Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, so everyone’s emotional has turned from anticipation to either extreme optimism or panic. Overreacting to week one is commonplace; I experienced it myself as a 49ers fan. The scores this week were:
Eagles over Falcons 18-12, Ravens over Bills 47-3, Patriots over Texans 27-20, Steelers and Browns tie 21-21, Panthers over Cowboys 16-8, Bengals over Colts 34-23, Buccaneers over Saints 48-40, Vikings over 49ers 24-16, Jaguars over Giants 20-15, Chiefs over Chargers 38-28, Redskins over Cardinals 24-6, Jets over Lions 48-17, Rams over Raiders 33-13.
The Super Bowl champion Eagles won the season opener, the Browns came oh so close to pulling out a rare win. Khalil Mack immediately justified his trade value/new contract, and Aaron Rodgers returned to form after an injury scare in the second quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs looked outstanding, Kirk Cousins did enough to win in his Vikings debut, and Jimmy Garoppolo looked human for the first time. Most of the great defenses from last year picked up where they left off, and the mediocre ones looked the same as well. Jon Gruden also made his return to coaching with the Raiders.
In what was a classic shootout, the week’s biggest surprise was the performance of old journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bucs’ QB was filling in for the suspended Jameis Winston, and Fitzy went 21-28 for yards, four touchdowns and no picks. The Saints are known for their high flying offense, and they still may have won if not for a couple costly mistakes. Alvin Kamara took the league by storm last year, and he looked no different this week. His workload was higher than usual due to Mark Ingram being suspended, and he took advantage. He had a 35 yard catch on his first touch of the game, and he had a TD run to end the drive. He had 29 rushing yards on eight carries, but he really impressed in the passing game. He had nine receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown.
Fitz looked stellar, but remember how we overreact? His first TD came on the opening possession, where he completed a 58-yard touchdown to a wide open DeSean Jackson. He lined up it the slot on the play, which he rarely does, so it was a great play call regardless. OC Monken aided HC Dirk Koetter in coming up with a game plan for Fitz, although Koetter always calls the plays. Koetter did allow Monken to call the plays come game time, and it looks genius now. Time will tell how big Monken’simpact is for the whole season. If the creativity level of this offense is really that much better, Jameis’ days in Tampa, and possibly the league, may be numbered.
This offseason, many wondered if the Chiefs has made the right decision to go with Patrick Mahomes over Alex Smith. Albeit just one week, but it seems to be paying off. Much like when Colin Kaepernick took Smith’s job in San Francisco, Mahomeshas the “it” factor and big play ability that Smith does not. Mahomes may have the strongest throwing arm in the league. This is not only evident on deep throws, but also in the way he zips the ball on short routes. His ability to throw receivers open is key for this offense which is packed with playmakers, most notably Tyreek Hill. Hill has been electric since he’s been in the league regardless, but the ceiling is so much higher now. He looked totally unstoppable week 1.
Packers-Bears was arguably the most exciting game of week 1, considering all of its ups and downs. The Bears got off to a great start on defense, and showed a new philosophy on offense. First year coach Matt Nagy displayed his unique offense on the first drive of the game. A series of misdirections and crazy formations led to confusion, and a touchdown. The offense stalled a bit as the first half wore on, but Mitchell Trubiskydidn’t make costly mistakes. A controversial number two overall pick a year ago, Trubisky looked very good in this game, but not necessarily enough to justify the pick yet.
The Bears defense played inspired early, clearly aided by the addition of megastar Khalil Mack. His presence was obvious all game, and he even pushed LT back into Rodgers on his first play of the game. Towards the end of the first half, he had an unreal strip sack, where he literally snatched the ball from Kizer’shands after totally disposing of two blockers. He also got a pick 6 right before halftime. He wears #52 like Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis, and he plays just as feverishly. Others like Akeem Hicks and Floyd held their weight as well. The Packers offense did look way crisper in the third, and things started to click when Rodgers came back in. Although he was far from one hundred percent, he led his team to a comeback win. He utilized the quickness of Devante Adams and Randall Cobb, and the offense in general made the necessary plays in the second half. Green Bay did not have much of a running game, which could be costly moving forward. But as long as Rodgers is healthy, the entire team is that much scarier.
