The NFL had plenty of pleasant surprises from week 1 of the 2015 regular season. There were upsets, breakouts and fantastic finishes that left fans craving more football. There were very few disappointments as opening weekend was as exciting as it could get, but with it came some ideas about how the rest of the season may play out.

1. Even with missing parts, the Steelers still have a top NFL offense:
   With the suspensions of Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant and the injury to Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers still managed to post 400+ total yards on offense. Wide receiver Antonio Brown extended his streak of consecutive games with five receptions or more, and DeAngelo Williams backed up his claim to having something left in the tank. The defense on the other hand looked confused and disappointed me strongly. After emphasizing how important it was to cover and limit Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, they still allowed him to score three touchdowns, complete three Gronk spikes and ruin my night in Draft Kings. Once Bell and Bryant return, the offense will be more dangerous than it is now. I have no doubt that the Steelers can still contend in the brutal AFC North, even with a lackluster defense.

2. The Bills should be favorites to win the AFC East division: Am I predicting this? Not necessarily, but the Buffalo Bills showed why they can knock off the Patriots in their respective division. The Patriots did not look like they lost too much of a step after their entire secondary had a make over, but the Bills gained so much ground on them with their impressive offseason. This new defense under Rex Ryan looks like it could be the number unit in the NFL, better than Seattle’s. Not only did the defense intercept Colts quarterback Andrew Luck twice, but also they held a potential top five offense to just 14 points. Ryan also made an excellent choice at QB selecting Tyrod Taylor to lead the offense. Taylor was electric on the field with nearly 200 passing yards and a nice long pass to newly acquired wide receiver Percy Harvin for one of their touchdowns. The Colts were the favorites to come out of the AFC in the postseason, and the Bills convincingly knocked them off. I know it is only week 1, but this is something to at least be excited for. The Bills get to display their true identity against the Patriots at home in week 2; can’t wait.

3. Marcus Mariota is already making the Buccaneers second-guess themselves: Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota had one of the best debuts in the history of sports. After missing on his first three passes, Mariota completed his next 13 and finished with FOUR touchdown passes against a supposedly improved Tampa Bay defense. Rookie quarterback and number one overall pick Jameis Winston, well, didn’t match the performance. For the first time in NFL history, two Heisman trophy winners who were selected number one and two overall in the same draft threw their first touchdown passes to the same team. If you understand that joke, Winston’s first pass was a pick six to the Titans defense. Winston finished with 229 yards and two touchdown passes, but managed to throw two interceptions as well in an ugly 42-14 loss. Once again, it is only week 1, but this is definitely a cause for at least some regret as Mariota embarrassed the team that passed on him.

4. Karma for Terrell Suggs?: After their season opener against the Denver Broncos, the Ravens suffered more than just a loss this past Sunday. Outside linebacker and Ball So Hard University graduate Terrell Suggs ended his season early with a torn Achilles. As a Steelers fan, I do wish him a speedy and healthy recovery, but Suggs might have been pushing his luck in preseason. Some readers may recall his controversial hit on Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, who has had multiple knee surgeries. On the particular play that I am referring to, Suggs was unblocked on a read option play and tackled a defenseless player in Bradford, who did not possess the ball. Suggs aimed low and twisted Bradford to the ground. Opinions differ amongst every football fan, but mine says this was a dirty and deliberate play. Decide for yourself. Besides that, it is a very crushing blow to the Ravens organization, as they will have to somehow replace more than just his skills on the football field. His passion and the energy he brings to the Baltimore defense are almost unmatchable.

5. The Eagles offense can be stopped and the 49ers are not going to be as bad as everyone believed they would be: This could count as two ideas, but I am combining these two teams because they both appeared on Monday Night Football. The Eagles fell to the Falcons by a score of 26-24, while the 49ers cruised to an easy victory over the heavily favorited Vikings, 20-3. Characterized as a major strength, the Eagles struggled to light up the scoreboard against the new look Falcons. Good news for Philly fans, Bradford managed to stay healthy in his first game back, and he performed admirably. The defense, on the other hand, turned in a suspect performance. Julio Jones absolutely torched the Eagles’ secondary, particularly exposing newly acquired free agent cornerback Byron Maxwell. 26-24 is not a cause for concern, but head coach Chip Kelly needs to do a better job of maximizing his offense’s abilities. The 49ers surprised a lot of people by upsetting the improved Vikings. Second year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and returning star running back Adrian Peterson could not find any answers for the San Francisco defense that was headed by middle linebacker Navarro Bowman. On offense, the 49ers did not seem to miss Frank Gore as sophomore back Carlos Hyde took the role as the bell cow rushing for 168 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. San Fran quarterback Colin Kaepernick looked calm and composed controlling the tempo of the game and forcing Minnesota to play the way the 49ers dictated. The 49ers are not going to be in their own stadium for the Super Bowl come February, but they could make the already tough NFC West even more interesting to watch.

– Zach S.