Baltimore Beatdown
Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is officially behind us. Only two teams in the AFC North started their season off with a win.
The Aaron Rodgers era is upon us in Pittsburgh, and with it came a thrilling 34-32 win over the New York Jets and former Steelers quarterback Justin Fields. The 41-year-old quarterback fared well against his previous team, completing 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Several other notable players made their Pittsburgh debuts on Sunday, including wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, whom the Steelers traded a second-round draft pick for this offseason before signing him to a four-year, $132 million contract extension. Metcalf led the team with 83 receiving yards on four receptions.
The other notable debut was cornerback Jalen Ramsey, whom Pittsburgh acquired, alongside tight end Jonnu Smith, in a trade with the Miami Dolphins in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap. The now 30-year-old All-Pro cornerback made what was perhaps the play of the game when he delivered a crushing hit to wide receiver Garrett Wilson, breaking up the intended pass on fourth down to put the game away for the Steelers.
The Bengals, in stark contrast to recent seasons, were the only other team in the division to start the year off in the win column as they outlasted the Cleveland Browns in a 17-16 victory. Cincinnati has notoriously gotten off to slow starts under head coach Zac Taylor in the past, and while the team did not perform up to their usual standards offensively, getting a divisional win to start the year is a good sign for a Bengals team hoping to rejoin the AFC playoff picture.
The usual stars were held in check for Cincinnati on Sunday, as quarterback Joe Burrow completed 14 of 23 passes for just 113 yards and a touchdown, while wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for a measly 59 receiving yards on five receptions.
After a disastrous 2024 season from the Bengals’ defense, which ultimately cost the team a playoff berth, the unit, now coached by defensive coordinator Al Golden, more than carried their weight against the Browns with two interceptions and two sacks.
“We found a way to win,” Burrow said after the game. “Like somebody said earlier, we didn’t win any of these games last year.”
Quarterback Joe Flacco is back in Cleveland for the 2025 season after leading the Browns to the playoffs in 2023. The 40-year-old Flacco completed 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on the day as Cleveland fell to Cincinnati.
The biggest takeaway for the Browns, offensively, was the emergence of two rookie playmakers, fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson and third-round tight end Harold Fannin. Sampson only rushed for 29 yards on 12 carries, but finished second on the team with 64 receiving yards on eight receptions. Fannin, meanwhile, was third with...
