At last, the NFL season has arrived, and half of the teams are undefeated, the others winless. However, year after year Week 1 proves to be rife with games that do not, in fact, prove prophetic. Now we must look back on all the games and determine whether or not what we saw was legitimate, or the occasional first game mirage. Let’s begin.
THURSDAY
Vikings 9, Saints 14
WHAT HAPPENED:
I anticipated the Saints to blow the Vikings out of the building, quite honestly, and early on this seemed to be the case as the Saints went up 7-0 before Minnesota even knew the game started. After that, things slowed waaaaaaaay down. Brett Favre still needs some more time to coalesce a bit more with the team around him, and the Vikings in general just seemed a tad disjointed. Meanwhile, the Saints did all they had to do to win, though the offense was shockingly lackluster.
WAS IT A FLUKE?:
I think it’s likely. The Vikings won’t be stuck at 9 points all season, and Favre will awaken, even though he won’t repeat his freakish stats from last year. Same goes for the Saints, who will become a much more exciting team next week, and more so the week after that. Forget this game; I’ll be watching this matchup in January.
SUNDAY
Browns 14, Buccaneers 17
WHAT HAPPENED:
A matchup of teams that went nowhere last year and likely won’t be throwing parades this year, this game was essentially a contest to see who could get a win early and take some pressure off. The Browns came out fast and took a 14-3 lead, but they were done after that. Jake Delhomme certainly wasn’t the second coming of Bernie Kosar, going 20/37 for 1 touchdown and two gargantuan interceptions. The Bucs did what they had to do to get by the Browns, and when a team commits this amount of mistakes they aren’t going to win.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
I thought the Browns would win, but this game did not surprise me at all. Neither team is going to make much noise down the road, and on this particular field on this particular day, the Bucs were the better team. The Browns will win a few games, improve overall, and move into the offseason. This game should not be a final judgment on the season for either team. I wouldn’t call it a fluke, but it wasn’t all-encompassing.
Dolphins 15, Bills 10
WHAT HAPPENED:
I attended this game, and it wasn’t pretty. Both offenses were relatively nonexistent, though each defense showed some promise. For the Bills, Trent Edwards continued to show that he is not a quarterback that will throw downfield. Ever. Meanwhile, Miami started off hot, but the Bills defense was able to adjust and essentially stop them for the remainder of the game. At the end of the day this was about as exciting as you’d expect a 15-10 game to be. Based on this game, these are two teams that are going nowhere.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
I don’t see it. Going into this season I thought the Dolphins were very overrated, and Sunday proved my point, though they were better than the Bills at every turn. Chad Henne was at least a bit bolder than Trent Edwards, but at game’s end it was apparent he isn’t leading anybody to the Super Bowl. The Bills defense either performed admirably or the Dolphins offense is just as inept as Buffalo’s, a team whose offensive line is as hard to penetrate as construction paper. Trent Edwards barely had a chance to make a play, and when he did he never came through. The Bills are becoming a broken record, and unless Edwards hangs 50 (heck, even 20) on the Packers next Sunday, this game was not a fluke. The Dolphins are bad, the Bills are bad bad.
Bengals 24, Patriots 38
WHAT HAPPENED:
“Oh, hi. We’re the New England Patriots. Remember us? Thought so.”
-vs.-
“Heh. Batman and Robin. Ain’t we a cut-up?”
WAS IT A FLUKE?
The Bengals got a beatdown on Sunday, and many problems were exposed. The offense was eventually awakened, but the game was already lost. People are already pushing the Patriots to the side on favor of the Jets, and here is your typical New England statement game, reminding the world of their existence. The Patriots were not a fluke, even with the idiotic “Nobody likes me!” speech by Randy Moss afterwards. The Bengals are still one of the better teams in the AFC North, and on Sunday they learned winning isn’t as easy as putting on a cape. They’re probably not this bad, but they’re certainly not better that the Patriots.
Colts 24, Texans 34
WHAT HAPPENED:
A sigh of relief came over the city of Houston as the Texans finally FINALLY beat the Colts, thanks to the efforts of certified beast Arian Foster (who will be owned in 100% of fantasy leagues by breakfast on Tuesday). The Colts have never been great against the run, and Sunday showed they haven’t solved that yet. Houston looked about as good as they’ve ever looked, and they handed the Colts a thorough beating that wasn’t extreme but wholly deserved. There’s not a whole lot of analysis one can do on this game: the Texans went out there and they just BEAT the Indianapolis Colts.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
The Texans have long been obsessed with the Colts the way Norman Bates is obsessed with his mother for years, and they’ve made no secret about it. This is a game they’ve been preparing for tenaciously since the schedule was released, and the win could merely be a result of the obsession. We’ll learn a lot about the Texans in week two. Meanwhile, the Colts will win a whole lot of games the rest of the year. That is a fact. My feelings on this one are similar to Bucs-Browns, only with GOOD teams. On this day, the Texans were better, and they won. Good for them, as long as they get ready for the next 15.
