NFL Week 1: They Are Who We Said They Are – Except When They Aren’t
September 14, 2009 by dwil
Drew Brees lets loose against Detroit.
Sunday impressions…
-Atlanta – 19, Miami – 7. The Falcons are only going to get better as the year goes on and that could be trouble for the rest of the NFC. The Fins offense is lacking in health. Many sports writers would say it is anemic. No wonder this is Ricky Williams’ last season.
-Philadelphia – 38, Carolina – 10. This is the year Carolina falls. Jake Delhomme looks just like he did when we last saw him. And he threw four INTs. And Julius Peppers didn’t get a long-term contract. And Delhomme got a $20 mil extension without asking for one! This is the year Donovan McNabb has loads of talent with him on offense. But. Dr. D-Mc is injured with a broken rib thanks to a late hit by Damione Lewis and out for who knows how long. Is the time coming for a prolonged Michael Vick sighting?
-Baltimore 38, Kansas City – 24. No, the Chiefs offense isn’t that good. Yes, the Chiefs defense is that bad. Joe Flacco goes over 300 yards for the first time in his career and Ravens total 501 yards total offense.
-Denver – 12, Cincinnati – 7. Denver has a decent defense but no offense to speak of. Cincinnati is cursed - all those yards and only seven points and a last-second loss to show for it.
-Minnesota – 34, Cleveland – 20. All the Vikings have to do is keep Brett Favre healthy. All Brett Favre has to do is hand the ball to Adrian “All Day” Peterson who rushed for 180 yards and 3 TDs in 25 carries. The Browns have a long ways to go. Next week Brett braks Jim Marshall’s consecutive games played streak with his 271st start in a row.
-New York Jets – 24, Houston – 7. Mark Sanchez (18-31, 272, one TD one INT) is the real deal. Buddy Ryan’s little kid isn’t a half-bad head coach. Andre Johnson does not an offense make.
-Indianapolis – 14, Jacksonville – 12. One of the Colts’ cylinders is misfiring. Jacksonville is still being driven by a 1968 VW engine. And anthony Gonzalez has a “sprained” knee – he has cruciate damage. Oh yeah, and how about the Colts’ new spot – Lucas Oil Stadium (are you serious? it is the home of the Indy 500)?
-New Orleans – 45, Detroit – 27. Thirty-four yards on 20 carries is going to get the Greene guy from Georgia killed before the season’s out (why do I always mix up lefty David Greene with Matthew Stafford?). We don’t know anything yet about the Saints, except that they can core against an indifferent defense; well at least Drew Brees can throw six TD passes – SIX – against the Lions.
-Dallas – 34, Tampa Bay – 21. John Gruden got out just in time. The eyes of Texas are upon Roy Williams. And Roy doesn’t seem to mind at all. Neither does Mr. September, Tony Romo who went a mere 16-27 for 353 and three TDs.
-San Francisco – 20, Arizona – 16. What is it about teams that lose the previous season’s Super Bowl game? Vernon Davis is now officially and NFL tight end – and a damn good one, too. Mike Singletary has himself quite a nice little squad. Too bad they haven’t had a competent starting quarterback who can throw a pass more that 40 yards without the ball losing its spiral since Steve Young. BTW, what was Kurt Warner’s fixation on Jeremy Urban? He’s no Wes Welker!
-Seattle – 28, St. Louis – 0. The Seahawks are once again the princes of the NFC West. Matty H. had a great day – 25-36, 279, 3TDs-2INTs. I feel sorry for Stephen Jackson.
-New York Giants – 23, Washington – 17. Oh boy Jim Zorn. Your defense makes the weirdest mental errors; your offense makes the weirdest mental errors; your special teams make the weirdest mental errors. Wait! That’s your entire team! And that means you are at fault for those errors. The giants already resemble the walking sounded – but they can sure play defense.
-Green Bay – 21, Chicago – 15. One TD and four interceptions? A QB rating of 43.2?! Those are stats of the savior of the Bears? Green Bay harassed Jay Cutler all night long. And when they didn’t he was seeing ghosts of the first half past and thought he was being rushed. Meantime Aaron Rodgers did his best Brett Fav-ray impression and led the Pack downfield for a game-winning TD with just seconds to play. It will be the tale of the teams all year long. Jay will have his moments but it’s Rodgers who is the real deal.