In what was a classic shootout, the week’s biggest surprise was the performance of old journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bucs’ QB was filling in for the suspended Jameis Winston, and Fitzy went 21-28 for yards, four touchdowns and no picks. The Saints are known for their high flying offense, and they still may have won if not for a couple costly mistakes. Alvin Kamara took the league by storm last year, and he looked no different this week. His workload was higher than usual due to Mark Ingram being suspended, and he took advantage. He had a 35 yard catch on his first touch of the game, and he had a TD run to end the drive. He had 29 rushing yards on eight carries, but he really impressed in the passing game. He had nine receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown.
Fitz looked stellar, but remember how we overreact? His first TD came on the opening possession, where he completed a 58-yard touchdown to a wide open DeSean Jackson. He lined up it the slot on the play, which he rarely does, so it was a great play call regardless. OC Monken aided HC Dirk Koetter in coming up with a game plan for Fitz, although Koetter always calls the plays. Koetter did allow Monken to call the plays come game time, and it looks genius now. Time will tell how big Monken’simpact is for the whole season. If the creativity level of this offense is really that much better, Jameis’ days in Tampa, and possibly the league, may be numbered.
This offseason, many wondered if the Chiefs has made the right decision to go with Patrick Mahomes over Alex Smith. Albeit just one week, but it seems to be paying off. Much like when Colin Kaepernick took Smith’s job in San Francisco, Mahomeshas the “it” factor and big play ability that Smith does not. Mahomes may have the strongest throwing arm in the league. This is not only evident on deep throws, but also in the way he zips the ball on short routes. His ability to throw receivers open is key for this offense which is packed with playmakers, most notably Tyreek Hill. Hill has been electric since he’s been in the league regardless, but the ceiling is so much higher now. He looked totally unstoppable week 1.
Packers-Bears was arguably the most exciting game of week 1, considering all of its ups and downs. The Bears got off to a great start on defense, and showed a new philosophy on offense. First year coach Matt Nagy displayed his unique offense on the first drive of the game. A series of misdirections and crazy formations led to confusion, and a touchdown. The offense stalled a bit as the first half wore on, but Mitchell Trubiskydidn’t make costly mistakes. A controversial number two overall pick a year ago, Trubisky looked very good in this game, but not necessarily enough to justify the pick yet.
The Bears defense played inspired early, clearly aided by the addition of megastar Khalil Mack. His presence was obvious all game, and he even pushed LT back into Rodgers on his first play of the game. Towards the end of the first half, he had an unreal strip sack, where he literally snatched the ball from Kizer’shands after totally disposing of two blockers. He also got a pick 6 right before halftime. He wears #52 like Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis, and he plays just as feverishly. Others like Akeem Hicks and Floyd held their weight as well. The Packers offense did look way crisper in the third, and things started to click when Rodgers came back in. Although he was far from one hundred percent, he led his team to a comeback win. He utilized the quickness of Devante Adams and Randall Cobb, and the offense in general made the necessary plays in the second half. Green Bay did not have much of a running game, which could be costly moving forward. But as long as Rodgers is healthy, the entire team is that much scarier.
