Five most concerning 0-1 starts: Why Cowboys, trio of 2025 NFL playoff teams have plenty to worry about

The Cowboys spent two first-round picks on defense in April's NFL Draft, traded for edge-rusher Rashan Gary, signed multiple defensive free agents and changed coordinators, hiring former Philadelphia Eagles defensive pass game coordinator Christian Parker. But in their first game, those investments didn't amount to much. 

Denver Broncos

The Broncos capped the opening week of the regular season with a historic 31-10 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, becoming the first team in league history to lose a season opener by at least 20 points after winning 14 or more games the previous season.

Quarterback Bo Nix was horrendous, finishing 17-of-28 in 33 dropbacks for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Per NFL Pro data, he only ranked above Falcons third-string quarterback Cooper Rush, who was thrust into a starting role late in the opening week, in EPA per dropback. This is while finishing with three turnover-worthy plays and no big-time throws, as evaluated by Pro Football Focus.

The awful offensive start has already led to questions about the status of first-year play-caller Davis Webb, who inherited the duties from head coach Sean Payton. 

Just as concerning was Denver's run defense, which allowed 220 yards, including 173 to running back Kenneth Walker III. With the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers on deck over the next three weeks, the Broncos need to clean up in a hurry before they find themselves in an insurmountable hole.

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay's second consecutive second-half collapse against an NFC North rival doesn't bode well for the team's future. Perhaps most worrisome, as ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky noted, was Green Bay's poor play at the line of scrimmage in the 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, who ended the game on a 19-0 run.

Quarterback Jordan Love won't be blitzed on a whopping 78.3 percent of his dropbacks going forward, but that may be of little solace. Per NFL Pro data, Love had the lowest completion percentage (30 percent) of Week 1 on non-blitz pass attempts, 22.5 percentage points worse than expected.

Green Bay also had the league's worst rushing attack on an EPA basis in Week 1. With running back Josh Jacobs on the Commissioner's Exempt List following an offseason arrest due to a domestic violence incident, the offense could remain one-dimensional for the foreseeable future.

Indianapolis Colts

The Baltimore Ravens might be the AFC's best team, but that still doesn't justify Indianapolis' no-show in a 41-23 loss.

Quarterback Daniel Jones must rediscover his glass slipper, and fast. Coming back from a torn Achilles, the eight-year veteran looked closer to the quarterback jettisoned by the New York Giants two seasons ago than the one who led Indianapolis to a 7-1 start in 2025, finishing Sunday's game 19-of-31 for 166 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

With a prime-time road trip at Kansas City forthcoming and the Houston Texans looming in Week 3, the Colts, owners of the league's longest active losing streak (eight games), may not find themselves in the win column until October.

Los Angeles Chargers

No team had a worse Week 1 loss than the Chargers, who were upset at home by the Arizona Cardinals, 26-14.

The offense, which had high expectations in offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's first game, was among the weekend's greatest disappointments. Quarterback Justin Herbert was unimpressive, and a makeshift offensive line was also only partially to blame. According to PFF data, Herbert was one of five quarterbacks in Week 1 to bear responsibility for at least one-third of his pressured dropbacks.

The defense has questions, too. As ESPN NFL analyst Peter Schrager noted following Sunday's loss, the loss of former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was hired as Ravens head coach during the offseason, could be massive after the Chargers gave up 393 yards. That's more than they allowed in all but one game a season ago.

Los Angeles has made the postseason two years in a row under head coach Jim Harbaugh, but Sunday's loss raised immediate doubts about its ability to extend the streak.