Post game. The scoreboard reads AWAY 16 HOME 36. The players are congratulating each other before they make a run to the locker room, take off the sweat and dirt covered uniforms, grass stained after 4 quarters of play, and go home. Aaron Rodgers, MVP quarterback, Super Bowl MVP winner, All-Pro Quarterback, met with Byron Maxwell, the man who picked him off late in the 3rd quarter, and embraced him. After a kind word, he turned his head and standing before him was none other then the Madden 15 cover winner and Super Bowl champ, all-pro cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman pats Rodgers on the shoulder pad after going 4 quarters without a single ball thrown his way. "You avoid me?!" He asked, almost shocked and awed that it was Rodgers who would avoid him. Rodgers nodded. "Yup." And with that, Rodgers walked away.
Week 1 was just as bizarre as it could have been, and almost as it was expected to be. The scores, starting with upsets, and then going down the list to the totally expected.
(Home team in CAPS)
Biggest Upsets:
ATLANTA 37, New Orleans 34 (OT)
Buffalo 23, CHICAGO 20 (OT)
Tennessee 26, KANSAS CITY 10
MIAMI 33, New England 20 (Note: I predicted this back in June...)
Not Surprised:
ARIZONA 18, San Diego 17 (MNF)
DENVER 31 Indianapolis 24 (SNF)
PITTSBURGH 30, Cleveland 27 (Note: No, Johnny Manziel did NOT play...)
Minnesota 34, SAINT LOUIS 6
NEW YORK JETS 19, Oakland 14
Cincinnati 23, BALTIMORE 16
HOUSTON 17, Washington 6
Carolina 20, TAMPA BAY 14 (Note: Derek Anderson not a good fit as the backup QB, nfl.com???)
Most Obvious Results:
DETROIT 35, New York Giants 14 (MNF)
PHILADELPHIA 34, Jacksonville 17
San Francisco 28, DALLAS 17
SEATTLE 36, Green Bay 16 (TNF) (Note: Didn't everyone know it was going to be bad?)
Let's go through the week and review the week game by game, and look at your need to knows from week 1, and must knows going into week 2.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
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| Courtesy of Jim Beiver, Packer.com |
Aaron Rodgers would be outplayed in just his 18th game playing as the underdog in his career. He would post a little disappointing 81.5 passer rating, a ^3 on my chart, and was harassed by the Seahawks defense all night. And yes, he failed to make one throw within 10 yards of Richard Sherman.
Of course, Head Coach Mike McCarthy had a good reason for the not throwing 1 CB's way all game. "Frankly, was more of a decision to put Jordy (Nelson) on the left and see if (Richard Sherman) would come over and play him."
Yes, Nelson had a decent game against Byron Maxwell, catching 9 of his 14 targets for 83 yards, one of them bouncing off his hands and into the arms of Maxwell.
Oh, the running game. Eddie Lacy, AP Rookie Of The Year in 2013, ran just 12 times for 34 yards before leaving the game with a concussion. He totaled 45 yards on 15 touches, just 3 yards per touch. James Starks was more effective then he was, gaining 37 yards on the ground in 7 touches, and 2 catches for 11 yards. The Packers just gained 80 yards on 21 carries, proving that the Seahawks run defense is as good as it was last season.
Well, the offensive line definitely had some issues. Bryan Bulaga fell victim to a left knee injury, and may return next week in time to play the Jets. Derek Sharrod turned out to be a problem, but not one that McCarthy is worried about.
To be blunt, I see a long season ahead for the Packers, and possibly McCarthy's last season as a Packers coach. He's still ignoring the problems, the bold problems, Green Bay has to the media, and not too concerned about these issues. He had better be, because I saw a weak offensive line entering the regular season that gave up 3 sacks, and an additional 5 tackles for loss, 7 different players pulling in tackles behind the line of scrimmage. That's a problem, and with the Vikings defense smoking, and the Bears in the division, my 5-11 Green Bay prediction may not be so far off.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
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| Photo courtesy of seahawks.com |
Marshawn Lynch was in full beast form mode, pounding the Packers line 20 times for 110 yards and 2 TD's, just on his way to another 1000 yard, 10 TD season. The whole Seahawks run game opened up all day, and they enveloped the Packers in it, grinding for 207 yards on just 37 carries. They are a vicious run team, lead by a talented offensive line, and will continue to beat opponents down all season. You can see it by how they act.
Percy Harvin was a loaded gun waiting to fire Thursday Night. After missing almost the entire season, getting to play in the Super Bowl, and now going into the 2014 season healthy, Harvin shredded the Packers defense with long burn runs and good catches in open space, collecting 11 touches for 100 yards on both passing and rushing. He's a beast, and the new leader of the receiving corps.
Ah, the defense. Pete Carroll was pleased with them, naturally, after their impressive performance against the Packers. "All three phases were really very aggressive. The effort was really there, and they were really excited to play on opening night." You got it, coach. They harassed Aaron Rodgers all of last night, and it ended well, 3 sacks, 4 QBH, 5 TFL, and 4 PD, 2 by Byron Maxwell, who also intercepted one.
Seattle is the beast in the NFL, they are the team to beat. Thursday Night showed how people who see anything under 12-4 is absurd, they're looking at another 13-3 season, if not 14-2, and another run at the Super Bowl.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
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| Photo Courtesy of Michael Herbert, neworleanssaints.com |
But Cooks might easily be rookie of the week after an impressive performance against the Falcons with 7 of his 8 targets made catches, and making Brees' only touchdown pass a his catch, from 3 yards out. Colston was the deep threat, 5 catches for 110 yards, and the fumble that would cost the Saint's the game (Hey, Saints, so not hate me for accusing Colston of that. Facts are facts. Stats are stats). That happens every once in a while. Jimmy Graham continued to look strong, and that'll be the Saint's pass game this year. Strong and hard to defend.
Everyone who knows anything about football knows why New Orleans lost this game. The answer is simple. The defense. Even Saints DE Junior Galette knows that. "Watching the film," Galette says, "how much more can the offense do? They played phenomenally. They ran the ball well, passed the ball well. We've got to get takeaways, we've got to stop the run, we can't let Ryan throw for over 400 yards. It's ridiculous. So it is on us."
While Junior said it and has a good point, maybe the Falcons are just that good! Only time will tell on that one, but it was a close and well played game. Will the defense be a problem for the Saints this season?
ATLANTA FALCONS
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| Photo courtesy of falcons.com |
Matt Ryan.
Ryan tossed for a team record 448 yards, and 3 TDs while leading the Falcons to a much needed win over the division rival the Saints. Ryan was just that good. He posted a 128.8 passer rating, alongside a 72.1 completion percentage, and a NFL Offensive Player of the Week award. As Head Coach Mike Smith said, "I think Matt may have played his best game as an Atlanta Falcon."
The rest of the offense was just as good as Ryan was. Yes, Jake Matthews left the game with an injury, but they picked up the slack and the line pushed forward and got the running backs enough room to gain a total of 123 yards on 25 carries. Don't forget the incredible, must watch play run by Jacquizz Rodgers, who shredded New Orleans beautifully in a 17 yard TD run.
The one damper on the day would be the defense. It was Matt Ryan and the offense who kept Altlanta in the game and lead the team back from 2 double digit deficits, and won them the game in overtime. Oh, let's not forget the Devin Hester surprise. Who expected the return man to play so long at WR? He made, on average, a catch every 4 offensive snaps he played, collecting 5 of his 6 targets as receptions for 99 yards, 1 yard away from having a 20 yard average per catch. Julio Jones led the team with his 7 for 116, and looks like he is on to another incredible season.
BUFFALO BILLS
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| Photo courtesy of buffalonews.com |
EJ Manuel was that much better, and Robert Woods was the lifesaver here. His 4 catches for 78 yards definitely saved the team as they came in crucial spots, especially on the game tying drive, it was Woods, not rookie Sammy Watkins, who kept the drive alive. Watkins had a quiet game, making 3 catches for 31 yards, including a 25 yard catch in the 2nd quarter.
