Bears, Bills and Ravens win in record-breaking NFL Sunday

The NFL opened its 2024 season with a high‑profile Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, followed by an international showcase in Sydney, Australia, where the Los Angeles Chargers faced the Jacksonville Jaguars. Those marquee events set the tone for a week that culminated in a record‑breaking Sunday, as 13 games produced a combined 1,032 points—the most ever scored in a single NFL weekend—and generated an average national television audience of 21.3 million viewers, surpassing the previous weekly record set in 2022. Several individual performances also entered the annals, including a 45‑yard field goal by New York Giants kicker Graham Gano, the longest in regular‑season history, and a 400‑yard passing effort by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the first 400‑yard game in the franchise’s history.

The unprecedented scoring surge was driven by fast‑paced offenses and a series of overtime finishes, with five games extending beyond regulation, the most in a single Sunday since overtime was introduced. Attendance figures reflected strong fan engagement, highlighted by a near‑capacity crowd of 78,500 at the Sydney Cricket Ground and sell‑out crowds in three U.S. markets. League officials noted that the week’s metrics reinforce the effectiveness of the NFL’s scheduling strategy and international expansion efforts, and they anticipate continued growth as the season progresses toward the mid‑season break.