With Week 1 of the NFL in the books most teams, fans, and fantasy owners, are either reaching for the panic button or booking their flights to the Super Bowl (or fantasy championships). However don't get too carried away just yet. As Deion Sanders would say; "Hold On Playa!". Before you visit Expedia, or start hitting buttons like Homer Simpson during a nuclear meltdown, relax; breathe. Remember that although sports media and analysts live week by week - sports teams should not. Just ask the Giants how important week 1, or week 2, was during their Super Bowl run. Players like Reggie Bush, Michael Vick, and Anquan Boldin will cool off - while players like C.J. Spiller, Mike Wallace, and Maurice Jones-Drew should get things going sooner rather than later. Keeping that in mind, there is always something that can be learned from any situation - here's what we DO know following week one's action.
Lil guy D.Jax talking Big smack! Peyton Manning spent the entire off-season thinking about how he was going to payback the Ravens on opening week - and he decided 7 touchdowns was fitting. Ravens offense is in trouble as Torrey Smith is the Ravens only threat in the passing game. Joe Flacco needs to play like the Super Bowl MVP just about every week for the Ravens to return to the playoffs. Monte Ball is the best runner on the Broncos - but he will be sharing carries til mid season as he learns how to pass protect.
EJ Manuel, Fred Jackson, and the Bills Defense impressed in narrow defeat versus New England. Tom Brady, usually notorious for bullying the Bills, had a very pedestrian day. Whether this is more to the credit of the Bills Defense or more due to the limited weapons on the Patriots Offense may be the only question.
Same ol' Bengals. Bengals failed to make a big statement on the road in Chicago but instead had a dumb late penalty by Rey Mauluga which turned to what was going to be a punting situation for the Bears, into a 1st down with under two minutes left - allowing the Bears to run out the clock. We learned that Jay Cutler is still capable of leading the Bears to wins against average to decent level teams (especially early in the season). We were also reminded that A.J. Green can not be stopped, he may even be better than Calvin Johnson right now.
I'm not sure if we learned that Brandon Weeden is bad (really bad) or if we had just forgotten. He will not be the starter next year. Trent Richardson continues to get all the carries fantasy owners crave but his YPC needs to improve. Another former NCAA bballer turned NFL TE, Jordan Cameron, deserves the hype he received prior to the season. Mike Wallace feeds the selfish WRs stereotype with his complaints for involvement in the offense despite his teams victory. Dolphins ground game needs work - Lamar Miller is not living up to the off-season hype. Browns Defense remains solid but poor play on the other side of the ball will continue to be their demise.
Kenny Stills is the fantasy player to own NOT Kenbrell Thompkins. Brees and Payton make Saints capable of beating anybody. Stephen Jackson is worth the money. An injury to Roddy White ensures us that this is Julio Jones' year. Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzales (NCAA Bballers) will both catch 10+ TDs. Whoever wins the rematch in Atlanta will take the division crown.
We now know why the Buc's drafted QB Mike Glennon in the 3rd round. Freeman has not made any strides since his 2nd season - if anything he has regressed. Poor QB play will keep the Buc's out of the playoffs despite a busy off-season and a loaded roster. It's shocking but the Jets ARE capable of winning with Geno Smith at QB. Santonio Holmes and Kellen Winslow are the best weapons on the Jets offense - take that however you want. Jets dominant running attack is a thing of the past. Vincent Jackson is quite possibly the slowest WR in the history of the NFL - good thing he is 6 foot and 100 inches tall!
The Steelers are in trouble. Fortunate not to be shut out the depleted Steelers may already be out of playoff contention. Chris Johnson will never threaten 2,000 yards again. Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley will not be back in Pittsburgh next year and Le'veon Bell's return will be the highlight of Pittsburgh's season. The Titan's defense deserves a little more credit however Jake Locker needs to make major strides fast or Ryan Fitzpatrick will be starting by mid-season.
Could Reggie Bush be happier? Dispelling his label of being soft, Reggie was the workhorse. Bush came 1 yard short of scoring a TD - twice! Ndamukong Suh is dirty. His actions can no longer be viewed as coincidental - he wants to hurt people period. Jerome Simpson will outperform Greg Jennings this season. Adrian Peterson is not human - he will challenge L.T.'s single season TD record. No need to Ponder - Christian is not very good.