The defense was a lifesaver as well. Yes, Jay Cutler threw all over them, passing for 349 yards and 2 TD's, but Buffalo intercepted him twice, and forced Brandon Marshall to fumble, resulting in turnover #3. Nice.
Corey Graham from Baltimore was a big help in Sundays action, intercepting a pass, pass deflecting 3 balls, and collecting 3 tackles while playing in a backup role behind Stephon Gilmore.
The big player though would have been Leodis McKelvin. This man made 13 tackles, all solo, no assists, and led the team by far in that category. The closest to him was rookie Preston Brown, who had 7 total tackles. Preston Brown played every defensive snap, McKelvin missed one.
The biggest surprise to me was the Bills run game, the combined total of the 3 RB's. Doug Marrone knew his run game had to be established to win, and it was. 33 runs for 197 yards, and EJ Manuel's TD run. Not a bad way to open your second season.
I think Buffalo has big results ahead in the first few games, but once they start struggling with injuries and such, they'll fall as usual, and probably finish at about a 5-11, 6-10 at best.
CHICAGO BEARS
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| Photo Courtesy of chicagobears.com |
Left Guard Matt Slauson and Center Roberto Garza have been reported officially with high ankle sprains and will miss several games. Brandon Marshall is also suffering from an injury to his right ankle, and Alshon Jeffery tweaked his hamstring on Sunday. Not many details are flying around about Jeffery, other then he is being cautious this week.
The Bears tried to establish a bit of a run game, using Matt Forte 17 times, and rookie Ka'Deem Carey once. Carey will be vouching to get more carries as the season goes on. Anyways, the Bears only gained a total of 86 yards, and injuries on the offensive line forced QB Jay Cutler to throw the ball more, and that he did, passing for 349 yards, and 2 TD's alongside 2 INTs.
The Bears defense failed to get to EJ Manuel, getting a total of 2 hits on him. They didn't do such a great job stopping anyone, actually, allowing 6 plays of over 20 yards, including the top 2 of those, 47 and 38, being runs from Anthony Dixon and Fred Jackson.
The Bears already had holes before the game, but with injuries bearing down on them, they have even more. I see a very difficult next 3 or 4 weeks for the Bears, when their schedule get's crucial and the opponents get tough.
TENNESSEE TITANS
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| Photo Courtesy of Donn Jones (AP) |
Tennessee swallowed the Chiefs, intercepting Alex Smith 3 times, forcing an 8% 3rd down success rate (1 of 12 attempts), and simply destroying Jamaal Charles who was held to 34 yards on 11 touches all day.
The win did come at a price, though. The Titans believe they have lost their starting ILB Zach Brown for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. He finally gets the starting job, and walks out 4 plays into the game.
Jake Locker was impressive in his action Sunday, passing for 266 yards and 2 TDs while posting a QB rating of 111.4. The game ball has to go to Locker.
Oh, Ryan Succop, the former Chief kicker who the Titans picked up days before the game, put through 4 field goals, 2 over 45 yards. Nice little revenge and retribution for the new Titans kicker.
I think Tennessee doesn't have too much potential to really be much of a threat this season, and are still in the rebuilding phase. Maybe the Chiefs talent level has just drained that much, but maybe, just maybe, the Titans are just that good this season.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
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| Photo courtesy of chiefs.com |
The Chiefs were just that embarrassing.
Allowing one of the most widely agreed to be one of the leagues worst teams humiliate themselves at home opening weekend is not a good start to a season. Not to mention that you have lost your all-pro linebacker Derrick Johnson for the season with an Achilles tear, and your starting DT Mike DeVito, and that Denver is your next opponent, things are not looking up for Kansas City.
Alex Smith for example. He passed for 202 yards, while posting a meager 45.2 passer rating with his 1 TD pass and 3 INTs, 2 to Jason McCourty on Deja Vu plays. Yeah, he had a bright spot. He led the team in rushing. 6 runs, 36 yards. Not bad for Alex Smith.
His main target was Donnie Avery. He targeted Avery 13 times, and Donnie came up with 7 catches to show for it. Jamaal Charles was shut down completely. Knile Davis and Cyrus Gray provided an additional 8 yards rushing. The Chiefs were shut down offensively, with a rookie kicker named Carlos Santos.
On defense, not too much of a disaster, forgetting that Johnson and DeVito are out for the season. They still brought the pass rush, knocking Locker down 8 times, 4 for sacks. Eric Berry was all over the field, collecting 15 tackles (14 solo), a hit on Locker, and a pass deflection, so the secondary isn't exactly gone to pot.
The bad stat? They failed to tackle a running back for a loss. This will be a crucial element they will need to change if they are going to win football games this season.
I think Kansas City is off to a rough start, but they can still pull together an 11-5 season, possibly a 12-4, depending on how the next few weeks play out. Kansas City fans, don't be discouraged if the Chiefs start with an 0-2 record, they can pull it together.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
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| Photo Courtesy of miamidolphins.com |
#STRONGERTOGETHER has a win, an opening win, one I managed to predict happening back in June of this season. Yes, I am proud of that, however, it's in a book of mine and not online, so, I have no proof that I did. My predictions from June are being posted weekly from this point on.
Anyways, it would go to Knowshon Moreno as the killer running back of the day, and the one responsible for being the driving force to put the nails in the coffin and bury the Patriots this time. He put 68 yards on 9 carries in the 3rd quarter that really led Miami away into the lead.
Mike Wallace looked on fire against the Patriots, burning Darrelle Revis, or simply manhandling him perfectly, all day long. Brian Hartline continues to be consistent.
However, the defense took a hit, Dannelle Ellerbe is out for the season with a hip injury. The Dolphins are already weak at the Linebackers. Apart from that the defense looked good, and simply took care of that Patriot offense, thanks to some miscues by Tom Brady.
The thing the Dolphins have to worry about is finishing drives. 3 drives could have ended in TD's that were settled as field goals inside the 30 yard FG range.
I think Miami has a better team, but I don't see them going any better then 7-9 this season with the schedule they have and the growing talent level in the AFC East. Still have them pegged as going 6-10.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
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| Photo Courtesy of newenglandpatriots.com |
Tom Brady took a nice beating from the Dolphins defense too, knocked down 6 times, 4 of those as sacks. 3 of his passes were deflected, and Brady finished with a 69.7 passer rating. Will the real Tom Brady please stand up? Not to mention he completed 10 of 27 pass attempts in the second half. That cannot be Tom Brady, can it be?
The defense just wasn't there. They gave up 191 yards rushing to the Dolphins, 25 first downs, a 7-12 3rd down conversion rate, and 360 total net yards. Where was that defense hiding at?
New England managed to run the ball 20 times for a gain of 89 yards, thanks to the help of Shane Vereen. Without Vereen, New England would have been out of the game from early on.
Let's remember, even if the last time they lost a season opener was in 2003, they did go on to go 14-2 that season and win the Super Bowl in an epic battle against the Panthers. Patriot fans are not without hope.
One last note, Rob Gronkowski was targeted by Brady 11 times, came down with 4 catches for 40 yards. That needs to improve quickly.
New England is still in good position to win games and take over the AFC East, but I still foresee a 9-7 record and a 2nd place in the division finish.
ARIZONA CARDINALS
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| Photo courtesy of azcardinals.com |
Start with Carson Palmer. It looks like the man still has it, throwing for 304 yards and 2 TD's while posting a 108.4 passer rating, plus running for 29 yards. Anyone have this man on their fantasy team this week?
Andre Ellington played despite a foot injury, but he seemed to have gotten over that fast, touching the ball a total of 18 times for 80 yards. Coach Bruce Arians said earlier this season that he wants Andre touching the ball 30 times per game (20 carries, 10 catches), and the Cardinals will give him opportunities.
