Week one of the NFL season is in the bag and what a week it was. Amazing individual performances from rookies, up and coming players and seasoned veterans along with shocks, surprises, injury and intrigue.
With a shortened off season due to labour dispute many people assumed that the rhythm that offenses work under would not be there and that defence would come out on top, at least for a few weeks, but with 752 points scored at an average of 47 a game that certainly wasn’t the case, some teams came out of the blocks quick while others don’t appear to have got the memo that the league has started but the vast majority to borrow a phrase from Dennis Green ‘are who we thought they were.’.
Below is a quick recap of all 16 games followed by a few thoughts and observations, for those who aren’t familiar with American sport the home team is written second.
New Orleans 34 Green Bay 42 The previous two Superbowl winners squared off in the traditional opening day fixture in an explosive contest that could be a precursor for this seasons NFC Championship game. Green Bay got out to an early lead and survived a New Orleans comeback but both teams showed enough to make people believe they are contenders again but will need to sure up on the defensive side of the ball.
Cincinnati 27 Cleveland 17 The Andy Dalton era in Cincinnati got off to a great start with a win against a divisional rival. Victory was achieved thanks to a 121 yard rushing performance by Cedric Benson and a solid, if in no way spectacular, performance by the rookie QB.
Atlanta 12 Chicago 30 A near perfect performance by the Chicago saw them shut down the supposed high power Atlanta offense and move the ball with ease thanks to 167 all purpose yards from Matt Forte and a ferocious defense. If Chicago can play with this intensity and precision then the sky is the limit, Atlanta however needs drastic improvement on all three areas of the team (offense, defence and special teams) as a strong schedule and tough division will not be easy.
Detroit 27 Tampa Bay 20 In a battle of two improving young teams Detroit overcame a 4th quarter comeback to edge out Tampa Bay. Matthew Stafford looks every bit the #1 pick and if he can stay injury free his 305 yard 3 TD performance could lead Detroit to the play offs. Tampa Bay will need to get in gear quickly as the NFC is looking strong and teams that fall behind quickly will struggle.
Philadelphia 31 St. Louis 13 NFL’s ‘dream team’ got off to a suitably dreamy start with victory over another up and coming team and avoided a potential opening day slip up. If Michael Vick can stay healthy, and the style of football he plays doesn’t assure this, then Philadelphia would expect to go deep in the playoffs but against St. Louis it was LeSean McCoy who rushed the team to victory. St. Louis have injury concerns with seven starting player banged up through the course of the game and they cannot afford to be without Sam Bradford or Steven Jackson for any length of time.
Indianapolis 7 Houston 34 Has a players stock ever risen as high without playing than Peyton Manning’s did in the season opening demolition by division rivals Houston. Without their future Hall of Fame QB Indianapolis had no rhythm or intensity and the major holes on defense that Manning could overcome were exposed, this could be a long season for Indy and the sooner he returns, if he ever returns, the better. Houston were impressive but against such a poor opponent nothing can be determined so the games at Miami and New Orleans should give us a better indication, but if they don’t win the division and make the playoffs this year big changes will have to happen.
Tennessee 14 Jacksonville 16 The second all AFC South game of the week was a much tighter affair in which both teams showed their limitations. Tennessee should improve as the team gets used to Matt Hasselbeck at QB and Jacksonville can get by with Luke McCown at the helm but neither of these teams should trouble the playoffs but with two young QB’s waiting in the wings the rebuild is well underway.
Buffalo 41 Kansas City 7 The biggest shock of the week came in Kansas City but on which side of the ball it was is uncertain as last year’s AFC West winners were battered at home by a Buffalo team who had the third worst record last season. Most people had expected Kansas City to take a step back and Buffalo to improve but not this dramatically. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 4TD performance will go a long way to quash concerns by people who believed the team should have drafted a QB but in a division with New England and the New York Jets the going will be tough. Kansas City will need to massively improve if last year’s title is not to be the exception to the rule.
Pittsburgh 7 Baltimore 35 A Baltimore win wasn’t that much of a surprise but the compete beat down of the defending AFC Champions did send shockwaves around the league. Baltimore’s Joe Flacco had never beaten Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and the amount of smack talked by the Steelers during the off season certainly motivated Baltimore. A complete and dominating performance moved Baltimore up the NFL power rankings but the season is a marathon not a sprint, Pittsburgh will hope this is an aberration but an aging defence is cause for concern.
