One Bad Week Or Fantasy Football Red Flags? NFL Offenses That Struggled Last Week

September 14, 2023

Are there reasons for optimism with these offenses and can we chalk some of these blowouts up as flukes or should we expect them to struggle again this week and going forward?

In what was a pretty sloppy Week 1 around the NFL, there were few teams that looked in sync from an offensive standpoint. Many units around the league struggled to put points on the board, even from a historical perspective.

Week 1 averaged 41.2 points per game, the second-lowest opening week output in the last 20 years.

Today, we wanted to take a look at a few specific teams who struggled and assess if there is room for optimism or reason to panic in the upcoming weeks surrounding their fantasy players.

Houston Texans - Nine Points in Week One

The Houston Texans kicked off the C.J. Stroud era in a loss on the road to the Baltimore Ravens, 25 - 9.

Despite the one-sided score, there was plenty to be encouraged from this Texan's performance, specifically from their rookie QB. Stroud completed 66% of his throws for 242 total yards, and impressively threw zero interceptions.

This came against a tough defense that he was consistently under pressure from, taking five total sacks in the matchup. Stroud favored WRs Nico Collins and Robert Woods, both receiving 10+ targets on the day. This is definitely a good sign for both receivers' fantasy production this upcoming season.

A touchdown on the board would have helped to make this matchup look a lot closer on paper, but that ended up not being the case. There will be growing pains from a fantasy perspective for any team led by a rookie QB, but Stroud's performance should instill some confidence in fantasy managers.

They face an Indianapolis Colts team in Week 2 who’s’ secondary unit was ranked 31st in the the league, according to PFF. This matchup should provide plenty of opportunity for points, and for the Texans to move the ball effectively through the air.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Seven Points in Week One

The Steelers looked to capitalize on a ton of preseason buzz and start off QB Kenny Pickett’s first full season as a starter on the right note. That unfortunately wasn’t the case, as they would lose 30-7 against a ferocious San Francisco defense.

This Pittsburgh offense has underwhelmed the past couple of seasons, finishing in the bottom 7 teams in total touchdowns since 2021.  In a similar fashion to the Giants matchup, this game fell out of the balance in the first half and the Steelers were unable to find their way back.

Pickett threw for a career-high 46 attempts, completing 31 to finish with 232 yards and one touchdown, as well as two interceptions.

WR Diontae Johnson also injured his hamstring in this matchup and is expected to miss a few weeks, which is another blow to this offense. Johnson was a focal point of this passing game in 2022, finishing 6th in the league in total targets. Johnson's absence will allow WR George Pickens to see a strong uptick in volume in the coming weeks. 

It can’t be overlooked just how talented and productive this 49ers defense is, and it’s unlikely the Steelers will have a tougher matchup for the rest of the season. However, managers should be cautious about starting Steelers players in a Week 2 matchup against a Cleveland Browns defense that held the Cincinnati Bengals to only three points in Week 1.

Cincinnati Bengals - Three Points in Week One

For only the third time in his four-year career, the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals were unable to score 10+ points in a regular season game. This came after a loss on the road to AFC North rival Cleveland Browns, as they would lose 24-3.

Burrow had statistically the worst game of his career, completing 14 passes for only 82 yards. The team combined for only 157 yards of total offense, both metrics setting career lows for Burrow.

Imaginably, the Bengals pass catchers took a hit as well. 2023 fantasy first-round pick WR Jamarr Chase had only 8.9 total points, and WR had 0 points, despite 8 targets. 

Should managers worry about the Bengals' fantasy players in the coming weeks? The short answer is no.

Week 1 has been a bit of a kryptonite to this Bengals team the last two seasons. In 2022, the Bengals fell in an OT loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, one in which Burrow threw 4 total interceptions, his most ever in a single game.

It’s also important to note that Burrow has missed significant time in each of the last two training camps. In 2022, he was sidelined as he recovered from an appendix surgery, and in 2023 he was sidelined for weeks after suffering a non-contact calf strain. Clearly, these practice reps were missed.

The Bengals were very quick to get back on track last season, and will most likely do the same this season. They will go up against a stingy Baltimore Ravens defense in Week 2, but the likes of Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and RB Joe Mixon should remain locked into lineups on a weekly basis.

New York Giants - Zero Points in Week One

The New York Giants found themselves in the most lopsided game of the week, being routed 40-0 by their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys. This one fell out of the Giant’s grasp early, with a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown and a pick-6 just in the first quarter alone.

QB Daniel Jones was consistently under pressure by this tenacious Cowboys defensive line, taking 7 total sacks in the contest. Jones went 15/29 passing with 104 yards, and two interceptions.

RB Saquon Barkley had some success on the ground early, but the Giants quickly abandoned the run in order to play catch-up. He finished with 51 yards on 12 carries.

No Giant pass-catcher eclipsed 40 yards on the evening, with TE Darren Waller leading the way with three receptions for 36 yards.

This was a historically forgettable loss for the Giants, but how worried should fantasy managers be?

We have seen the Jones-led Giants offense at their most effective during Brian Dabboll’s tenure as head coach. This Week 1 matchup took place in poor weather conditions, against what we are now seeing as possibly the most stacked defensive unit in the NFL.

Jones, Waller, and Barkley should remain in lineups in a favorable Week 2 matchup against an Arizona Cardinals defense that finished in the bottom half of receiving and rushing yards allowed in 2022, respectively. The Giant’s WR corps, however, are incredibly risky plays until it’s shown who will step up to support this offense, and should be out of lineups for this contest.

There is room for optimism for the Giants moving forward, but another underwhelming output this week should have fantasy managers at least hovering over the panic button.

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