What We (I) Learned From Week 1

Week 1 produced an incredible level of football.  Maybe the fact that I had been starved of the NFL for over seven months, made Week 1 of the NFL that much sweeter.  Either way, most fans won’t be heading into Week 2 too disappointed.  All but 4 games were decided by one score, and only two games were real blowouts (Chiefs 28, Jags 2 and Ravens 24, Broncos 49).  It would appear that the parity of the NFL has never been greater.  We’ve got lots of great football ahead of us this season. 

Now, what to make of Week 1?  Did I and many others misevaluate many teams?  Which teams are already swaying my opinion (Eagles) and which teams do I still believe are just fakers (Chiefs)?  Read on, and find out how I’m feeling (and how you should be feeling) after a great opening weekend to the NFL season.

Manning Erupts

Ravens 24, Broncos 49

I expected a solid performance from the Broncos at home, but this was a little unexpected.  Granted the Ravens have a very weak defense, but this game was something else.  Whenever you get 49 points put up on you, there is probably something incredibly wrong or incredibly right with your opponent.  I think it was a little of both. 

The Raiders are not Complete Garbage?

Raiders 17, Colts 21

Maybe the Raiders aren’t as bad as I thought.  In the biggest shock of the weekend for me, the Raiders appeared to be a respectable foe against the Colts.  I was far and away most impressed by Pryor’s performance.  He had incredibly good pocket presence, and played like a lesser Kaepernick.  Solid arm.  Great speed.  He is fast and big (240lbs), so he will be durable even if he takes a few shots here or there.  If you saw the game, he was dishing out more pain than receiving it on his runs, knocking defenders over.  Pryor is tough to bring down.   With a little more experience, Pryor could end up being a solid starter for the Raiders in the near future.  I’m still not convinced that the Raiders will be any good this year, but who knows.  Perhaps this game was more telling of the Colts.  The Colts won a ton of close games last year, and their record could easily have been a lot worse.  Maybe predicting them as a playoff team this year was too generous.  Luck looked good, but I would have expected him to be more impressive against such a poor defense.  He had plenty of time to throw.  He looked comfortable.  But he only played alright. 

Chiefs embarrass Jags

Chiefs 28, Jaguars 2

Let’s see how the Chiefs play against the Cowboys in Week 2.  If they are a legitimate side, then they should be able to hold their own against a decent Cowboys team at Arrowhead.  Additionally, I am looking forward to the prospect of the Raiders getting back up to .500 against the Jags next week. 

AFC North Goes 0-4?!

Bengals 21, Bears 24

Titans 17, Steelers 9

Dolphins 23, Browns 10

For a division that I thought was one of the best in the NFL, they sure didn’t show it in Week 1.  The Steelers barely managed to score an offensive point at home against the lowly Titans.  If I could make 1 change to my predictions after Week 1, I think I would take the Steelers out of the playoffs. 

The Browns got outplayed in Cleveland.  I do think the Dolphins are a slightly underrated side, but I thought the Browns were also.  I’m not so sure about that anymore. 

And the Bengals were beaten by the Bears.  Chicago is good at home, but I still expected the Bengals to win.  I’m not totally sold on the Bears yet, but I will give them some more time to impress me. 

Buffalo gives New England the Usual Scare

Patriots 23, Bills 21

Does this happen in Buffalo every year?  It seems like the Patriots almost always almost give this game away to the Bills every year, only to harshly take it back from them in the dying minutes.  Anyways, based on previous seasons, I wouldn’t overanalyze this game.  The Bills are no good.  And the Patriots are still the best team in the AFC East, by far.  EJ Manuel did play well though…

Saints and Falcons Don’t Disappoint

Falcons 17, Saints 23

In a game that was just as exciting as expected, the Saints defeated the Falcons in New Orleans.  It came down to the last plays.  A Steven Jackson drop in the endzone was the difference.  These teams will battle it out for the NFC South crown.  I can’t wait for their matchup in the Georgia Dome in Week 12. 

Seattle Showing Weakness?

Seahawks 12, Panthers 7

This was a clear trap game for the Seahawks going in, so I’m not going to look into it too much.  The Panthers are a bit underrated this year, and they almost stole one from the Seahawks.  The Seahawks are MUCH better at home, so any road wins for them will be huge this season in their quest to win the NFC West. 

Bucs and Jets Confirm What We All Already Knew

Bucs 17, Jets 18

The Bucs found a way to lose to the Jets.  The Jets needed a harsh personal foul penalty to save them from losing their home opener to a bad Bucs team.  These are two of the worst teams in the NFL.  Neither side did anything to make me think differently. 

Divisional Games are Always Tough

Cardinals 24, Rams 27

Vikings 24, Lions 34

These were two incredibly competitive games.  Both teams played each other tough, as I would have expected.  Homefield advantage was just enough to give the edge to the Rams and Lions in Week 1. 

Great Game at Candlestick

Packers 28, 49ers 34

It felt like we were back in the playoffs.  This week 1 matchup had plenty of intensity.  Both teams wanted to win badly.  Kaepernick proved just how good he is, and the Packers defense proved just how bad they still are.  It’s fun when two teams start to become rivals just because they are both good.  I’m looking forward to the possible playoff matchup between these two teams. 

Eagles are the New NFC East Favorite?

Giants 31, Cowboys 36

Eagles 33, Redskins 27

After the debacle in Dallas, where analysts like Trey Wingo were questioning the Giants preparation, "@wingoz: Did the Giants hold training camp?", I’m not sure the NFC East is as good as I thought.  The Giants played just awful, turned the ball over 6 times, and the Cowboys only won by a single score.  It was an ugly game, but maybe that was just a product of the rivalry.  Rivalry games can often be ugly.  However, after watching the Eagles take it to the Redskins in Washington, where the game was not as close as the score indicated, the Eagles seem like the top contender for the NFC East.  The NFC East appears to be the only division where any team could win the division, should be exciting. 

Texans Don’t Play Nice in San Diego

Texans 31, Chargers 28

The Chargers were one of many bad teams this week to have their hopes raised by their opponents poor play before getting beaten at the end of the game by their superior foe.  This was not a very good game for the Texans, but I expect them to play better in the weeks to come.  For the Chargers, get used to it.  San Diego is lacking a lot of talent.