Week One in Review

Week One in Review (2013)

By: Matt Harmon

Reviewing my picks

My record: 11-5

There were some unexpected outcomes, but I don’t feel bad losing the Bengals over the Bears pick. I said the Bears could be an elite team all along, and the Bengals always have the potential to let you down. I was dead wrong about the Steelers pick, and I have serious concerns after they let me down so bad. The Eagles surprised me on Monday night, and I will have to take that into consideration for future weeks. Naturally the Buccaneers and the Browns let me down, showing that you will almost always get burned when you put your faith in bad teams. In the end, this was a solid week, but I can certainly do better picking.

Denver Broncos- 49 Baltimore Ravens- 27
Reviewing the Game:

It is amazing to think that this game was at one point really close with the Ravens up 17-14. After intermission Peyton Manning and all of his weapons just came out to play. The new-look Ravens defense stood no chance as Peyton shredded them for a record breaking seven passing touchdowns! The Broncos certainly look like the class of the AFC. For the Ravens, it is way too early to hit the panic button, but their defense looked bad, and their offense may have looked worse. The Ravens need to find some answers as Ed Dickson looked terrible, and veteran additions, Dallas Clark and Brandon Stokely look finished. By the way, my boy Julius Thomas from the AFC All-Surprise Team looked pretty good eh?

Matchup to Watch: Denver’s pass rush vs. Ravens o-line

At the beginning of the game, this was a total mismatch. Without Von Miller, Denver was not getting anywhere close to Joe Flacco. Then, right tackle Michael Oher went down with an injury and Shuan Phillips and company had their way with rookie Rick Wagner. In addition to the defensive collapse, this was a turning point for Baltimore that did not get talked about.

New England Patriots (0-0) at Buffalo Bills (0-0)
Reviewing the Game:

Even though they lost the Bills have to feel good about how they played their archrival Patriots. Moral victories are not good enough, but they forced the Patriots into some mistakes, and the offense showed some promise. Their defense looks light years better than the one they fielded last season; they man handled the Patriots at the line of scrimmage. As for the Patriots, they did not come out and dominate like many predicted. There looked to be communication problems with Tom Brady and his rookie receivers and the protection was poor. On the plus side, Danny Amendola looked more than capable as Wes Welker’s replacement in this game.

Matchup to Watch: E.J. Manuel vs. Patriots Defense

Manuel has a pretty solid first outing and did not make any killer mistakes to lose his team the game. The Patriots clearly put an emphasis on shutting down C.J. Spiller, and having him at full speed will only make Manuel’s life easier as we get further into the season.

Tennessee Titans- 16 Pittsburgh Steelers- 9
Reviewing the Game:

Well, I couldn’t have been anymore wrong about this one. The Titans were the more physical team up front on both sides of the ball. The defense looks much better and they took it to Pittsburgh on just about every snap. Outside of the offensive line, there was not much to be impressed with for the Titans offense, and that will probably keep them from being a competitive team. The Steelers were terrible on offense. They could not run the ball, their lack of playmakers was glaring, and frankly they looked like they didn’t even want to be there most of the game. It is early, but given that they lost three important players for the season, it could be a long year in Pittsburgh.

Matchup to Watch: Chris Johnson vs. Steelers front seven

The Titans offensive line actually played pretty well, but Chris Johnson still only ran 25 times for only 70 yards. It was a nondescript game from the overrated running back and he couldn’t even blame his favorite scapegoats, his blocking. Hard to say who really won this matchup.

New Orleans Saints- 23 Atlanta Falcons- 17
Reviewing the Game:

We had another exciting contest between these two rivals that went right down to the end. These teams are such a joy to watch and always give us some exciting football. The Falcons were without a fully healthy Roddy White, but that was not there biggest problem on offense, more on that later. It is hard to walk into the Superdome on opening day and get a win, but my concerns with the Falcons all reared their head. With that offensive line and defense, I struggle to see how they will be a serious contender. The Saints looked explosive as ever, and much better coached, on offense. More importantly their defense was aggressive and looked like they could be at least a middle of the road defense. That could be enough to get the Saints where they want to go.

