In the middle of the last quarter between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills of the past Sunday Night FootballI discovered as one of those fans who leave the stadium before the end. Baltimore won 40-25the clock agonized and the algorithm gave Buffalo less than a percent possibilities. I got out of the ship and got on an uber: I stopped looking at the game with my heart as a withered as a bouquet of forgotten coriander in a single refrigerator.
But the NFL has a special way to punish the incredulous. When I opened the door of my house, I found my half -naked partner, shouting in front of television, in some kind of cabal. I don’t know if he was possessed by Josh Allen or for the fury of the mob that assaulted the Capitol in 2021, but was violent and devout. And there was the miracle: Buffalo had scored and was two points to tie. The conversion drained in the hands of Keon Coleman, and while mentally reviewing some of my team’s most painful defeats, she launched me a shout that crossed me: “Billsleave.” A mixture of faith, rudimentary English, smell of cheap whiskey and conviction, just what I had lost 20 minutes before.
What followed is already written in the history books: the Bills became In the first NFL team to overcome a 15 -point disadvantage in the last four minutes and win in regulatory time. I was hit. On the one hand, my team resurrected as Damar Hamlin in that dramatic Monday Night from which we can laugh today; On the other, my partner, who did not differentiate an interception three years ago, jumped with an emotion that made me feel the Super Bowl or that we were waiting for our second child. Unfortunately, the first has not passed; Fortunately, the second either.
My wife’s enthusiasm and a fare of caresses hinted to continue the celebration in the room. For anyone who turns your partner into a fan of your favorite team, the scene could be considered a happy ending; But the truth is that, at that time, my sexual appetite preferred to see Josh Allen at the post -game conference, followed by the summary of each key play he had made possible The Miracle of Orchard Park.
And there I stayed, between ecstasy and compulsive analysis, thinking about how a result alters us. It leads us to feel evicted to a drunkenness of enjoyment. They may not know it, but winning in week 1 is Pilar for the rest of the calendar. Since 1990, history has shown that organizations that win their first seasonal games have more than double probabilities to advance to the playoffs than the teams that lose. During that period, the 54.2 For one hundred of the teams (294 of 542) That they took their first commitment, they agreed to the postseason bracket, including Eagles and Chiefs, the two participants of the past Super Bowl and who next Sunday star in:
Week
The first Sunday of the 2025 season gave us a carousel of emotions: comeback impossible, touchdowns in recent seconds and a margin of average victory of just 7,56 pointsthe third most closed in a Weekend Kickoff since 1970, only behind 1979 (6.79) and 1983 (7.00). 12 matches were defined by a single possession, eight points or less, a figure that matches the historical record of week 1 established in 2013.
With that backdrop comes the Week 2and with it, a game of second opportunities. Philadelphia lands with the confidence of having disarmed Kansas City in the Super Bowl with a marker of 40-22. That afternoon in New Orleans, Jalen Hurts He made it clear that it is not just legs: 293 total yards, three touchdowns and the feeling that the scrimmage line was a jumping rope under its control. With 16 regular season games with multiple terrestrial touchdownsHurts has become a quarterback that converts entire defensive into simple decorative obstacles.
But the Chiefs They are not a process rival. At home they feel invincible: they were one of the two teams that ended up undefeated as premises in 2024. Since Patrick Mahomes He took the reins in 2018, Kansas City accumulates the largest number of victories at home (45) and the highest percentage (.776). Mahomes arrives with 292 TouchDown passes in his careeronly one to reach Peyton Manning as the player with more scoring shipments in his first nine campaigns.
The challenge is huge. Chiefs return from a long trip to Brazil where Chargers They broke a streak that extended since 2021. The dynasty looks vulnerable and statistics are cruel: start 0-2 In the NFL it is equivalent to walking on the edge of elimination. In the last 35 years, just 12.2 percent Of the teams with that starter they have reached playoffs, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
However, this duel goes beyond numbers. These are narratives and protagonists. Mahomes is a specialist in escaping against the wall, as he tried in 2023 by transforming a defeat on the road to the Lombardi trophy. But the story does not play in favor: in the immediate revenge of Super Bowl, the defending champion has won seven of the last 10.
In other words, this Sunday promises a high voltage clash: Three touchdowns here, three there … but everything will be decided who controls the last seconds. Eagles 27-24 Chiefs.
Picks in a nutshell
Commanders and Packers (−3.5): Washington dreams of a 2-0 that has only achieved twice in 15 years, but Green Bay does not start so strong since 2020. Commanders 21-24 Packers
Cowboys en Giants (−5.5): Dallas has New York of Client: 15 wins in the last 16 games.Cowboys 30-24 Giants
Bengals in Jaguars (−3.5): Joe Burrow continues to hunt records and Jacksonville not won a series against Cincy since 2001. Bengals 28-24 Jaguars
Bills in jets (−7): Buffalo comes from a historic comeback, Josh Allen seems on as a nuclear generator. Bills 30-20 Jets
Ravens a browns (−11.5): Baltimore looks for who pays it and boasts 10 victories on Cleveland in September. Ravens 34-17 Browns
Steelers and Seahawks (−3): Aaron Rodgers already adds 507 touchdowns for life; In Seattle seeks to overcome Favre and Rivers in the same afternoon. Steelers 24-20 Seahawks
Rams en Titans (−5.5): Matthew Stafford with five 300 -yard games since 2023; Tennessee barely exceeds 17 points on average at home. Rams 27-18 Titans
Dolphins in patriots (−1.5): Miami showed many problems with a defense that could never stop Daniel Jones. Dolphins 20-23 Patriots
Bears en Lions (-5.5): Although both teams had disappointing offensive actions, respect for Detroit for their division championship. Bears 21-24 Lions
49ers en Saints (−4.5): San Francisco arrives with a 9-1 mark in its last 10 trips to the south. 49ers 28-24 Saints
Broncos and Colts (. 2.5): Denver’s defense did not allow TD in week 1; Indy knows it, and fears it. Broncos 20-17 Colts
Cardinals en Panthers (−6.5): Arizona survived with Saints; Carolina does not start well since 2018. Cardinals 24-19 Panthers
Falcons en Vikings (−4.5): Jefferson at home average 110 yards; Minnesota smells at 2-0.Vikings 30-24 Falcons
Texans a buccaneers (−2.5): CJ Stoud already seems veteran with 20 TD in its last 10 games. Tampa comes from a miracle triumph in Atlanta Texans 23-21 Buccaneers
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Chargers en Raiders (−3.5): Herbert adds 10 annotations in the last three games against Las Vegas. Chargers 26-23 Raiders
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