The Bengals have struggled to find consistent skill players on offense since the Chad Johnson/TJ Houshmanzadeh days, but that may have a nice nucleus now. Joe Mixon had a very impressive game, finishing with 95 yards on 17carries, and also added 54 receiving yards on 5 catches. John Ross, who is arguably the fastest receiver in the league, caught his first career TD pass after missing most of last season. On defense, Cincy’s front seven absolutely dominated the Colts up front, so Andrew Luck had zero chance of finding any rhythm. He was getting smacked all game, and the running game never got going. Maybe they should have kept Frank Gore, who had a solid debut with the Dolphins this week. The Colts fifth overall pick in the draft this year, left guard Quinton Nelson, looked unimpressive in his debut. He displayed very little athleticism, especially when attempting to block upfield. Edge rushers Carlos Dunlap, Margus Hunt and Kemoko Turay had great performances for the Bengals. Hunt got two sacks, and Turay’s athleticism shone through as he consistently set the edge on the other side. Bengals safety Clayton Fejedelem made a key play leading to the game sealing fumble at the end, despite struggling to cover the middle of the field all day. Ultimately, there is not a bunch to take away from this game, other than how bad the Colts’ offensive line is. If that problem is not addressed quickly, that ship could sink fast.
Two new thirty million quarterbacks faced off on the Vikings-49ers game, and only one looked the part. Although Kirk Cousins did not wow me, he the consistent play he exhibited in Washington. He made very good decisions throughout, which is not easy being his first game as a Viking. Receivers StefonDiggs and Adam Thielen picked up where they left off, still looking like possibly the best duo in the league. Coach Zimmer looks like a smart man today, because the offense didn’t miss a beat after losing OC Pat Shurmur.
The 49ers looked bad on the surface, but maybe it’s just the normal growing pains they somehow avoided last year. Jimmy Garropolo threw three picks for the first time in his career. Marquise Goodwin got hurt, and Austin Pettis was really the only receiver that stepped up. The Jerick McKinnon injury was evident, though Matt Breida and Alfred Morris did a decent job in his place. It’s fair to chalk up how bad week 1 was to the Vikings great defense, but Garoppolo will need to basically carry this team to victories. The Niner defense looked bad. For both teams, it kind of felt like they will look better as the season progresses.
Sam Darnold made his much anticipated debut Monday night against the Lions, and he got off to the worst start possible. He threw a pick 6 on his very first play from scrimmage. Brett Favre’s first career attempt was also a pick, so it could possibly be an omen. The story of the first quarter was the dominance of the Jets defense.
The Lions only had 4 rushing yards in the first quarter. Darnoldthrew his first TD pass down the sideline to Robby Anderson at the end of the first quarter. Though it took him awhile to get going, his third down efficiency was stellar. He definitely showed his upside, which is huge considering he only started playing QB his last year of high school (he played linebacker before). He finished 16 for 21 for 198 yards with two TD and one interception. Matt Stafford and the Lions looked awful, so let’s not overreact to one win by the Jets just yet.
On Carolina’s first drive, I started thinking running backs could wear #1 now. Cam Newton played his typical ball, great running and average throwing, but the runs had something extra. Unfortunately Christian McCaffrey fumbled in the red zone, stopping the drive. Carolina won in the end due to unimpressive play by Dak Prescott. Both of these teams need to show improvement moving forward. Carolina looked exciting during many of their drives, but they seemed to stall in due to lack of attention to detail. It could just due new OC Norv Turner’s complex offense, so time will tell if everything clicks for Cam. He looked more comfortable throwing shord and medium passes, even if he wasn’t completing everything. Newton finished 17-26 for 161 yards, 0 TD and an interception. He also added 58 rush yards on 13 attempts, and a rushing TD.
The Seahawks had a long run atop the NFC west division, but they have clearly declined since. They had an offseason where Richard Sherman went to the hated 49ers, Earl Thomas held out, and Kam Chancellor was placed on the IR. The Eddie Lacy experiment didn’t work last year, leaving the team still searching for Marshawn Lynch’s replacement. With that said, however, they looked impressive with a bunch of no name skill guys. Wilson finished 19-33 for 298 yards with 3 TD and 2 picks. No one thought someone named Dissly would finish with three receptions for 105 yards and one TD. Although they lost, Seattle showed some life considering how much roster turnover they had. There is some potential there, they just need to capitalize on opportunities a little bit more.
Not every game this week. The Eagles-Falcons game was sloppy and boring to watch until the very end.