Monday Night
Buffalo at New England and San Diego at Oakland. Two division game should mean tighter outcomes than usual. Normally Buffalo would get stomped by a team of the Patriots’ quality; same with Diego and the Raiders. But familiarity breeds contempt and there won’t be any quit in the underdogs Monday night – unless Brady and Moss go off or Rivers and LT get buck and the games get out of hand (the Pats game could since a 7th-round draft choice is protecting Trent Edwards’ back and Marshawn Lynch is out). Besides, New England is breaking in an almost entirely new back eight on defense, and we don’t know if LaDanian is as back as he says he is.
It should be an entertaining double-header.
Cutler and Jake Del are total jokes.
And Palmer rated better then Mcnabb……….thats laughable.
Thanks for pointing out the late hit. This brings up a point we all made before on how the NFL protects the golden boy QBs.
Realize that this is the same team that late hit him in the 2003 championship game resulting in a cracked rib.
The flag would have thrown if it was Cutler, Palmer, any Manning and Brady just to name a few of the golden boys.
And folks have the nerve to talk about superstar calls in the NBA?????
Cutler will have a loooong season in the “Chi” if he doesn’t have anyone to throw to. Perhaps someone should inform Loive Smith that Marvin Harrison is still available.
Matt Schaub is who I thought he was. John Fox said he’s sticking with Delhomme, so I guess that means he’s planning to retire after this season.
Origin,
My question is why didn’t McNabb dive for the endzone instead of taking on a tackler standing straight up? Give the guy a shoulder pad to hit. Not your rib-cage, dude. LOL. But, yes, it was a late-hit.
Can Marvin Harrison still play at a solid level or is he being black-listed from the league over the shooting incident? A bonafide HOF wide receiver and he’s sitting around twiddling his thumbs. Oh, well.
As for Jim Zorn? Fuck that idiot. He’s in over his head. Washington basically got their manhood taken from them yesterday. New York methodically handled them like it was a part-time job.
As a UVa alum and fan from back in the day, it sickens me to hear our fans dick-ride Matt Schaub every week. As if it’s not bad enough to hear that, it’s even worse to hear those people claim that he was a better big-game QB in college than Shawn Moore. Blasphemy. He brought us our first ACC championship. Schaub won no ACC titles. Shawn Moore got us to a Sugar Bowl. Schaub got us to the Continental Tire Bowl twice. Shawn Moore got us to #1 in the country. Matt Schaub broke passing records by utilizing screen passes.
Schaub is not a top-half NFL quarterback. He’s slow-footed behind a not-so-great O-line. And with no running game, he’s toast. Love that WR he’s got, though. Put that guy in NY and he’s got more than a Dick’s Sporting Goods ad campaign.
@Phil
I think Harrison is an upgrade over ANY of the Bears’ current WRs (lol). However, you may be correct in that the league has “blackballed” him in regards to the shooting incident.
@ GrandNubian,
Unless Harrison’s just totally not healthy and his knee never healed fully? Or he’s unrealistic about his ability to start and take the lion’s share of work at WR? It’s a head-scratcher. Or he wants too much money.
Marvin Harrison, right now, is better than at least half of the NFL’s starting WR right now. There have to be at least 10 teams that could use him as a #1 or #2 WR.
Too bad the Giants have an issue with a WR that got his gun on. Harrison would be a nice insurance policy if Hakeem Nicks is out for a long period of time.
Miranda:
I didn’t know that Matt Ryan’s new nickname is “Matty Ice.” It’s corny as all hell, but he’ll get a chance to earn it this year. He did miss Roddy White for a sure 6 early in the game. Dan Dierdorf LOVES their offensive line.
I wonder if you all are gonna stay mad at the Falcons if they win 10 or 12 games this year. Gonzalez makes them such a bona fide contender to make a deep run.
Temple,
Ryan’s nickname dates back to college. And you’re right: the offensive line and the running game are last year’s key. They added an aging but still premier TE to control the field between the hashmarks in the passing game and hold the safeties over the top.
The Falcons should see a steady diet of man coverage on their WRs and teams are going to use inside leverage. The good news for the defense is that makes Ryan’s throws all pretty much go-routes and outs, but with the corners out trying to cover from the numbers over to the sideline, that leaves the middle of the field open. And the safeties have to read it just right or else they’ll be exposed in coverage.
