Fantasy Football: Week 1 Studs

Once again taking on the task of identifying those over performers and under performers from the previous week of fantasy football is Ryan Hallam, creator of Fighting Chance Fantasy. So, join Ryan as he takes us through the Week One Studs and check back tomorrow as he takes a look at the Week One Duds. And if you have any questions for him, email rhallam@brunoboys.net

for Week Two fantasy football advice.

Note: All point projections read in this recap are from standard scoring leagues (non-PPR) and are projections made by the Bruno Boys staff

 

QUARTERBACK – STUDS

Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)—It isn’t often that the No. 1 rated guy turns up on the “Studs” list, but Brees blew past everyone’s expectations to start the season with a mammoth game.  He threw for 358 yards and six touchdowns in a big win against the Detroit Lions.  Brees’ 36 points were not only the most by a quarterback, but well past the 25 he was projected for.

Hallam’s Take: Brees picks up right where he left off which shouldn’t be a surprise to many of you.  Now, he obviously won’t do this again, and it was against the lowly Lions, but you can expect impressive performances nearly every week for Brees.  If he isn’t the No. 1 rated QB at the end of the season, he will be in the top three.

Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens)—Flacco had an impressive start to his sophomore season, as the usual ground heavy Ravens took their game to the air.  He had his first 300 yard game (307 to be exact), and had three passing touchdowns as well.  Considering what was expected of the Ravens offense, his 12 point projection seemed reasonable, but Flacco crushed it by scoring 22 fantasy points.

Hallam’s Take: One of my favorite sleepers coming into the year, Flacco certainly looks like the real deal.  Again, it was against a subpar opponent, but the fact of the matter is that this guy is cool, calm, and has the tools to be a quality NFL quarterback.  He won’t throw for 300 yards often, but I think it is safe to expect him to throw 24-26 TDs this season.

Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)—Romo was under a lot of heat coming into the season, wondering if he was going to take the next step in his career.  Well, he began 2009 with perhaps the best game of his career, as he threw for 353 yards, three touchdowns, and he didn’t throw an interception.  It was an impressive 26 point performance for the Dallas signal caller, well better than the 18 that was expected of him.

Hallam’s Take: Romo gets disrespected because of his failures in the playoffs, but this is fantasy football, honey. Tthe playoffs don’t mean a thing. 

Even with missing games last year, he still threw 26 TDs, and you shouldn’t be surprised if he gets to 30 scores in 2009.  Even without Terrell Owens, Romo has enough talent at wide receiver to keep his stats among the top five QBs in all of fantasy football. 

 

RUNNING BACK – STUDS

Thomas Jones (New York Jets)—Jones went about proving that last year was not a fluke as he ran over a Houston Texans defense that was supposed to be better coming into the year.  Jones had 20 carries for 107 yards and two scores.  Jones was only expected to score 10 points, but racked up an impressive 22.

Hallam’s Take:  We keep saying that Jones has to slow down and that he is old, but he just keeps producing.  Even though he has a great offensive line in front of him, I will continue to be a non-believer.  With Leon Washington obviously going to see more and more touches, I still don’t see Jones repeating last year’s statistics.  Watch for the New England Patriots to stuff him in Week Two.

Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)—Again, the top ranked player at the position shows up on the “studs” list.  Peterson was the top scoring player in fantasy football this week, as he ran for 180 yards, had 18 more yards receiving, and had three touchdowns.  He put up a robust 37 points this week, crushing the 20 he was projected for.

Hallam’s Take: He’s the best.  He went against a pretty weak defense.  He went off.  OK, maybe the numbers are gaudy, but anyone who didn’t expect Peterson to have a big day just isn’t paying attention.  Obviously he is a must start regardless of his opponent.

Julius Jones (Seattle Seahawks) – Thomas’ brother Julius was having a decent game, but then broke a big 62-yard run late in the third quarter to finish off the St. Louis Rams.  All told, Jones racked up 117 yards on the ground with another 19 through the air and a touchdown.  Like his brother, Jones was only supposed to score 10 points, but he was able to score 18.

Hallam’s Take: I had conflicting feelings on what to expect from Jones this year.  On one hand, the Seahawks offense had improved with the health of Matt Hasselbeck and the addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  They would not be a one dimensional team. 

On the other hand, the Seattle offensive line was in shambles with the injury to Walter Jones and two other members of the group.  Jones did have impressive numbers, but don’t forget that more than half his yards came on one run.  Don’t put your expectations too high after this performance against a trainwreck of a team in St. Louis. 

 

WIDE RECEIVER – STUDS

Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh Steelers)—After catching the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, Holmes picked up right where he left off as he torched the Tennessee Titans defense in every way.  Holmes had nine catches for 131 yards and a touchdown.  It seemed like a 12 point projection was right in line with what you should have expected, but Holmes blew by that with a 19-point game.