New York Giants 14 Washington 28 Good Rex Grossman turned up to star in an emotional game in the Nation’s Capital. Grossman led Washington on 4 scoring drives completing 21 of 34 passes for 305 yards and 2 TD’s but a huge defensive effort was the catalyst. New York have cause for concern as injuries are mounting up especially on defence and they may be to great and of significant volume to overcome, Washington on the other hand could be a dark horse if Grossman can keep bad Rex at bay.
Minnesota 17 San Diego 24 San Diego needed to improve the way they start games and their special team’s performance to ensure they don’t miss the playoffs like last year and the go and concede a TD on the opening kickoff. They did rally to beat Minnesota but they cannot afford to do this against better teams, at least they got an opening day win as they do tend to improve through the season but they will need a high seed as travelling to cold weather outdoor teams in the playoffs is the teams Achilles heel.
Carolina 21 Arizona 28 The biggest individual surprise of the week was the performance of #1 pick Cam Newton who shattered all rookie first start records with 422 yards and 2 TD’s and seems to have reinvigorated the career of Steve Smith. Arizona came out with the win though with an impressive performance from new QB Kevin Kolb and a solid running effort from Beenie Wells. Arizona are going to be in the discussion for the division title but Carolina in a strong NFC South will need to look more at performances that wins.
Seattle 17 San Francisco 33 San Francisco overcame a divisional opponent thanks to two return touchdowns from Ted Ginn Jr and four field goals from veteran free agent David Akers. If San Francisco were unimpressive then Seattle were downright poor and a currently leading the Andrew Luck sweepstakes for the worst team in the league, there is little to get excited about in Seattle and this looks like a long season for Pete Carroll who was once again drilled by college nemesis Jim Harbaugh, but a little luck may bring him the tool for success next season.
Dallas 24 New York Jets 27 Did Dallas throw the game away or did New York steal an unexpected victory was the question on most people’s minds after the Sunday evening contest. Dallas had the game by the scruff of the neck but three late scores including a blocked punt saw New York home. Neither side could get its running game going so there will be much for the two teams to improve on but this is the two teams in a microcosm, Dallas can’t close out games and New York just don’t know how to quit.
New England 38 Miami 24 Its one thing for Tom Brady to have a career game and throw for 517 yards but when Chad Henne goes 30 for 49 with 416 yards and 4 TD’s it makes the need for an investment in ESPN even greater. New England will need to stop the bleeding on defence as their pass protection cannot give up those kinds of yards and expect a deep playoff run but maybe a few people in Miami need to turn up at practise and apologise to Henne for their reaction over the summer (maybe wait a week just to be sure)
Oakland 23 Denver 20 Darren McFadden ran all over a lacklustre Denver defense that is struggling for an identity on either side of the ball. McFadden’s 150 yards led the league in rushing but Oakland kept having to settle for field goals, including a 63 yard monster from Sebastian Janikowski. This was the key to success last time out and Oakland have the tools to win unlike Denver whose fans were once again calling for the introduction of Tim Tebow even though the QB position isn’t even in the top 5 areas of concern for a poor side.
So what did we learn from this weekend’s match-ups;
1. Peyton Manning may win the league MVP award without playing a down, how a team can be so reliant on one individual is staggering, even one as good as Manning. Some will point to the Colts refusal to address the situation and employ a viable back up other however will just point to a team with no other leaders that seriously need to step up.
2. Even in Manning’s absence the league is becoming even more passing oriented, some believe this is because of new rules to protect players with QB’s and wide receivers being the beneficiary of this but others will point to the college game and it’s spread offence and a breed of young head coaches willing to adapt to the talents of the players rather than forcing them into regimented structures.
3. Several teams picked up where they left off last year, none more so than the defending Champion green Bay Packers. But a shortened off season and an unprecedented free agency has meant that teams that retained most of their core players are better suited to the early challenge of fixtures, there are always exceptions to any rule, ask Kansas City and Pittsburgh, but continuity is king.
4. Has the NFC has retaken the title of power conference? With the last two Superbowl Champions and three divisions that could boast three genuine playoff contenders the dominance of the AFC in the early part of the millennium is over.
5. And finally on a poignant note as the majority of the games took place on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 it would be a miss not to mention the day’s history. It is important to remember just how much of an impact sport had in the days, weeks, months and years after such a travesty, it allowed people, especially in New York and Washington but also, throughout America and the rest of the World a sense of normality and an escape from the horrors they were facing, sport can be a tool for social, political and cultural change but just as important is its ability to entertain. The way in which the NFL handled this significant event was a testament to respect and understatement, yes it is important to remember the victims and the events of that fateful day but it was a joy to see it done with dignity that the people who lost their lives, or had them drastically changed, and their families deserve.
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