Week 1 Quick Hits – Eagles Fly High, Broncos Buck Bengals
What did we learn from Kickoff Weekend? You’re about to find out:
Philadelphia 38, Carolina 10 – It’s early, but the Eagles look like the best team in the NFC after Week 1. The defense was flying around like maniacs, forcing Jake Delhomme into as bad a performance you’ll ever see from a quarterback. Of greater concern is the shot to the ribs McNabb took in the third quarter, forcing him to bow out early. It looks as if McNabb will sit out next week against the Saints. As for the Panthers, where do you go from here? Delhomme has committed 11 turnovers in his last two meaningful games and Matt Moore is the only other healthy QB on the roster. Someone get Jeff Garcia on the horn.
Indianapolis 14, Jacksonville 12 - A weird, low-scoring game that saw one of Peyton Manning’s top targets, Anthony Gonzalez, leave the game with a knee injury. Reggie Wayne more than picked up the slack with 162 yards receiving and a touch. The Jaguars offense was pedestrian and I’m not sure Maurice Jones-Drew can touch the ball 25+ times a game without wearing down.
New Orleans 45, Detroit 27 - Drew Brees went bananas on the Lions, throwing for 358 yards and 6 TD’s, tying a team record. Marino’s passing record was officially put on notice. Rookie Matthew Stafford tossed three picks and only hooked up with Megatron three times, albeit one was for 64 yards. The culture is changing in Detroit, but baby steps…
Denver 12, Cincinnati 7 - The worst game of the day for 3 and 1/2 quarters turned into one of the wilder finishes in recent memory. After Cedric Benson punched in the go-ahead touchdown for the Bengals, Kyle Orton heaved a desperation pass that got deflected into the hands of Brandon Stokley, who went untouched for the game winning score. Only in Cincinnati…
Dallas 34, Tampa Bay 21 - For the first time in three seasons, Tony Romo didn’t feel the heat from a certain wide receiver to get him the rock. Romo threw for 353 yards and 3 TD’s as the Cowboys blasted the Bucs in Raheem Morris’ coaching debut. The Cowboys now look to next week where they open up Jerry World against their division rivals, the New York Giants.
Baltimore 38, Kansas City 24 – I never thought I’d see the day the Baltimore Ravens would put up over 500 yards of offense. Joe Flacco, who honestly doesn’t have a lot of weapons on the outside, threw for 307 yards and 3 TD’s. Though Chiefs QB Brodie Croyle extended his record to 0-9 as a starter, he posted some pretty decent numbers. All that being said, Matt Cassel should be ready to rock next week against the Raiders.
New York Jets 24, Houston 7 -The fact that Houston was so non-competitive was perhaps one of the biggest surprises of Week 1. The Jets defense locked down that supposed high-octane Texan offense, and remember, they’re still without Calvin Pace and Shaun Ellis. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez looked composed most of the day and notched his first NFL win. Nice Sunday for the J-E-T-S.
Atlanta 19, Miami 7 - Miami made the playoffs last season? Seriously? The Dolphins looked more like the 2007 version, giving up the ball four times to an Atlanta defense lacking a lot of household names. Matty Ice found his new (OK, old) target Tony Gonzalez for a 20-yard score and even though the running game didn’t get going, Falcons fans have to like what they saw from their second-year signal-caller.
Minnesota 34, Cleveland 20 - Forget Brett Favre, the Vikings win 7 games MAX without Adrian Peterson. All Day rushed for 175 yards and 3 TD’s, but he made it look so easy. Favre did find rookie Percy Harvin for a 6-yard TD, but often looked out-of-sync with his receivers (Training Camp would’ve helped with that, Brett). Browns head coach Eric Mangini failed to announce who his starting quarterback would be last week to gain a “competitive advantage.” Well, it was Brady Quinn and there was absolutely no advantage gained from withholding that information. What a joke.
New York Giants 23, Washington 17 – Osi Umenyiora returned to meaningful football for the first time since Super Bowl XLII and it was like he never left. Umenyiora sacked Jason Campbell, forced a fumble and took it to the house as the Giants continued their dominance of the ‘Skins at the Meadowlands. Clinton Portis broke off a 34-yard run in the first quarter, but rushed for just 24 yards after that. Campbell will catch a lot of heat for his performance, and I’m not saying he’s innocent, but consider this: out of the three second-round draft picks from 2008 (WR Devin Thomas, WR Malcolm Kelly and TE Fred Davis), Kelly had the most productive day – one catch for six yards. You can criticize Campbell all you want, but all three of these guys have been non-existent - that’s simply inexcusable.
San Francisco 20, Arizona 16 - Wow, that didn’t resemble the Arizona offense from nine months ago, did it? Did Todd Haley’s play-calling really mean that much? Meanwhile, give Niners head coach Mike Singletary credit for establishing an identity as a run-first team. It may not be glamorous, but Shaun Hill knows his role and executes it effectively. Knowing what you are in this league is half the battle.
Seattle 28, St. Louis 0 - Snoooooozer. Matt Hasselbeck found his tight end John Carlson twice in the end zone and Julius Jones broke off a 62-yard touchdown run. But don’t get too excited Seahawk fan, it was the Rams. First place in the NFC West on the line next week – ‘Hawks-Niners.
Green Bay 21, Chicago 15 - Jay Cutler looked about as comfortable under center as Taylor Swift did at this moment during the VMA’s. Four picks against your hated rival isn’t exactly the reason the Bears brought you to the Windy City, Jay. The Packers new 3-4 defense looked fierce and even though Aaron Rodgers had a quiet night, he delivered when it mattered most, connecting late with Greg Jennings for a 50-yard touchdown. An intriguing year in the NFC North started off with a BANG.
