2016 NFL Week One

Games played from September 8th-12th, 2016

Note:  I got NFL Season Pass this past Thursday night and began watching games like mad to catch up.  I knew very little about these games before watching them – I could only tell you who won about five of them.  Prior to getting Season Pass, I did not watch any games except for about two minutes of the Giants-Cowboys game and the final half of the fourth quarter of the Patriots-Cardinals game.  Another note:  When listing the scores, I put @ in front of the home team.

Welcome (belatedly) to the 2016 NFL Season!  Away we go…

@ Denver Broncos 21, Carolina Panthers 20

• The kicking game in Denver is always a sight to behold. Take, for example, the kickoff following Carolina’s first touchdown.  A 15-yard taunting penalty made Graham Gano kick the ball from the 20, and he booted it out of the end zone for a touchback.  It landed eight yards deep in the end zone, meaning that it went 88 yards in the air.
• Poor Devontae Booker. The Denver running back’s first NFL carry resulted in a fumble, and he ended the game with three carries for only eight yards.
• The first quarter interception by Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis was beautiful. It took great concentration to snatch that batted ball out of the air, especially since the guy who batted it was right next to him.
• I loved Denver’s first touchdown. It came on Andy Janovich’s first NFL carry.  Plus, he’s the fullback!  So old school!
• I really enjoyed watching Denver running back C.J. Anderson and Carolina receiver Kelvin Benjamin play. Both had outstanding games.
• I don’t care that he missed the potential game-winning field goal – Carolina’s Graham Gano is an outstanding kicker.[1]

 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, @ Atlanta Falcons 24

• Tampa Bay running back Charles Sims impressed me on his touchdown late in the first half. He looked like Bo Jackson on Tecmo Bowl.  He broke several tackles.  Talk about a bowling ball.
• That was an outstanding catch by Tampa Bay tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins to score that early 3rd quarter touchdown.
• This game got really chippy. There were a lot of dead-ball personal fouls.
• Red Zone 3rd Down Conversion Rate: Atlanta – 1 for 4 (25%), Tampa Bay – 0 for 1[2].  Translation:  Atlanta left 12 points on the table.  Atlanta also gave up too many big plays.
• Good, impressive win by the Buccaneers. QB Jameis Winston played like a legitimate #1 overall pick, and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was a force to be reckoned with.

@ Baltimore Ravens 13, Buffalo Bills 7

• For most of this game, I was rather underwhelmed.[3]
• Having said that, Baltimore QB Joe Flacco is terrifying when he throws deep. And now he has some talented receivers who can get open.    Goodness.
• Buffalo QB Tyrod Taylor is elusive and has great wheels. He’s going to have to get really good at throwing downfield while running full speed, however, if he’s going to be effective.  Especially with the offensive line he has.  And with receivers that don’t get open.
• I have to tip my hat to Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan for going for it on 4th and goal from inside the 1. McCoy ran it in for a touchdown on that play, but even if he hadn’t, that’s still the right call by Ryan.

@ Houston Texans 23, Chicago Bears 14

• The interception that Chicago cornerback Tracy Porter made in the first quarter was outstanding. I had to watch it three times to believe that it happened.
• The Bears’ touchdown drive to end the first half was a thing of beauty. I especially liked the receptions by Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal.
• I was very impressed by the play of rookie Houston receiver Will Fuller. His touchdown…that spectacular catch that he made on the deep ball from Brock Osweiler in the fourth quarter.    Bee.  Leev.  Uh.  Bull.
• Houston’s front seven is downright scary. If they don’t make it to at least the divisional playoffs, then something’s wrong.

Green Bay Packers 27, @ Jacksonville Jaguars 23

• This was a fun one. I did not expect it to be so competitive and exciting.
• Jacksonville’s kicker (Jason Myers) has the same name as my brother-in-law.
• Aaron Rodgers never ceases to amaze me. And neither do the Green Bay receivers.  Several times a pass/catch happened that made me say something along the lines of, “Wow!” or “How the heck did he catch that?!??”
• That last drive nearly gave me a heart attack – and I didn’t care who won this game! So I can only imagine what it was like for Packer fans and Jaguar fans.[4]
• If Jacksonville plays like this every week, they should have a good season.

