seahawks grounded by mediocre Rams
The Seattle Seahawks were coming off two straight Super Bowl appearances, although their visit in 2014 isn’t fondly remembered. Their opponents in Week 1 were the then St. Louis Rams who were mired in a Jeff Fisher-induced mediocrity and hadn’t finished above .500 in more than a decade. Of course, it only made sense for the Rams to win, albeit in overtime. This game changed nothing overall, however. Seattle made the playoffs in 2015 while the Rams finished 7-9.
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