Broncos 17, Jaguars 24
WHAT HAPPENED:
It rained… with lightning, and as such the game was delayed on and off. Eventually they finished, and when it was over the Jaguars came out on top. Both quarterbacks did their jobs, Garrard throwing for 3 touchdowns, but in the end the Jags made less mistakes and won. Also, chosen one Tim Tebow rushed twice for 2 yards in front of his hometown crowd, which was almost as good as C.J. Spiller, and with 5 less attempts.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
These are two comparable teams that could be either good or bad and neither would surprise me. As such it’s hard to gauge from this game alone. However, there wasn’t much that fit the definition of the word ‘fluke’.
Falcons 9, Steelers 15
WHAT HAPPENED:
Well, things happened. The problem is not a lot of it was pretty. Matt Ryan was wholly unimpressive, and his running game didn’t do a whole lot to back him up. The Falcons in general came out flat, and the Steelers were vulnerable without their normal QB Ben Roethlisberger. This game was ripe for the taking, but the Falcons tripped. It went to overtime, but Rashard Mendenhall capped off his solid day with the long game-winning run. Great win for Pittsburgh, awful loss for Atlanta.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
Matt Ryan is regressing scary fast, and it’s a shame, because I like the kid. Michael Turner did not get the job done at all, which hurt me because I drafted him in the first round of my fantasy draft, but that’s beside the point. The Falcons need to change a lot of things to improve, and I’m not positive they can do that. The Steelers, on the other hand, looked appropriately sloppy for a team starting Dennis Dixon. For Atlanta, it MIGHT be a fluke, but I think for the Steelers what you see is what you get.
Raiders 13, Titans 38
WHAT HAPPENED:
Those singing the praises of the Raiders were quieted early as the Titans came in and ran them right over. Fantasy owners everywhere rejoiced the return of Chris Johnson, who ran for 142 yards (most in one play) and 2 touchdowns. Vince Young did all he had to considering the circumstances, and he avoided any crucial mistakes. The Raiders merely could not turn their culture around in this game, and the Titans brought a determination and fire that they had no answer for.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
The Titans are going to be a formidable opponent to each team they play, and everything from this seems to add up to a solid season with a resurrected Vince Young at the controls. Tennessee was in all likelihood not a fluke, but I’ll give the Raiders the benefit of the doubt and say their performance might be below what they can accomplish. I think this team is better than what they’ve had in years past, and we’ll see where they go from here. However, I don’t see them winning anything important this year.
Panthers 18, Giants 31
WHAT HAPPENED:
Jimmy Clausen better get warmed up. Matt Moore was no less than awful against the Giants, going 14/33 for 182 yards, one touchdown and 3 picks. Yowza. That was a big reason the Giants were able to pull away and hand the Panthers a loss. Eli Manning started rough but got hot when he needed to be, throwing 3 touchdowns to Hakeem Nicks. Neither team was very graceful, leading to a combined 9 turnovers in the game. The real difference was that Manning was able to make the plays while Moore was lost most of the time.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
I don’t think so. The Panthers have a large question mark at quarterback, and as bad as Delhomme was last year I’m not convinced Moore is the answer. In fact, if this is the norm, it’s going to be a long season in Carolina. It will then become a question of when we will see rookie Jimmy Clausen get the start. Not much has changed in New York that I can see, either. The Giants are never going to dazzle you, but they are capable of winning some games. The NFC East is an interesting division, and I’m not counting them out.
Lions 14, Bears 19
WHAT HAPPENED:
The Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears. Only the scoreboard says otherwise.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
When it comes down to it, the rule states that Calvin Johnson’s catch was, in fact, incomplete. Unfortunately, the rule is also absolute crap. The Lions were robbed of an incredible win that could have set the tone for the rest of the season, but instead they are 0-1, just like every other year. However, as credit should go where credit is due, Jay Cutler performed admirably, only throwing 1 interception. Hey, for him that’s progress. The Lions are going to be around 6-7 wins, which is a significant improvement, and the Bears might be around there with them, as this game suggests. I don’t see much of a fluke here at all, just two flawed football teams playing a close game.
Cardinals 17, Rams 13
WHAT HAPPENED:
Another case of two bad teams playing a close game. Sam Bradford was thrown into the fire in his first NFL start, throwing an obscene 55 times. That’s how you get draft picks killed. You’re investing how many millions in this guy, don’t you want him to be worth it? Sheesh. Speaking of quarterbacks, Derek Anderson wasn’t awful, but he didn’t resemble Kurt Warner in the slightest. Both of these teams made too many mistakes to win, but the Cardinals had more points, so they start 1-0. I don’t think either team will be getting many W’s this season.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
No, they were both bad, they’ll both be bad. The winner of this division will be .500.
