Contributors
Following each football weekend, I’ll be posting random thoughts and reactions focusing mainly on the NFL, but also touching on college football and perhaps some other random topics along the way. Please share your comments below, reacting to anything written here, or any other observations you have from this weekend’s action.
-The easiest rule to forget, especially after week 1, is that usually there is nothing that tells us less about a team than getting blown out. This holds true even with teams that we perceive to be bad. Tampa, Jacksonville, Oakland, Cleveland, and Minnesota are all teams that looked awful in week 1. All 5 finished last year with a losing record, Jacksonville with only 3 wins, and Oakland, Cleveland, and Tampa in last place, with the expectation that they’ll repeat that finish again this year. While that may still be the case, all 5 rebounded with a victory this week, with Minnesota (Detroit) and Oakland (Baltimore) defeating 2014 playoff teams, and Tampa rebounding to impressively defeat division rival New Orleans on the road.
-The Redskins don’t quite fit this bill because they did not get blown out last week, but they also didn’t look very good in their loss to Miami. The Rams were coming off a big win over Seattle (a team they always seem to play tough), and the consensus was that the Redskins had little shot on Sunday. However, as our own Matt Kocsan pointed out within the W&L thread (BTW- great work as always, guys), “beating the Seahawks and then losing to the Redskins is the most Jeff Fisher’s Mustache thing ever.” Say what you want about the Redskins, but the defense looks to be much improved, Matt Jones looks like he has a chance to be dynamic, and Kirk Cousins only threw 4 incompletions in his 27 attempts. Maybe the Redskins finishing at the bottom of the NFC East isn’t a foregone conclusion.
-By the same token, we can’t overrate San Francisco’s performance. The schedule did them no favors on Sunday. Playing the late game Monday, then traveling across country 5 ½ days later to play at 10:00 their time against a team with 10 days of rest is about as bad a draw as can be drawn. They are almost certainly not going to the playoffs this year, but they will be tougher than most people think.
-If the Bears are bad with Jay Cutler, what are they without him?
-The National League playoffs are going to be ridiculous fun. Unless, of course, the Pirates lose in the Wild Card game, in which case I’m pretty sure MLB will just immediately halt their season until next year.
-The Cowboys losing Tony Romo is obviously a huge blow. They’ve now lost Romo and Bryant after letting DeMarco Murray go in Free Agency. Factor in the inevitable Sean Lee injury (who really is fantastic when he’s on the field), and the Cowboys would be in trouble in just about any division. Except the NFC East look pretty pathetic after 2 weeks. I’m not quite ready to write the Eagles off yet, but them sleepwalking through Sunday’s game was inexplicable. Now, if Dallas can merely tread water through the meat of the season, by the time (hopefully) Romo and Bryant are back, they’ll be in position at the end of the season to once again play for the NFC East championship.
-Seattle’s defense is still good, but it’s no longer the shutdown unit we’ve seen in recent seasons. Is Kam Chancellor really that important, or are the Seahawks taking a step back this year?
-Ohio State and Michigan State have jumped to 1 and 2 in the AP poll, the first time B1G schools have been ranked 1,2 since 2006 (Michigan/Ohio State). Each will be heavy favorites in every game leading up to their showdown in Columbus on November, 21.
-Don’t let the 43-37 final throw you, Ole Miss thoroughly whipped Alabama in Tuscaloosa. They’ve shot up to #3, and are suddenly the clear favorite in what may be a somewhat shaky SEC West.
-“It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday…” It’s time to break out the Boyz II Men and serenade the Josh McCown era in Cleveland. “The good times that made us laugh outweigh the bad.” It was fun while it lasted. Thank you for everything, Josh.
-The Red Zone and Fantasy Zone channels are fantastic for any number of reasons-- none bigger than the fact that it allows me to avoid those Cialis commercials, and the ensuing awkward conversation with my 9 year old. That alone is worth the price of subscription.
-LSU RB Leonard Fournette is a beast. Cal QB Jared Goff is also the real deal.
-File the name Saquan Barkley into the back of your mind. The Penn State Freshman RB went for 21/195/2 against Rutgers this weekend, and is a future star.
-When the schedule was released in April, I’ll admit that I was more than a little puzzled when I saw that the Chiefs planned to honor Joe Pisarcik mid-game during their home opener. Kudos to the Chiefs for absolutely crushing that tribute.
Teams That Impressed-
New England- I thought that Bills defense was supposed to be New England’s kryptonite.
Pittsburgh- Name the last QB/WR combo as unstoppable as Roethlisberger/Brown. Oh, and that front 7 is looking dynamic for the first time in 4-5 years.
Green Bay- On New England’s level in their ability to makeshift a dynamic offense no matter the pieces.
Tampa- Maybe New Orleans isn’t actually any good, but for a rookie QB to rebound in that manner on the road is awfully impressive.
Atlanta- They have to be considered a top 3 team in the NFC after 2 weeks.
Notre Dame, THE U, Ole Miss- All 3 looked dominant before holding on late. Ole Miss is going to win the SEC, Miami may put up double-digit wins, and despite losing their QB and RB, Notre Dame remains a legit playoff contender.
Teams That Depressed
Baltimore- They’ll probably be fine, but they just let Derek Carr carve up their defense.
Philly- The only thing missing from Chip Kelly during that game was this…
Detroit- I’ll admit that I haven’t seen much from this game, but at least 54 dropbacks (I’m not sure how many of his 4 carries were designed runs, but I’m assuming not all?) and 12 non-QB rushes. Stafford had 20 yards on his 4 carries, while the rest of the team had 18 on their 12. Novel thought- what about getting Abdullah (7 offensive touches) the rock? I thought there was a Lombardi running this offense...