Michael Floyd and John Brown look to be the big WR threats this team has now as Larry Fitzgerald opened his season up quietly with a single catch that netter 22 yards and set up the finishing touches on the comeback drive that won Arizona the game. John Carlson also looked strong, as it looks that Arians wants all of his TE's to be active not only as blockers but as pass catchers.
The defense was extremely active and Larry Foote looks to be the perfect fit that this defense needed. Foote, in his first game in a red jersey, collected 8 tackles, 2 of them for losses, and a pass deflection and was the team leader on a defense that held San Diego's offense to just 290 total net yards. Oh, they dialed up the pressure, and it killed San Diego late in the game.
Now, Arizona prepares to take on the New York Giants, and should just as effectively destroy that team, after their unimpressive showing against the Lions. Arizona is ready to romp to a much better record then I thought they would finish with. I guess Bruce Arians is that much of a genius.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
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| Photo courtesy of chargers.com |
Philip Rivers wasn't even enough to lead this team to a victory. He is not the one everyone should blame. If anyone gets the blame for the loss, it's the San Diego receivers who consistently dropped passes all night long.
The Cardinals defense effectively took away the Chargers run offense, forcing them to pass to try and get anything done late in the game. Mike McCoy is one of those coaches who believes in pounding the ball as much as you can knowing that the defense will break at some point. However, I'm not sure it was worth the 8 runs stopped for losses that it cost them.
Rivers did not have an impressive game, thanks to receivers dropping balls. He was fairly accurate throwing the ball, and the worst drop would be the game-looser to Keenan Allen on 4th and 2. Rivers posted a 75.9 passer rating, by far his worst in a long couple of years.
As for the defense, they pretty much failed after the 4th quarter started. They were so good up until they needed to be, and gave up the 12 points that would cost them the win. However, registering 2 takeaways was big, and that was something that kept San Diego alive up until the very end.
I think San Diego still has a good season ahead of them, just don't be scared if they start 0-2. An 11-5 season, still possibly a 12-4, is in the making. I seriously can't see them being worse then 10-6.
DENVER BRONCOS
Peyton Manning still has the men, and he still has the talent. That's all that Sunday Night proved.
Julius Thomas was the real hero of his game, making 7 catches for 104 yards and all 3 TD's from Manning and winning the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award as the Broncos romped to a 31-24 finish while hosting Indianapolis. The tight end earned the praises of Peyton Manning. "Julius is the guy we got to try to find a way to get the ball to him no matter what defense they're playing." Emmanuel Sanders stepped up for Eric Decker, and brought in 6 passes for 77 yards. The most surprising stat would be Demaryius Thomas' 4 catches from 11 targets, Indianapolis did a good job shutting him down Sunday Night.
Denver spent a lot of time trying to establish a run game, and had trouble with it. 32 runs resulted in just 102 yards, so yes, they will miss Knowshon Moreno terribly.
The defense kept Andrew Luck on his toes, and played well in stopping Luck from coming back. Bradley Roby, the rookie, had a good bit to do with that. "We're looking for Roby to shut down the inside," Broncos Cornerback Chris Harris said, "I think he did a good job tonight." He did indeed. Roby made 7 tackles and deflected 3 of the Broncos insane 13 pass deflections. Big improvement on defense.
Overall, I think Denver still has a lot of injuries to come, and it'll cost them a lot of games. I see maybe a at best 10-6 squad here for Manning to work with.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Andrew Luck nearly gathered his 13th career comeback, but, he fell short. Just by a little bit.
Luck posted 370 yards passing, 2 TD's and 2 INT's, alongside his 19 yards rushing, and TD there. He started his usual playing skill late in the second quarter, when he engineered a drive from his own 20, and ended it 8 plays later with a score.
The run game never got a chance to show it's value. They got a total of 9 hand-offs to running backs, Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw, who gained 35 yards. I think the Colts run game is good, and it will get better when they don't have the Broncos beating the living snot out of them.
I think the receivers are looking even better this year then last. Hakeem Nicks brought in all 5 of his targets, and Reggie Wayne brought in 9 of 13. With Wayne in the game, the Colts are automatically a lot better. Dwayne Allen looks strong again, but Coby Fleener couldn't bring in enough balls (2 of 8 targets) and that cost them a few times.
Defensively, the Colts couldn't dial enough pressure up on Manning until a little bit later in the game, and that ended up costing them 24 1st half points. The biggest problem right now is the blow they took in loosing Robert Mathis for the rest of the season because of a practice injury.
They did knock down 6 Peyton Manning passes, but failed to intercept one, so they might have a good secondary back there, but, as I've said before, only time will tell!
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Ben Roethlisburger was the man of the day, passing for 365 yards and a score while leading the Steelers to 27 first half points, and posting a 100.7 passer rating himself.
Le'Veon Bell did play, due to the NFL not issuing a suspension yet, and took 21 carries for 109 yards, including his 38 yard TD run. He added to the pass attack by catching 6 of 7 targets and turning them into 88 yards , giving him a grand total of 197 total scrimmage yards. The Steelers ran the ball well all day, running 28 times for 127 yards and 2 TDs.
The Receiving core looked incredible. Markus Wheaton blew apart the Browns secondary with his 6 catches for 97 yards, and Antonio Brown provided very similar results with his 5 catches for 116 yards and Ben's TD throw of the day.
Defensively, the breakout candidate would have to be Jarvis Jones, the 2nd year man out of Georgia. collecting 6 tackles, 2 TFL, and a sack on Brian Hoyer is what someone calls a "big game". Jones had a quiet rookie season, and he's already matched his last season sack total. Expect him to play rough and get several more of those behind the line sacks and tackles.
The Steelers defense knocked Hoyer over 5 times, and deflected 5 of his passes all day, 2 of those going to William Gay, who had a standout day in coverage.
I still see the Steelers falling short of a record that will get them the playoffs, possibly a 7-9 or 8-8. The rest of the season will play out the Steelers fate, but Mike Tomlin is on the hot seat, and this might be his last season it Pittsburgh.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Brian Hoyer nearly leads the Browns on a long comeback ride, scoring 24 2nd half points before the Steelers put a last second field goal through the uprights and ruined the comeback effort.
On the bright side, the Browns ran the ball down the Steelers throats. Pittsburgh could do nothing to stop the run game which romped in it's 30 carries for 183 yards and 2 TD's. Terrence West, the 3rd round rookie I have raved about, ran 16 times for 100 yards, while Ben Tate took 6 runs for 41 yards before injuring himself and will now miss 2-4 weeks. Isaiah Crowell, an underrated rookie, also got 5 runs in for 31 yards.
Hoyer, in the meantime, passed for 230 yards and a score while posting a 94.8 passer rating. His favorite target while missing Josh Gordon- Andrew Hawkins from Cincinnati. Hawkins was targeted 10 times and he came down with 8 of them gaining 87 yards.
TE Jordan Cameron is in for a bit of a rough ride, he hurt his shoulder (already sprained) in action, so Cleveland signed Gerell Robinson off the practice squad.
Defensively, I don't think you can have a game as good as Donte Hitner (Oh, did I say Hitner? Oh, Whitner) did. 13 tackles, several of those in open field, saved the Browns from really getting killed and gave them the chance for a comeback. Karlos Dansby had a remarkable opening day with Cleveland, making 6 tackles, one for a loss, knocking away two passes and intercepting Roethlisburger. Yep, he belongs here.
Don't forget how Justin Gilbert manhandled Markus Wheaton all day, yes, he struggled, but he didn't give up any TDs, and he didn't take any help in bringing him down at any time.
Yes, they sacked Big Ben 4 times, Paul Kruger got to him twice, it was a decent day for the Browns late in the game.
