Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
All Pete Carroll does is win.
At 73 years and 357 days old, Carroll became the oldest head coach in NFL history to coach a game, leading the Las Vegas Raiders to a 20-13 victory on the road against the New England Patriots.
Carroll, who turns 74 on Sept. 15, will get a chance to earn his first winning streak with the Silver and Black in Las Vegas when the Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers in a nationally televised game on Monday Night Football.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco also made history with Carroll, becoming the first 40-year-old signal caller to start in franchise history. And Flacco just missed out on a victory, losing at home to the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-16.
Those two were a part of a competitive opening weekend of the NFL, with 11 games decided by eight points or less. Along with that, six teams that missed the playoffs last season earned victories in Week 1: the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Raiders.
Here’s a closer look at who’s hot and who’s cold from Week 1.
WHO’S HOT
The reigning league MVP showed why he’s the frontrunner to win the award for a second straight season, leading the Bills back from 15 points down with just over eight minutes left to get an improbable 41-40 victory at home against the Baltimore Ravens.
According to Next Gen Stats, Buffalo had a 1.1% win probability with 8:37 remaining in the fourth quarter when it trailed 40-25. It was the most improbable comeback by the Bills with Allen at quarterback, and the 13th-most improbable comeback by any team over the last decade.
Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ win over the Ravens. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
According to FOX Sports Research, the last time the Bills won a game when trailing by at least 15 points in the 4th quarter was in 1967. Allen threw for 251 yards … in just the fourth quarter. He finished with 394 passing yards and two touchdowns for the game, while also running for two scores. Allen is now the Bills’ all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 66, passing Thurman Thomas
Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen took some pressure off Trevor Lawrence to carry the offense by leaning into the running game, and Etienne was the main benefactor of that approach.
Etienne finished with 143 rushing yards on 16 rushes, averaging an impressive 8.9 yards per rush. Etienne’s total included a 71-yard run, as the Jaguars totaled 200 rushing yards in a win over the Carolina Panthers.
On the brink of losing their season opener with the Houston Texans marching to score, Landman saved the Rams by executing a perfect “Peanut Punch,” knocking the ball away from running back Dare Ogunbowale, which defensive tackle Braden Fiske recovered to preserve a 14-9 victory for Los Angeles.
The defensive signal caller for the Rams, Landman also finished tied for the team lead with 10 tackles. According to FOX Sports Research, the Rams are the first team to win their season-opening game despite scoring 14 or fewer points since the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 10-3 to open the 2019 season.
Ramsey put the exclamation point in the Steelers’ late-game victory on the road against the New York Jets. The hard-hitting defensive back broke up a pass to receiver Garrett Wilson on fourth down that would have kept the drive alive for the Jets, securing the win for Pittsburgh.
Ramsey’s penchant for making big plays is one of the reasons the Steelers brought him in. Pittsburgh also got another big kick by Chris Boswell, who drilled a 60-yard field goal for the game winner. Boswell is the 10th kicker of all time to make a winning field goal of 60 or more yards in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime.
The wide back is back. In his debut for the Commanders, Samuel finished with 96 scrimmage yards, including a 19-yard touchdown run on a reverse.
According to FOX Sports Research, the last time Samuel had a rushing touchdown in a game was in Week 1 of the 2024 season against the Jets. Samuel also had seven catches for 77 yards on 10 targets.
It’s been a minute since Las Vegas had competent quarterback play. But the arrival of Smith via trade from the Seattle Seahawks created some stability for Carroll in his return to the sideline, along with playmaking ability for offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Geno Smith had 362 passing yards in Week 1, the most by any player in his Raiders’ debut in team history. Smith was surgical against the blitz. According to Next Gen Stats, Smith finished 9 of 13 for 189 yards and a touchdown when facing the blitz against New England.
WHO’S COLD
The bruising back put up big numbers against Buffalo, finishing with 169 rushing yards and two scores – big numbers for the 31-year-old. However, Henry also had a critical fumble late in the game that opened the door for Buffalo’s improbable comeback.
Henry’s miscue that led to Baltimore’s loss could come back to haunt the franchise late in the year as both teams jockey for playoff seeding and homefield advantage in the postseason.
The rumblings of dysfunction and bad vibes in Miami appeared to spill onto the field for McDaniel, as the Dolphins were non-competitive and looked disinterested in a lopsided loss against a team few NFL observers expected much from in the Indianapolis Colts.
Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins got off to a poor start to the 2025 season. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
McDaniel is already No. 1 on our hot seat and facing an easy schedule to start the year. But he might not get a shot to turn things around if the Dolphins are not more competitive at home next week against New England.
[Read more: NFL Head Coach Hot Seat Ranking: Who’s Under Most Pressure To Win Now?]
The 49ers can’t return to the postseason with Jake Moody as their kicker. Kyle Shanahan has been more than patient with Moody. A third-round selection in the 2023 draft, the Michigan product has been wildly inconsistent in his three years with the 49ers. But Sunday’s game against the Seahawks should be the last time Moody kicks for San Francisco. He doinked a 27-yarder off the left upright and had another field goal blocked.
Moody’s struggles changed the way Shanahan called the game in the red zone and almost led to a loss. It has also affected the locker room, with players losing faith that Moody can get the job done in crucial situations.
Wilson threw for 168 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions as New York managed just six points in a loss to the Commanders. It was a typical performance of late for Wilson, as he played conservatively and didn’t take any risks, unwilling to put the ball in harm’s way.
And that’s not going to get it done in the NFC East, which is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. Giants head coach Brian Daboll was non-committal on who his quarterback will be in Week 2, but it appears that rookie Jaxon Dart will get his opportunity sooner rather than later.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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