Hallam’s Take:  My concern with Holmes coming into the season was the fact that the Steelers offense really revolves around the run game.  But Pittsburgh threw more than they normally do and Holmes was the major beneficiary.  Was this just a case of a game where they passed because it was working or will Pittsburgh start to throw the ball more?  I can’t say for sure, but the Steelers have been the same way for nearly 40 years, I don’t see a change in philosophy all of a sudden.  Holmes looks to have surpassed Hines Ward as the most fantasy friendly receiver in Pittsburgh, but I don’t think you should expect his Week One performance to be duplicated too many times.

Percy Harvin (Minnesota Vikings)—Harvin had a great all-around first game, but even if you don’t get return yards he still had a much better game than expected.  To go with his 99 return yards, Harvin brought in three catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.  It wasn’t spectacular, but his 9 fantasy points were far better than the three he was projected for.  Look for even more opportunity from the rookie in the future.

Hallam’s Take: Harvin is a star in the making, and his stock rose with the signing of Brett Favre.  He has blazing speed and also helps you in leagues where you get points for return yards.  He should become more involved in the passing game for Minnesota week by week, and will no doubt be the best rookie receiver of this class.

Justin Gage (Tennessee Titans)—Despite being on a team that doesn’t tend to throw very much, Tennessee found itself moving the ball through the air, and Gage was the main man.  He had seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.  He didn’t blast past his projection of eight points, but his 13 fantasy point outing was a surprise to me.

Hallam’s Take:  Although it appeared that Gage was the one receiver that Kerry Collins felt comfortable with, I wouldn’t expect him to be among the “studs” on too many other weeks.  The Titans are just not a high powered passing offense, and while he will likely be the best of the bunch, I wouldn’t expect more than 65 catches and maybe five or six touchdowns. 

 

TIGHT END – STUDS

John Carlson (Seattle Seahawks)—It might not been against the best defense, but Carlson had a opener to remember as he caught six passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Ten fantasy points is a healthy projection for a tight end, and Carlson more than doubled it, scoring 21.

Hallam’s Take: Carlson broke out last year when the Seahawks were destroyed by injuries to their wide receivers.  Now that Matt Hasselbeck is healthy, he will prove not only was last year not a fluke, but he still can be a better overall player.  He obviously won’t score two touchdowns every week, but I could certainly see Carlson break into the top five tight ends as long as his QB stays on the field. 

 

KICKER – STUDS

Lawrence Tynes (New York Giants)—Tynes is likely looking at a quality season and he got it off to a good start.  To go with his two PATs, he hit field goals from 28 yards out twice, and one from 45 yards.  Tynes was pegged for eight points, but was able to score with 12 fantasy points.

Hallam’s Take: Things might get hairy in the Northeast in the winter time, but Tynes is a solid kicker.  The Giants are going to score, so he should be among the top ten fantasy football kickers, likely towards the back end of that.  You can feel confident with him as your starting kicker. 

 

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS – STUDS

Philadelphia Eagles D/ST (3 Stars)—Perhaps they were inspired by the memory of their Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson, but for whatever the reason, the Eagles defense came to play.  They allowed just ten points, recovered two fumbles, picked off Carolina Panther quarterbacks five times, and also had five sacks.  To top off the impressive effort, one of the fumbles was recovered and brought back for a touchdown.  A true five star effort on Sunday.

Hallam’s Take:  This was probably the best that they will do all season long, but I feel that Philly gets overlooked as one of the elite team defenses in fantasy football.  Not that they are ignored, but they are just as good as the powerhouses such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.  As an added bonus, for those of you whose league counts special teams in your defense numbers, DeSean Jackson also returned a punt for a touchdown.  What a monumental week for the Eagles. 

::Ryan Hallam, Owner of Fighting Chance Fantasy Sports writes the Studs and Duds every Tuesday as a Guest Columnist for Bruno Boys Fantasy Football::

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Rams Search for Veteran Help at Receiver

When you finish a game with zero points, 17 completions, and only 191 passing yards, it’s pretty easy to figure out that you have a weakness, or two, or three.

The St. Louis Rams were shut out Sunday 28-0 in Seattle, thanks to a plethora of penalties, dumb mental mistakes, poor tackling, and a dead offense.

Quarterback Marc Bulger was sacked three times, and completed just 17 of 36 pass attempts. Twelve of the 17 attempts were to wide receivers with tight ends Randy McMichael (four) and Billy Bajema (one) accounting for the other five catches.