Johnny Football has yet to hit the field, and people are speculating when that will be. Not for a while, if Hoyer keeps games this close. Not for a while...
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Yes, the defense dominated the Saint Louis Rams, and the offense thrived, and they beat Saint Louis, IN SAINT LOUIS, 34-6. Matt Cassel has the right jigsaw pieces around him, and that's what makes them so good.
Start with Cordarrelle Patterson. This guy led the team in rushing with 3 runs for 102 yards, including runs of 67 yards (a score), 23 yards, and 12 yards. All were top 10 gain plays for the Vikings. Then his receiving... 3 catches for 26 yards. Kick returns, 2 for 48. He is becoming perhaps the most explosive player in the NFL. Patterson is raw talent blended with raw speed. Not much better you can get with that combination.
However, Minnesota did take a couple of injuries. Xavier Rhodes left in the 3rd quarter with a groin injury, and DT Sharriff Floyd left in the 4th with a shoulder. Both are 2013 1st round picks, picked alongside Patterson. Both are day to day, according to Head Coach Mike Zimmer.
The Vikings still played well defensively, however, limiting the Rams to 72 yards rushing, sacking the quarterback 5 times, and holding Saint Louis to a 29% 3rd down conversion rate. S Harrison Smith was all over the field, collecting 2 huge hits, a sack and an Pick-six. Smith was missed greatly when he went down last season with an injury.
I still think Minnesota is on to a very good season, and will be a wild card contender. However, possibly an 8-8 season is underway in Zimmer's first year at the reigns.
SAINT LOUIS RAMS
Lots of questions are circulating whether Jeff Fisher and Les Snead are the people who should be in Saint Louis, and they have good reason too. Every season, Fisher and Snead build a great team, only for it to be degraded by injuries in key positions. All Fisher has to show are two 7-9 seasons in the toughest division in the NFL.
Shaun Hill got the start, and left the game in the 3rd quarter with a thigh injury, his return this coming week is questionable. Austin Davis took over and played in his first NFL action, passing for 192 yards and a pick, thrown to Harrison Smith, who took it 81 yards for a TD.
Zac Stacy struggled all day, and didn't ever establish a rhythm, and that caused a lot of problems. The run game was shut down completely, forcing Austin Davis to do a lot of throwing in the 2nd half.
Kenny Brit, the teams highly acquired WR from Tennessee, had 3 targets and no catches. Ouch. Brian Quick was the best out of the receiving corps, collecting 7 catches for 99 yards.
On defense, the Rams lost Chris Long, their all-pro star defensive end, to an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter. Long will miss anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks after never missing a game in his career.
In short, the defense simply sucked. They got to Cassel once for a sack, no picks, didn't really harass him much, let him throw the ball all over them and in the second half, run them into the ground. The Rams have a lot of work to do with their team.
I see them finishing around 7-9 despite this loss, and the tragic numbers around them. They have a decent defense on normal days, and they have an offense that can generate some points on normal days. Week one simply wasn't normal.
NEW YORK JETS
For the most part, it was a good afternoon for the New York Jets in Meadowlands Stadium, and they breezed past the Raiders 19-14.
Let's start with Geno Smith. He was pretty well on things in this game, hitting 23 of 28 passes for 221 yards, and a TD and INT each. He added 38 yards on the ground, and played with a maturity that Michael Vick wishes he had when he was 24. Geno can be that starting QB the Jets need for their franchise.
Chris Ivory was impressive too. 10 runs, 102 yards, including a 71 yard TD zip across the field. Chris Johnson took 13 runs for 68 yards, and the Jet's offense finished with 212 rushing yards in total.
Out of Eric Decker, Chris Johnson and Jeremy Kerley's 16 targets, 15 of them were caught. Johnson and Kerley both went 5-5, Decker going 5-6. Decker led the team with his 74 yards.
The problem the Jets have going into week 2 is penalties. They drew 11 flags on Sunday, and that needs to cut down fast because Oakland isn't a great opponent. “You just can’t have them,” Jet's guard Willie Colon said. “You hurt the offense. I was just trying to be aggressive. The refs, they have a job to do and if you’re holding outside the frame, they’re going to call it."
The defense held the Raiders to a total 158 net yards, so the defense doesn't have too many problems. They know the offense just about killed themselves, and that's where the improvement effort is going.
I still see an 11-5 season coming, with the Jets on top of the AFC East. They have the talent, and once the problems get fixed, or at least patched, they are a serious playoff contender.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Derek Carr did alright in his first NFL start in action against the Jets, throwing for 150 yards and 2 TDs. However, he got harrassed by the Jets all day long, getting 5 passes knocked away, 2 sacks, another 2 knockdowns, and various hits and things that made his life difficult.
But he didn't throw an INT.
The rushing offense simply failed. 15 runs for 25 yards, Maruice Jones-Drew taking 9 of those carries for 12 yards. They couldn't get anything past a 12 yard run that Jones-Drew made, and the rest was behind the line and at the line of scrimmage.
The receivers made Carr look worse then he really was. He kept going to his favorite target, Denarius Moore from Tennessee, in fact he went that way 8 times, and came up with 2 catches. James Jones from Green Bay fit in to the offense in his limited role, catching 3 of 3 passes for 34 yards including his 30 yard TD strike from Carr.
They got 11 first downs, 3 of those on 3rd down out of 12 tries.
Defensively, they held the Jets to 1-2 scoring attempts in the red zone, both of those drives ending inside the Raiders 5. One was a TD, the other was a fumble by Geno Smith and recovered by TJ Carrie. The defense was definitely much better then the offense, and the Raiders have that hope to bank on.
I still see a 3-13 season ahead for Oakland, yes, Raider fans, another long season. But, on the bright side, after this season, they are looking up.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
The Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23-16 in a close game simply flawless in terms of turnovers. The Bengals failed to turn the ball over, and took it away twice, thanks to Vontaze Burfict and Emmanuel Lamur.
Andy Dalton ran it pretty well, passing for 301 yards and a score while posting a 98.7 passer rating. He hit his favorite target, AJ Green, 6 times for 131 yards including his 77 yard TD strike.
Giovani Bernard may not have had the best day rushing (48 yards on 14 carries) but he made up for it by catching 6 balls for 62 yards, giving himself 110 yards from scrimmage. He was helped by rookie Jeremy Hill from LSU, who took 4 runs for 19 yards.
Tyler Eifert went out with an injury, alongside Vontaze Burfict. Eifert is believed to have a dislocated elbow, while Burfict suffered from a concussion. No updated status has been released at present time.
Defensively, they made it difficult for the Ravens to run smoothly. Joe Flacco was forced to throw the ball all day, and that left the run game with just 91 yards gained. In fact, he was knocked down 7 times, 3 of them for sacks.
Emmanuel Lamur led the team in tackles, 11, and Reggie Nelson was right behind him with 10. Lamur added his INT to that, while Nelson added half of a sack. They all played strong performances.
I think the Bengals have an 11-5 season ahead of them, and their first playoff win with Andy Dalton in the helm. They have the receivers, the running backs, and a decent defense to back them up.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Joe Flacco was forced to throw the ball around all day. Not so bad, right? Flacco is paid enough, isn't he? Wrong.
With the 16-23 loss to the Bengals, Flacco did pass for 345 yards and a TD, but it took him 62 pass attempts to do that, and he only posted a 71.0 passer rating. That needs to improve if the Ravens are going to win games.
The run game was doing alright until they abandoned it. Justin Forsett was the main back running 11 times for 70 yards, including a 13 yard TD run. Because of a poor early performance by Bernard Pierce, Pierce got benched and Forsett played.
Bad stats coming up. Between Dennis Pitta and Steve Smith, 30 passes were thrown their way. How many were catches? 22. The Ravens receivers were covered in drops, especially on deep balls. In fact, Joe Flacco kept the play alive a couple times with his feet to throw to an open Jacoby Jones just to have it dropped. Twice. Ouch.