Phil: Matty Ice sounds like Donny Baseball. COR-neeeee. Damn!
I picked up Roddy White and Michael Turner and Norwood because of Gonzalez. Tony went too high for my blood, but these other guys are going to be so open it’s going to be ridiculous. Eventually teams are going to have to pick their poison. A defenses best chance, like you said, is to force Ryan to throw deep — but White is so good, it’s going to get u-g-l-y.
I’m gonna be looking for some Jets in a week or 2. Sanchez looked like a real G out there.
T3, we’re not mad at the Falcons…we just dont care. Some would say that might be worse. Of course on Dec 6th we’ll remember Atlanta has a pro football team.
I hear that. I’ll tell you this…if you skip those games, you’re going to miss some good games. Gonzalez and White are elite players. Mike Peterson might be worth his weight in gold for your defense. DID YOU SEE THAT HIT ON FASANO???? Actually — did you HEAR it? OMG. FUHM-Bullllll!!
I’ll be watching if you won’t.
Drew Brees looked like a Tecmo Bowl QB out there. Just insane.
Brotha Temple Miranda and the folks in ATL aren’t mad at the Falcons, they are better people then that.
But I ain’t…………………… I hate the falcons and can’t stand their owner Home Depot man.
Look what I just saw. The Eagles signed Garcia…………well I guess the necks will be praying Vick gets hurt next (while Mcnabb is out) so that Garcia can play.
So let me see Garcia acting like hot mess because he wasn’t going to be the starter in Oakland (supposedly because we never know what is really going on in Oakland). Now he goes to the Eagles where he is going to be cut in 2 weeks at the least.
I guess AJ Feely told them to kiss his ass.
From what I saw last year, Harrison is cooked. I would keep him over a young lad with potential, but would sign him to mentor a young potential superstar receiver
I think folks are pronouncing Cutler DOA kind of prematurely. He will come around. It’s not like Forte was tearing it up and nobody is worried about him
Oh and I got Drew Brees on my fantasy squad — and he fell to the second round!
LOL@ Origin….you almost as bad as one of my friends. She hates the Falcons with the heat of a thousand suns. lol..but really there is not a whole lotta hate amongst the Atliens over the Falcons….just a whole lotta indifference. The game ended at 4pm yesterday and I swear to you the streets around the Dome were empty at 4:30 – that never woulda happened 3 years ago – not even after a loss.
I did read that Garcia asked for his release because he didnt wanna backup Jamarcus. I hope he doesn’t get delusions of grandeur and think he’s actually competing to start in Philly.
What up Modi……………naw Cutler DOA is premature……but lovie being DOA isn’t.
Just think Cutler is going to do what Rex Grossman wasn’t able to do…………….kill Lovie’s career as a coach.
Sista Miranda……………..I don’t think I have hated an organization (Falcons) like this since the Bulls, when punk ass Reisndorf and Krause chased off MJ, Pip, Rodman and Phil in 1998.
Oh and Miranda…………..man shaub plays like a straight freaking busta.
If I was a mid to late round pick who was a white QB. I would demand to be drafted by a team with a starting black QB.
Either 2 things would happen……….the fans and media would back me and help sabatoge the starter. Or I would be eventually traded/sign as a free agent and get a fat contract.
Man thats the best way to make a come up as a mid to late round golden boy.
Schaub should send Vick a thank you card every freaking x-mass. Vick helped that busta set up himself and family for the next 40 years with the contract he got.
Oh and Garcia noodle arm ass needs to sit down.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!
The media sworn up and down him and McCown would be starters….LOL!!!!
What and TJ is Farve’s backup………..I thought he was going to be cut and Booty would make the roster……….silly media tricks are for kids.
Boy the media is killing me………….I haven’t laughed this hard in years!!!
@ Origin,
Winning gets you recruits.
Again, UVa alum/fan here: Matt Schaub as a college player couldn’t carry Aaron Brooks OR Shawn Moore’s jockstrap in a dump truck. Our “fans” dick-ride Matt’s nuts until we play Tech or Miami with a speed defense to get after that ass. Then they WISH we had Marques Hagans or Shawn Moore or Aaron Brooks back there.
And for all the love for Matt Schaub our fans have? The part they forget is this: Aaron Brooks is the last UVa starting QB to have two victories in two starts against the Hokies, one of them being our last victory in Blacksburg.