Steven Jackson, one of the best pass-catching backs in football, had just 16 touches, all on the ground for 67 yards.

So, according to several league and online sources, the Rams brought in several veteran players Tuesday to try to help the hapless offense.

Wide receivers David Tyree, formerly of the New York Giants, former Green Bay Packer Ruvell Martin, former New Orleans Saint Skyler Green, and former Tennessee Titan Chris Davis (pictured) were all brought in for workouts.

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo is familiar with Tyree, who, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, did not have a good workout.

Davis may be the most athletic of the group, but is coming off a hamstring injury that cost him a roster spot in Tennessee.

Martin has the size and speed to be the best option here. He’s also well-known for his downfield blocking ability, something Jackson would love to have on the field.

Martin, 27, spent three years in Green Bay under the West Coast offense and would have a similar fourth or fifth receiver role in St. Louis.

The Rams may also look at Hank Baskett, who was released by Philadelphia on Tuesday. Signing Baskett, who burnt the Rams for a 90-yard score last year, would reunite him with Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who was an assistant with the Eagles prior to joining Spagnuolo’s staff this year.

St. Louis had been interested in Bobby Wade, but the former Minnesota Vikings receiver signed with Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Post-Dispatch also reports that the Rams worked out running back Chauncey Washington, a seventh-round pick by Jacksonville in 2008, and veteran linebacker Paris Lenon, a three-year starter for Detroit who was in New England’s camp this summer. Lenon could be a possible replacement for Chris Draft, who was released last Thursday after refusing to take a paycut.

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Michael Vick Signed, Eagles’ Hank Baskett Released

Eagles’ wide receiver Hank Baskett has been removed from the Philadelphia Eagles roster to make room for Michael Vick, the AP is reporting.

Vick is eligible to play in an NFL game starting September 27th, when the Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs. Baskett will probably be traded; the Eagles have so far been unsuccessful in finding an interested party.

Vick’s signing was probably expedited by Donovan McNabb’s cracked rib injury, which the Eagles’ QB suffered in a week one victory over the Carolina Panthers. Second-string QB Kevin Kolb may have to step in for McNabb if his injury keeps him sidelined.

Read the full story here.

 

 

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So Jake Delhomme Is Trash: Now What?

Let’s face it. I’m not the only one with a knee-jerk reaction. And yes, it’s only the first week of the season.

But give me a break. Hell, give Carolina a break.

Jon Fox hasn’t had back-to-back winning seasons with the Panthers, and a solid reason why is Jake Delhomme. He’s either hurt, or he’s playing poorly.

Seriously, what good has he truly done since guiding Carolina to its only Super Bowl appearance?

Very little, if any.

He was actually sensational to start 2007, but an arm injury killed his awesome three-game tease of eight touchdowns to only one interception.

Because of Delhomme, we were forced to watch David Carr, Matt Moore, and a sad, pathetic Vinny Testaverde.

Then there was last year—Delhomme’s comeback attempt—which was really only a success because of his awesome running game. But what happened when Carolina hit the playoffs and actually needed some help through the air?

Five picks. Game over.

An entire offseason later? Nothing has changed.

Delhomme is 0-2 in his last two starts, has thrown nine interceptions, and has less than 300-combined yards during that span.

Believe what you will, but the only way to get this team rolling on all cylinders is to change the makeup of their offense altogether.

Here’s a look at 10 quarterbacks who have youth and talent on their side, and ought to be tugging on their owners’ sleeves to give Carolina a call.

Oh, and don’t buy the A.J. Feeley hype. Signing him was a necessity with the loss of Josh McCown to IR. They need a real quarterback in Carolina.

Brodie Croyle- Kansas City Chiefs

Up until this past Sunday, you probably could have gotten Croyle for a couple bucks and a pair of tickets to go see U2. Now, however, he’s quickly becoming a commodity.

Matt Cassel is the sure-fire “guy” in KC, making Croyle relatively available.

After two touchdowns and 177 yards against Baltimore in week one, Croyle is back in good graces, both with the Chiefs, as well as the rest of the NFL.

Which brings us to…

Tyler Thigpen- Kansas City Chiefs

Before Cassel came along, Thigpen had everyone doing jumping jacks and cart-wheels over the spread offense. Obviously with the addition of Todd Haley as head coach, Thigpen would either have to adjust or take a back-seat.

Still, Thigpen proved in 2008 with 18 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards that he can be productive in the right system. And with his solid arm strength and great athleticism, he would be an easy talent upgrade over the aging Delhomme.

A better quarterback? It’s arguable. But at only 25, he’d at least have room to grow.

Chris Simms/Kyle Orton- Denver Broncos

This sounds crazy, I know. But the New York Jets are holding onto New England cast-off Kevin O’Connell simply because they know Josh McDaniels would scoop him up if he were available.

