NFL Week 1 takeaways: Bengals flash contender upside, Bears explode and Packers collapse

As you might imagine, I have some thoughts about the first Sunday of the NFL season.Below, you will find my biggest takeaway from each game.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.

If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.Takeaway: If the Cincinnati Bengals defense is actually this good, this team is a top-five Super Bowl contender.Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals looked like Super Bowl contenders in a Week 1 win over Tampa Bay.

(Getty Images)Yes, the Bucs scored 27 points.But that total is misleading: Tampa Bay’s defense scored on a pick-six, and the offense’s final touchdown came against a prevent defense with Cincinnati leading by two scores.

The Bengals held Tampa Bay to 282 yards and forced four turnovers.If the defense is legit and Burrow stays healthy (he was sacked just once, another major positive), Cincinnati is extremely dangerous.FORMER NAVY MIDSHIPMAN LANDON ROBINSON SHOWS UP TO HIS FIRST NFL GAME IN FULL DRESS MILITARY UNIFORMTakeaway: There’s no reason for Detroit to panic over a near-historic second-half collapse because the Saints might actually be good.Obviously, blowing a 21-0 second-half lead is less than ideal.

But Tyler Shough threw for 410 yards, Chris Olave played out of his mind and New Orleans erased that deficit despite committing three turnovers.Detroit still ran for 165 yards, sacked Shough five times and stopped the potential game-winning 2-point conversion.

The Lions' secondary is a concern, but that comeback probably says more about New Orleans than it does about Detroit.Takeaway: It’s going to be a long year in Tennessee.Tennessee was outgained 367-195 at home by a Jets team starting Geno Smith at quarterback.The Titans had 112 yards through three quarters, and Cam Ward’s only touchdown came in garbage time.

Robert Saleh inherited a bad roster, but neither side of the ball offered m...