Although they probably won't win very often, the late Al Davis' last draft choice, Tyrelle Pryor gives Raiders fans something to be excited about. Pryor actually led the NFL in rushing week 1 with 112 yards. Andrew Luck will lead the Colts back to the playoffs thanks to the improved run game and defense.
Carolina's defense is improved but their offense is the same. Cam once again will be relied on to carry this team on his back and Ron Rivera will be fired before the season ends. Seahawks should be considered the number two team, behind the 49ers, in the NFC West.
It may not be his fault considering all the changes he has had to deal with from a coaching standpoint but Blaine Gabbert is a bust. Chad Henne will start the majority of the games this season. Andy Reid and the Chiefs will be in the playoff race all season but will come up short as Jamaal Charles can not stay healthy for an entire game let alone a season. Dwayne Bowe is a stud and he needs to be more involved in the offense.
The Rams D is not as good as we thought and the Cards O-Line isn't as bad as we thought either. Cards will pull off some upsets this season as Larry Fitzgerald will score double digit touchdowns and Tyrann Mathieu will win defensive rookie of the year. Jared Cook will finally have his breakout season and finish among the Top 10 Fantasy Tight Ends.
Boldin fails to reach 150 receiving yards again all season, Vernon Davis competes with Jimmy Graham for leagues best TE, and Kaepernick will lead S.F. to the division crown. Green Bay's defense has made some big strides - although it may not have shown on the scoreboard. These two teams will meet again in the playoffs. Jordy Nelson will contend for most TD's scored by a WR. The 49ers secondary will keep them from returning to the Super Bowl.
As much as you may dislike him, Romo is one tough guy. David Wilson has many fearing for their fantasy football lives while Victor Cruz and Eli Manning are one of the deadliest QB - WR duos in the league - and no one talks about them. The Cowboys offense is the best in the NFC East (until December).
Robert Griffin III is not the same. Far from the player he was last season his performance was painful to watch. The Eagles offense will cause many problems for opposing defenses (especially early in the season) however you have to wonder how long it will last. How long can Vick, McCoy, and D.Jax sustain the punishment and fatigue involved in their high tempo offense. A slow start and a less efficient RG3 will cause the Skins to miss playoffs.
Just when you thought he was finished Phillip Rivers shows he's still got it - at least for the first half. More good news for the Chargers; Ryan Mathews stayed healthy for an entire game. Andre Johnson is still elite - last season was just a down year. If it's not Foster carrying the Texans ground game Ben Tate is more than capable, but does anyone buy that Matt Schaub can win the Texans a Super Bowl?
What did you learn? Drop us a line letting us know what you think.
EJ Manuel, Fred Jackson, and the Bills Defense impressed in narrow defeat versus New England. Tom Brady, usually notorious for bullying the Bills, had a very pedestrian day. Whether this is more to the credit of the Bills Defense or more due to the limited weapons on the Patriots Offense may be the only question.
Same ol' Bengals. Bengals failed to make a big statement on the road in Chicago but instead had a dumb late penalty by Rey Mauluga which turned to what was going to be a punting situation for the Bears, into a 1st down with under two minutes left - allowing the Bears to run out the clock. We learned that Jay Cutler is still capable of leading the Bears to wins against average to decent level teams (especially early in the season). We were also reminded that A.J. Green can not be stopped, he may even be better than Calvin Johnson right now.
I'm not sure if we learned that Brandon Weeden is bad (really bad) or if we had just forgotten. He will not be the starter next year. Trent Richardson continues to get all the carries fantasy owners crave but his YPC needs to improve. Another former NCAA bballer turned NFL TE, Jordan Cameron, deserves the hype he received prior to the season. Mike Wallace feeds the selfish WRs stereotype with his complaints for involvement in the offense despite his teams victory. Dolphins ground game needs work - Lamar Miller is not living up to the off-season hype. Browns Defense remains solid but poor play on the other side of the ball will continue to be their demise.
