NFL Week 1 proper reactions: Rams panic, Bears hype and Chargers doubts need patience after one game

The NFL is officially back! All 32 teams have now played exactly one game. Yet, people are going to act like that one out of 17 games is plenty of information to inform us about how the rest of the season will go.

It's not. Like, at all.

There's arguably no bigger overreaction week on the entire sports calendar than the week between Week 1 in the NFL and Week 2 in the NFL. After months of practically zero information, we finally saw teams on the field playing games that matter.

But we must remember that Week 1 accounts for 5.9% of the entire season.

People in the sports media are going to arrive at wild conclusions based on that minuscule sample size. What if you hired a home inspector for a house you wanted to buy and the inspector came back and said, "Hey, here's 5.9% of my report on this house and nothing more. You ready to make an offer?"

But here we are, every season, making decisions based on less than 6% of the information. Nonsense. Let's take a look at some of the vast overreactions seen across the landscape and break them down.

Of course, this is a major overreaction. The Rams entered the season as favorites to win the Super Bowl, rightfully so, and it seems like everyone is quickly jumping off the bandwagon. Rich Eisen Show producer and on-air contributor Chris Brockman predicted the Rams "dream team" would follow the 2011 Eagles and miss the playoffs.

There are two problems with this overreaction. The first, and most obvious one, is that it was one game against a good divisional opponent in Australia. Honestly, the Rams were way too cocky going into the game and traveling across the globe 28 hours prior to kickoff was a clear miscalculation. The 49ers went to Australia a week in advance to adapt to the weather and time change.

The second is that the Rams weren't really at full strength. Aaron Donald didn't play, and Myles Garrett played through a lingering knee issue and is now out for at least four games. Los Angeles didn't generate much pass rush and didn't sack Brock Purdy a single time. That's not going to continue throughout the season.

Also, sometimes a team can get caught drinking its own Kool-Aid. No team entered the season with more hype, with some calling them a "super team" where a Super Bowl seemed like the only option. If anything, Week 1's disastrous result might have been the best thing that could have happened. The Rams got an early wake-up call and I expect them to bounce back in a big way over the next few games.

The Bears obviously looked great in Week 1, dropping a team-record 59 points in a season opener. Caleb Williams showed off his athleticism and playmaking abilities throughout the afternoon, and Bears fans have reasons to be excited. Bucky Brooks posited that Chicago might average 40 points per game, which would easily set the record for points in a season.

But let's pump the brakes just a tad, shall we? First, the Panthers defense isn't exactly a juggernaut. The team gave up some big numbers last season, including 42 to New England and 40 to Buffalo. In addition, Week 1 scoring was up big across the board. Teams don't play their starters much during the preseason which puts defenses at a big disadvantage. A lot of these guys have barely hit any opponents at full speed since last season and practices have gotten much less physical due to concussion and injury concerns.

Chicago also benefited from several positive luck factors.