So, it would only make sense for all three parties to get what they wanted. Carolina would ship Delhomme out of town as a quality backup to either Denver or New York, with Carolina sending Julius Peppers to New York, and Denver landing their prized quarterback of the future, Kevin O’Connell.

Simms or Orton would in turn be the answer for Carolina’s problems, providing it with a quality game manager, instead of the inept mess that Delhomme is.

Crazy, yes. Impossible, no.

Derek Anderson- Cleveland Browns

This makes sense, at least for Carolina, because Anderson has a rocket arm to get Steve Smith the deep ball and should be remotely on the trade block due to Eric Mangini committing to Brady Quinn.

Mangini would get Delhomme in return, giving Quinn a veteran to rely on, while Brett Ratliff still rounds out a quality quarterback corps.

It’s a win-win for both sides, and DA’s talent and big arm don’t go to waste.

Rex Grossman- Houston Texans

It’d be a hard sell to get Houston to cough-up Grossman, who, despite his past history, is actually shaping out to be quite the quality backup.

He still has a good arm and solid athleticism and would definitely be a talent upgrade, while arguably being able to do no worse than what Delhomme has already done.

He also has experience with Muhsin Muhammad and knows how to get to a Super Bowl…Kind of. He watched the Bears’ defense do it, anyway.

Kevin Kolb- Philadelphia Eagles

I know it’s not very realistic, as Kolb is supposed to be “the future” of the Eagles, but if you think about it, is he really in their plans?

He certainly was the heir apparent to Donovan McNabb coming out of college, but something tells me the signing of both Michael Vick and Jeff Garcia has a lot more to do with Kolb than it does with McNabb.

McNabb is only 32. He’s not going to be done for a good three to five years. Where does that leave Kolb? Getting shipped off to Carolina for Julius Peppers, is where it leaves him.

Alex Smith- San Francisco 49ers

I know what you’re thinking: What’s the point in trading an old turnover machine for a young turnover machine?

Well, Smith is a lot better than people give him credit for. While his preseason performance didn’t do him any favors, you’d be a fool to believe that he actually stood a chance with Mike Singletary calling the shots.

Singletary wants to keep his job, so he went with what worked last year—the guy who manages the game and doesn’t take stupid chances.

But playing a Trent Dilfer-clone only gets you so far.

Smith has a good arm and tons of athleticism and could give Carolina a unique dimension it’s never even sniffed before.

Chad Pennington- Miami Dolphins

This would go against the “youth movement” idea for the quarterback position, but it’d make sense on both sides.

Miami already told Chaddy that he’s not in their plans past 2009, while Carolina would bring him in to rescue the season and manage games and then look to add depth in next year’s draft.

Is he a savior? Probably not. But then again, he did save the Dolphins last year.

Tarvaris Jackson- Minnesota Vikings

The problem with T-Jax or Sage Rosenfels is that, if Minnesota wasn’t sold on them, what makes anyone think Carolina would magically want them?

Honestly though, they hit the bottom of the list. While Rosenfels probably isn’t even really available, Jackson can be had for next to nothing.

He wouldn’t really bring Carolina what they’re looking for, but would he be a downgrade from what Delhomme is bringing to the table?

In the end, Carolina may not do anything at all. They might cut or bench Delhomme, while simply settling with what they have in either Matt Moore or A.J. Feeley.

But that’s not really the point, is it?

The point is, regardless of how early it is in the season, it’s a safe bet that none of the quarterbacks on their roster are going to get the job done.

 

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Willis McGahee Is Coming Back

Willis McGahee and Todd Heap had very disappointing performances last year. Both of them are former Pro-Bowlers, but couldn’t even manage to put up decent numbers, nor could they stay healthy.

But of the two, McGahee had an even more disappointing season. After a 1200 yard Pro-Bowl season, he barely mustered half of that yardage.

McGahee ran the ball 170 times for 641 yards, a career low, but managed to score seven touchdowns. He peaked late season,  and scored a touchdown of a 77 yard run, his longest of his career.

Beside that one highlight, he had a dismal year, especially considering he went to the Pro-Bowl in 2007, just a few months earlier.

Following a scary neck injury in the AFC Championship, McGahee lost the starting job for the Ravens during the offseason to Ray Rice. Fortunately for McGahee, All-Pro Le’Ron McClain was moved to his natural position at fullback.

McGahee and Rice will be splitting carries this year, with McClain serving as a blocker and a receiver. While McClain did see some carries and scored a goal-line touchdown, he will not see as much running action as last year

The dual running back attack took form at Sunday’s home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. While all the talk is about Joe Flacco, McGahee was silently making a comeback.

