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The NFL returned in spectacular vogue on Thursday because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers edged the Dallas Cowboys in a thriller.
It’s a outstanding appetiser to the principle course of Week 1, which sees 14 extra video games on Sunday and one other on Monday between the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders.
There’s a mouth-watering playoff rematch to behold at Arrowhead Stadium, whereas a clutch of rookie quarterbacks will try to ensure their first steps within the league are profitable ones.
Forward of what ought to be an enthralling opening week, Stats Carry out seems to be at a few of the most attention-grabbing information from Sunday’s largest video games.
Cleveland Browns @ Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
Revenge will probably be on the minds of the Browns in essentially the most engaging matchup of the opening week, Cleveland aiming to upset the chances after falling brief towards the Chiefs within the Divisional Spherical of final season’s playoffs.
Historical past, although, is firmly towards Cleveland. The Chiefs have received three straight video games towards the Browns relationship again to 2013, whereas Andy Reid is 7-0 in his profession as a head coach versus the Browns, one in every of three groups he’s undefeated towards. The others are the Chiefs (3-0) and his former group the Philadelphia Eagles (2-0).
Kevin Stefanski led the Browns to an 11-5 report in 2020, his first 12 months as an NFL head coach. It was essentially the most wins in a season by the Browns since 1994 (additionally 11 wins). The final time the Browns received no less than 10 video games in back-to-back seasons was 1986 to 1988 (three straight).
The Chiefs set a franchise report with 14 wins in 2020 and performed within the Tremendous Bowl for the second straight season, with Kansas Metropolis the favourites to be the AFC’s consultant within the February showpiece but once more. Solely three groups have ever made the Tremendous Bowl in three straight seasons – the Buffalo Payments (4, 1990-93), New England Patriots (three, 2016-18) and Miami Dolphins (three, 1971-73).
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Payments
The Payments have been a sport away from the Tremendous Bowl final season and enter this conflict between a brand new AFC heavyweight and a seemingly fading pressure on a regular-season profitable streak.
In a marketing campaign that noticed them go 13-3 and publish their finest report since 1991, the Payments completed the common season with six straight wins averaging an NFL-best 38.2 factors throughout that span.
Pittsburgh started final season 11-0, then dropped 4 of their final 5 video games, ending with an opening-round exit to the Browns within the playoffs. The Steelers have been the primary group to begin 11-0 because the 2015 Carolina Panthers.
And the Steelers will probably be trying to keep away from a 3rd straight defeat to the Payments, who made it two successive wins over Pittsburgh with final season’s 26-15 victory in Week 14. The Steelers had received 9 of the earlier 10 conferences relationship again to 1993.
Inexperienced Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints
The Drew Brees period is over for the Saints, who’ve chosen Jameis Winston as his successor at quarterback. The Packers have a gifted protection however the often-erratic Winston’s previous type suggests he ought to transfer the ball towards them. Winston has averaged 12.62 yards per completion over his profession, the very best mark by any QB who has debuted previously 30 years (minimal 1,500 completions).
Two perennial NFC powers, video games between New Orleans and Inexperienced Bay have been constantly high-scoring affairs. The Saints and Packers have mixed to common 52.0 factors per sport of their 26 all-time conferences, the very best common between any two NFL groups who’ve met no less than 20 instances.
Inexperienced Bay received 13 video games in every of the final two seasons however did not make the Tremendous Bowl in both one. The Packers joined the 2018-19 Saints as the one groups within the Tremendous Bowl period to win 13+ video games in back-to-back seasons however miss the Tremendous Bowl in each.
Elsewhere…
It will likely be a season partially outlined by the efficiency of the rookie quarterbacks, with 4 of the 5 drafted within the first spherical seemingly set to function in Week 1.
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with their first-ever primary general decide. When he traces up towards the Houston Texans, Lawrence would be the eighth totally different QB to begin a season opener for the Jaguars since 2010, tied for second most within the NFL behind the Browns (9).
Second general decide Zach Wilson is about to turn out to be the forty ninth beginning quarterback in New York Jets historical past after they face the Carolina Panthers and his predecessor Sam Darnold. No Jets quarterback has began each sport of a season since Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015, which occurs to be the final time the Jets had a profitable report (10-6).
Trey Lance will seemingly see sporadic motion for the San Francisco 49ers versus the Detroit Lions. Nevertheless, if Jimmy Garoppolo’s spotty damage historical past continues in 2021, Lance might quickly turn out to be the undisputed starter. Garoppolo was restricted to 6 video games final season. In three of the video games, Garoppolo handed for a number of touchdowns with no interceptions. Within the different three, Garoppolo had no landing passes and no less than one interception.
The New England Patriots have used simply 4 beginning quarterbacks of their season openers since 2000, with Mac Jones poised to be the fifth as he seems to be to turn out to be the long-term successor to Tom Brady. Solely the Packers (two) and Saints (three) have had fewer season-opening starters in that span – the NFL common in that point is 7.5 quarterbacks.
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