Give that offensive line some credit. When you throw a ball 62 times in a game, and give up 2 sacks, that's downright impressive. However, he did get knocked around a bit, but that's to be expected from so many plays dropping back.
Overall, the Ravens defense did a bad job, not getting to Andy Dalton at all. 0 sacks, 0 quarterback hits. Ouch. They let Dalton throw around the field, and take his sweet time with things.
I see the Ravens on a 4-12 campaign, easy, maybe a 5-11 at best. They should take advantage of it and get some good draft picks this season to prepare for the next one.
HOUSTON TEXANS
So, the Texans host Washington and defensively destroy them despite loosing Jadevion Clowney for 4-6 weeks, thanks to the nitty and gritty work of now $100M player JJ Watt.
Ryan Fitzpatrick was impressive in his first game against the Redskins, passing for 206 yards and posting a 109.3 passer rating with only 22 attempts. Arian Foster did most of the hard work taking 27 carries for 103 yards.
DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson were the main receivers, catching a combined 10 of their 14 targets for a total of 182 yards, including an electrifying catch and run by Hopkins from 77 yards out for a score. Hopkins only missed 1 of his 5 targets.
JJ Watt was on fire this season opener, fresh off his brand new contract, and made 3 tackles, a sack, 2 TFL, a PD, a Fumble Recovery, and an astonishing 5 QBH's on RG3. Jadevion Clowney left with a knee injury, but before he left, he made a tackle behind the line on DeSean Jackson, a 9 yard loss where he read the play brilliantly. Yes, the Texans defense registered an astonishing 14 hits on the QB all day, providing a perfect example of effective pass rush.
Houston is a playoff team in my opinion. I see a 10-6 season in the makings, and maybe a move to the divisional playoffs. Houston is an up and coming team, that's for sure.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Robert Griffin III failed to be responsible for a TD, and on Tuesday, Etsy banned the Redskins name and logo from their website. Yep, the team is that bad...
Robert Griffin III finished horribly in his action against the Texans, though he did pass for 267 yards and ran for 2, he couldn't keep drives going, and they're lucky they got a touchdown. They couldn't convert on 3rd down, and just could have been so much better. Coach Jay Gruden wishes he had called more run plays, so he says.
Alfred Morris ran 14 times for 91 yards, and the Redskins ran the ball 23 times all day and gained 131 yards while they were at it, thanks to bursts of life from Roy Helu, who ran 4 times for 46 yards with a long of 16. Darrell Young scored their only touchdown of the day.
The debut of DeSean Jackson as a Redskin didn't go all that well. He went with 8 catches for 62 yards, his longest catch going 17 yards. They used him more with his speed as a screen threat, not a deep threat. That's something Jay Gruden needs to change, quickly.
The defense, overall, played pretty strong, excepting the 77 yard catch and run from Ryan Fitzpatrick to DeAndre Hopkins. They allowed a total of 10 points, but apart from just making tackles, did pretty much nothing. Pressure up front to the quarterback needs to improve.
I saw a loss coming here, but I still believe the Redskins have enough firepower to finish 8-8, and then to finish 2nd in the NFC East due to lax competition from Dallas and New York. Robert Griffin will come back, in my opinion, and he'll play better in the upcoming games.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Missing Cam Newton for the first time since he got drafted, Derek Anderson got the start and led Carolina to a 20-14 win over Lovie Smith and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played well despite critics saying that Anderson couldn't fit in Carolina.
Kelvin Benjamin was the hero of the week, if you don't count Anderson, making 6 catches for 92 yards and scoring a TD, most of those catches being extremely acrobatic. Greg Olsen, the reliable TE target, took 8 of his 11 targets in as receptions for 83 yards and Anderson's other score. The Panthers DeAngelo Williams ran the ball well on his 14 carries, gaining 72 of the teams 113 yards, and overall playing well.
Love Roman Harper in his new home here in Carolina. Harper made 2 tackles and intercepted one of Josh McCown's 2 INT's. Luke Kuechly made 9 tackles, and a sack, with a TFL, and a fumble. He is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year for a reason.
Overall, I see Carolina off to a 7-9, maybe 8-8, season in the NFC South, finishing behind the Buccaneers and the Saints.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
It was a tough game, a tough opener. Luke McCown struggled, the Buccaneers failed to get any run game moving.
As for the defense, they pretty much failed after the 4th quarter started. They were so good up until they needed to be, and gave up the 12 points that would cost them the win. However, registering 2 takeaways was big, and that was something that kept San Diego alive up until the very end.
I think San Diego still has a good season ahead of them, just don't be scared if they start 0-2. An 11-5 season, still possibly a 12-4, is in the making. I seriously can't see them being worse then 10-6.
DENVER BRONCOS
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| Photo courtesy of the Denver Broncos Official Website |
Peyton Manning still has the men, and he still has the talent. That's all that Sunday Night proved.
Julius Thomas was the real hero of his game, making 7 catches for 104 yards and all 3 TD's from Manning and winning the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award as the Broncos romped to a 31-24 finish while hosting Indianapolis. The tight end earned the praises of Peyton Manning. "Julius is the guy we got to try to find a way to get the ball to him no matter what defense they're playing." Emmanuel Sanders stepped up for Eric Decker, and brought in 6 passes for 77 yards. The most surprising stat would be Demaryius Thomas' 4 catches from 11 targets, Indianapolis did a good job shutting him down Sunday Night.
Denver spent a lot of time trying to establish a run game, and had trouble with it. 32 runs resulted in just 102 yards, so yes, they will miss Knowshon Moreno terribly.
The defense kept Andrew Luck on his toes, and played well in stopping Luck from coming back. Bradley Roby, the rookie, had a good bit to do with that. "We're looking for Roby to shut down the inside," Broncos Cornerback Chris Harris said, "I think he did a good job tonight." He did indeed. Roby made 7 tackles and deflected 3 of the Broncos insane 13 pass deflections. Big improvement on defense.
Overall, I think Denver still has a lot of injuries to come, and it'll cost them a lot of games. I see maybe a at best 10-6 squad here for Manning to work with.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
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| Photo courtesy of indianapoliscolts.com |
Luck posted 370 yards passing, 2 TD's and 2 INT's, alongside his 19 yards rushing, and TD there. He started his usual playing skill late in the second quarter, when he engineered a drive from his own 20, and ended it 8 plays later with a score.
The run game never got a chance to show it's value. They got a total of 9 hand-offs to running backs, Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw, who gained 35 yards. I think the Colts run game is good, and it will get better when they don't have the Broncos beating the living snot out of them.
I think the receivers are looking even better this year then last. Hakeem Nicks brought in all 5 of his targets, and Reggie Wayne brought in 9 of 13. With Wayne in the game, the Colts are automatically a lot better. Dwayne Allen looks strong again, but Coby Fleener couldn't bring in enough balls (2 of 8 targets) and that cost them a few times.
Defensively, the Colts couldn't dial enough pressure up on Manning until a little bit later in the game, and that ended up costing them 24 1st half points. The biggest problem right now is the blow they took in loosing Robert Mathis for the rest of the season because of a practice injury.
They did knock down 6 Peyton Manning passes, but failed to intercept one, so they might have a good secondary back there, but, as I've said before, only time will tell!
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
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| Photo Courtesy of the Official Website of the Pittsburgh Steelers |
Le'Veon Bell did play, due to the NFL not issuing a suspension yet, and took 21 carries for 109 yards, including his 38 yard TD run. He added to the pass attack by catching 6 of 7 targets and turning them into 88 yards , giving him a grand total of 197 total scrimmage yards. The Steelers ran the ball well all day, running 28 times for 127 yards and 2 TDs.
The Receiving core looked incredible. Markus Wheaton blew apart the Browns secondary with his 6 catches for 97 yards, and Antonio Brown provided very similar results with his 5 catches for 116 yards and Ben's TD throw of the day.