@ Kansas City Chiefs 33, San Diego Chargers 27 (OT)

• Nothing like a good ol’ fashioned divisional battle to open the season.
• Philip Rivers and Alex Smith are both solid, veteran quarterbacks who bring a lot out of their teammates. I like watching both of them play.
• Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had urges to eat a Cherry Popsicle whenever I see the Chiefs play in their red jerseys.[5]  Strange, I know, but I bet that I’m not the only one.
• San Diego’s O-line played great. This is something the team desperately needed, especially when one considers that their line last year was a mess.
• Losing All-Pro receiver Keenan Allen for the season is tough for San Diego, but I’m also sad for him. This is the second season-ending injury of his career.
• Who or what lit that fire under Kansas City in the fourth quarter? They looked like a completely different football team.
• Kansas City receiver Jeremy Macklin’s acrobatic touchdown catch with 9:18 left in the fourth was outstanding.
• Gutsy Kansas City comeback. Did Kansas City suddenly play a lot better, or did San Diego fall apart?  I say a little bit of both.  But it all started when San Diego didn’t put them away.  3rd down conversions in the Red Zone were the difference.  Excluding overtime, San Diego was 2-for-4.  Kansas City was 0-for-1.  San Diego lost out on eight points because of that, while Kansas City lost out on four.  There’s the difference.[6]

Oakland Raiders 35, @ New Orleans Saints 34

• Wild, entertaining shootout capped off by an exciting Oakland comeback, but are either of these teams any good? I thought they both looked sloppy.  Yes, it was only the first game, but neither team passed the eye test for me.  Maybe I’ll change my mind as the season progresses.
• Regardless, this game was a lot of fun to watch.
• I still think New Orleans Head Coach Sean Payton looks like Bruce Willis.
• Kudos to Oakland for going for two on their last touchdown to try and take the lead instead of one point to try and tie. Nice to see gutsy calls.
• New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz was disappointed at the end of the game, but he shouldn’t hang his head. Missing a potential game-winning 61-yard field goal slightly wide left as time expires is nothing to be ashamed of.[7]

Cincinnati Bengals 23, @ New York Jets 22

• What’s Jim Nantz going to do now that he can’t fawn over Peyton Manning? I’m just kidding.  He’ll be fine.  He wasn’t nearly as bad as John Madden was with Brett Favre.[8]
• This was a GREAT game. Well played, competitive…lots of fun.  I was enjoying the game so much that I forgot to write down my thoughts.

@ Philadelphia Eagles 29, Cleveland Browns 10

• This game was surprisingly competitive in the first half. Neither team looked bad.
• The second half, however, was a different story. The Eagles kept playing fairly well, and the Browns imploded.  They made mistake after mistake.
• I, along with many others, was very impressed with the play of Philadelphia rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.
• Philadelphia was clearly the better team of the two, but I don’t know if that’s saying much.

Minnesota Vikings 25, @ Tennessee Titans 16

• Marcus Mariota is going to be a very good NFL quarterback if he keeps developing at this rate.
• Minnesota’s defense is suffocating and dangerous. They dominated this game.
• Blair Walsh gets my perseverance award. After the devastating miss to end his season last year, and after the rough first half he had in this game, he settled down and resumed his dependable place kicking.

