NFL Week 1 Recap

The Good
Willie Parker- Who needs Jerome Bettis or Duce Staley when you’ve got this kid?  He was the clear offensive star of the league last weekend racking up 161 yards and one score on 22 carries.  That’s good enough for AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors thank you very much.

Kansas City Defense- I think they’re going to be OK after all.  The Chiefs shut down what was supposed to be a very good Jets offense.  In fact it would have been a shut out had New York not scored during garbage time (29 seconds to go to be exact).  The Chiefs forced three fumbles, had three sacks, and had an interception.  Time will tell if this type of play holds up but it looks like KC could be a legit Super Bowl contender.

The Patriots & Colts, again- Both teams looked especially sharp in their season debuts.  The Patriots made the explosive Raiders offensive stall at times while the Colts offense had no problems with the rigid Baltimore defense.  Are we going to see these teams in the AFC Championship again?  I sure hope so.

Drew Bledsoe- Who told Drew Bledsoe that his career wasn’t over yet?  He looked sharp for a seemingly aged Cowboys team.  I don’t know if the Bill Parcells-Bledsoe-Terry Glenn reunion was such a bad idea after all.  Bledsoe’s totals: 18 of 24 for 226 yards and 3 TDs.  That’s good enough for a 143.4 passer rating.  Stellar.

The Bad
The St. Louis Rams- To say they were horrible in losing to the 49ers isn’t quite right.  But they were bad.  One costly turnover and not enough execution.  St. Louis was unable to put the ball in the end zone.  They traded field goals for touchdowns which put them in a 28-12 hole early.  Granted QB Marc Bulger threw for 362 yards and WR Torry Holt had 125 yards receiving.  But all those yards don’t mean a thing if you can’t execute.

Baltimore’s Offense- Between QBs Anthony Wright and Kyle Boller Ravens fans had to be screaming for help.  One touchdown and three interceptions will get you fired very quick in this league.  A rundown of the Baltimore O: 4 turnovers, 3 interceptions and 1 fumble, 48 yards on the ground from Jamal Lewis, Matt Stover 0 for 3 on field goals and the Ravens end up with a measly 7 points.

David Carr- If the Texans had a decent offensive line then maybe we could see David Carr for who he really is as a quarterback.  But until then expect more days like the one you saw on Sunday.  The atrocious stats: 9 for 21, 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and 1 fumble lost.  But Carr did rush for 40 yards and the Texans’ only score.  

Eli Manning- Is it wrong that I like to see this guy fail?  Granted the Giants did win but it wasn’t because of Manning.  He was 10 for 23 with 2 interceptions and 2 touchdowns.  The scores to Shockey and Burress were nice but it’s going to take a lot more than a few throws a game to go to and be successful in the playoffs.  

The Ugly
Arizona’s Rushing- Quick, who was Arizona’s leading rusher in week 1?  Answer: Kurt Warner.  How many yards did he rush for?  Answer: 11.  11?  That’s right, an old fogy rushed for more than a highly touted rookie (Arrington) and Arizona’s feature back (Shipp).  In all the Cardinals rushed 21 times for 31 yards.  In order for WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquin Boldin to be effective Arizona is going to have to do something with their running game.

Denver Broncos- Another classic case of lack of execution.  If I am a Denver fan I am still pulling out my hair over that loss Sunday.  How do Broncos fans watch QB Jake Plummer?  This is worse than a roller coaster ride.  This is the feeling people get when they’re skydiving and they suddenly learn their ripcord doesn’t work.  Extreme exhilaration straight into widespread panic with zero time to adjust.  I’m serious, my friend who’s a Broncos fan will agree with you.  We witnessed more of the widespread panic version of Plummer on Sunday.  Three turnovers, two interceptions and a fumble, and less than 50 percent pass completion was what Plummer did.  I guess it’s not only Plummer.  The defense needs to get to the quarterback.  If the D-line can’t get to a Miami quarterback then this year is going to be a tough one for Denver fans to endure.

Power Rankings
1. New England Patriots, 1-0
2. Indianapolis Colts, 1-0
3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1-0
4. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1-0
5. Atlanta Falcons, 1-0
6. Kansas City Chiefs, 1-0
7. Philadelphia Eagles, 0-1
8. Buffalo Bills, 1-0
9. New Orleans Saints, 1-0
10. Dallas Cowboys, 1-0
11. Baltimore Ravens, 0-1
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1-0
13. New York Giants, 1-0
14. San Diego Chargers, 0-1
15. Oakland Raiders, 0-1
16. Carolina Panthers, 0-1
17. Minnesota Vikings, 0-1
18. Miami Dolphins, 1-0
19. Cincinnati Bengals, 1-0
20. Detroit Lions, 1-0
21. Seattle Seahawks, 0-1
22. New York Jets, 0-1
23. Denver Broncos, 0-1
24. San Francisco 49ers, 1-0
25. Washington Redskins, 1-0
26. Arizona Cardinals, 0-1
27. St. Louis Rams, 0-1
28. Green Bay Packers, 0-1
29. Tennessee Titans, 0-1
30. Chicago Bears, 0-1
31. Houston Texans, 0-1
32. Cleveland Browns, 0-1