NFL Football finally came back this weekend after a six-month intermission due to COVID-19, and it was full of nothing but surprises. From the Rams beating the Cowboys in their new stadium, to the amount of players who took a stand against systemic racism, fans were witnessing history. 

The reigning Super Bowl champion team, the Chiefs, picked up their first win of the season over the Texans on September 10th, 34-20. Patrick Mahomes was at the top of his game and led the way with 211 passing yards and three touchdown passes in the game. Mahomes was not the only quarterback who had a surprising performance. The quarterback for the Panthers, Teddy Bridgewater, simply did not make the plays that needed to be made and went for the easy way out. 

In another stellar matchup, the Chicago Bears defeated the Falcons by a score of 30-26. But we may have finally witnessed the end of the Mitchell Trubisky era for the Bears. Trubisky had a stellar matchup entering this game, but was an utter disaster. He was nearly picked on the initial drive and then fumbled, but was lucky to recover. His performance was disappointing and one of the most shocking of the weekend. 

While there were many disappointing plays and performances, there were also many great ones. Cam Newton has taken Tom Brady’s place as the Patriots’ new quarterback. Newton has received lots of criticism since he suffered a mid-foot sprain three years ago. He had no clear date of return and many thought he was over exaggerating the severeness of his injury. However, this Sunday, Newton looked incredible. He got two rushing touchdowns and had no turnovers. The team easily beat the Miami Dolphins to start off the season. 

NFL players were also allowed to boycott Week 1 in protest as the league takes a stronger stance on fighting systemic racism. While some fans say these players are just millionaires who should simply play their sport, many are supporting the teams’ effort to take a stand. Some kneeled for the national anthem and many wore patches on their jerseys as a peaceful protest. 

Upcoming weeks might look similar to week 1 in regards to spectators and social distancing guidelines. Overall, Week 1 of NFL Football was exciting, different in many ways, and a good taste of normal for our country. Players and fans are excited to tune in to week 2.