Matchup to Watch: Falcons Offensive Line vs. Saints Defensive Line

This one was not even close. The Saints absolutely had their way with the Falcons poor offensive line. New right tackle Lamar Holmes was consistently thrown around, but Sam Baker, on the left side, struggled as well. For all the weapons the Falcons have, it will not matter if the pass protection continues to put this product on the field.

New York Jets- 18 Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 17
Reviewing the Game:

In an ugly game between two teams that probably are not going to be very good, the Jets came away victorious. Josh Freeman played pretty poorly for the Buccaneers and did nothing to quiet the talk of his inevitable benching. They hit a few trademark big plays to Vincent Jackson, but this passing game must have more consistent quarterback play. For the Jets, they weren’t spectacular but their defense held their ground and Geno Smith played well enough to win the game. Of course, they got a little help from LaVonte David making a crucial error by touching Geno Smith out of bound. Hopefully he will not be remembered for that as David is a great young player who had a nice game otherwise.

Matchup to Watch: Geno Smith vs. Darrelle Revis

Geno wisely avoided throwing to Revis’ side of the field. He probably got some wise words from his new coaches and teammates that it is best to just avoid that flytrap. Smith found other places to throw, specifically to Kellen Winslow who caught seven passes for 79 yards and a score.

Kansas City Chiefs 28 Jacksonville Jaguars 2
Reviewing the Game:

Wow was this bad. The Jaguars had no chance in this game as they could not get anything going on offense. Blaine Gabbert was just terrible and managed about five yards per attempt in this contest. He managed to get himself hurt once again, and at this point, it probably does not matter if he is behind center or not. We will have to hope this offense gets better with time. It was good to see the Chiefs come in and professionally handle their business. Good teams can go on the road a stifle bad teams, and if the Chiefs are to be a good team under Andy Reid, this was a really strong start.

Matchup to Watch: Cecil Shorts vs. Brandon Flowers

Flowers blanketed Shorts all came, and held him to no catches in the first half. Shorts finished with three catches for 40 yards, but made no real impact on this game. It did not help, of course, that Shorts’ quarterback play was beyond terrible.

Chicago Bears- 24 Cincinnati Bengals-21
Reviewing the Game:

The Bears fought back from an early deficit to win this game. It was a treat to watch two great players in Charles Tillman and A.J. Green do battle all day. Green had a terrific first down and showed why he is one of the best players on the field at all times, but Tillman more than held his own snagging two interceptions from Andy Dalton. This one will come back to haunt the Bengals as this would have been an impressive road win, but ultimately their poise and consistency problems of the past were ever present in Week One. The Bears look very good, and this offense really did not even get rolling until the second half. If they hit on all cylinders, the Bears have a very high ceiling this season.

Matchup to Watch: Bengals Defensive Line vs. Bears Offensive Line

I highlighted Geno Atkins, Michael Johnson, and Carlos Dunlap, and they all came to play, but not one of them sacked Jay Cutler. Cutler managed to not be sacked a single time all game; when was the last time we saw that? If the Bears new line can play this away against one of the best defensive lines in the game this early, well, that’s just a really good sign.

Miami Dolphins- 23 Cleveland Browns- 14
Reviewing the Game:

Neither team really took control of this game. In the end, the Dolphins defense played really well and Ryan Tannehill played will enough for the Dolphins to win on the road. They got away with one here, but the Dolphins did not look much like the playoff contender they were billed to be. For the Browns, their defense was strong, but they got away from Trent Richardson on offense. The fact that he had 15 touches is simply inexcusable, especially given that the game was never out of hand. Brandon Weeden could have played better, but there is no reason he should have had to throw 53 times in this game. Lets hope Chud is not up to his old tricks from last season in Carolina. One last thing, how much of a tool is Mike Wallace. The overpaid receiver had a single catch in his debut and proceeds to complain and act moody about it after the game, despite the fact that his team won. The Dolphins will regret that signing, if they don’t already.