Defensively, the breakout candidate would have to be Jarvis Jones, the 2nd year man out of Georgia. collecting 6 tackles, 2 TFL, and a sack on Brian Hoyer is what someone calls a "big game". Jones had a quiet rookie season, and he's already matched his last season sack total. Expect him to play rough and get several more of those behind the line sacks and tackles.
The Steelers defense knocked Hoyer over 5 times, and deflected 5 of his passes all day, 2 of those going to William Gay, who had a standout day in coverage.
I still see the Steelers falling short of a record that will get them the playoffs, possibly a 7-9 or 8-8. The rest of the season will play out the Steelers fate, but Mike Tomlin is on the hot seat, and this might be his last season it Pittsburgh.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
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| Photo courtesy of clevelandbrowns.com |
On the bright side, the Browns ran the ball down the Steelers throats. Pittsburgh could do nothing to stop the run game which romped in it's 30 carries for 183 yards and 2 TD's. Terrence West, the 3rd round rookie I have raved about, ran 16 times for 100 yards, while Ben Tate took 6 runs for 41 yards before injuring himself and will now miss 2-4 weeks. Isaiah Crowell, an underrated rookie, also got 5 runs in for 31 yards.
Hoyer, in the meantime, passed for 230 yards and a score while posting a 94.8 passer rating. His favorite target while missing Josh Gordon- Andrew Hawkins from Cincinnati. Hawkins was targeted 10 times and he came down with 8 of them gaining 87 yards.
TE Jordan Cameron is in for a bit of a rough ride, he hurt his shoulder (already sprained) in action, so Cleveland signed Gerell Robinson off the practice squad.
Defensively, I don't think you can have a game as good as Donte Hitner (Oh, did I say Hitner? Oh, Whitner) did. 13 tackles, several of those in open field, saved the Browns from really getting killed and gave them the chance for a comeback. Karlos Dansby had a remarkable opening day with Cleveland, making 6 tackles, one for a loss, knocking away two passes and intercepting Roethlisburger. Yep, he belongs here.
Don't forget how Justin Gilbert manhandled Markus Wheaton all day, yes, he struggled, but he didn't give up any TDs, and he didn't take any help in bringing him down at any time.
Yes, they sacked Big Ben 4 times, Paul Kruger got to him twice, it was a decent day for the Browns late in the game.
Johnny Football has yet to hit the field, and people are speculating when that will be. Not for a while, if Hoyer keeps games this close. Not for a while...
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
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| Photo Courtesy of vikings.com |
Start with Cordarrelle Patterson. This guy led the team in rushing with 3 runs for 102 yards, including runs of 67 yards (a score), 23 yards, and 12 yards. All were top 10 gain plays for the Vikings. Then his receiving... 3 catches for 26 yards. Kick returns, 2 for 48. He is becoming perhaps the most explosive player in the NFL. Patterson is raw talent blended with raw speed. Not much better you can get with that combination.
However, Minnesota did take a couple of injuries. Xavier Rhodes left in the 3rd quarter with a groin injury, and DT Sharriff Floyd left in the 4th with a shoulder. Both are 2013 1st round picks, picked alongside Patterson. Both are day to day, according to Head Coach Mike Zimmer.
The Vikings still played well defensively, however, limiting the Rams to 72 yards rushing, sacking the quarterback 5 times, and holding Saint Louis to a 29% 3rd down conversion rate. S Harrison Smith was all over the field, collecting 2 huge hits, a sack and an Pick-six. Smith was missed greatly when he went down last season with an injury.
I still think Minnesota is on to a very good season, and will be a wild card contender. However, possibly an 8-8 season is underway in Zimmer's first year at the reigns.
SAINT LOUIS RAMS
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| Photo courtesy of stlouisrams.com |
Shaun Hill got the start, and left the game in the 3rd quarter with a thigh injury, his return this coming week is questionable. Austin Davis took over and played in his first NFL action, passing for 192 yards and a pick, thrown to Harrison Smith, who took it 81 yards for a TD.
Zac Stacy struggled all day, and didn't ever establish a rhythm, and that caused a lot of problems. The run game was shut down completely, forcing Austin Davis to do a lot of throwing in the 2nd half.
Kenny Brit, the teams highly acquired WR from Tennessee, had 3 targets and no catches. Ouch. Brian Quick was the best out of the receiving corps, collecting 7 catches for 99 yards.
On defense, the Rams lost Chris Long, their all-pro star defensive end, to an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter. Long will miss anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks after never missing a game in his career.
In short, the defense simply sucked. They got to Cassel once for a sack, no picks, didn't really harass him much, let him throw the ball all over them and in the second half, run them into the ground. The Rams have a lot of work to do with their team.
I see them finishing around 7-9 despite this loss, and the tragic numbers around them. They have a decent defense on normal days, and they have an offense that can generate some points on normal days. Week one simply wasn't normal.
NEW YORK JETS
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| Photo courtesy of newyorkjets.com |
Let's start with Geno Smith. He was pretty well on things in this game, hitting 23 of 28 passes for 221 yards, and a TD and INT each. He added 38 yards on the ground, and played with a maturity that Michael Vick wishes he had when he was 24. Geno can be that starting QB the Jets need for their franchise.
Chris Ivory was impressive too. 10 runs, 102 yards, including a 71 yard TD zip across the field. Chris Johnson took 13 runs for 68 yards, and the Jet's offense finished with 212 rushing yards in total.
Out of Eric Decker, Chris Johnson and Jeremy Kerley's 16 targets, 15 of them were caught. Johnson and Kerley both went 5-5, Decker going 5-6. Decker led the team with his 74 yards.
The problem the Jets have going into week 2 is penalties. They drew 11 flags on Sunday, and that needs to cut down fast because Oakland isn't a great opponent. “You just can’t have them,” Jet's guard Willie Colon said. “You hurt the offense. I was just trying to be aggressive. The refs, they have a job to do and if you’re holding outside the frame, they’re going to call it."
The defense held the Raiders to a total 158 net yards, so the defense doesn't have too many problems. They know the offense just about killed themselves, and that's where the improvement effort is going.
I still see an 11-5 season coming, with the Jets on top of the AFC East. They have the talent, and once the problems get fixed, or at least patched, they are a serious playoff contender.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
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| Photo Courtesy of contracostatimes.com |
But he didn't throw an INT.
The rushing offense simply failed. 15 runs for 25 yards, Maruice Jones-Drew taking 9 of those carries for 12 yards. They couldn't get anything past a 12 yard run that Jones-Drew made, and the rest was behind the line and at the line of scrimmage.
The receivers made Carr look worse then he really was. He kept going to his favorite target, Denarius Moore from Tennessee, in fact he went that way 8 times, and came up with 2 catches. James Jones from Green Bay fit in to the offense in his limited role, catching 3 of 3 passes for 34 yards including his 30 yard TD strike from Carr.
They got 11 first downs, 3 of those on 3rd down out of 12 tries.
Defensively, they held the Jets to 1-2 scoring attempts in the red zone, both of those drives ending inside the Raiders 5. One was a TD, the other was a fumble by Geno Smith and recovered by TJ Carrie. The defense was definitely much better then the offense, and the Raiders have that hope to bank on.
I still see a 3-13 season ahead for Oakland, yes, Raider fans, another long season. But, on the bright side, after this season, they are looking up.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
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| Photo courtesy of cincinnatibengals.com |
Andy Dalton ran it pretty well, passing for 301 yards and a score while posting a 98.7 passer rating. He hit his favorite target, AJ Green, 6 times for 131 yards including his 77 yard TD strike.
Giovani Bernard may not have had the best day rushing (48 yards on 14 carries) but he made up for it by catching 6 balls for 62 yards, giving himself 110 yards from scrimmage. He was helped by rookie Jeremy Hill from LSU, who took 4 runs for 19 yards.
