Given the popularity of the NFL, fans today aren’t exactly saying things like, “One down, 17 to go.”

Still, completing the first Sunday of the season is undoubtedly a huge milestone. Whether you’re a frequent user of the office water cooler or working from home, there’s plenty to chat about – even with yourself.

Experienced quarterbacks had mixed results, while their rookie counterparts were mostly shaky. The new kickoff rule caused excitement and confusion, and a storied franchise made history.

Let’s take a look at some key developments from the first week, with everything except the Monday Nighter in the books.

Camp to watch: Chicago Bears fans named Caleb Williams their savior at some point in the run-up to the USC quarterback’s selection with the No. 1 overall pick in April.

Sunday’s debut was not exactly a crowning achievement, with many Bears fans booing the team off the field after the Bears fell behind 17-3 in the first half to the newly formed Tennessee Titans as Williams struggled to find his footing at quarterback.

A special teams touchdown and a defensive touchdown helped the Bears have a strong second half and a 24-17 victory. The television cameras often measured Williams’ celebrations after those hits, if only because his own play was less than inspiring.

Williams completed 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards. He dropped the ball once and was sacked twice, including once for a loss of 19 yards, putting the team out of field goal range. But it’s simple. Williams, who said all the right things about the hope and hype surrounding him in the preseason, needs to improve.

Bears fans are tired of hearing how the defense and special teams have been controlling inconsistent quarterback play for decades.

“Of course it’s great to get that first win. We’re all excited,” said Williams. “I went into the locker room and celebrated. I sat down, enjoyed the moment and just watched all the guys celebrating. I knew I had to be better and I would get better.”

Justin time…for now: Justin Fields faced similar expectations as Fields during his three seasons as quarterback in Chicago. A fresh start in Pittsburgh could be on the horizon, although it will bring its own drama.

To test a recurrence of a calf injury suffered while playing for the Steelers, Russell Wilson, the Steelers’ starting quarterback, warmed up for a while in Atlanta before accepting that he would be inactive and that Fields would play key offensive roles on Sunday.

Fields was fairly reliable, completing 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards and adding 57 yards on 14 carries. He didn’t throw or run for points, but he did drive an offense that produced a half-dozen field goals by Chris Boswell in an 18-10 win.

Boswell’s six kicks included hits of 51, 56 and 57 yards; he is the first Steeler in team history to have three hits of 50+ yards in a game.

In Week 2, the Steelers will visit the team that abruptly cut ties with Wilson in the offseason, the Denver Broncos. It remains to be seen who will start at quarterback for Pittsburgh, but Fields has certainly proven himself to be a surprise starter.

“At the end of the day, I came here to win,” he said. “Whether I threw 300 yards, 100 yards or no yards, I came here to win. So that was my only focus.”

Mission accomplished.

Joe No: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow simply did not cut a good figure in the 10-16 home loss to the Jerod Mayo-led New England Patriots.

With his season-ending wrist injury from last year apparently long gone, Burrow hasn’t thrown many long balls, which was a problem in the preseason.

The Bengals struggled with the Pats’ pass rush and worked on issues at the wide receiver position. Ja’Marr Chase played in the game despite ongoing contract disputes, while Tee Higgins missed the opening game with a hamstring injury.

Cincinnati has struggled through a number of season openers in recent years before it even got going, but the urgency needs to be increased to keep the hole from getting even deeper.