Matchup to Watch: Lamar Miller vs. Browns front seven

Well since Lamar Miller managed only three yards on ten carries, I would say they lost this matchup. The Browns front seven looked really strong in both run defense and the pass rush. Newcomer Desmond Bryant was particularly dominant. This is a good sign for their future.

Seattle Seahawks- 12 Carolina Panthers- 7
Reviewing the Game:

I had a friend ask me why this score was so low; was it a defensive slugfest, or just bad offense? Well it was kind of a little bit of both. By that I mean Carolina’s defense was really good for most of the game, and their offense was really bad. Russell Wilson made the big plays to win the game when it matters most, because he is awesome and that’s just what he does, and Carolina was unable to make those plays. I always say good teams, like Seattle, find ways to squeak out wins when they need it, and conversely bad teams, like the Panthers may just be, find ways to lose the game. The DeAngelo Williams fumble in the red zone to close the game out is a perfect summation of that theory.

Matchup to Watch: Steve Smith vs. Richard Sherman

Smith had a solid game, but he did most of his damage away from Sherman’s side of the field. The Panthers finally made good on all their talk of moving Smith around the offensive formation and that was a positive sign. This matchup never really developed into one to watch.

Detroit Lions- 34 Minnesota Vikings- 24
Reviewing the Game:

It is a really good sign for the Lions that they could win this game by two scores without Calvin Johnson taking over the game. Reggie Bush fulfilled all the offseason hype about how he would be the perfect fit in this offense. If he continues to play this well as a runner and receiver Detriot will give defenses fits. For the Vikings it was the same old story on offense. When Adrian Peterson was not dominating the game, Christian Ponder was too inept to carry this team. It was a surprise the Vikings defense put out such a poor showing. It is just one game, but unfortunately this game feels like a microcosm of how this Vikings team’s season will play out.

Matchup to Watch: Adrian Peterson vs. Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh

If you saw his first carry go 78 yards for a score you may have thought, as I did, that Peterson was ready to slice up this Lions defense all day. However, after that carry the Lions did a really good job of shutting the reigning MVP down. This was certainly an encouraging outing for Detroit.

Indianapolis Colts- 21 Oakland Raiders- 17
Reviewing the Game:

This is one of those games that feels weird to analyze because I feel the losing team should be more encouraged than the winning team. For all the talk that they may be one of the worst teams in NFL history, the Raiders came out and gave the Colts all they could handle. Terrelle Pryor certainly electrified their offense and made some exciting plays. He had his lumps as well, but it was an encouraging second start for the young quarterback. For the Colts, if they want to consider themselves a great team they should have been able to destroy a bad team like Oakland at home. The rest of the team needs to play better so that they do not have to consistently rely on Andrew Luck’s late game heroics.

Matchup to Watch: Terrelle Pryor vs. the Colts defense

As I said, despite two interceptions, I thought Pryor did about as well as we could expect. He may never develop into a great passing quarterback, but he led the NFL in rushing after Sunday’s games, and his exciting style of play at least keeps the Raiders competitive. It may be time to consider the Colts defensive unit amongst the worst in the NFL. I cannot stand it when teams perform so poorly against running quarterbacks. Wake up.

St. Louis Rams- 27 Arizona Cardinals- 24
Reviewing the Game:

This was a fun game to watch for a number of reasons. It was great to see Larry Fitzgerald reinvigorated by the presence of Carson Palmer. Palmer will make at least one throw a game where you have no idea what he is thinking, but it was clear he is a much-needed upgrade. The Rams young talent was out on display. Robert Quinn is one of the best up and coming defenders in the league and he demolished Levi Brown and collected three sacks on the day. Newly acquired tight end, Jared Cook, looked like the best player on the field for much of the game and put up a career day with 141 yards and two touchdowns. I cannot believe his talented wasted away all those years in Tennessee.

Matchup to Watch: Tavon Austin vs. Tyrann Mathieu

Both rookies had their moments, and it was fun to wach the times they were matched up. In this battle of young playmakers it was Mathieu who made the biggest splash, by poking the ball out of Jared Cook’s arms near the goal line for what would have been his third score of the day.