Tyler Eifert went out with an injury, alongside Vontaze Burfict. Eifert is believed to have a dislocated elbow, while Burfict suffered from a concussion. No updated status has been released at present time.
Defensively, they made it difficult for the Ravens to run smoothly. Joe Flacco was forced to throw the ball all day, and that left the run game with just 91 yards gained. In fact, he was knocked down 7 times, 3 of them for sacks.
Emmanuel Lamur led the team in tackles, 11, and Reggie Nelson was right behind him with 10. Lamur added his INT to that, while Nelson added half of a sack. They all played strong performances.
I think the Bengals have an 11-5 season ahead of them, and their first playoff win with Andy Dalton in the helm. They have the receivers, the running backs, and a decent defense to back them up.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
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| Photo Courtesy of baltimoreravens.com |
Joe Flacco was forced to throw the ball around all day. Not so bad, right? Flacco is paid enough, isn't he? Wrong.
With the 16-23 loss to the Bengals, Flacco did pass for 345 yards and a TD, but it took him 62 pass attempts to do that, and he only posted a 71.0 passer rating. That needs to improve if the Ravens are going to win games.
The run game was doing alright until they abandoned it. Justin Forsett was the main back running 11 times for 70 yards, including a 13 yard TD run. Because of a poor early performance by Bernard Pierce, Pierce got benched and Forsett played.
Bad stats coming up. Between Dennis Pitta and Steve Smith, 30 passes were thrown their way. How many were catches? 22. The Ravens receivers were covered in drops, especially on deep balls. In fact, Joe Flacco kept the play alive a couple times with his feet to throw to an open Jacoby Jones just to have it dropped. Twice. Ouch.
Give that offensive line some credit. When you throw a ball 62 times in a game, and give up 2 sacks, that's downright impressive. However, he did get knocked around a bit, but that's to be expected from so many plays dropping back.
Overall, the Ravens defense did a bad job, not getting to Andy Dalton at all. 0 sacks, 0 quarterback hits. Ouch. They let Dalton throw around the field, and take his sweet time with things.
I see the Ravens on a 4-12 campaign, easy, maybe a 5-11 at best. They should take advantage of it and get some good draft picks this season to prepare for the next one.
HOUSTON TEXANS
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| Photo courtesy of houstontexans.com |
Ryan Fitzpatrick was impressive in his first game against the Redskins, passing for 206 yards and posting a 109.3 passer rating with only 22 attempts. Arian Foster did most of the hard work taking 27 carries for 103 yards.
DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson were the main receivers, catching a combined 10 of their 14 targets for a total of 182 yards, including an electrifying catch and run by Hopkins from 77 yards out for a score. Hopkins only missed 1 of his 5 targets.
JJ Watt was on fire this season opener, fresh off his brand new contract, and made 3 tackles, a sack, 2 TFL, a PD, a Fumble Recovery, and an astonishing 5 QBH's on RG3. Jadevion Clowney left with a knee injury, but before he left, he made a tackle behind the line on DeSean Jackson, a 9 yard loss where he read the play brilliantly. Yes, the Texans defense registered an astonishing 14 hits on the QB all day, providing a perfect example of effective pass rush.
Houston is a playoff team in my opinion. I see a 10-6 season in the makings, and maybe a move to the divisional playoffs. Houston is an up and coming team, that's for sure.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
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| Photo courtesy of redskins.com |
Robert Griffin III finished horribly in his action against the Texans, though he did pass for 267 yards and ran for 2, he couldn't keep drives going, and they're lucky they got a touchdown. They couldn't convert on 3rd down, and just could have been so much better. Coach Jay Gruden wishes he had called more run plays, so he says.
Alfred Morris ran 14 times for 91 yards, and the Redskins ran the ball 23 times all day and gained 131 yards while they were at it, thanks to bursts of life from Roy Helu, who ran 4 times for 46 yards with a long of 16. Darrell Young scored their only touchdown of the day.
The debut of DeSean Jackson as a Redskin didn't go all that well. He went with 8 catches for 62 yards, his longest catch going 17 yards. They used him more with his speed as a screen threat, not a deep threat. That's something Jay Gruden needs to change, quickly.
The defense, overall, played pretty strong, excepting the 77 yard catch and run from Ryan Fitzpatrick to DeAndre Hopkins. They allowed a total of 10 points, but apart from just making tackles, did pretty much nothing. Pressure up front to the quarterback needs to improve.
I saw a loss coming here, but I still believe the Redskins have enough firepower to finish 8-8, and then to finish 2nd in the NFC East due to lax competition from Dallas and New York. Robert Griffin will come back, in my opinion, and he'll play better in the upcoming games.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
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| Photo courtesy of carolinapanthers.com |
Kelvin Benjamin was the hero of the week, if you don't count Anderson, making 6 catches for 92 yards and scoring a TD, most of those catches being extremely acrobatic. Greg Olsen, the reliable TE target, took 8 of his 11 targets in as receptions for 83 yards and Anderson's other score. The Panthers DeAngelo Williams ran the ball well on his 14 carries, gaining 72 of the teams 113 yards, and overall playing well.
Love Roman Harper in his new home here in Carolina. Harper made 2 tackles and intercepted one of Josh McCown's 2 INT's. Luke Kuechly made 9 tackles, and a sack, with a TFL, and a fumble. He is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year for a reason.
Overall, I see Carolina off to a 7-9, maybe 8-8, season in the NFC South, finishing behind the Buccaneers and the Saints.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
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| Photo Courtesy of carolinapanthers.com |
First things first. Doug Martin was highly expected to come back and perform well. He was suppose to have a breakout season following his big rookie season, and then his injury. Well, it doesn't start here. Martin managed to get 9 yards on 9 carries, Bobby Rainey took 4 runs 12 yards, and Josh McCown ran 3 times for 27 yards. The big break came from Jorvorskie Lane's 54 yard run, the longest gain on a play all day by Tampa Bay.
Next, Josh McCown cannot play at the starter position forever with Mike Glennon sitting on the bench. He posted a 71.1 passer rating with his 183 yards passing and 2 TD's and 2 INT's.
Next, the injuries. Newly acquired tackle Logan Mankins fell victim to a knee injury in the 2nd quarter, he's questionable to return to play the Rams next week. Martin had a leg injury, but claimed to be fine after the game. Austin Seferian Jenkins left too, but he also said he was fine after the game.
Now, the receivers. Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson are almost identical, and it showed up in their stats. They evenly combined for 9 catches on 18 targets, and gained 73 yards, no touchdowns. Neither could bring in a ball over 20 yards downfield. Brandon Myers stepped up instead, catching 6 balls for 41 yards, but failed to gain more then 10 yards in a single play.
Last, but not least, the defense. Lavante David is starting his case to be Defensive Player of the Year, and he started strong with 10 tackles, 2 TFL, and a QBH. They sacked Anderson once, and hit him 3 more times. The defense could have been better, but they held Carolina to 20 points, and a 3.4 rushing average.
Tampa Bay is working, definitely a work in progress, but I believe they will finish in the upper area of the NFC South, possibly at 11-5 or 12-4, and make a run at the Super Bowl.
DETROIT LIONS
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| Photo Courtesy of detriotlions.com |
What about that start for the Lions? 35-14 over the Giants, and getting Stafford to Megatron connections early.
Matthew Stafford did very well, passing for 346 yards in 32 attempts and 2 TDs, plus his TD run that really put the killing stroke on the Giants. He posted a 125.3 passer rating, and showed great reads at the line of scrimmage, calling "Kill kill" to move from play one to play two called in huddle. Everytime he shouted kill, he was right. It was a big gain.
