JK Dobbins proved in one game why Broncos moved on from Javonte Williams
It didn't take very long for new running back JK Dobbins to justify the Denver Broncos moving on from former second-round pick Javonte Williams in the 2025 offseason.
Although the Broncos weren't overly committed to the running game in the 1st half of their win against the Tennessee Titans, they really put some nice things together in the second half, finishing with 151 total rushing yards on the afternoon, the 7th-most rushing yards of any team in the NFL in Week 1.
While we got a huge run from RJ Harvey that also proved why the Broncos overhauled their running back room, we also got a game from JK Dobbins that simply wasn't possible last year with Javonte Williams in Denver as the lead back.
JK Dobbins quickly proving his value to Broncos offense
In Dobbins's first game with the Broncos, he carried the ball 16 times for 63 yards and a 19-yard touchdown among his carries.
In the final six games of Javonte Williams's time with the Broncos, he carried the ball 27 times for 66 yards and one touchdown. The Broncos couldn't even rely on Williams enough to hand him the ball in his final handful of games with the team, even though he provided value on third downs in pass protection.
Essentially, the 2025 offseason provided Williams with a chance at a much-needed change of scenery. After hurting his knee back in 2022, Williams struggled in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons as Denver's lead back. He had a solid debut with the Cowboys in Week 1, rushing for 54 yards and a pair of scores as Dallas attempted to upset the Eagles.
But what Williams did with the Cowboys in his debut there is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is, he showed a lack of vision, burst, and tackle-breaking ability that Dobbins immediately brought to the table.
This kind of yardage after contact is what many in Denver were expecting from Williams, but he didn't provide anything remotely resembling this after his rookie season.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Dobbins faced a stacked box (8+ players) nearly 44 percent of the time in Week 1. Compare that to Williams, who faced a stacked box less than 27 percent of the time and averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.
It wasn't a perfect debut for Dobbins, but it gave us a glimpse of exactly why the Broncos overhauled that position group. For the majority of the game against the Titans, we weren't exactly seeing the most effective running game operation from the Broncos, but they made up for it in the 4th quarter.
And Dobbins quickly proved how he can be a major asset as the Broncos pursue an AFC West title.
Micah Parsons Declares Penei Sewell His New Rival After Dominant Packers Debut
Micah Parsons found a way to make an impact in his Green Bay Packers debut despite playing on less than half of their defensive snaps in Week 1’s win.
The 26-year-old superstar pass rusher also said he found a new rival in Detroit Lions stalwart right tackle Penei Sewell, praising him as “a hell of a player” but also sending him a warning about their future matchups as opposing players in the NFC North.
“I’m not gonna be able to get rid of him,” Parsons said of Sewell on Sunday following the Packers’ 27-13 victory. “He’s a hell of a player. I told him, I said, ‘You’re my new rivalry now. I don’t got [Philadelphia Eagles veteran right tackle] Lane [Johnson] no more. It’s gonna be you. I’mma see you twice a year, so you might as well buckle up.'”
Micah Parsons Tallied 1st Packers Sack Against Lions
The Packers did not have Parsons at full strength for Sunday’s game against the Lions. He has a joint sprain in his back that sidelined him for all of training camp with the Dallas Cowboys before his trade to Green Bay. The injury has also forced the Packers to limit his practice and playing time before unleashing him as an every-down rusher.
During Sunday’s game, though, it might have been hard to tell that Parsons is ailing.
Parsons played just 45% of the team’s defensive snaps against the Lions, but he tallied three quarterback pressures on those snaps that amounted to quite a bit for the defense. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Parsons’ three pressures resulted in a completion for a 2-yard loss, an interception to safety Evan Williams and a fourth-quarter sack.
Parsons’ strong season-opening performance should validate the Packers. They made a bold, all-in play when they traded two first-round picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Cowboys in exchange for Parsons. They also signed Parsons to a four-year, $188 million contract extension as part of the trade, pushing all of their chips to the center of the table to give themselves an excellent shot at vying for a Super Bowl.
Whether it works out for the Packers remains to be seen, but the early returns are good.
How Will Packers & Lions Fare in November Rematch?
The Packers flipped the tables on the two-time reigning NFC North champion Lions in their first game of the 2025 season, thrashing them in a dominant victory that makes them look like the favorites to control the division race over the next several months.
The Packers and Lions both could look much different in November, though, when they meet again for their second regular-season matchup — this time, on the road in Detroit.
The Lions struggled in many ways against the Packers in Week 1, but they are adjusting to the loss of both their offensive and defensive coordinators — Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn — from the past few seasons. It showed in their running game, which averaged just 2.2 yards per carry with its elite tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
The Lions also had difficulty disrupting quarterback Jordan Love. On his 22 dropbacks, they managed just seven pressures and two quarterback hits, notching zero sacks.
Between now and November 27’s next matchup, though, the Lions will have ample time to figure out their messiness and make moves to improve their roster, which could lead to the Packers facing a more formidable opponent when they clash again.
The Packers are also dealing with a crowded injury report in just the second week of the season, with eight starters listed on the report in some capacity. Optimistically, things should look better by late November, but the Packers could have a tougher time stifling the Lions in the rematch if they take even more injury hits and lose key contributors.
