What’s Hot and What’s Knott in Football – Week 1

By Rhys Knott

Football is back, Jack, and you know what that means? That means it’s time to decide what is, in fact hot and what is incredibly Knott. 

Unsurprisingly Week 1 served up some very clunky offense, a lot of penalties (hello Bears and Panthers). And, of course there were some egregious missed calls, “virtual measurements” and expedited replays for the line to gain or spot incomplete passes is all well and good, but what about the missed facemask penalties guys? 

What’s Hot in Football - Week 1

In the spirit of easing ourselves into the new season, let’s start with the adorable. Dressing up like Spiderman is hot when you and your son are arriving at the stadium for a Week 1 matchup with the Saints. Best not try it for your first day back in the office though. 

On the topic of Spiderman, Deebo celebrating a touchdown like Spidey, just because his son told him too is very hot too. 

Jameis Winston is always hot, let’s just hope his aftershave isn’t. 

Once again, in the spirit of keeping things simple, scoring points is hot too. Lots of points! 13 teams scored more than 27 points, four of those teams lost! According to DAZN, the 750 points scored so far is just 42 points away from breaking the record for the total number of points scored in Week 1! 

Da Bears lead the way with a whopping 59 on the road in Carolina. And, Caleb Williams took off where he left the 2025 season, making plays. Not only did he throw two touchdown passes, he also ran for two as the Bears run game shredded a Panthers’ defense that added seven very good pass defenders in the offseason, but may have neglected the ground game. 

Despite the Bears and Panthers combining for 96 points, you could argue the craziest game took place in Detroit as the Saints visited Spiderman and his son. Tyler Shough threw for 410 yards (he attempted 52 passes!!!) and three touchdowns with two interceptions and five sacks! 182 of Shough’s yards through the air came via Chris Olave, who put his performance down to his guardian cap. 

As impressive as Shough and Olave were in Motown, nobody got close to Jahmyr Gibbs. The understandably hyped running back running back burned the Saints defense for 186 total yards! 

Elsewhere, the Jags were beating the Browns so comfortably that they decided to take a snap in a wildcat formation. Who knew Liam Coen was a Tony Sparano stan? 

It just wouldn’t be football season without Derrick Henry. King racked up 153 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns that moved up the rushing touchdown ladder. He’s a long way from Emmit Smith, but if the Ravens continue to pass the 500 yard mark every week LaDanian Tomlinson’s mark is in danger. 

But Henry and Gibbs aren’t the only hot running backs in Week 1. Bijan Robinson had himself a game, but he’s headed to IR if the Falcons don’t start spreading the touches out.

That’s enough love for the offenses in Week 1, we all the real athletes play on defense. Myles Garrett might have grabbed all the headlines in the offseason, but TJ Watt wants you to know that’s he’s still here and he can do this. 

While we’re talking about humans who can make the impossible look easy, check out Sonny Styles. Even though they lost on the road to the Eagles (who should be great in 2026), reports of the Commanders’ demise seem wide of the mark. Any team that has Styles on their roster is going to cause problems. Just watch him fling 233 pounds of Saquon Barkley out like a bag of rubbish! 

And Styles’ fellow Buckeye, Caleb Downs demonstrated some pop of his own when evaporated Jaxson Dart. Dart was smoked in preseason too, so he should be used to falling quicker than a Presidential approval rating. 

TJ Watt’s pick 6 might have been straight fire, but have no fear, the hilarious interception club is back. James Pierre’s pick was very skillful, but it came with a large helping of good fortune. 

And Romeo Doubs (more of him later) essentially handed this Drake Maye pass to any Seahawks defensive back in the general vicinity. Nehemiah Pritchett only needed a little bit of pattycake to grab a hot pick. 

That’s enough sillyness, the real action is where the special teams are. Jalen Carter might not be the guy you want to carpool with, but he’s a very large man who loves blocking field goals and that’s hot. 

DeeJay Dallas loves a good block too, but he uses his on guys who think they’re going to tackle the returner! Boom! That’s hot. 

Meanwhile in Philadelphia, nobody could block Tyler Owens! That is absolutely hot.

What’s Knott in Football – Week 1

Penalties, even in Week 1 23 penalties in one game is too many. That’s how many the Bears and Panthers combined for in that wild 96 point game. And despite 129 penalties being accepted in Week 1,

Shawn Hochuli’s crew is still out here missing these clangers! That’s incredibly Knott. 

But somehow they threw a flag for roughing the passer on this play.

It’s not just the officials that were rusty in Minnesota after a long offseason. The Packers’ offensive line couldn’t take the heat Brian Flores was dialing up. No Josh Jacobs meant the Packers couldn’t even try to slow the pass rush down with some run plays, that’s very Knott. 

And while getting smashed in the head mere minutes after throwing the most alarming pick anyone has ever seen is very Knott, Kyler Murray sacrificing his health so Carson Wentz could lead the Vikings to the W is very noble. 

The Giants’ offensive line didn’t have the same problems in New Jersey. It’s too early to start worrying, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Cowboys’ 4 man rush is very Knott? 

Romeo Doubs dropping a pitch-and-catch in acres of space? You know that’s Knott.

But all of that nonsense pales into insignificance in comparison to playing an NFL game in Australia. That’s the most Knott thing to happen this week, mainly because the view from the front row of the stand was just grim. These seats are almost in Adelaide! 

That wasn’t even the worst thing to happen in Melbourne though, why are we stealing hand signals from the most incomprehensible sport in the history of the universe? This is all sorts of Knott.

And don’t get me started on calling Christian McCaffrey “Cracker”.

RHYS KNOTT

NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST

Rhys has been watching the NFL for 30 something years and still hasn’t managed to pick a team to support. When he’s not fixatED on pass rushers you can find him blithering on about most sports on Twitter @wrhys_writes

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