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The opening week of the NFL season was a memorable one, with football finally returning to center stage on the sporting calendar.
There was so much good football played against the backdrop of a very emotional United States population as the country mourned the 21st anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
With the offseason being so long, it’s easy for fans to build up false narratives in their minds and convince themselves that a team is going to do better than the previous year.
However, with expectations come pressure and the opening week of the 2022 NFL season saw a number of disappointing performances, not least from Russell Wilson on his return to Seattle.
#1 Trey Lance | San Francisco 49ers
Sunday marked the start of the Trey Lance era in Santa Clara. He waited and waited for his time, and now Kyle Shanahan has given him the keys.
Unfortunately, it was a night to forget for the quarterback as he struggled in the torrential rain that engulfed Soldier Field. He went completed 13 out 28 attempts for 164 yards and had one interception.
While the signs of the 49ers’ promising rushing game were still there, it was clear that this was not yet Lance’s offense. Shanahan will have work to do in order to make the gameplan more suited to his QB.
This was such a disappointing display because fans have waited so long for the promise of the player they moved up in the draft to select. It will take time, but the immediate signs were underwhelming.
#2 La’El Collins | Cincinnati Bengals
Protecting Joe Burrow was the number one priority for the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason. With all but one member of their offensive line making their debut in Week 1 of the NFL season, the franchise believed they had done just that.
La’El Collins was one offseason signing in the offensive tackle position, and expectations were high ahead of the NFL opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What followed, however, was nothing short of a disaster. Burrow was sacked seven times, as Collins failed to protect his QB.
In all fairness, everyone on the O-Line was at fault, but there were such high expectations on Collins that his performance was a particular negative.
#3 Sauce Gardner | New York Jets
NFL Draft night in 2022 ended with the City of New York believing it had done the best work.
Both the Giants and the Jets snared elite defensive prospects in the form of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner.
So, there was understandable frustration at how Gardner appeared to underwhelm on a Jets defense that suffered at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1.
Gardner made just two tackles and wasn’t able to be the game-changing presence many thought he would be upon arrival in the Big Apple.
With that being said, his performance was average to okay, it’s just expectations were much higher.
The talent is clearly there. He did allow only one catch for eight yards on debut, but surely, there is more to come from the cornerback.
PFF ranked him as the eighth-best CB to play in the NFL in Week 1, which is not bad, but expectations from Jets fans are that he will be a lot closer to the top 5 for much of the season.
#4 Mac Jones | New England Patriots
Mac Jones endured a rough start to the season in Miami with the Dolphins defense getting to him on two occasions.
He simply couldn’t build the rhythm that marked him out as one of the standout rookies in the 2021 NFL season. He threw for just one touchdown against the Dolphins.
He also threw an interception and was unable to guide his team into any real position to win in Miami.
Bill Belichick knows how to get his team winning, but with confusion over who exactly is calling offensive plays this term, it’s not hugely surprising to see Jones struggling early on.
#5 Russell Wilson | Denver Broncos
In what was the big story in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, Russell Wilson made his return to Seattle as a member of the Denver Broncos.
After a blockbuster trade in the offseason, Wilson was given a mixed reception by Seahawks fans, yet he didn’t necessarily make them regret their taunts and boos on the field.
Getting used to a new offense is always a process for a player. While there were no glaring moments of calamity in Wilson’s performance on Monday, he wasn’t able to win the game, which is what he has been brought in to do. He completed 29 of 42 passes for 340 yards and one touchdown.
Years of under-par QB play have left Broncos fans yearning for someone like Wilson to come in and be their savior. Nathaniel Hackett made the curious decision not to give Wilson the chance to win the team the game with seconds remaining. Instead, he opted to try for a 64-yard field goal, which was always going to be a tough ask.
Wilson will be a star for the Broncos, likely starting in Week 2 of the NFL season, but his debut for Denver did not mark the improvement fans expected at the position.
