Week 1 ultimately lived up to its anticipation. Lots of ups and downs eventually decided by close scores. Close scores for the most part…
Will the Saints Overperform this Season?
Yes they played the Panthers. Maybe it is an overreaction, but I have been high on the Saints all offseason. Derek Carr has still got it. His numbers were overshadowed by the team’s finishing result last season. This year he and the team started off strong stomping the Panthers 47-10 in the Superdome. Carr went 19/23 through the air posting 200 yards and three TDs. This offensive dominance, combined with a defense that forced three turnovers, shows a promising future for the Saints this season.
Were the Vikings Overlooked?
The Vikings also showed a dominant performance against another weak team winning 28-6 over the Giants at MetLife Stadium. This game might have made a case for the Giants securing the number one overall pick this upcoming draft. Sam Darnold looked good surpassing 200 yards with 2 TDs and an INT. Aaron Jones also looked good in his Minnesota debut with 94 yards and a TD on the ground. However, the Giants looked atrocious. Daniel Jones was hardly over 50% on his completions and could not surpass 190 yards despite 42 attempts. I am not buying the Vikings hype quite yet and still see them being in a race for the bottom of their division.
Are the Patriots Good or Did the Bengals Slow Start Make Them Look Good?
The Bengals are known for their slow starts to the season. They started 1-3 last season, including a 24-3 loss to the Browns and a 27-3 loss against the Titans, two embarrassing games. The season before they started 2-3 before finishing the regular season 12-4. (They played one less game after their game with the Bills was cancelled) So while I thought they would beat the struggling Patriots I cannot say I am all surprised. Burrow struggled only producing 164 yards in the air with minimal help from his top receiver Ja’Marr Chase who had six receptions for 62 yards. It is an overreaction to say the Bengals will have a tough year. I also do not believe the hype for the Patriots, but we will find out more about them when they host the Seahawks this weekend.
Will Fields get the job done in Pittsburgh?
With Russ being ruled out late in the week, Fields got the call and responded in a solid fashion. 74% completion percentage and 156 yards in the air was enough to earn six field goals and the win. 270 yards of total offense will not hold the in every game and is too much pressure for their defense. Fortunately for them, on the other side of the ball, Cousins struggled in his new home of Atlanta. He was one yard short of Fields but he also threw two picks. I think the Steelers’ defense will hold strong but they will be in a lot of tight, low scoring games this season and may struggle to hold onto Mike Tomlin’s streak of winning seasons. On the flip side the Falcons may start panicking. I think Cousins will bounce back this week but both sides of the ball did not play as strongly as they were expected to. This is a team who came in playoffs or bust this season but the expectations may have been lowered after that game.
Bears and Titans See a Struggling Future?
This game ended up being a stalemate offensively. It was a matter of who could struggle the least. The Titans got ahead early 17-0 in the late stages of the second quarter. At this point in the game their offense looked pretty good, while defensively they forced five punts on the Bears first six drives. The second half that flipped around. Will Levis proceeded to throw two interceptions, one of which was taken back for six points. Another Bears touchdown was scored later off a blocked punt. Meaning the Bears offense never made it to the endzone. Caleb Williams had an underwhelming game only recording 93 yards in the pass game. The Titans were not expecting to have a phenomenal year but were looking for their franchise quarterback in Will Levis but it appears they may need to look further. One game does not decide it all for Caleb Williams but it is safe to say he will need to have more success, especially with the offense he was given, if he wants to make it in the league.
Can the Browns bounce back?
Every Browns fan put a hole in their wall after seeing the numbers comparison between Deshaun Watson and their former number one pick Baker Mayfield. Watson threw a touchdown and two picks falling short of 170 yards in week one. This poor performance put the Browns in a 27-3 hole early in the third quarter which was way too far out of reach. Statistically this game was close. The difference in the score was aided by field position battle as only three of the Browns’ drives resulted in more than 15 yards and one of those three ended in an interception. The offensive stats also left out a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown making up for seven of the Cowboys’ 33. For these statistical reasons I would not worry as a Browns fan just yet. Watson needs to turn things around in week two and the defense, with some help from the offense, needs to stay off the field and minimize big plays.
Is the Rodgers Era Over?
It is tough playing your first game in a full calendar year against the 49ers, who appear to be back to their NFC champ caliber. That being said, I thought Rodgers was done after last season. His lack of chemistry with his teammates from missing last season and missing team events in the offseason puts him behind the sticks. Even if he stays healthy this year he will likely have many performances such as the one on Monday night. A lot of people have the Jets in contention for the east this season but I cannot see them being a playoff team whether Rodgers stays healthy or not. They may benefit from a rough season where they can attempt to draft a franchise quarterback while they have the talent on their roster.
Written by: Colin Hackshaw | September 6th 2024
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