PFN Senior NFL Analyst Trey Wingo shared his thoughts on Week 1 after Sunday’s games. He stressed that it’s just one week, and it doesn’t mean what we saw will continue during the rest of the NFL season.
Teams that played great can look bad quickly, and teams like the New York Giants that played poorly can turn it around. He also pointed out that the Cincinnati Bengals started 0-2 last season and still reached the AFC Championship Game.
Trey said, “It’s important to look for trends that can carry over.”
Trey Wingo’s Trends To Watch After Week 1
Dallas Cowboys Defense
The Cowboys showed Sunday night against the Giants why they have one of the best defenses in the league. In the shutout win, the defense recorded seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss, along with three forced turnovers. Cornerback DaRon Bland returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown to help break the game open.
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Offense
A team with a lot of offensive talent was stymied by the Cleveland Browns’ defense. Quarterback Joe Burrow only had 82 passing yards and was sacked twice. The team rushed for 75 yards during the game. Three points scored, six first downs, and Tee Higgins’ zero catches were other surprising stats from Sunday.
Brock Purdy
The San Francisco quarterback showed he’s recovered from the elbow injury he suffered at the end of last season. Brock Purdy passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns, including one against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson.
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Before the game, the corner said he expected to get an interception because he thought the 49ers offense had some tells. Trey mentioned how Purdy made sure to point that out after throwing the touchdown.
Teams That Impressed Trey in Week 1
Wingo said three teams impressed him by a wide margin on Sunday.
Dallas Cowboys
Mike McCarthy’s team opened the season with a 40-0 win on the road against the Giants. As mentioned above, the defense dominated New York’s offense throughout the game.
With a big lead most of the time, quarterback Dak Prescott had a quiet night, as Tony Pollard rushed for two touchdowns. The Cowboys blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown to end the Giants’ opening drive.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns got an important AFC North win in Week 1. The defense held the Bengals’ explosive offense to just three points and 142 total yards. Deshaun Watson rushed for a touchdown and passed for another in their 17-3 win. Nick Chubb also rushed for 106 yards and recorded 21 receiving yards.
San Francisco 49ers
The 2022 NFC Championship runner-ups opened on the road with a dominating 30-7 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. QB Brock Purdy got a lot of support from his All-Pro running back, Christian McCaffrey, who had 152 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Purdy also completed eight passes to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, two of which were touchdowns. On defense, San Francisco tallied five sacks and two interceptions.