While starter Ray Rice rushed for 108 yards, he didn’t score any touchdowns. McGahee did though, in fact he had two, a rushing touchdown and a receiving one. He rushed for a total of 44 yards and scored on a fourth and goal to seal the game away.

McGahee also caught four passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Showing versatility as a receiver really helps his look, stats, and performance. While he may not be posting Comeback Player of the Year numbers, he is certainty in contention for the award.

McGahee is most likely going to be the number two running back on the roster, but that won’t stop him from coming back and sticking it to all his critics last year.

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Tomlinson, Chargers’ Offensive Line Suffer Injuries Despite Win

The San Diego Chargers saw two of their interior offensive line starters and their feature running back go down with injuries despite a comeback win over the Oakland Raiders Monday night.

Starting center Nick Hardwick and guard Louis Vasquez went down with injuries suffered during the Chargers 24-20 victory. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson injured his right ankle, and was forced to watch the Chargers’ mount their comeback from the sidelines.

Coach Norv Turner has said that he does not foresee the three players suiting up for practice Wednesday, leaving their status as starters uncertain for Week Two.

Hardwick’s injury necessitated his removal by cart, while Tomlinson and Vasquez’s injuries appeared less severe.

Running back Darren Sproles is expected to step into Tomlinson’s role as starter if LT is forced to miss the Chargers’ next game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Read the full story here.

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A Look Back at Week One in The NFL

The first week of the NFL is in the books. Every team has played a game and is 1-0 or 0-1.

Some teams showed promise even though they lost. Some teams still have questions even though they won.

The injury bug has already hit some big named players all over the league. Quarterback controversies could be looming in other places.

Rookies got a chance to shine in the first week. Old veterans showed they could still play.

Here is a look back at the first week of the NFL season. So let’s look at things that stuck out in the opening week.

 

You must be sound in the kicking game

The Titans had a chance to ruin the home opener of the Steelers in the first game of the season. No matter what you think of the NFL’s overtime, this game should not have even made it to the extra period.

Tennessee’s Rob Bironas missed a 37-yard field goal attempt and had a 31-yard field goal blocked. Kicking at Heinz field is never easy, but the six points the Titans left on the field cost Tennessee a win.

Super Bowl winning teams like Pittsburgh make their field goals to win ball games. Jeff Reed made both his field goals and the Steelers won.

 

Nine interceptions, two fumbles lost, one touchdown

Wondering what the numbers above mean? Those are Jake Delhomme’s numbers going back to last season’s division playoffs.

Delhomme threw five interceptions and lost a fumble in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. In the offseason, the Carolina Panthers gave Delhomme a five-year extension worth $42.5 million with $20 million guaranteed.

How did Delhomme thank the Panthers? In the opening week of the season he threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Carolina’s day would get worse after Delhomme was pulled and Josh McCown replaced him. McCown went down with foot and knee injuries.

The Panthers would set a team record for turnover with seven. Rookie quarterback Matt Moore would throw an interception, and running back Mike Goodson added a fumble of his own.

 

For at least one week, Brett Favre lets Adrian Peterson carry the load

After Brett Favre signed with the Minnesota Vikings, there was talk of whether the Vikings would move from a running game to a passing game.

Instead of throwing the ball all over the field and abandoning the run, the Vikings and Favre used an accurate short passing game.

Favre made the short throws and let his receivers do the work for him. The bulk of the Vikings’ offense came from the running game.

Adrian Peterson got a chance to show why he is the best back in the NFL with 180 yards on 25 carries. Teams put more men in the box to stop the run on defense as the season goes on.

As long as Favre does not make any costly errors throwing the ball, teams will have to respect the Vikings’ passing game more this season than last season.

 

No sophomore slump so far

Week One in to the season and Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco continued the success they had in their rookie season.  In 2008, both quarterbacks led their teams to the playoffs and in Flacco’s case, won his first two playoff games.

The Flacons’ Ryan finished Week One with 229 passing yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Miami Dolphins. Baltimore’s Flacco got a win over the Chiefs while passing for 307 yards and three touchdowns.

For the first week of the season, Ryan and Flacco looked to pick up right where they left off in 2008.

 

Addition by subtraction for Dallas

The 2009 offseason for the Dallas Cowboys was as quiet as it has been in years. After a disappointing 2009 season, the Cowboys released troubled cornerback Adam Jones and locker room nightmare Terrell Owens.

The thinking worked the first week of the season, as Dallas quarterback Tony Romo passed for 353 yards and three touchdowns. Romo completed passes to six different receivers and threw touchdown passes to three different receivers.

