The NFL commenced its 2023 season with a major upset. Despite the odds, the Detroit Lions went 21-20 over the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. With this victory, the Lions ended the Chief’s streak of eight first-game wins, and their own four first-game loss streak as well.
The unexpected win provided momentum for the Lions, who were considered to have one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year. This season, however, with new recruits such as safety Brian Branch, the Lions were able to hold the Chief’s offense to 20 points and overcome the favored pick.
“We’re tired of being on the poor side of things, where it’s a close one but you lose,” Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions defensive end, said to the New York Times. “I think we’re coming this season.”
Before this game, the Chiefs suffered setbacks that might have contributed to their loss. Travis Kelce, the Chiefs Seven-time all-pro tight end, suffered a knee injury during the preseason, while Chris Jones, the Chiefs all-pro defensive tackle, was inactive due to contract disagreements. However in their second game, which was against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the reinstatement of Jones helped the Chiefs restore their strong offensive line, winning 17-9.
Following their historic 40-0 blowout win against the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys have also gained notoriety, particularly for their defense. Led by their defensive coach Dan Quinn, the Cowboys smothered the Giants’ offense with seven sacks, two fumbles, and two interceptions. Their strong defense also shut down the Jet’s plays in their next game where they went 30-10.
“It all started with the offseason and camp,” Cowboys Linebacker Micah Parsons said to the Cowboy’s Newsletter. “Everybody came in with a mindset that we were going to dominate. We know that these games depend on us and we vowed to key in, to be honed in this week. We prepared to the max and we just gotta keep that going.”
With the hype around the Chiefs diminishing, the Philadelphia Eagles are the next likely candidate for the Super Bowl. However, their first game against the Patriots disappointed analysts and fans alike. With polls expecting the Eagles to dominate this game, they were unusually weak in their offensive plays, finishing off with 252 yards — less than any of their 2022 games.
“We got the win, that’s all that matters, but we’ve got to go out there and put out a better tape,” Darius Slay, the Eagles Cornerback, said to the Eagles Newsletter. “We need to go out there and fix our mistakes. We’re better than that.”
As another favored pick, the Cincinnati Bengals also experienced an unforeseen blowout by the Cleveland Browns. After members of the Bengals team flamed the Browns’ elf mascot, the Browns were propelled to take revenge against them and win their first opener. With the Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow, injured during the game, the Browns were able to put pressure on his position and lock up the Bengal’s offensive plays.
With major upsets and blowouts this season, the playoffs (scheduled for Jan. 24) may include unanticipated match-ups. Everything will culminate in the Super Bowl LVIII on February 10th, where an unexpected team might take the trophy home.