Megatron was targeted 11 times, made 7 catches for 164 yards and 2 TDs, including that wide open one where he ran right past Antrel Rolle and burned New York for 67 yards. Golden Tate and Reggie Bush combined for 12 targets and 12 catches, each getting 6, 142 yards. They destroyed that secondary.
One potential problem for Detroit is the running game. They gained 76 yards on 30 runs, or 2.5 yards per carry. Joique Bell was the most effective man taking handoffs out of the backfield, running 15 times for 51 yards and a TD.
On defense, they harassed Eli Manning all night. 6 passes were deflected, Manning was knocked over 9 times, 4 by Ezekiel Ansah, and the secondary stepped up to meet the challenge of covering the Giants WR's. They did well, even with the thin secondary they have, and the injuries they took Monday Night.
DeAndre Levy made 10 tackles, 2 for losses, and intercepted an Manning pass, making him the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Overall, the Lions have a great team, but I think they're going to struggle again. They are going to get maybe 7-9 or 8-8 at best, I think the Giants are a pushover challenge, and just not much of an opening day test.
NEW YORK GIANTS
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| Photo Courtesy of giants.com |
Same problems we saw in the preseason. Offense can't move the ball, the defense can't stop anyone. Will Tom Coughlin make it through the 2014 season as the Giants Head Coach?
The running game struggled early on. Rashad Jennings couldn't get anything done, and they ended up putting him on the sideline and playing Andre Williams, the rookie from Boston College, who didn't do any better then Jennings. They gained a total of 53 yards on 22 carries all night.
Eli Manning just doesn't have it anymore. He's still Interception Eli, and he fired 2 Monday Night, and got himself a 53.0 passer rating. Typical Eli Manning. He needs a new team desperately. He failed to establish any rhythm and get that Giants offense going all night.
At the same time, we can't put all the blame on Eli. I watched his receivers drop way too many balls and easily catchable passes. Victor Cruz even struggled, it was like that commercial where the guy falls and Cruz remarks "There goes my season," wasn't exactly a joke. Rueben Randle made 2 catches for 1 yard. Jerrel Jernigan caught 4 of 7 targets. It was a sloppy night for the Giants, and they have a lot of work to do offensively.
The Giants defense struggled too. They didn't generate the pressure they needed to stop Matthew Stafford, and blew coverage a little too much. Bad night for the Giants in strategic terms and in fantasy terms.
Overall, the Giants can't do much better then 6-10 in my opinion. If they do, I'll be very surprised. The Giants have a long season ahead, and this is Tom Coughlin's last season in New York.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
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| Photo courtesy of philadelphiaeagles.com |
Not a very hot opening for the Eagles, just putting the Jaguars down quietly 34-17, coming back in the second half being down 17-0 at halftime. Chip Kelly has a few kinks to work out, and the Eagles will be close to invincible.
First, Nick Foles has already halved his INT total from last season- 1. He passed for 322 yards and posted an 87.5 passer rating with his 2 TD's. The offensive line looks considerably weaker then it was last season, thanks to the loss of all pro Evan Mathis, and Foles got sacked 5 times.
Zach Ertz and Jeremy Maclin were the shiners when they actually got the ball, Maclin was targeted 10 times but came up with 4 catches, and Ertz made 3, but they combined for 174 yards and 2 TD's. How Jeremy Maclin got so open on his 68 yard TD catch, we will never know, but he did.
The run game was pretty solid. 145 yards on 32 runs, McCoy and Sproles splitting carries about 65-35. Sproles exploded for a 47 yard TD run, and McCoy caught all 6 of his targets.
Defensively, the Eagles were pretty strong. Sacking Chad Henne 3 times, knocking away 4 passes, registering 6 TFL, and then the big one- staying in Henne's face all through the 2nd quarter. That's what kept Philadelphia alive.
The Eagles have the division due to the weakness of it, and I see a 10-6 finish ahead of the Eagles season, and a round into the playoffs. They had a quiet but solid opening.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
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| Photo courtesy of jaguars.com |
They took some injuries, Cecil Shorts being one, Johnathan Cyprian being another, it wasn't a pretty game. However, the Jaguars had some solid performances and reasons to be looking up.
Chad Henne, for the most part, played a good game. 266 yards passing, 2 TD's and no INT's is pretty solid. However, he needs to improve on his deep passes if the he doesn't want Blake Bortles, the accuracy freak, to replace him sometime this regular season.
The big performance of the week... Allen Hurns, an undrafted rookie took the field, and came up with 4 catches (9 targets) for 110 yards and both of Henne's TD throws. Marques Lee made 6 catches, and Marcedes Lewis did a great job catching balls. The passing game looks pretty solid.
However, it's the run game that will kill the Jaguars. They gained a total of 64 yards on 25 carries, forcing them to throw a lot more then they should have. Toby Gerhart ran 14 times for 42 yards, and ran the teams longest run- 11 yards.
Defensively, it doesn't get much better when you sack Nick Foles 5 times, your 2012 first round pick, on his way to a breakout season, get's 2 of them, and you get 11 TFL. Defense was pretty solid in the first half, it was the point breakout when Johnathan Cyprian went down that the Eagles exploited, and finished off the game destroying them.
The Jaguars are going to play a lot of close games, I don't see any real wins though. They have talent, they'll put on a good show, but in the end, I think they'll fall short. 4-12 season looms ahead- with or without Blake Bortles.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
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| Photo courtesy of 49ers.com |
Is there any such thing as the 49ers actually doing something wrong? Nope. Not against the Cowboys.
Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde both combined for an incredible attack, running 23 times for 116 yards, and Hydes 4 yard TD run. It was a good attack that they ran, and they are confident going into the 2014 season that Hyde and Gore is a great committee.
Colin Kaepernick played a solid football game too. 201 yards passing and 2 TD's, and a 125.5 passer rating is what he posted, and received almost no pressure from the Cowboys line.
Vernon Davis posted solid numbers of 4 catches for 44 yards and 2 TD catches, while Anquan Boldin played well, bringing in 8 of 9 targets for 99 yards.
Defensively, very strong. Justin Smith made 2 of the teams 3 sacks, and despite missing Navorro Bowman, the Linebackers held up strong, and made the Cowboys pay foe every yard they took.
Overall, quietly brilliant performance. San Francisco has a lot of questions to answer later in the season, like the 3 points scored in the 1st 2 preseason games, and the difficult NFC West division. I see an 8-8 season ahead, and Jim Harboughs first playoff miss as the head coach in San Francisco.
DALLAS COWBOYS
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| Photo Courtesy of dallascowboys.com |
DeMarco Murray took all but one of the Cowboys 23 carries for 118 yards, but despite the fact that the running game was strong, Tony Romo took it upon himself to lead the Cowboys to victory.
And failed.
Tony Romo passed for 281 yards and a score, but added 3 INT's to that, and his passer rating was 60.8. Not a good start to the 2014 season when you're already on the hot seat. Tony made a lot of bad decisions, and neither he nor Jason Garrett wanted to talk about them after the game was over.
The defensive situation has not improved either, as they let the 49ers run wild and do whatever they wanted. No pass rush could be generated, coverage was downright terrible, things are out of whack in Dallas, Texas.
I see the end of Jason Garretts contract as head coach of the Cowboys, a dismissive 5-11 season, possibly 4-12, and a high draft pick for the next former college coach that takes his place this season.
WEEK 1 AWARDS
Here is the first installment of my weekly awards now for week 1.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
(MVP type award)
Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons
BONEHEAD OF THE WEEK:
(Alright, that was plain, down, outright stupid)
Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys
DEFENSIVE STAR OF THE WEEK:
(Defensive MVP)
DeAndre Levy, LB, Lions
BLOOMING ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
(Most promising youngster)
Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars
LOOSER OF THE WEEK:
(Come on, be a sportsman!)
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
And last, but not least,
BIGGEST BUST OF THE WEEK:
(Issued to the guy with hype who waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay underperformed)
Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers
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