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Fifteen teams lost their season openers in the NFL this week. The 21-21 tie between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers made it one less than usual. However, nearly half of the teams that lost in Week 1 featured coaches in their first year with their team. New coaches went 0-7 in their season openers this year, making it a new NFL record.
According to Kevin Patra of NFl.com, the previous was set when new coaches went 0-6 in 2001.
The NFL can be a cruel and unforgiving league. The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans were the teams that struggled in Week 1 under their new leadership. Each one had their own unique woes and corrections they'll need to make heading into Week 2.
Steve Wilks (Arizona Cardinals)
Wilks and his Cardinals boasted one of the most impressive defenses in the preseason. However, their efforts didn't translate well, as they gave up 24 points in a 24-6 loss to the Washington Redskins. Sam Bradford didn't look good. His team might have to test out Josh Rosen soon if Bradford doesn't look good in Week 2.
Matt Patricia (Detroit Lions)
The Lions got crushed 48-17 by the New York Jets in Week 1. The Jets were prepared for the Lions' offense and took advantage of their intensive film studying skills and came away with five interceptions in against them. If the Jets have their play calling figured out, plenty of other teams can figure it out too.
Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts)
The Colts were happy to have Andrew Luck back in the fold under center after two years of inactivity. Lack of late-game ball security is what led to their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. They actually had a good chance of winning the game.
Pat Shurmur (New York Giants)
The Giants got strong performances from Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley. They lost a one-possession game to the Jacksonville Jaguars, one the NFL's premier defenses. They shouldn't worry too much about their 20-15 loss and should look better against the Dallas Cowboys next week.
Jon Gruden (Oakland Raiders)
Gruden's offense struggled with a plethora of penalties and could not find consistent scoring in the second half. His defense only recorded a single sack in the game. Putting pressure on the opposing team's quarterback will be critical to the team's improvement from a 33-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans)
The Titans had a delay in their game due to bad weather, which may have affected their performance. Injuries to three key starters have made what's in their future a mystery. The nature of Marcus Mariota's elbow injury will determine if Vrabel's first season with the team is already going down the drain.
Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears)
Nagy’s Bears got off to a good start, amassing a 20-0 lead over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Their upgraded defense wasn’t to overcome the bad man Aaron Rodgers is. Rodgers led them surging back to a 24-23 victory. If Nagy gets his team to close games, they can be a threat this year.
Conclusion
These teams had different circumstances in Week 1, but they all need to make adjustments to secure victories in Week 2, so they can avoid going 0-2 and putting themselves in deeper holes to start the season.
