Week 1 of the NFL is in the books, and I almost wish we could have left it off on a better note than the 49ers shutting out the Rams (wow did I whiff on that game by the way). While the nightcap of the Monday Night Football double-header was the worst game of the week, we were still treated to one hell of a slate of games. Today’s edition of “No Huddle” I’m going to recap the best and worst of the opening week in the NFL.

Before I get to the best and worst things I saw on the field this weekend, lets take a look at my top five teams after Week 1.

(1) New England Patriots (1-0)

This should come as no surprise after the upset win for New England in Arizona on Sunday night. Completely short-handed, the Patriots were able to grind out a win against one of the top teams in the NFL. Credit Bill Belichick and his staff for having his team ready to go despite the losses they sustained outside of already not having Tom Brady. The Patriots now get three straight home games and have a legitimate shot at going 4-0 to start the year. That’s when the fun really starts in New England. Already kicking myself for not picking the Patriots to win the Super Bowl.

(2) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)

 

Big Ben and company dominated the allegedly “upstart” Redskins last night. Pittsburgh looked as good as advertised on offense, and really makes me wonder how good this offense will be when Le’Veon Bell returns from his suspension in Week 4. The defense played well and made big plays when necessary against Washington. Linebacker Ryan Shazier was all over the field for the Steelers and I think his health will dictate how good this defense can be as the season progresses.

(3) Green Bay Packers (1-0)

Okay don’t let the four-point victory over Jacksonville fool you. This Packers team is legit, and that game told me more about the Jaguars improvements than Green Bay not being an elite team in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers is still the best QB in the game and his weapons all made contributions on Sunday. The scary thought is what this offense will look like once everything is in rhythm.

(4) Denver Broncos (1-0)

The defending champs proved that this defense is capable of carrying workload once again this season. Once the Broncos get a lead they morph into a scary football team. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware pin their ears back and unleash havoc on opposing quarterbacks. This offense is going to look pretty conservative with Trevor Siemian at the helm, but if running back CJ Anderson can continue to produce like he did in the opener they will be just fine. It may not be long before Denver jumps up in these standings.

 (5) Carolina Panthers (0-1)

 

Despite the loss in the opener, this is still a formidable team. Cam Newton will have to do a better job protecting himself though. Thursday night was concerning if I’m a Panthers fan considering the amount of shots he took. Kelvin Benjamin looked great and Greg Olsen continued to be the most reliable target in clutch situations. Defensively this is still the second-best unit in the league behind Denver. Carolina will be just fine in the NFC.

Teams to Watch: Houston, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Kansas City, Seattle

Now let’s take a look at the best and worst performances from Week 1.

Best: Oakland’s Comeback and Jack Del Rio’s Ballsy Call

What a game we saw in New Orleans between the Saints and Raiders. I loved the poise showed by Oakland during this comeback victory on the road. Derek Carr showed no signs of regressing after a Pro Bowl season last year. More importantly, I loved the faith that head coach Jack Del Rio showed in his offense. He didn’t even hesitate making the call to go for the win in the final moments of the fourth quarter. That is a tone-setting win for the Raiders as they look to make the next step and make a run at the playoffs.

Worst: Seattle’s Lackluster Offensive Performance

I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out what happened with the Seahawks against Miami on Sunday. In what should have been a comfortable win at home against the Dolphins, the Seahawks mucked it up and barely escaped with the victory. Offensively, Seattle struggled all day long. While this could be just a product of Russell Wilson suffering an ankle injury mid-game, the lack of explosiveness was concerning.

Best: Kansas City’s Comeback Win

The Chiefs were drawing dead against San Diego at home. Then Keenan Allen goes down for the Chargers and the momentum of this game completely changed. Alex Smith and Spencer Ware engineered an amazing comeback to force overtime. Once they got to the overtime period, the outcome was all but academic. San Diego could not stop Kansas City in the second half and it was only a matter of time before the Chiefs clinched the comeback victory.

Worst: The Rams

What the hell happened last night? Seriously, this was an implosion if I ever saw one. San Francisco looked like it was holding the Rams’ play sheet the entire night. That wasn’t even the worst part of LA’s game last night. All-Pro Aaron Donald getting ejected punctuated a completely undisciplined performance by the Rams, which had over 100 yards worth of penalties (almost more yards than the offense mustered up). Quite possibly the worst way things could have started for the Rams in their second stint in Los Angeles.

Best: Kevin Harlan and the Streaker

Words can’t accurately describe this so just watch and enjoy.

 

Stay tuned to Shooting the Moon for my fantasy studs and duds for Week 1 and a list of waiver wire targets for Week 2. Join the conversation in the comments section or on social media. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.