MMQB Week 1: Steelers Survive, Carson Wentz Passes Test in Wild Opening Week

Links to all our coverage of an exciting NFL Sunday. Including Albert Breer’s conversations with Chris Boswell, Carson Wentz, Dennis Allen and more.

Welcome to a new season here at The MMQB. We are trying things a little differently with Albert Breer’s Monday morning column, publishing items as separate stories throughout the morning. Below are links to everything Albert wrote overnight off of Week 1, plus more from our staff.

The NFL Is Back ... in a Wild Way

Chris Boswell makes the game-winning kick against the Bengals.
Sam Greene/USA TODAY Sports

The new season roared back into our lives over 42 frantic minutes at the end of the early-game window. Albert Breer spoke to Steelers kicker Chris Boswell about the most dramatic game of the day and the difference between a “good ball” and an “edged ball.”


Saints Find a Way to Win

Saints quarterback Jameis Winston celebrates their come-from-behind win over the Falcons.
Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports

Are the Saints lurking? Albert Breer spoke to new coach Dennis Allen about Jameis Winson’s monster fourth quarter that keyed a gut-check 16-point comeback win over the Falcons.


Ten Takeaways

Photos of Carson Wentz and Saquon Barkley in their Week 1 games.
Scott Taetsch/USA TODAY Sports (Wentz); Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports (Barkley)

Albert Breer’s notes and observations from around the league, including a conversation with Ron Rivera and Carson Wentz about passing a big test in Week 1, a chat with Saquon Barkley about his big day, a surprising quote from Bill Belichick, our Best of the Internet and much more.


Six From Saturday

Will Anderson after the 2021 SEC championship game.
If a non-QB goes No. 1 in the draft, Anderson has the inside track to be that guy :: Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports

Albert Breer’s weekly thoughts on this weekend’s college action, geared mostly toward what should be of interest to NFL fans. This week: Notes on Will Anderson’s impact game against Texas, and why he is likely to be the top non-QB drafted. Plus, the environment for Quinn Ewers in Austin and an interesting effect of the transfer portal on mid-majors.


More From The MMQB Staff

Week 1 Game Balls: Dishing Out Awards to Sunday’s Top Performers

Conor Orr: The Giants Show Signs of Finally Being Ready to Turn a Corner

Conor Orr: Revenge? The Weirdness of the Browns Getting on Baker Mayfield

Conor Orr: Mike McCarthy Needs to Find Answers Fast

Jon Wertheim: Can Joe Buck and Troy Aikman Solve ‘Monday Night Football’?


The MMQB Podcast

Listen to Gary and Conor break down all the games and every major story line on The MMQB Podcast, in your feed every Monday morning.


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Albert Breer
ALBERT BREER

Albert Breer is a senior writer covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated, delivering the biggest stories and breaking news from across the league. He has been on the NFL beat since 2005 and joined SI in 2016. Breer began his career covering the New England Patriots for the MetroWest Daily News and the Boston Herald from 2005 to '07, then covered the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News from 2007 to '08. He worked for The Sporting News from 2008 to '09 before returning to Massachusetts as The Boston Globe's national NFL writer in 2009. From 2010 to 2016, Breer served as a national reporter for NFL Network. In addition to his work at Sports Illustrated, Breer regularly appears on NBC Sports Boston, 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, FS1 with Colin Cowherd, The Rich Eisen Show and The Dan Patrick Show. A 2002 graduate of Ohio State, Breer lives near Boston with his wife, a cardiac ICU nurse at Boston Children's Hospital, and their three children.