X vs. O Review: Pats silence Watson, Mahomes mangles Chargers

NFL football is the ultimate reality show, and Week 1 of the 2018 season lived up to the hype. From surprising wins (like Tampa Bay going into New Orleans and knocking off the Saints) to breakout performances (like Saquon Barkley's impressive debut) to the return of Andrew Luck and a sensational rally from a banged-up Aaron Rodgers, Sunday's action was captivating throughout.

There was also plenty of intrigue in the marquee matchups we highlighted last week. Here's a look at how those schematic storylines played out:

Patriots' D vs. Deshaun Watson

Winner: Patriots' D

After Deshaun Watson's breakout outing against the New England Patriots at Foxboro in Week 3 of the 2017 season, expectations were high for the Houston Texans and their young QB heading into Sunday. While Watson managed to pick up 40 yards on eight running plays, including a 13-yard scamper on Houston's final drive, the Patriots mostly contained him in the pocket, sacking him three times and preventing him from getting into those scramble drill situations where he can be so dangerous.

New England's pass-rushing focus seemed to be on containing Watson with just four or five players up front and plugging his rush lanes to keep the QB in the pocket, preventing him from escaping to one side or the other.

One way New England accomplished this was by using a "Bear" front, which consists of putting three down linemen on the inside, aligned across from the guard-center-guard interior, and then using linebackers Kyle Van Noy (No. 53) and Dont'a Hightower (No. 54) off the edges to help contain Watson:

The Patriots used this scheme in the first quarter and nearly got to Watson for a safety:

With Hightower and Van Noy working from the outside in, Watson can't escape. Instead, he's forced to try to climb the pocket, which brings him right into pressure, and he's fortunate to throw it away before being sacked.

Vikings' LBs vs. 49ers' RBs in passing game

Winner: Vikings' LBs

During Jimmy Garoppolo's impressive five-game run to close out the season last year, the 49ers used a number of two-back formations in the passing game to stress defenses. By attacking linebackers and using play-action, Kyle Shanahan put his quarterback in advantageous situations. While San Francisco lost Jerick McKinnon for the season before Week 1, they still looked to these two-back packages for success in the air against Minnesota on plays like this one to fullback Kyle Juszczyk:

Here, the 49ers begin the play with both Juszczyk (No. 44) and fellow running back Alfred Morris (No. 46) in the backfield. But they shift the fullback out into the right slot before the snap and then show run action in the backfield, with Garoppolo (No. 10) faking a handoff to Morris. On the outside, Juszczyk fakes a block before running a vertical route to the outside while Pierre Garcon (No. 15) runs a vertical route toward the middle of the field. Garoppolo drops in a perfect throw to his FB, who's wide open, for a 56-yard gain.

But that play was the exception Sunday when it came to San Francisco's two-back passing attack. It was Juszczyk's only reception of the game, and fellow RB Matt Breida was also held to a single catch. More often than not, when the 49ers looked to involve rushers in the passing game, there was either a failure to execute, great coverage, or a combination of the two. On this play, for example, Shanahan puts Juszczyk in a wing alignment on the right and tries to sneak him down the line of scrimmage, but Garoppolo misses the throw:

Minnesota slowed down San Francisco's RBs in the passing game Sunday, but you can be sure Shanahan will keep trying these designs as the season unfolds.

Patrick Mahomes vs. Chargers' D-line

Winner: Patrick Mahomes

With Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and several other defensive standouts, the Los Angeles Chargers have the potential to harass quarterbacks all season long. Even with Bosa's absence Sunday, the Chargers were expected to get after Patrick Mahomes and force him into mistakes. But Mahomes lit up the scoreboard, completing 15 of 27 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns in Kansas City's 38-28 victory in L.A.

How did Mahomes and Andy Reid negate that pass rush? Through both scheme and pure talent. From a scheme perspective, the Chiefs made effective use of run looks to slow down Los Angeles' defensive front. For example, on Tyreek Hill's 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown, Mahomes (No. 15) showed a run fake before delivering a strike to Hill (No. 10):

The run look, coupled with Mahomes' lightning-quick release on a sidearm angle, sent Hill off to the races after the reception. The Chiefs QB also showed some mobility in the pocket, as he did on this other throw to Hill:

Mahomes does a fantastic job here of keeping his eyes downfield, while deftly moving in the pocket away from the pressure being applied by the Chargers.

Mark Schofield writes NFL feature content for theScore. After nearly a decade of practicing law in the Washington, D.C., area Mark changed careers and started writing about football. Drawing upon more than a decade of playing quarterback, including at the collegiate level, Mark focuses his work on quarterback evaluation and offensive scheme analysis. He lives in Maryland with his wife and two children. Find him on Twitter @MarkSchofield.