The Giants felt optimistic about how their new acquisitions against Jacksonville, but Eli Manning did not look very impressive.
The Dolphins against the Titans was a decent game, but it felt tainted by the thunderstorm delays that ultimately made the game last more than seven hours.
Although the Patriots Texans game was close in terms of score, it never really felt in doubt.
Two new thirty million quarterbacks faced off on the Vikings-49ers game, and only one looked the part. Although Kirk Cousins did not wow me, he the consistent play he exhibited in Washington. He made very good decisions throughout, which is not easy being his first game as a Viking. Receivers StefonDiggs and Adam Thielen picked up where they left off, still looking like possibly the best duo in the league. Coach Zimmer looks like a smart man today, because the offense didn’t miss a beat after losing OC Pat Shurmur.
The 49ers looked bad on the surface, but maybe it’s just the normal growing pains they somehow avoided last year. Jimmy Garropolo threw three picks for the first time in his career. Marquise Goodwin got hurt, and Austin Pettis was really the only receiver that stepped up. The Jerick McKinnon injury was evident, though Matt Breida and Alfred Morris did a decent job in his place. It’s fair to chalk up how bad week 1 was to the Vikings great defense, but Garoppolo will need to basically carry this team to victories. The Niner defense looked bad. For both teams, it kind of felt like they will look better as the season progresses.
Sam Darnold made his much anticipated debut Monday night against the Lions, and he got off to the worst start possible. He threw a pick 6 on his very first play from scrimmage. Brett Favre’s first career attempt was also a pick, so it could possibly be an omen. The story of the first quarter was the dominance of the Jets defense.
The Lions only had 4 rushing yards in the first quarter. Darnoldthrew his first TD pass down the sideline to Robby Anderson at the end of the first quarter. Though it took him awhile to get going, his third down efficiency was stellar. He definitely showed his upside, which is huge considering he only started playing QB his last year of high school (he played linebacker before). He finished 16 for 21 for 198 yards with two TD and one interception. Matt Stafford and the Lions looked awful, so let’s not overreact to one win by the Jets just yet.
On Carolina’s first drive, I started thinking running backs could wear #1 now. Cam Newton played his typical ball, great running and average throwing, but the runs had something extra. Unfortunately Christian McCaffrey fumbled in the red zone, stopping the drive. Carolina won in the end due to unimpressive play by Dak Prescott. Both of these teams need to show improvement moving forward. Carolina looked exciting during many of their drives, but they seemed to stall in due to lack of attention to detail. It could just due new OC Norv Turner’s complex offense, so time will tell if everything clicks for Cam. He looked more comfortable throwing shord and medium passes, even if he wasn’t completing everything. Newton finished 17-26 for 161 yards, 0 TD and an interception. He also added 58 rush yards on 13 attempts, and a rushing TD.
The Seahawks had a long run atop the NFC west division, but they have clearly declined since. They had an offseason where Richard Sherman went to the hated 49ers, Earl Thomas held out, and Kam Chancellor was placed on the IR. The Eddie Lacy experiment didn’t work last year, leaving the team still searching for Marshawn Lynch’s replacement. With that said, however, they looked impressive with a bunch of no name skill guys. Wilson finished 19-33 for 298 yards with 3 TD and 2 picks. No one thought someone named Dissly would finish with three receptions for 105 yards and one TD. Although they lost, Seattle showed some life considering how much roster turnover they had. There is some potential there, they just need to capitalize on opportunities a little bit more.
Not every game this week. The Eagles-Falcons game was sloppy and boring to watch until the very end.
The Giants felt optimistic about how their new acquisitions against Jacksonville, but Eli Manning did not look very impressive.
The Dolphins against the Titans was a decent game, but it felt tainted by the thunderstorm delays that ultimately made the game last more than seven hours.
Although the Patriots Texans game was close in terms of score, it never really felt in doubt.
So there you have it. Week one is now in the books, so us fans finally have something to latch on to. But remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint.
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