@ Seattle Seahawks 12, Miami Dolphins 10

• How different would the game had been had Miami receiver Kenny Stills not dropped that pass early in the second quarter that would have resulted in a certain touchdown?
• I was not at all impressed by the play of either team in this game. It was very, very sloppy all the way around.
• There were some late hits in this game that were completely inexcusable. One was the one Seattle defensive back Cam Chancellor committed in the third quarter.  Another was done by Miami defensive lineman Cameron Wake, who roughed Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson on a third down incomplete pass.[9]

New York Giants 20, @ Dallas Cowboys 19

• This was the first time Dallas started a rookie quarterback (Dak Prescott) and a rookie running back (Ezekiel Elliott) in their season-opener since 1969.[10]
• Prescott did an admirable job in one of the most difficult, high-pressure positions in all of sports: quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.[11]
• Elliott makes me nervous – and makes me glad that the Cardinals don’t have to play the Cowboys twice a year anymore.
• Dallas kicker Dan Bailey impressed me on his second field goal. He made one from 46 yards that was called back due to holding, and so he tried again from 56 and made it again, with room to spare.  How often do we see kickers make a field goal that gets called back on a penalty, and then miss the retry?
• New York receiver Sterling Shepard’s touchdown grab made me widen my eyes and let out a high-pitched “Ooooooooo!!!”
• At one point between plays during the game, I was looking down. When I looked up at the screen, I thought I saw actor Steve Zaun wearing a headset.  Then I realized it was New York head coach Ben McAdoo.
• How many times has Dallas lost this exact type of game under Head Coach Jason Garrett? I knew halfway into the game that they were going to lose a close one.  We’ve seen this movie many times.
• Furthermore, how the heck is Garrett the second-longest tenured head coach in team history, behind only The Great Tom Landry, who coached the team for 28 years and is one of the greatest head coaches in pro football history?[12] He’s proven time and again that he’s not that much of a head coach.  I don’t understand it.

Detroit Lions 39, @ Indianapolis Colts 35

• This was my favorite game of the day. Both teams played well, and I’m glad I had no rooting interest in this game.  I would have had a heart attack.  Actually, I would have had three or four.
• Both quarterbacks put up video game numbers. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford was 31 for 39 for 340 yards and three touchdowns.  Indy’s Andrew Luck was 31 for 47 for 385 yards and four touchdowns.  Both, by the way, were also #1 overall picks in their respective drafts.
• I loved how neither team gave up. And there were points where either team could have crumbled.
  • Detroit led 21-3 with just over a minute remaining until halftime, but the Colts didn’t give up.
  • When the Colts came back to take a 35-34 lead with 37 seconds left in the game, Detroit marched 50 yards down the field over a span of 33 seconds to set up the game-winning field goal.
  • Detroit placekicker Matt Prater – who missed the extra point on Detroit’s previous touchdown, which was the reason the Lions were behind instead of tied – boomed a clutch 43-yard field goal to give the Lions the lead with four seconds left.
  • Then the Colts tried to do a multiple-pitch kick return to try and win.[13]
• The Colts’ pitch-fest on the final kickoff return started off being fun but turned downright silly at the end. The Lions defended it well.[14]

New England Patriots 23, @ Arizona Cardinals 21

• It’s hard for me to write about this one, since it involves my favorite team.
• My brother – who is a Patriot fan[15] – was at this game.
• First off, it is ludicrous that Arizona football fans couldn’t see Tom Brady play in what most definitely will be his last regular season trip to Arizona. All because a small man with a gigantic ego who doesn’t understand the Ideal Gas Law is the commissioner.
• New England (backup) quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looked GOOD. I think he could start for about half of the teams in the league.
• Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer looked a bit shaky, but not terrible. I do, however, still think he’s shell-shocked from the 2015-16 NFC Championship Game.  Oh.  Wait.  That game never happened.  Carolina was just awarded the victory and sent to the Super Bowl.[16]
• Larry Fitzgerald is either as good as or better than Jerry Rice, but I’m not sure which one it is yet. All I know is that one of them is the GOAT for wide receivers.  By the way, in this game, Fitzgerald caught his 99th and 100th career touchdowns.
• I was hearing a bunch of people saying the Cardinals looked bad, but I disagree. They were fine.  The Patriots are REALLY good, and yet the Cardinals missed the potential game-winning field goal on a play that had a bad snap.  How is that “looking bad?”

