I’m not sure we learned much from Week 1. Pittsburgh is a prime example. Expect the Steelers to bounce back.
This first week of football showed me something. For the first time in many seasons, I don’t think Week 1 play will be a foundational game for many teams. Don’t get me wrong. Every game is important. But with more teams holding out players during the pre-season, in Week 1 I saw a general level of (how should I say it?) ‘unpreparedness.’
Players were out-of-sync, and many teams didn’t seem to have the chemistry that I believe you’ll see later in the year. Practice prepares teams only so much.
With that in mind, the Browns, Falcons, Cardinals, and Packers, to name four, seemed to struggle a bit. I expect all of them to find sea legs, but presumed future stability came at a cost: only one (Packers) won their Week 1 game. It was interesting watching Aaron Rodgers in the Bears’ game. You could almost tell the exact moment when he finally got comfortable and eased into his rhythm.
The Falcons and Browns made off-season changes at OC and with OBJ, respectively, and those changes showed Sunday. The Falcons will look better later on, and OBJ will get better acquainted with the offense. When that happens, LOOK OUT!
Then there was one game–Arizona v. Detroit–where cries of “OVERHYPE!” turned into ‘WHAT A COMEBACK!” I’m talking about Cardinals’ QB Kyler Murray. Murray guided the Cardinals during a fourth-quarter blitz that eventually earned Arizona a tie in a game that (for so long) looked like a lost cause. Murray impressed me. I think he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
But there’s always a flip side to every coin. I think Week 1 WILL tell us all we need to know about a bunch of NFL teams, including (most notably), the Buccaneers, Redskins, Dolphins, and Panthers. Of all these teams, Miami seems to be the most hopeless. The Dolphins’ performance was abysmal. How can pro players get steamrolled? Not to mix metaphors (but I will) the Dolphins are a trainwreck!
But as bad as Miami looked, New England looked like … New England. Who would’ve thought that the Patriots could shut down the Steelers’ offense? They did, and the venerable Steelers looked outmatched. But, as I said earlier, I don’t think Pittsburgh’s performance is an omen of things to come. If anything, I think getting spanked will light their fire.
Mark my words: when the smoke clears, look for Pittsburgh to make the playoffs.
I’m very excited to see the season start, and I can’t wait to see how it will unfold.
See you next week!
