Note: This article was written by a Ravens fan who just witnessed his favorite team suffer a loss that was a tragedy of unparalleled proportions. Any comments made about that game should be taken with a grain of salt.
Welcome to the tenth volume of The End Zone Report, where we talk about anything and everything football. The NFL season is back. Whether your favorite team took home a victory or a tragic loss (like mine), you have plenty to look forward to every Sunday until Feb. 8, 2026. In today’s report, we’ll look at the main takeaways from the first week of games.
Kicking off, the clear first takeaway from this week is that the Broncos’ defense is as scary as ever. While the opposing Titans still scored a respectable 12 points, that doesn’t tell the whole story. In reality, they started five drives inside the 50 yard line and basically got four free field goals.
The Broncos finished with six sacks and only surrendered 133 yards total against a talented Titans offense that sported the first overall pick, Cam Ward, at quarterback, along with a solid receiving core. The Broncos defense—commanded by Patrick Surtain II, Nik Bonitto, Talanoa Hufanga and rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron—scared Ward into misfiring 16 of his 28 passes and basically handing them the win.
Now, the question of whether the Broncos are Super Bowl contenders is a lot more complex. Starting quarterback Bo Nix faltered as the team failed to meet head coach Sean Payton’s expectations. While the Broncos are chalk-filled with talented players—RJ Harvey at running back and both Courtland Sutton and Pat Bryant at receiver—they need to put it together if they want to even make the playoffs again this season. However, if they do manage to do so, the Broncos could easily be a top-5 team in the NFL.
The second takeaway from this week is that Puka Nacua is back, and better than ever. He marked his return in huge fashion, racking up 130 yards on 10 receptions. At this point, we have to expect this from Nacua. Coming off of possibly the best rookie season in NFL history, expectations were high for Nacua’s second year. Yet, most thought he underperformed after a season that saw him not even reach a full thousand yards. Nacua only played in 11 games last season as he dealt with injuries. This means that Nacua still averaged over 90 yards a game, putting him well over pace to smash his rookie numbers.
Now, Puka Nacua is my best bet to break the NFL record for receiving yards. Yes, it is just the start of a long season, but Nacua’s consistency speaks for itself. Look forward to Nacua putting up huge numbers in an offense that also features a future Hall of Fame quarterback, future Hall of Fame receiver and a Pro Bowl running back.
Moving on, the next takeaway from this week is that the Raiders are set up well for the future. While I wasn’t a fan of it at the time, the Geno Smith signing is looking a little bit genius. Smith may not be the smartest with the ball, but he sure knows how to sling it down the field. And that’s what he does. Over and over again, until every single member of his offense has gotten their fair share of receptions.
This is perfect for a team developing its young playmakers. The Raiders have a plethora of them, including tight end Brock Bowers, running back Ashton Jeanty and wide receivers Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. Having an experienced gunslinger like Smith running the offense is going to help them gain experience without having to worry about not getting opportunities.
The final takeaway from this week stems from the Bills and Ravens game. As a Ravens fan, I live by the motto “don’t overthink it,” and it has helped me move on from tough losses in the past. Unfortunately, I don’t think this one will blow over so quickly. As a premier team in the National Football League, the Ravens cannot, and I repeat, absolutely cannot afford to sell a 15 point lead in the last four minutes.
Does this say a lot about Bills quarterback Josh Allen? Yes. As one of the most talented players in the NFL, Allen proved that he had a Brady-esque clutch gene down the stretch. However, the defensive misgivings of both teams make me skeptical about their ability as Super Bowl contenders.
That begs the question: what teams in the NFL are Super Bowl contenders? Are the Chiefs contenders? History would say yes, of course, yet their loss to their AFC West rival team, the Chargers, seems to say otherwise. How about the Eagles? The fact that they got bailed out by a top-three wide receiver in the NFL dropping the ball twice on the last drive isn’t promising. The Bengals? They almost lost to the BROWNS, and got lucky off a late Joe Flacco pick.
Thus, I return to the aforementioned motto: “don’t overthink it.” Was the first week of games particularly promising for most teams? No. Yet it really doesn’t matter. Teams are finding their rhythm after taking the summer to retool and scheme. Real predictions can only really be made after a couple of weeks of the sport we all know and love.This wraps up the tenth volume of The End Zone Report. Keep a lookout for the next one.