Kenny Stills is the fantasy player to own NOT Kenbrell Thompkins. Brees and Payton make Saints capable of beating anybody. Stephen Jackson is worth the money. An injury to Roddy White ensures us that this is Julio Jones' year. Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzales (NCAA Bballers) will both catch 10+ TDs. Whoever wins the rematch in Atlanta will take the division crown.
We now know why the Buc's drafted QB Mike Glennon in the 3rd round. Freeman has not made any strides since his 2nd season - if anything he has regressed. Poor QB play will keep the Buc's out of the playoffs despite a busy off-season and a loaded roster. It's shocking but the Jets ARE capable of winning with Geno Smith at QB. Santonio Holmes and Kellen Winslow are the best weapons on the Jets offense - take that however you want. Jets dominant running attack is a thing of the past. Vincent Jackson is quite possibly the slowest WR in the history of the NFL - good thing he is 6 foot and 100 inches tall!
The Steelers are in trouble. Fortunate not to be shut out the depleted Steelers may already be out of playoff contention. Chris Johnson will never threaten 2,000 yards again. Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley will not be back in Pittsburgh next year and Le'veon Bell's return will be the highlight of Pittsburgh's season. The Titan's defense deserves a little more credit however Jake Locker needs to make major strides fast or Ryan Fitzpatrick will be starting by mid-season.
Could Reggie Bush be happier? Dispelling his label of being soft, Reggie was the workhorse. Bush came 1 yard short of scoring a TD - twice! Ndamukong Suh is dirty. His actions can no longer be viewed as coincidental - he wants to hurt people period. Jerome Simpson will outperform Greg Jennings this season. Adrian Peterson is not human - he will challenge L.T.'s single season TD record. No need to Ponder - Christian is not very good.
Although they probably won't win very often, the late Al Davis' last draft choice, Tyrelle Pryor gives Raiders fans something to be excited about. Pryor actually led the NFL in rushing week 1 with 112 yards. Andrew Luck will lead the Colts back to the playoffs thanks to the improved run game and defense.
Carolina's defense is improved but their offense is the same. Cam once again will be relied on to carry this team on his back and Ron Rivera will be fired before the season ends. Seahawks should be considered the number two team, behind the 49ers, in the NFC West.
It may not be his fault considering all the changes he has had to deal with from a coaching standpoint but Blaine Gabbert is a bust. Chad Henne will start the majority of the games this season. Andy Reid and the Chiefs will be in the playoff race all season but will come up short as Jamaal Charles can not stay healthy for an entire game let alone a season. Dwayne Bowe is a stud and he needs to be more involved in the offense.
The Rams D is not as good as we thought and the Cards O-Line isn't as bad as we thought either. Cards will pull off some upsets this season as Larry Fitzgerald will score double digit touchdowns and Tyrann Mathieu will win defensive rookie of the year. Jared Cook will finally have his breakout season and finish among the Top 10 Fantasy Tight Ends.
Boldin fails to reach 150 receiving yards again all season, Vernon Davis competes with Jimmy Graham for leagues best TE, and Kaepernick will lead S.F. to the division crown. Green Bay's defense has made some big strides - although it may not have shown on the scoreboard. These two teams will meet again in the playoffs. Jordy Nelson will contend for most TD's scored by a WR. The 49ers secondary will keep them from returning to the Super Bowl.
As much as you may dislike him, Romo is one tough guy. David Wilson has many fearing for their fantasy football lives while Victor Cruz and Eli Manning are one of the deadliest QB - WR duos in the league - and no one talks about them. The Cowboys offense is the best in the NFC East (until December).
Robert Griffin III is not the same. Far from the player he was last season his performance was painful to watch. The Eagles offense will cause many problems for opposing defenses (especially early in the season) however you have to wonder how long it will last. How long can Vick, McCoy, and D.Jax sustain the punishment and fatigue involved in their high tempo offense. A slow start and a less efficient RG3 will cause the Skins to miss playoffs.
Just when you thought he was finished Phillip Rivers shows he's still got it - at least for the first half. More good news for the Chargers; Ryan Mathews stayed healthy for an entire game. Andre Johnson is still elite - last season was just a down year. If it's not Foster carrying the Texans ground game Ben Tate is more than capable, but does anyone buy that Matt Schaub can win the Texans a Super Bowl?
What did you learn? Drop us a line letting us know what you think.