Pittsburgh Steelers 38, @ Washington Redskins 16

My NFL Game Pass couldn’t play more than four minutes of this game, so I didn’t get to see it.  That’s fine with me.  Everything I’ve read and heard about it has said that this was a crummy game on a crummy field where one team was significantly better than the other.  Oh well.  Moving on.

@ San Francisco 49ers 28, Los Angeles Rams 0

• Nice to see that the Rams are based in Los Angeles again…where they belong.
• As a Cardinals fan, neither of these teams scares me. One looks ho-hum and the other looks like one of the worst teams in the league.  But it’s only Week One, so I don’t know how much that means.
• Los Angeles defensive tackle Aaron Donald made a complete fool of himself in the fourth quarter and deserved his ejection – even before he contacted the umpire.

That wraps up Week One.  Normally, I’d put my team rankings here, but this is not even close to a big enough sample size.  I’ll get caught up with Weeks Two and Three as soon as I can.  I’m hoping they’ll be done before Week Four rolls around, but we’ll see.

September 26, 2016, 1:01 am MST

[1] Keep in mind, however, that he initially made the kick, but the Broncos called a timeout a split-second before the snap, so the kick didn’t count.  WHY IS THIS LEGAL?!??  Don’t give me that “it’s part of the game” nonsense – it only “is” because the rules still for some bizarre reason allow it.  Once the snap is imminent (snapper’s hand on the ball, holder calling signals), it should not be allowed.  It would be like an opposing coach being allowed to call a timeout as a player is right about to release a free throw instead of only being allowed to do it if the ball is not yet in the shooter’s hand (which is the current rule).

[2] The Buccaneers never ran an actual third down play from inside the red zone.  They did, however, run a first down play from there (only play they ran from the red zone the entire game), but lost yards, and never re-entered the red zone for the rest of their drive, which resulted in a field goal.

[3] This doesn’t mean that I think these teams are bad – I just wasn’t wowed very much by them.

[4] All three hundred of them.  Just kidding.  (I couldn’t resist.)

[5] And I’ll take it one step further.  When I was a kid, the Chiefs had a safety play for them named Deron Cherry, and I had his card.  (He’s in the Hall of Fame, by the way.)  That might have had an effect on my Cherry Popsicle cravings as well.  Who knows.

[6] I give credit to Mike Lombardi for this stat.  I heard him tell Bill Simmons about Red Zone Third Down Conversion Rate on a recent episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast.  In the games where I’ve actually looked for this stat, Lombardi has been right every time.

[7] 20 years ago, I would have been flabbergasted that New Orleans even attempted the kick, let alone that Lutz had the distance to make it.

[8] I still love Frank Caliendo’s impression of John Madden where he says, “I’d rather talk about Brett Favre’s game last week than the Player of the Game’s game this week….”

[9] This one was mind-bogglingly dumb.  Wake was on the ground as Wilson threw the ball.  He then got up, took two steps, and knocked Wilson to the ground from behind.  If I were Miami’s coach, Wake would have been fined an exorbitant amount of money and made to run at practice on Tuesday until I was tired.

[10] Who were those two players, you ask?  The running back was four-time Pro Bowler Calvin Hill, and the quarterback was a future Hall of Famer – The Great Roger Staubach.  By the way, Hill got offensive rookie of the year that season.

[11] Comparable high-pressure positions: any starting spot for the New York Yankees, goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, head coach for the Lakers or the Celtics, manager for the England National Team, the high school football coach in any small town that has only one high school.

[12] Yes, he’s coached there longer than Jimmy Johnson, who won back-to-back Super Bowls.

[13] It was nowhere near being threatening.  The Lions kick coverage team actually looked bored for a little bit watching the Colts pitch the ball all over the place yet manage to only move backward.

[14] It resulted in a safety.  I’ve never seen that outside of intramural flag football.

[15] No, he’s not a bandwagon hopper.  He started to like them before they were even good because they drafted Tedy Bruschi, who was his all-time favorite college football player.

[16] That’s the agreement my good friend Bryan Griffus and I made about that game.  It never happened, just like Rocky V and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.  Let’s forget about this discussion topic and move on.