Instead of forcing the ball to Owens, the Cowboys were able to take what the defense was giving them and make plays.  The 353 passing yards was a career high for Tony Romo.

Is this the season the Cowboys finally live up to the hype, or will they fade in the later part of the season?

 

One rookie quarterback looked like an old pro and one rookie quarterback looked like a rookie

It’s only the first week but, Mark Sanchez looked great in his first pro start. Sanchez passed for 272 yards and a touchdown in a Jets’ wins over the Houston Texans.

On third downs, Sanchez was at his best. He completed 12 of his 18 passes on third down.

Sanchez’s only mistake was an interception that led to Houston’s only score.

As good as Sanchez looked in his first game, his counterpart Matt Stafford struggled in his first game for the Detroit Lions. Stafford passed for 205 yards, but threw three interceptions. He did rush for a touchdown.

The Lions, who went 0-16 last season, got off to a slow start against the New Orleans Saints. Stafford showed signs of being a very good quarterback. Detroit looked like a better team overall from last season.

It might not show up in wins, but the Lions are improved, and as bad as they have been, it will take more than a year to make a turnaround.

 

Teams that fired their offensive coordinators went 0-3 in Week One

Firing your offensive coordinator before the season might not catch on. The Bills, Chiefs, and Buccaneers all fired their offense coordinators before the start of the season.

Of the three teams that fired their offensive coordinators, only the Bills lost by single digits. Tampa Bay lost by 13 to Dallas and had a late touchdown to keep from losing by 20 points.

Kansas City lost by 14 points and was dominated by the Ravens’ defense. It’s early in the season but maybe firing your offensive coordinator is not the best idea before the start of the season.

 

The good and bad of the trick play

First the bad: deep in their own territory, the Bears run a fake punt. Trying to catch the Packers with 12 men on the field, the Bears failed to get the first down and instead got the penalty for too many men on the field.

Green Bay turned the Bears miscue into a field goal.

The good trick play of the first week belongs to the Washington Redskins. Down 17-0 to the Giants late in the first half, the Redskins fake a field goal.

Punter Hunter Smith takes the ball and runs for his life into the end zone. It was the first touchdown of Smith’s career.

The fake field goal did not help the Redskins win. Washington fell to the Giants 23-17.

 

Welcome back Osi Umenyiora and Tom Brady

Two players made their return from injury in Week One and made an impact on the field. The Giants and the Patriots welcomed back Osi Umenyiora and Tom Brady, respectively.

In his first game back against Washington, New York’s Umenyiora sacked the Redskins Jason Campbell to force a fumble and then picked up the ball for a touchdown.

In Brady’s return after an injury in the first game of last season, the New England quarterback led his team to a fourth quarter comeback over the Bills. Brady passed for 378 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in his return.

 

Another Super Bowl loss hangover

After making to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, the Arizona Cardinals look to avoid the Super Bowl loser hangover. Since 1999, every team but one has failed to make the playoffs the following year.

The Cardinals dropped their Week One game against the San Francisco 49ers. The talk has already begun if Arizona will not defend their NFC championship.

 

Heart breaking losses in week one

Three teams suffered heart breaking losses. Here they are in order of how heart breaking they were:

3. Bills fumble away a win against the Patriots

Leodis McKevin’s fumble on a kickoff helped New England score its second touchdown in the final two minutes.

2. Oakland chokes away a victory at home

After harassing the Chargers on offense the whole night, the Raiders’ defense disappeared in the final two minutes. Philip Rivers drove San Diego down the field and Darren Sproles scored with 18 seconds left to ruin the Raiders’ home-opener.

1. The Bengals snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

Cincinnati playing from behind the entire ball game against Denver finally broke through with a touchdown in the final 38 seconds of the game to take a 7-6 lead.

All the Bengals had to do was run the final seconds off the clock for a win in the first week of the season. Cincinnati instead tips a pass meant for Brandon Marshall of the Broncos into the hands of his teammate Brandon Stokley.

Stokley raced down the field for an 87-yard touchdown. The Bengals were left to wonder what went wrong as they lost 12-7.

Denver gets the edge in week one of the Jay Cutler trade

Denver traded away Jay Cutler to the Bears in the offseason. The Broncos thought they got the better end of the deal with two first-round draft choices.

Chicago thought they had a quarterback to lead them back to the Super Bowl. Week One Denver’s Kyle Orton throws for 243 yards and one touchdown.

More importantly, Orton did not turn the ball over and got lucky with a game-winning touchdown. In Green Bay, Jay Cutler threw a career-high four interceptions, even though he passed for 277 yards and a touchdown.

Week One goes to the Broncos after Cutler throws the four picks in his first career game for the Bears.

