By: Atharava Pandey

National/World Editor 

After a 207-day gap, the National Football League (NFL) made its long-awaited return with a bang. The Chiefs and the Ravens, arguably the best teams in the AFC, met up at Arrowhead for a rematch of the AFC championship game, where the Chiefs emerged victorious. This was a tight game that went down to the final play. The two teams went back and forth throughout the game. With a chance of sending the game into overtime with ten seconds to go, Lamar Jackson threw the ball to Isaiah Likely for a touchdown. However, Likely could not get his feet in bounds, and the touchdown did not count. The Chiefs escaped with a 27-20 win. 

On Sept. 6, two playoff contenders, the Packers and the Eagles, met in San Paulo, Brazil. Saquon Barkley, the Eagles new pickup, rushed for 109 yards. While the Packers played a great game, experience ended up being the difference between the two teams. The Eagles torched the Packers defense after the 1st quarter and won 34-29. Packers quarterback Jordan Love suffered an MCL sprain near the end of the game. 

Elsewhere in the league, the Cowboys started their season with a dominant win over the Browns. After their collapse against the seventh-seeded Packers in last year’s playoffs, the Cowboy defense shut down the Browns. The real test for the Cowboys will be playoff time, where they will face a tough NFC. 

On Sept. 8, the Rams and the Lions met in a playoff rematch in the game of the week. After their exit in the NFC championship game, the Lions set the tone for their season. The Lions remained slightly ahead of the Rams for the first three quarters. However, a great Rams 4th quarter resulted in the game going to overtime. The Lions won 26-20 in overtime after a touchdown drive. 

After a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss on Feb. 11, the 49ers started their season against the Jets. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made his comeback after tearing his Achilles over a year ago. The 49ers missed Christian McCaffrey but comfortably won against the incompetent Jets’ defense. The Jets were a massive letdown considering they have a great quarterback and one of the best defenses in the league. The 49ers won 32-19. 

If we look at Week One, the 49ers are clearly the best team in the league. They fell short by a field goal last year and look like favorites this year. The AFC is more competitive in terms of the number of contending teams. The Chiefs look like slight favorites, but as we saw in their first game, the Ravens are right at that level. People should not underestimate CJ Stroud or the Texans as well. The Texans made the divisional round last year and added many assets. The season ahead looks promising, with many competitive teams looking to win the elusive Super Bowl. The fight for the 2024–25 Lombardi Trophy will be fierce. 

(Sources: ESPN)