So, the first weekend of the new NFL season was pretty exciting, wasn't it?
We had a legendary quarterback tie a record in throwing for seven touchdowns in a game - a feat that had not been accomplished in well over four decades, as the Broncos whipped the defending champion Ravens, 49-27.
The Buccaneers seemingly find a way to kick a field goal in the last minute to seal the deal, only to watch the Jets fight back and get a shot to steal a most improbable win, to start off 1-0.
There was a clash between elite teams, as the Green Bay Packers took on the San Francisco 49ers, with the 49ers once again prevailing in a very tough, evenly matched game. The Pack just can't seem to get past this franchise by the bay.
We had a surprisingly close, back and forth, tug of war battle in Buffalo, although not surprisingly, the Patriots found a way to win, albeit ugly.
The NFC East started off with divisional battles in prime time, the first of which came last night, as the Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants. I am a Giants fan, and was hoping that the G-Men might continue their winning ways in Dallas, where they went in to last night's game with a perfect 4-0 mark against Dallas in the new stadium. Unfortunately, though, that ended last night. Manning threw four touchdowns, but he also threw three picks. All in all, the Giants simply had too many turnovers, and the defense was on the field for an incredibly long time. The Cowboys essentially just sat back and took advantage of the opportunities from mistakes that New York provided them. I would have preferred the Giants not simply handing them a win like that. They will have to rebound, although their next opponent is Denver, in another Manning vs. Manning quarterback duel, and that's going to be a very tough follow up game, and the Giants have their work cut out for them in order to avoid digging themselves in an 0-2 hole.
Cincinnati collapsed, once again, and rather predictably. This is a team that cannot find consistency when playing some tougher games, and they had a pretty tough opponent, having to go to Chicago's Soldier Field to try and knock off the Bears. They seemed to be doing it solidly, too. But a late game collapse prevented them from winning.
The Lions came from behind against Minnesota to win a crucial early season divisional game, looking sharp and potentially dangerous.
A battle of tough defenses led to a very low scoring contest in Carolina yesterday, with the Seahawks essentially outlasting the Panthers in a slugfest, grinding out a tough win.
In the meantime, The Rams struggled against the Cardinals in St. Louis yesterday afternoon, but finally clinched the win, 27-24. Carson Palmer looked pretty good in his debut with Arizona, in a losing effort.
Other games, of course, took place. The Colts won, as expected, although they really mostly just held off a surprisingly tough and resilient Raiders squad. The Dolphins won a big road contest against the Browns in Cleveland. It looks like it might be another long season by the lake. The Steelers were humbled by the visiting Titans, who made Pittsburgh's offense do a disappearing act today. The worst team last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars, look like they are pretty much picking up right where they left off, as they put up a whopping two points from a safety, while allowing the visiting Kansas City Chiefs to completely have their way with them in a 28-2 drubbing. I think that loss pretty much already effectively eliminates them from the playoffs, doesn't it?
There were a few trends that I noticed yesterday, as well, and I thought that it would be good to share. ot sure what these mean, necessarily, or how they will come to effect the season. Just some observations:
*Of the winners of five of the last six Super Bowls, all but one started off this season with a loss. The only recent Super Bowl champion to have won? The New Orleans Saints (Super Bowl XLIV), who knocked off their division rival Falcons in an early showdown. In the meantime, the losers of those same six Super Bowls won all but two of their opening day contests, with the exceptions being the Arizona Cardinals (Super Bowl XLIII), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (XLV).
*Every team in the AFC North started this season off at 0-1.
*A couple of teams that had very disappoiting seasons last year seemed to make a strong statement that they are back this season. The Saints got a very important win against the Atlanta Falcons, one of the favorites for this season. Many, including myself, think that Kansas City is a team on the rise, and potentially a playoff team. They sure looked the part yesterday, earning a whopping 26-point road victory against the lowly Jaguars. Also, the Dolphins, who some felt would emerge last season, looked strong in shutting down the Browns on the road. And the Lions, who suffered a very disheartening 2012 season, looked renewed and recharged in beating back the Vikings. Finally, the Cowboys, who are always highly touted, but who have suffered through three consecutive seasons as a third place team, also looked strong, and more disciplined then their opponents, in a 36-31 shootout win over their division rivals, the Giants.
And now, tonight, are the final two games of opening weekend. The Philadelphia Eagles will try to get back on track this season, after a truly miserable season last year, as they visit the defending NFC East champion Washington Redskins. Then, the Houston Texans, one of the true favorites in the league, will visit the San Diego Chargers, who themselves are looking to get back on track after a few disappointing seasons. I will predict a Washington win in their first game, and Houston to hold off San Diego in the second game.
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