 

Two Minute Drill

Peyton Manning:

The Colts future hall-of-famer tied the Colts record for most wins in franchise history. Manning tied the late great Jonny Unitas’ record.

Drew Brees:

Brees picked up where he left off in 2008 with 358 passing yards and six touchdown passes. Defensive backs on the Saints’ schedule will have a lot of sleepless nights.

Santonio Holmes:

Holmes scored the last touchdown last season and the first touchdown this season. In the Super Bowl, Holmes had nine catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, and he repeated those same stats against Tennessee in the first game of the season.

Notable injuries:

Troy Polamalu is out for the next three to six weeks, Donovan McNabb broke a rib and is out and undisclosed time, Jerod Mayo is out for an undetermined amount of time with a knee injury, but the biggest loss is Brian Urlacher, who is out for the season with a wrist injury.

Possible quarterback controversies:

With McNabb hurt in Philadelphia and the signing of Jeff Garcia, the Eagles have four quarterbacks. Garcia led the Eagles to a playoff appearance a couple of seasons ago. The Eagles still have Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb waiting in the wings.

Carolina signed A.J. Freely after the injury to Josh McCown and the poor play of Jake Delhomme. If Delhomme’s struggles continue this week, look for the Panthers fans to want Freely at quarterback.

St. Louis Rams:

The Rams are the only team in the NFL who failed to score in Week One. St. Louis did have a touchdown called back on a blocked 49-yard field goal. The Rams had 12 players on the field and the touchdown was overturned on replay. St. Louis never recovered from the change in momentum.

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Buffalo Bills: Heartbreaking Loss Serves As Humble Reminder

Sportswriters are people too.

There I was, among my peers covering the Detroit Tigers game, as I always do. The lone difference—I had an extra web browser page open watching the play-by-play of the Bills-Patriots game.

While my objectivity to the task at hand never wavered, I kept a close eye on the matter at hand in Foxboro, Mass.

Silent fist pumps. Erratic head scratches. An abundance of updates to those around me.

This was how I was going to bring my passion for my boyhood heroes and my career together, in one silent harmonious night, it seemed to fit perfectly.

The Tigers were trailing, but the Bills were winning. That’s how it seemed to be for most of the night, although history will show the Tigers in fact held the lead for the majority of the game.

So did the Bills.

Then, it happened.

I don’t know exactly what happened first. Aubrey Huff’s game-tying home run, or the Patriots’ first of two last minute touchdowns. On one hand, I formulated a new story from scratch, having seen my first article’s theme crumble before me. 

On the other hand, the Bills themselves were doing some crumbling of their own. Now, it must be noted that the televised broadcast remained roughly a minute behind the on-line play-by-play.

“How mad are you?” one text message from a close friend read.

“Can you believe this?” read another. I had no idea what either of them were referring to.

Oh, there it was. The Leodis McKelvin fumbled kick return. Right. 

It was at that moment that I remembered, this is what being a Bills fan has become all about. They teeter with the idea of victory in grand fashion, on a large stage—then rip your very heart from your chest.

I didn’t need to see the rest, I knew exactly what was going to happen next. Of course, I watched anyways; As most Bills fans will tell you, we’ve evolved into gluttons for punishment.

Right as Ben Watson was catching the go-ahead touchdown to turn away the Bills from their biggest upset in years, an error allowed Brandon Inge to score the game winning run for the Tigers over the Blue Jays.

The parallels were surreal. The way one team rallied while the other collapsed was nearly poetic.

The drive home was an hour filled with profanity-laced phone calls to dear friends suggesting that it was a “good game’.” I am unaware as to when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will start granting playoff berths for “good games” and “almosts” instead of the typical win/loss format we’re all accustomed to. 

By the time I got home, I had postgame Tiger audio to sort through, and the next day’s work to map out. The sting from the Bills’ loss still very fresh in my mind.

This morning greeted me with a new feeling: relief.

Thankful I had a job to go to, thankful I had some of the simpler things in life that can so easily be taken for granted.

Most of all, I’m thankful that the Bills managed to break my heart in the season’s first week, keeping me focused on what really matters most.

 

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Despite Loss, Cleveland Browns D-Line Shows Improvement

Watching the Cleveland Browns this preseason, I couldn’t help but to think to myself that this was the same old defense: bland, unaggressive, and uninspired.

After Adrian Peterson’s first run up the middle netted less than a yard, and the Browns defense forced a three-and-out, I couldn’t help but think to myself that this defense was not the same old defense.

The Browns, of course, went on to lose (and it wasn’t close), but there were some signs of promise, especially on defense.  Yes, the Browns gave up 225 total rushing yards, and yes, Adrian Peterson had three rushing touchdowns, but I had to be impressed with the improvement of the defensive line.