Packers 27, Eagles 20
WHAT HAPPENED:
Aaron Rodgers didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but he did all he had to do in order to get the early lead and hold on for the win. Michael Vick, however, DID set the world on fire once he came in after Kevin Kolb’s concussion. He was the one-man offensive machine the likes of which we have not seen since his Atlanta days, and he not only got Philly back in the game, but reinvigorated his career. However, the Eagles didn’t win, and Andy Reid says that if Kolb is healthy he will still get the start. This game went from appearing to be a blowout to one of the more interesting games of the week.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
Aaron Rodgers was able to win the game despite not firing on all cylinders. That is scary. There is nothing in this game to suggest the Packers WON’T be the Super Bowl contender we expect them to be. Vick’s performance, however, might have been a fluke. The Packers might have been a little blindsided by the energy he showed under center, and perhaps teams will adjust appropriately. Whether Kolb is available next week or not, the jury is still very much out on the Philadelphia Eagles.
49ers 6, Seahawks 31
WHAT HAPPENED:
Wow, who saw this one coming? The popular pick to win the sub-mediocre NFC West was undoubtedly the San Francisco 49ers, and on Sunday they no less than went out and took a nap on the field. Pete Carroll suddenly looks like a genius, and he rocked the Niners into oblivion. On top of that, they even looked poorly coached, which shocked me most because I, like many, see Mike Singletary as a potentially great coach. Sunday showed that he has done nothing to merit the praise he’s gotten. This was not a blowout, but one team decided they didn’t feel like playing. After the game Singletary thanked Carroll for the loss, calling it a wake-up call the Niners needed. Okay, Mike. Do something about it.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
Maybe. San Francisco wasn’t popular with the experts for nothing. Make no mistake, they need to fix a whole lot before the next game, but I highly doubt this game showed us what the 2010 49ers are. Seattle mostly won because it was handed to them, but Pete Carroll looked like he was having a blast on the sidelines. I think he’s capable of doing a lot as an NFL head coach, and Sunday I really liked what I saw.
Cowboys 7, Redskins 13
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Redskins didn’t have much offense, but the Cowboys lent them a hand multiple times. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, there sure were a lot of idiots on the field for the Dallas Cowboys. Exhibit A: The fumble recovery for a touchdown at the end of the first half. Exhibit B: The holding call at the end of the game. I thought the Cowboys’ offensive struggles in the preseason were… well, the preseason. Instead it appears to be a legitimate problem. Add that on top of the stupid mistakes and you’d best get ready to allow another team into your stadium in February.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
If the Cowboys are indeed America’s team, then America better hope so. The team I saw on Sunday night wasn’t winning 9 games let alone the whole thing. The Cowboys certainly have talent, and rookie Dez Bryant showed potential, but that loss was just an embarrassment. It could be a fluke, but I’m not comfortable saying it was. Washington has a lot to fix as well, but at least they seemed as if they knew what they were doing.
MONDAY
Ravens 10, Jets 9
WHAT HAPPENED:
Offense? Who needs it? Joe Flacco and the Ravens at least seemed to be trying to win the game, and thus they did, but defense was without doubt the name of the game. The first half contained virtually nothing but turnovers on both sides, and the Jets defense did absolutely everything it possibly could to keep its team in the game. The Jets offense was not only bad, but inept. Not to mention the endless penalties on the New York side. This was an ugly game for New York all around.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
I think this is exactly how each of these teams are going to be all year. However, the Ravens’ offense will likely improve with time, something I cannot say about the Jets. The chorus of praise over Mark Sanchez is totally and completely unearned. Look at his statistics both last year and tonight and you will see nothing that shows he will be consistent. He only threw for 74 yards, a number even Trent Edwards beat on Sunday. Admittedly, he didn’t throw it to the other team, but that’s because he didn’t throw at all. The Jets defense is great, but their offense shows no signs of doing the team any favors. I think this game showed us the Jets team that we’ll see most of this year.
Chargers 14, Chiefs 21
WHAT HAPPENED:
The Chargers outgained the Chiefs 389-197 but lost anyway. This is mostly because the Chiefs defense made the plays when it had to, and they were opportunistic at every turn. Not to mention the crowd at Arrowhead was unlike any Kansas City crowd in recent memory. God help the opposing team when it’s that loud in there. The offense for Kansas City wasn’t flashy, but they scored all they needed to win, and Kansas City has something to be happy about.
WAS IT A FLUKE?
To a point, probably. The Chiefs are better than in years past, but I don’t see them making much noise down the road. The Chargers are severely missing a lot of key pieces, and an easy fix doesn’t seem to be in the near future. The AFC West is going to be close most of the year, and I think Monday night showed that, but if these teams played each other 10 times the Chargers would probably win more.
WEEK 2 PREVIEW
Several serious tests loom for contenders next week, as the Ravens visit the Bengals, who have some serious issues to sort out. Eli and Peyton match up for the second time in a regular season game, only this time Peyton is 0-1. The Jets also get ready to run into the New England buzzsaw, and the 49ers see if they can wake up… against the Super Bowl champs.
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