Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes’ Teams Headline Concerning Season-Opening Form

The NFL 2025 season has kicked off, and all eyes were on the superstars Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and the others to see what their respective teams would do as they march towards Super Bowl LX. The season kicked off with the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Dallas Cowboys. It was an entertaining game, especially in the first half.

The next game was when Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs flew to Brazil to battle the Los Angeles Chargers. The most successful team of the past 6 seasons did not have a great game and lost to their opponents. That game started the first alarm bells to ring for this NFL season as the Chiefs looked nothing like their previous self. Another team that had a concerning opening weekend was the Miami Dolphins.

A blowout at the hands of the Daniel Jones-led Indianapolis Colts was not the way to start. In fact, a lot of questions begun arising about the franchise and its future. Other than these two games, most of the battles were exciting, and the results were more or less in line with preseason expectations. However, all eyes were on Sunday Night’s final game.

Lamar Jackson and his Baltimore Ravens flew to upstate New York to face his MVP rival, Josh Allen and his Buffalo Bills. The game seemed to be in the away team’s hands, but a late rally from the Bills saw them win the game in the end.

The following day, analysts wondered what would happen to the Ravens, who have all the talent in the world, but still couldn’t seem to get the job done. Fans of these three teams are worried that the opening season performances reflect deep issues that could undermine their season.

Lamar Jackson and his Ravens cannot seem to get to the finish line

Lamar Jackson has been the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens for the past 7 seasons. In that time, the shifty signal caller has won 2 MVP awards and was close to winning his 3rd this past season.

Despite his otherworldly skills, he has not been able to lead the team to a Super Bowl. In fact, they have not been a part of the AFC Championship game more than once.

Last season, the franchise retooled its roster in a bid to reach the Super Bowl. Ironically, they Josh Allen and the Bills who stopped them in the Divisional round. The front office went to work and again brought in quality additions.

Despite being labeled as preseason favorites, the star-studded lineup failed the franchise and its fans with their 4th quarter performances. They gave away a 15-point lead and lost the game in the final 4 minutes.

Their inability to close out games has become a recurring problem, and now there are serious concerns about whether the team can ever get over the hump. Some are blaming head coach John Harbaugh, while others are questioning the team’s mindset.

Whatever it is, they have to get it right if they want to take advantage of the plethora of talent at their disposal. This season, they are favored to win it all, but their late-game flameout is worrying.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs did not look like a championship-winning squad

Just like the Baltimore Ravens, the Kansas City Chiefs were touted as early Super Bowl contenders. Patrick Mahomes and his teammates took the loss in last season’s finale to the heart and were intent on getting revenge.

Admittedly, they are thin at wide receiver and are looking for reinforcements. However, the concerns they showcased in their season-opening loss were not limited to just that position. The offensive line needed a reminder from Travis Kelce that they needed to get their act together. The receivers were struggling to get open for much of the game, and the running game was nonexistent.

Moving on to defense, they did not seem to have the bite that is standard for one coached by Steve Spagnuolo. They missed tackles, were confused about the Chargers’ schemes, and could not stay focused when it mattered.

These problems were there last season, but their regular-season winning streak masked that. This time, teams are more adept at exploiting the mismatch, and in this game, they stopped the Chiefs from scoring a touchdown until the 3rd quarter.

If the team wants to have a fighting chance of attempting to make it to their 4th straight Super Bowl, they have to clean up their act, and fast. Otherwise, their season could slip away with the strong schedule they have in front of them until their Week 10 bye.

Miami Dolphins looked like a sorry franchise

Entering this offseason, the Miami Dolphins’ most vocal player, Tyreek Hill, questioned the need to place star cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the trade block.

During their first game, the 7-time Pro Bowler’s absence was evident as they lost by 25 points, the worst margin of defeat across the league. The defense did not have an answer, and many wonder if they have the motivation to win.

The offense also did not fare any better, with them going scoreless for the first 3 quarters before a consolation touchdown when the game was far out of their reach. Hill had another meltdown early in the game as frustrations boiled over.

There are question marks about his future as he wants to win. Analysts and fans believe he will not be able to do so with the Dolphins after that blowout. Most of them pointed the finger at head coach Mike McDaniel, questioning if he had it in him to lead a group of men. Their next few games will prove if this opening-week loss was just a fluke.

However, not many are hopeful of a response. They believe the Dolphins will likely be one of the worst teams in the league. Not what Tyreek Hill wants at this stage of his career. Heading into week 2, it will be up to these three teams to prove these notions wrong. Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes will be looking for revenge, but Tyreek Hill’s Dolphins are an entirely different dilemma.

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