Carson Neuhausen | News Editor
September 14, 2025
The NFL wasted no time delivering drama in the first week of the 2025-2026 season. From last-second comebacks to quarterback debuts, the opening weekend provided fans with the chaos they always desire.
Off the field, the league shattered its week one viewership records. Each game averaged nearly 22 million viewers, with the premier game (Bills vs. Ravens) reaching 28 million viewers. This could be due to the increased accessibility to prime time NFL games. The Friday night game, featuring the Chiefs and Chargers (an inter-divisional rivalry), was set in Brazil and made free to watch on YouTube. SCHS senior and die-hard Chargers fan, Luke Karidis, said, “It makes sense that the NFL continues to grow. I feel like the games get closer and closer each year”.
On the field, the prime time Sunday Night Football game delivered one of the most intense games in the last five years. The high-scoring face-off between Josh Allen’s Bills and Lamar Jackson’s Ravens ended in a 41-40 stunner, with the Bills emerging on top. The score was 40-25 Ravens with five minutes to go in the final quarter, when Josh Allen showed the nation why he earned the MVP award the previous year. After throwing and rushing for a touchdown, he had brought the Bills within two points of the dominant (up to that point) Ravens, and with a final fumble from star running back Derek Henry, Josh Allen was able to drive the Bills’ offense down the field and score a game-winning field goal.
Looking across the rest of the league, Quarterback debuts headlined the weekend. Daniel Jones stood out in his first Colts start. His three touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins mark a drastic change in his performance since his days in New York. Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers also shocked NFL fans with his Steelers debut. The 41-year-old quarterback put up 244 yards for four touchdowns on Sunday against his former team, the New York Jets. This stat line comes as a surprise to many, as he was widely considered too old to perform, especially after his disappointing tenure with the Jets. Steelers fan and Senior at SCHS, John Mclenahan, is optimistic, “I’m really happy with the way Aaron played. I like DK Metcalf, too. I think we’re going to be really good this year.”
In summary, week one was a promising start to the long NFL calendar. Hopefully, this week is a sign of what is to come during the 2025 season.
Leave a Reply