Shaun Rogers, for one, had a solid outing with four solo tackles to go along with a sack.  Coach Mangini said that he didn’t need to see Rogers play in preseason to know what he brings to the game, and its evident that Rogers didn’t need to play in preseason to be able to do it.

The defense also had 4 sacks for the day, nearly a quarter of the Browns’ sack total for all of last YEAR! One of the sacks came from Rogers himself, the other three were made possible bacause the Minnesota offensive line was too busy with the Cleveland D-line to pick up the blitz.

It seems that the D-line finally is playing like a 3-4 D-line should.  With the big bodies finally present to eat up blockers, the line made rushing yards through the middle hard to come by and created good pressure on QB Brett Favre.  The defense forced three-and-out three times in the first half, and held the best running back in the league to 25 yards on nine carries.

Of course, we all know how badly the defense was gashed in the second half, and the amount of yards on the ground it gave up, but that seemed to be more as result of the defense wearing down than poor play.  The Vikings made excellent halftime adjustments, and began creating plays with outside runs and screen/swing passes.  The defense needs to improve its open field tackling, especially the linebackers, but being on the field for two thirds of the game doesn’t help.  Brady Quinn and the rest of the offense couldn’t keep the defense off the field, and the end result was a big day for Peterson and the Vikings.

The play of the defensive line gives hope, however, that with a little rest, and better support from the linebackers and defensive backs, the defense can make huge improvements over last year.

The defensive line needs to continue to play aggressively, and must continue to close running lanes and create pressure in the backfield.  As long as the line can force plays to the outside, the rest of the defense should be able to make plays.  However, the entire defense needs to improve its play in the open field.

Look for the D-line to continue to plug the middle next week against Denver.  The line as a whole is finally playing as a unit, and should occupy blockers enough to allow the linebackers to make plays on a new Denver offense.  Shaun Rogers should have another big day against the Broncos, and if the line can improve its sideline to sideline play, the Browns could have a great defensive game, and, hopefully, a win.

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The Phinal Word: Don’t Tread on These Miami Dolphins

Lost in the trauma that was Week 1, was something very reassuring. The Miami Dolphins have a whale of a run defense.

(That will be the first of many nautical puns in my Dolphin writing career.)

Long ago, before Dan Marino ever fixed a rocket to his arm, the founders of football decided that in winning football games, defense and the run game were tantamount.

At least Miami had one of two, placing them in Bon Jovi territory (halfway there…whoa-oh, living on a prayer).

The Dolphins allowed only 68 rushing yards to an Atlanta offense that boasts NFL fantasy darling Michael Turner (I would know, I drafted him fourth overall and the freaking Fins burnt me). 

The Falcons averaged only two and a half yards per carry against the Miami defense. This is a good sign for a team that has a history of good run defense. In 2008, Miami allowed 101.3 yards per game, good for tenth in the NFL.

The longest run the Falcons were able to muster all game was only 12 yards long. Barry Sanders once rushed for 12 yards in a dream where he was falling. The Fins were bending and then breaking down Atlanta.

Not where you thought I was going with that one, eh?

Even more titillating (was that titillating for you too?) is how well Miami controlled Atlanta’s run game on third down. Miami only surrendered three rushing first downs to the Falcons, and none of them came on third down.

Some standouts for Miami: Philip Merling, who had four tackles (one for a loss) along with pressuring Matt Ryan like he wanted a DNA test from the guy. Jason Ferguson also re-established himself as being the centre of the universe (and Miami’s defense) by nabbing a sack while filling gaps like a sweatshop. 

Miami’s pass defense wasn’t as sterling, but it wasn’t completely anemic either. The Fins allowed 213 yards through the air, but the Falcons were only averaging 6.4 yards per completion. Good, but not above reproach.

Much like myself.

The most important thing though, is that in a division that has two teams (Buffalo and New York) that need to run the football to succeed, Miami is ready. Their defense can hopefully continue the one-game trend of being stingy against the rush. 

Next week against Indianapolis will be a good indicator of if Miami can continue to stop the run. Peyton Manning has never been afraid to defer, and with Anthony Gonzalez out the Colts’ options are limited. Miami has to be prepared to stop the famous Indianapolis stretch that signals fall like the leaves changing colour.

Joseph Addai and Donald Brown make up Indy’s rushing attack, and their first week together was meh. Brown and Addai averaged 3.0 and 2.5 yards per carry respectively. 

That’s about as frightening as having me suit up against the Fins. (Pssst, Indy, I’m available.)

Come Monday night, the Dolphins should continue stuffing runners. Because of this, the game will be probably be decided like a Phil Collins song.

You can probably guess that one on your own.  

 

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