UVa likes to beats its chest that they didn’t sign the Vick brothers (did try to recruit both of them, though, up until the end when they signed with Tech,) but the Vicks never lost to UVa. Being right won’t get you recruits.
I have said repeatedly that Matt Schaub owes Vick at least 20% of his signing bonus. Everybody knows that it was the haters of Mike Vick that created the legend of Matt Schaub. The 2 Live Stews call Matt Schaub “Bigfoot”….he was a myth created by straight up haters.
I wish the MNF crew would climb up outta Brady’s azz for just a second…for the love of Moses! I’ll have to do like my daddy and just turn the sound off, watch the damn game on mute.
Yeap thats best Miranda. Turn off the sound……………I am not waiting till the oakland game so I can watch Russel.
Can’t mess with watching them perform oral sex on Brady…..while the league and refs protect Brady from getting touched.
Thats a good one about schaub being Bigfoot………LOL!!!
You can add Kevin Kolb to the list until he starts on Sunday. Mcnabb getting hurt probably cost Kolb about 8 mill. Now everyone will know that kolb can’t play worth a damn………LOL!!!!
Man if Mcnabb didn’t get hurt he could have rode the bench…never played and got a phat contract from another team. Just on the hype and hate of Mcnabb alone.
Kolb could have been Shaub number 2.
Good info Phil…………them fools at UVA wish they got Vick and his brotha. They would have helped put and kept that team on the map.
LOL! That’s exactly it Origin! Unfortunately for Kolb he has to play too much to hide it! The Falcons front office mugged the Texans with that trade! They got 2 second round picks for that scrub!
Why did the Bills just gift wrap that loss to the Pats? And why did the refs spot those 4th downs as first downs? Oh well…….maybe Jaws can exhale now since Brady will need to go take a shower.
@ Origin: LOL
@ MODI: If you’re in a league where the Offensive Player of the Year falls to the 2nd round — with a healthy Colston and Shockey, you should probably get OUT of that league. It’ll give you a false sense of self-esteem.
“Oh MODI, you’re the wisest, greatest and bestest FFL player in the history of FFL-dom. Can we have your autograph or maybe one single strand of your hair?!? Huh, please, huh?”
Don’t let them fool ya…or even try to school ya.
The Bears basically gave the game to the Packers. Injuries, turnovers, and miscues while still losing 21-15? Rematch@Soldier Field…
The Denver/Cin game was a serious fluke. I sat watching bonus coverage of the game thinking the Bengals were turning things around until “TipDrill” started…
MNF/ESPiNners slurpin’ the Brady shake…
Dang why would the raiders start 2 rookie WRs???
These bustas can’t even get off of bump and run coverage.
Miranda as a local I too don’t watch the Falcons and a whole lot of other folks let out a collective yawn yesterday!! Who cares! I agree 100% about Matt Schaub these in-bred rednecks around here made him their golden boy. They are doing the same thing with Matt Ryan.
Also, I’m starting to believe that Ron Jaworski has a thing for Tom Brady and Chris Berman secretly longs for some quiet time with Brett Favre. Somebody tell me I’m wrong. Also, who the heck would want to be a center with Jeff Garcia as the QB.
LOL @ Schaub as “Big Foot.” Because he’s a myth. A slow-footed, weak-armed myth behind a not-so-great offensive line.
And he directly benefitted from playing behind a black franchise QB in Atlanta.
I don’t think Matt’s a bad guy. I just really hate that UVa fans now don’t know who act like Shawn Moore didn’t exist. It’s pathetic. A great guy and a GREAT ambassador of the University of Virginia. When he broke his thumb senior year, I’ve never seen an entire college campus down like that. You’d've thought he died. He was beloved. And it’s like no one remembers anymore. It’s very very sad. The guy brought us our only #1 ranking, was a top 5 finisher for the Heisman, was the most exciting ACC QB before Charlie Ward and Mike Vick came along, and all UVa fans can do is fawn over Matt Schaub and his screen passes.
I’m still down about the Bills loss tonight. I seriously thought they had it in the bag but things didn’t work out. I’m not a fan of Jauron and his conservative ways, and they need to find a way to get the most of Evans and Owens who were both pretty much invisible today.
