Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have been fast starters in the NFL season.
The defending champions, the Chiefs, are heading into their season opener on Thursday night at home against Detroit, having won eight consecutive regular-season opening games, which is tied for the fifth-longest streak in the Super Bowl era.
The last time Kansas City lost in Week 1 was in 2014 with Alex Smith as quarterback when they fell 26-10 to Tennessee in a game played before Mahomes made his college debut at Texas Tech.
They won the three following season openers with Smith as quarterback and then the five since Mahomes became the starter, scoring at least 33 points in the last seven Week 1 games.
They have a long way to go to match the longest streak ever, as the Cowboys won 17 consecutive season-opening games between 1965-1981. The last team to win more than eight in a row was the New England Patriots, who won 10 straight from 2004 to 2013.
Mahomes has been particularly sharp to start the season, throwing at least three touchdown passes in the first five opening games of his career, the longest streak ever recorded. The only quarterbacks with more than five career opening games with at least three touchdown passes are Tom Brady (nine), Dan Marino (seven), and Drew Brees (six).
In fact, only nine teams besides the Chiefs have had five Week 1 games with at least three touchdown passes in the last 20 seasons. The Bengals have the longest drought of that kind, with none since Boomer Esiason did it in 1988.
On the other end of Week 1 domination are the Indianapolis Colts, who ended an eight-game losing streak in season-opening games with a 20-20 tie against Houston last year. The only team with a longer streak without winning a season-opening game in NFL history is the Browns, who had a record of 0-16-1 from 2005 to 2021 before beating Carolina 26-24 last year.
The Colts open the season at home against Jacksonville on Sunday.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Another season, another starting quarterback in Week 1 for Washington and Indianapolis.
The Commanders and the Colts are set to become the fourth and fifth teams in the Super Bowl era to have a different starting quarterback in seven consecutive season openers.
Sam Howell will join Kirk Cousins, Alex Smith, Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Carson Wentz in starting in Week 1 for Washington since 2017.
Rookie Anthony Richardson follows Matt Ryan, Wentz, Philip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett, Andrew Luck, and Scott Tolzien in doing so in Indianapolis.
The only other teams with seven different starting quarterbacks in seven Week 1 seasons are Cleveland (2013-2019), Baltimore (1997-2003), and the Chargers (1987-1993).
With Derek Carr having left Las Vegas for New Orleans and Aaron Rodgers with the Jets after starting 15 consecutive season openers in Green Bay, Dak Prescott will have the longest streak of consecutive Week 1 starts as a quarterback with the same team when he makes his eighth consecutive start in the season opener.
CHANGE OF TEAMS
Baker Mayfield has been quite the journeyman quarterback during his brief time in the NFL.
Mayfield is set to start for his fourth team since being selected as the first overall pick by Cleveland in 2018. He also spent time with Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams last season.
Mayfield is poised to start the season opener for the fourth team of his career, Tampa Bay, on Sunday against Minnesota. No other first-overall pick quarterback in the common draft era since 1967 has started for more than two teams in their first six seasons.
Mayfield will be the sixth quarterback in the Super Bowl era to start the season opener for three different franchises in three seasons, having done so in Cleveland in 2021 and Carolina in 2022. He will join Carson Wentz (2020-2022), Donovan McNabb (2009-2011), Brett Favre (2007-2009), Kurt Warner (2003-2005), and Jim Harbaugh (1997-1999).
DO IT AGAIN
The Philadelphia Eagles are aiming to achieve a rare repeat in the NFC East.
Philadelphia is attempting to become the first team to repeat as division winner in the NFC East since the Eagles did it from 2002 to 2004 in the early years of the current division format.
The Eagles are also seeking to become the fourth team to win the Super Bowl the year after losing the final, joining the 1971 Dallas Cowboys, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the 2018 New England Patriots.
The only other teams that lost the Super Bowl and managed to return to the big game were the 1974 Minnesota Vikings, the 1987 Denver Broncos, and the 1991 to 1993 Buffalo Bills.
DROP
Seven teams made it to the playoffs last season after not having done so in 2021, marking the 33rd consecutive season in which at least four teams achieved this feat.
Four teams that are prime candidates to miss out on playoff positions are the teams that made it last season despite being outscored: Minnesota, the Giants, Tampa Bay, and Miami.
The last nine teams that made the playoffs despite being outscored failed to make the playoffs the following year, with the 2015 Carolina Panthers being the last to accomplish it.
Originally posted 2023-09-06 13:52:09.
