NFL The Final Word: Dak Prescott facing Super Bowl pressure after historic $60m-per-year contract
Neil Reynolds has the final word on Week One of the 2024 season as Dak Prescott enjoyed a historic pay-day, while Josh Allen starred and Tyreek Hill endured a dramatic Sunday; watch Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins live on Sky Sports from 12am Friday; kick-off 1.15am
Tuesday 10 September 2024 13:12, UK
The NFL returned with a bang in Week One with headlines on and off the field, leaving plenty to talk about as I take you through my big takeaways from kickoff weekend in the 2024 season...
Dak's record-breaking deal
We now have our first $60m-per-year quarterback in the NFL and it was Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys who had all the leverage to get that deal done just hours before his team beat the Cleveland Browns 33-17.
I think it is a fair deal for Dak. It is the going rate and prices will continue to rise for quarterbacks, but it just heaps pressure on a player who has a winning record of 2-5 in the playoffs.
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Dak is now being paid the kind of money where you are expected to deliver a Super Bowl victory. He didn't need to do too much on Sunday because the Cleveland Browns were awful - Prescott threw for 179 yards and one touchdown. Dallas only amassed 265 total yards but it was more than enough because Deshaun Watson was woeful for the home team Browns.
A good week for Dallas, especially with their defense leading the way, and a good week for Dak Prescott. But for this team it will be about what they can deliver in January and, really, into February.
Hill's dramatic day
Tyreek Hill, the star wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, had to endure a traumatic day on Sunday. He was stopped by police one block from the stadium for a traffic violation and things escalated quickly, Tyreek ending up on the floor, face down and handcuffed.
Calais Campbell, the former Walter Payton Man of the Year and one of the nicest guys in the NFL, went to Hill's aid and ended up in handcuffs as well. But they had to put it behind them and play the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Hill sparked some of the comeback. The Dolphins were down 17-7 at the half and he scored on an 80-yard touchdown.
What impressed me the most was he faced the media afterwards and talked about his platform, and how he was more fortunate than others might have been in that situation - what if he wasn't Tyreek Hill? That's the question everybody is asking. Credit to him for bouncing back and the Dolphins had to dig deep.
Allen inspires Bills comeback
Another team that had to dig deep in the AFC East were the Buffalo Bills. That was one of the more shocking developments at the start of Sunday's games, with the Bills at home to the Arizona Cardinals and heavy favourites to win before finding themselves trailing 17-3 and unable to do anything on the offensive side of the ball.
They came to life either side of half-time as the Cardinals collapsed offensively, and as you would expect it was Josh Allen who led the way.
He led the NFL with 44 total touchdowns last season and is off and running already in 2024. He accounted for four touchdowns in Week One, throwing two and running for two more. This team, as has been the case for so many years, will go as far as Allen can carry them.
Caleb Williams makes NFL bow
All eyes were on Caleb Williams as he made his debut for the Chicago Bears against the Tennessee Titans at home. This looked like a good stage for him to show what all the excitement was about as the first overall pick in the Draft, who was being compared to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers in preseason.
But this was not the stats line he would have dreamed of the night before the game: 14 completions from 29 attempts, 93 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Bears, who trailed 17-0 in this game, won eventually but it was defense and special teams that led the way. They scored on a return from a blocked punt and they scored on a pick-six, and Williams will know he needs to contribute more.
This was a 'get away with one' type of game for him. They got the win, but we need to see much more and consistency - but that will come.
I think he's going to be a special player and he showed us flashes of why those lofty comparisons were made, but he also missed some throws. He will find his feet. The Bears escaped with the win thanks to the other two units.
Unstoppable TJ Watt
It was a similar story for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat the Atlanta Falcons 18-10 on the road with not a single touchdown. Six Chris Boswell field goals were enough to see off Atlanta and it was the kind of gritty, determined and aggressive performance from the Steelers which shows why head coach Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season in 17 years at the helm.
TJ Watt was incredible, a one-man wrecking crew. He had one sack and another two sacks wiped out by penalties. He had a fumble recovery and he was hitting Kirk Cousins time and time again. He refuses to be blocked and plays with such tenacity, such desire. There is technique to his game, of course, but it is that intensity and aggression that shines through when you watch him play.
I think he got in the head of Cousins, who threw two passes he never should have thrown that resulted in interceptions, the second sealing the game.
Player of the Week - Saquon Barkley/Joe Mixon
I'm going to split this between a couple of running backs. Friday night in Brazil, Saquon Barkley showed everything that Eagles fans were dreaming of and getting excited about in the offseason.
He is going to be a key addition to that Eagles team, and will need to be the steady hand because Jalen Hurts blew hot and cold as he turned the football over three times. Saquon rushed for over 100 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Joe Mixon was also influential in the Houston Texans' 29-27 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. He clearly is going to be one of the focal points of this attack. He carried the ball 30 times, for 159 yards and a touchdown.
DeMeco Ryans wants to make him a central part of this attack, which is only going to make CJ Stroud even more dangerous. It was fitting that the game ended with Mixon icing the clock with a first-down run. A big day for him.
Play of the Week - Miami's goalline stand
I'm giving this to the Miami Dolphins defense. It is 17-7 to Jacksonville in the second half, they are driving near the goalline and at that point in the game the Jaguars had a win percentage of 92. Travis Etienne bursts through the line and is heading for the end zone, and bang out of nowhere comes Jevon Holland to punch the football out and save the game for the Dolphins.
The ball rolls into the end zone, the Dolphins recover for a touchback and the next play Tyreek Hill goes 80 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-14 and it is game on. It was the kind of game-changing play that will haunt Etienne and the Jaguars.
Coach of the Week - Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots
After 24 years of Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots beat a disappointing Cincinnati Bengals team that continue to be slow starters in the NFL. It was not pretty from the Patriots but I don't think it ever will be until they boost their roster. It is one of the weaker rosters in the NFL, but they were physical on defense and - while they rode their luck at times - New England did enough.
They are starting a new era and I like the way Jerod Mayo leads this team. They are on my radar as a team to watch to see just how much they can get out of what is very little talent.
On my radar...
Something I will be monitoring during the first month of the season is how quickly offenses around the NFL get up to speed. Miami's normally-prolific offense only mustered 20 points, the Bears and Steelers won without scoring an offensive touchdown and I think it is a result of star players not playing in the preseason.
It is becoming more and more of a thing every summer - there are fewer and fewer sightings of starters in preseason games. I'm going to go back to 2021 when in Week One there were 61 touchdown passes thrown across the league; in 2022 there were 51; in 2023 that number dropped to 37. This year? There were 34 touchdown passes in the opening week.
We are seeing players Micah Parsons, TJ Watt and Myles Garrett wreck games, while Greg Rousseau also had three sacks for the Bills. Offensive-line play in general has been a concern across the league.
Is it a slow start because offenses need time to get up to speed? Or are defenses catching up to offenses in general across the NFL?
Dak Prescott led the league with 36 touchdown passes last year. We have not seen a 50-touchdown-pass season for a while. It is something I will be keeping an eye on over the first few weeks.
Watch the San Francisco 49ers at the Minnesota Vikings in Week Two, live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm Sunday, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals at the Kansas City Chiefs at 9.25pm; Also stream with NOW.
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