And you guys are right about Jaws and the rest of the MNF crew slurping Brady all night. I pretty much heard every football cliche there is to describe him and we’re only in week one.
thanks, mactown. that’s exactly what i think i’m avoiding by reading these comments instead of the ones at bspn.com
Call me Morton’s this morning because I’m still salty over that hit McNabb took on Sunday because the Panthers always do cheap stuff like that whenever they play the Eagles. Hells yes there should have been a flag on that play and a fine Monday because the TD signal had been made and McNabb was in a prone position on his stomach when Lewis and Brayton came in with that. Just like the NFCCG in ’03 and when the Falcons speared him in the sternum in the first game of the ’05 season. If you’re not considered a golden boy QB in the NFL then the refs only use the flags to blow their noses.
*This is Kolb’s last stand in Philly with this Saints game. Stink it up and he’ll be sent walking next Monday.
*The Bills are who we thought they were which is why they coughed up that damn game tonight. Leodis McKelvin just sit yo’ azz in the endzone and take the touchback.
*Jay Cutler may not be DOA but I see more of the same for him just like it was in Denver. Some pretty throws, nice stats, and a poor to middlin’ W-L record.
*You guys say you had to turn the mute button on tonight during the Pats game but I did that during the Raiders-Chargers because Greenberg’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard for me. Makes me grind my damn teeth.
I bought my white Vick jersey this past Saturday and I going down to the ATL this Saturday so guess what I’m going to be wearing on AirTran when I land at Hartsfield-Jackson? Yeah, and I dare one of the in-breds to say a blessed word.
” bought my white Vick jersey this past Saturday and I going down to the ATL this Saturday so guess what I’m going to be wearing on AirTran when I land at Hartsfield-Jackson? Yeah, and I dare one of the in-breds to say a blessed word.”
HAHA god one Harvey.
Yeah the Mcnabb hit was dirty and I am still pissed.
LIke I said in my earlier post………………….folks got the nerve to talk about NBA superstar calls??
These golden boy QBs are protected like superstars are in the NBA. Folks just don’t want to talk about it when it comes to the NFL.
…”T3, we’re not mad at the Falcons…we just dont care. Some would say that might be worse. Of course on Dec 6th we’ll remember Atlanta has a pro football team..”
Temple:
I agree with Miranda on this one. It is more like indifference (in Atlanta). The same thing is happening with the Braves. Management has systematically pushed their minority star players–African-Americans specifically– out of Atlanta (i.e. Deion Sanders, Ron Gant, Fred McGriff, David Justice, Sheffield, Brian Jordan) . African-American free agents don’t even see the Braves as a place to play. It is not a coincidence that the Braves haven’t made the World Series in the past ten years (1999) and is on the verge of missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.
Look at the attendance at Braves home games. It mirrors the Falcons home game. At one time, you could not get a ticket at Braves and Falcons home games. Now the stadium average capacity is between 55-65 percent (with quite a few empty seats). Mr. Blank had the seats at the Georgia Dome painted red so the TV cameras can’t pick up the empty seats.
The way Arthur Blank handled the Vick situation is a major sticking point and people aren’t going to support this team the same way they did from 2001-2007 when there were 56 consecutive home sellouts with ‘waiting lists’.
The Braves have teased for awhile with Franceour and McCann, but this team still has holes and the Falcons do as well. Ryan isn’t garbage, but it will be a challenge for this team to win ten games this year and make the playoffs.
And yes, it would be poetic justice if Vick is starting for the Eagles on Dec. 6th and he gets an opportunity to eliminate the Falcons from playoff contention.
Patrick:
That’s helpful – and I totally agree re: the Braves.
I am, by no means a fan of the Falcons, but having looked at their schedule — I don’t see a single game they can’t win (including on the road at New England in 2 weeks). I think you may be underestimating the impact that Tony Gonzalez is going to have on running lanes, coverage of White, time of possession and the overall health of the defense. I might be overestimating it — but if the team is healthy, I see big things in ’09. The schedules’ not that bad. No 3 game road trips and the West Coast trip follows the bye.
I’m sure that players from last year remember that they were about to run Arizona out of the building when Turner fumbled early in the 3rd quarter.
Origin:
If it makes you feel ANY better (and I know it was preseason), but Fitzgerald and Boldin didn’t exactly light it up against Cromartie and Jammer. Those two are pretty tough especially with Merriman back.