5 Takeaways from the 2020 NFL Season’s Opener

September 11, 2020
Football
Rohin Palsule

It is safe to say that this football season will be one of the most unprecedented and unique seasons we have ever had. Teams playing with no fans, a looming pandemic, and fights for racial and social justice have been prevalent in its return. Yesterday, we finally got our first look at what this crazy 2020 season is going to look like.

On Thursday, the Kansas City Chiefs secured a 34-20 win against the Houston Texans. In this article, we will talk about five major takeaways from the game and things to look out for later in the season.

5. This match hints that NFL players did not take a major hit due to the lost preseason games

While it is expected to see some rusty plays by teams because of the lack of a preseason, the Texans and Chiefs played particularly clean, especially in the first half. The only penalties in the first half were 2 five yard penalties by the Texans, and at the end of the game only 6 penalties for 42 combined yards were called. In addition, there was only one turnover in the game as a result of a phenomenal pass alteration by safety Tyrann Matheiu and interception by rookie corner L’Jarius Sneed. Both teams also overperformed their expected points, according to Pro Football Reference, as the expected score was around 22-8 (Chiefs), displaying that both teams capitalized on the opportunities they were given. The game was very fast paced and there was little stoppage, something that NFL fans hope continues.

4. The Texans receiving core took a major hit without Deandre Hopkins

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Will Fuller

While wide receiver Will Fuller was phenomenal for the Texans, racking up 112 yards off 8 receptions, none of the other Texans receivers stepped up. Their second best receiver was tight end Jordan Akins, who only had 2 receptions for 39 yards. Receivers Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb, who were expected to fill in the hole that the loss of Hopkins created, combined for just 43 receiving yards, with a good chunk of these yards being in the fourth quarter when the game was virtually over. The Texans need Cooks and Cobb to step it up the rest of the season if they want a shot at getting back into the playoffs.

3. Patrick Mahomes still looks like the star quarterback that he has been since entering the league

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Patrick Mahomes

This shouldn’t come as a surprise for most football fans, but in times like these it’s good to see some continuity. Mahomes played spectacularly, completing 24 of his 32 passes for 211 yards and 3 touchdowns, earning himself a passer rating of 123.3. While the big plays that we have gotten accustomed to seeing from Mahomes weren't there (his longest pass was 19 yards), he still capitalized on almost every opportunity he had. Mahomes also had two touchdowns called back, one being a perfect 36 yard throw to Demarcus Robinson, which was dropped in the endzone. We didn’t see any rushing attempts from Mahomes, but that was due to the monster game that rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had. If Edwards-Helaire is able to continue to put up these kinds of numbers, it should open up the passing game even more for Mahomes, leading to more success for him and the Chiefs.

2. David Johnson has the potential to switch up the Texans offense and proved to be a valuable asset

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David Johnson

When the news broke out that Deandre Hopkins was being traded to the Cardinals for David Johnson, a running back who hasn’t had much success the past couple years, there were plenty of question marks surrounding him and the Texans rushing offense. While the offense as a whole still has much to figure out, as noted prior, Johnson did his part and proved his worth to this football team. On only 11 rushing attempts, Johnson rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown, additionally netting 32 receiving yards. With the Texans finding themselves down big early, they had to take a step back on the rushing attack, but in the 11 rushing attempts Johnson had, he averaged an incredible 7 yards per carry. If he is able to stay healthy and the Texans begin to rely on him more throughout the season, expect big things from David Johnson.

1. The way Andy Reid is using rookie HB Clyde Edwards-Helaire bolsters an already prolific team to being nearly unstoppable on offense

Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire has historic debut in victory | Fox News
Clyde Edwards-Helaire

The most important takeaway of football’s opening game of the 2020-2021 season has to have been the performance of former LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. On 25 rushing attempts, Edwards-Helaire had 138 yards and 1 touchdown, averaging over 5.5 yards per carry. This incredible performance displays how talented Edwards-Helaire is as a runner, but it is a reflection of Andy Reid’s play calling. Edwards-Helaire was utilized early and often, building up his confidence, which led up to a touchdown. Surprisingly, the Chiefs called 34 rushing plays, which was more than the amount of passing plays they called, meaning that Mahomes did not need to command the game with his arm as much as seasons prior because of Edwards-Helaire’s constant success running the football. This now adds more options into the Chiefs playbook, leaving opposing teams not only having to defend arguably the most talented quarterback in the NFL along with his speedy receivers, but now a rookie running back who has the chance to be a top 5 running back this season. The versatility of this team should be scaring every other NFL defense as what was once the only hole in this Chiefs offense is now looking like a strength. If Edwards-Helaire can continue to produce throughout the rest of the season, it may become nearly impossible to stop the Chiefs offense.

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