San Francisco 49ers- 34 Green Bay Packers- 28
Reviewing the Game:

The Packers spent a ton of time at colleges over the offseason trying to find ways to stop the read option. Well, for one week at least, it didn’t matter one bit. The 49ers decided to come out and let their young signal caller throw the ball all over the yard. His primary target, Anquan Boldin, put up an eye popping stat line of 13 catches for 208 yards and a score. It is unbelievable how Boldin’s physical style lets him sustain such high level of play even as his physical skills are diminishing. The Packers played a good game, but the 49ers were just the better team on this day. Here’s to hoping we see these two teams play again.

Matchup to Watch: Colin Kaepernick vs. Clay Matthews

This show was all it was billed to be. Clay Matthews was dominant and all over the field, clearly motivated by his embarrassing showing in the playoffs last season. Of course, as I noted above, it did not matter, because the Niners were busy throwing the ball all over the Packers, and Matthews clearly let his emotions get the best of him when he blatantly hit Kaepernick out of bounds. It is so awesome watching two teams play that so clearly hate each other, but are both so good.

Dallas Cowboys- 36 New York Giants- 31
Reviewing the Game:

Rant time. Can we agree that this game shows, once and for all, why it is a complete joke that NFC East team’s continue to be put in primetime matchups? I understand that all four teams are from huge markets and draw huge crowds, but there is this arrogance and entitlement that comes from this division that really just does not hold water. These were two middle of the road teams that, after a great day of football, treated us to a sloppy and mistake filled mess of a game. For the Giants, you can probably feel good in the sense that you likely will not turn the ball over six times again this season, but this team has an alarming number of holes. They cannot count on Manning to bail them out every week. As for the Cowboys, you cannot feel like you played well in this game. If you force a team into six turnovers you should blow them out of the stadium, not have the game be in doubt in the last five minutes.

Matchup to Watch: Miles Austin vs. Giants secondary

This game was so ugly that this matchup never really developed. Austin did some nice work underneath and garnered ten receptions, and the Giants secondary showed their flaws. All in all, there was not much to see here. I am glad I no longer have to discuss this game.

Philadelphia Eagles- 33 Washington Redskins- 27
Reviewing the Game:

If there was ever a game that needed to be tagged with “please do not overreact” it would be this one. Yes, Chip Kelly’s offense was incredibly impressive early on. Their breakneck pace will give teams fits all year if it continues to run smoothly, and their defense played much better than expected. However, Vick already looked close to breaking down and even during the onslaught of offense in the first half he was making poor throws and mental errors. He is not the long-term pivot man for this offense. I still have a ton of questions about this offense, but it is exciting and either way, the Eagles will be must see TV all season. The Redskins have to be disappointed in their painfully slow start, but things began to turn around for them in the second half. Lets hope Griffin was just rusty, and not showing what could be lingering long-term effects of his knee issues. I am willing to bet we just saw what will be the Redskins worst game of the season.

Matchup to Watch: Alfred Morris vs. Eagles front seven

Morris was a disappointment along with the rest of his team Monday night. He had two uncharacteristic fumbles and one led to a safety. It was also disappointing he was largely negated from the game plan when the team went to a pass first offense. If he does not develop his work in the passing game and shows such unreliable traits, you have to wonder about his future.

Houston Texans-31 San Diego Chargers- 28
Reviewing the Game:

It looked like a major upset was on during the first three quarters of this game. Phillip Rivers was on fire. He stood tall under pressure, and was distributing the ball to all different players while carving up the Texans defense. However, late in the game, it was the same old Chargers. They eventually let the Texans go in for three unanswered scores, and Rivers capped it off with a back breaking interception that allowed the Texans to kick the game wining field goal. The Texans got away with one here, but they played well enough for us to still call the ma contender in the AFC. They need to patch up some holes on that defense, and no, Ed Reed will not be a massive upgrade when he returns.

Matchup to Watch: J.J. Watt vs. D.J. Fluker

Watt did not fill up the stat sheet with sacks or anything, but if you watched this game you could see his impact. Fluker should have been called for multiple holding penalties and watching Watt spin around him was pure comedy.