Monday, September 21, 2009

NFL Week 2

Just more of me being a closet sports writer....

Falcons 28, Panthers 20:
No real surprises here. Tony Gonzalez is definitely going to be an asset for the Falcons. Panthers looking like they've taken a step back from a year ago, which most people predicted would happen.

Vikings 27, Lions 13:
Favre looked really good, but consider the competition. Vikings are 2-0 but they haven't beaten anybody worth noticing.

Bengals 31, Packers 24:
Bad loss for the Packers. A team with playoff aspirations like Green Bay can't lose home games to the dysfunctional Bengals.

Texans 34, Titans 31:
Somewhat unexpected shootout. Have to start wondering if the Titans defense can play up to the level they were last year.

Raiders 13, Chiefs 10:
The numbers would have you wonder how the Raiders won this game, but they got it done. They kind of look like a team that's going to play 60 minutes and not give up anything easy.

Jets 16, Patriots 9:
Ok, so Mark Sanchez is better than I thought. Tom Brady hasn't really been himself yet. New England may have some cause for concern.

Saints 48, Eagles 22:
So the Saints seem to be getting all of the hype right now. Drew Brees does look like an MVP candidate right now, but let's not forget that they haven't made the playoffs the last two years.

Redskins 9, Rams 7:
Do we really have to acknowledge that this game happened. I guess, good for the Redskins for not taking a bad loss at home.

Cardinals 31, Jaguars 17:
Cardinals bounce back nicely after a disappointing opener. The NFC West looks more competitive this year so they'll need to be more consistent than they were last year.

Bills 33, Bucs 20:
Right now, I think the Bucs are one of the worst teams in the league. Their defense can't seem to do anything and Byron Leftwich is their quarterback. Long season for Tampa Bay.

49ers 23, Seahaws 10:
Surprise, Matt Hasselbeck gets hurt. 49ers are looking strong to start the season though.

Bears 17, Steelers 14:
Good win for the Bears. Jay Cutler bounced back nicely and got the job done. Kind of wondering about the Steelers after they barely get by a Titans team that lost at home to Houston this week. Not looking like a super bowl team at the moment.

Ravens 31, Chargers 26:
Chargers had a chance to win at the end, but the Ravens defense made plays when they needed to. Joe Flacco is looking very solid for them. They could be the best team in the AFC right now.

Broncos 27, Browns 6:
So the Broncos are now 2-0, against the Bengals and Browns. So far Cleveland looks like one of the worst teams in the league after not being very competitive at all in their first two games.

Giants 33, Cowboys 31:
This loss goes on Tony Romo. His 3 interceptions turned into points for the Giants. Watching this game, it looked like the Cowboys offense is most effective when they commit to the run. Romo isn't consistent enough yet to be the focal point of the offense.

Colts 27, Dolphins 23:
Dolphins lack of a vertical passing game cost them in this one as they couldn't move the ball down the field fast enough with the game on the line. I believe it also cost them the ability to get the ball into the end zone as they were forced to settle for field goals most of the night (4 made, 1 missed).

Thursday, September 17, 2009

NFL Week 1

Just some thoughts on what happened in Week 1, game by game.

Pittsburgh 13, Tennessee 10 (OT):
I watched this game, although on DVR. I got the impression that Pittsburgh played the better game, but wasn't necessarily overwhelming. Tennessee was getting pressure on Roethlisberger through most of the game, but couldn't keep it up for 4 quarters. Tennessee had their opportunities in this game and could have come out with a win had they capitalized.

Atlanta 19, Miami 7:
I didn't see this game, but the score is no surprise to me. Both of these teams were huge surprises last year with high expectations coming into this season. I kind of had the hunch that Atlanta would be the more likely of these two teams to live up to expectations.

Denver 12, Cincinnati 7:
The way Denver got this win seems a little bit fluky, but that's kind of how things work with the Bengals. I wouldn't be surprised if they finish with the worst record in the league this season. The Broncos didn't really show me anything that has me believing they'll be relevant this year.

Minnesota 34, Cleveland 20:
I did watch this game, and my impressions were that the 2nd half was about what I expected from the matchup. Brett Favre was essentially a game manager as Adrian Peterson really got going in the second half. Cleveland actually led in this game at halftime, but as I expected, the Vikings completely took over in the second half. My impressions of Brady Quinn are about the same as before, I don't think either he or Derek Anderson are the answer in Cleveland. When you have 2 quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks.

Indianapolis 14, Jacksonville 12:
Historically the Colts are a high scoring offensive team, but the Jaguars certainly aren't. This matchup usually is close as it's an intense rivalry, so I don't think Colts fans have a great deal to worry about, yet. Even if I don't believe Jacksonville is a playoff contender, this is one of those games that the Colts just have to find a way to win.

New Orleans 45, Detroit 27:
This score is about what you would expect from this game. The Saints have one of the best offenses in the league, and the Lions have one of the worst defenses. The Saints are one of those teams that we really don't know what we're going to get from them this year, and the Lions aren't a great measuring stick so we will continue to wait and see on them.

Dallas 34, Tampa Bay 21:
The most encouraging thing about this game for Dallas is the fact that Tony Romo threw for 353 yards, and didn't appear to miss T.O. in the offense at all. Although, he did it against Tampa Bay who appears to be rebuilding this season. Dallas is another team that we will have to wait and see on.

Philadelphia 38, Carolina 10:
The biggest impression I got from this game is that Jake Delhomme is no longer a reliable quarterback at the NFL level. Between this game and their playoff loss against the Cardinals last year, he looks like he doesn't have much left in the tank, if anything. Good start for the Eagles, who come into this season with high expectations after last year's playoff run.

Baltimore 38, Kansas City 24:
I don't have a lot to say about this game besides the fact that Joe Flacco is for real. Kansas City kept this closer than I would have expected so we'll see if they turn into one of those teams that gives you everything you can handle, even if they don't have the talent to match up.

NY Jets 24, Houston 7:
This is the one that surprised me the most. The Texans have been hyped up as the team that potentially be a playoff dark horse in the AFC. On Sunday, they didn't look like it at all. Mark Sanchez showed a lot more than I expected from him, maybe that's why he's starting already instead of Kellen Clemens.

NY Giants 23, Washington 17:
Watching this game, I felt like the Giants were in control, but not really dominating. Not sure if they brought their A game. I didn't buy into Jason Campbell before this game and nothing about his performance made me change my mind.

San Francisco 20, Arizona 16:
Good win for San Francisco, bad loss for Arizona. The Cardinals needed to come out strong in their opener to establish themselves as legit, instead of the one year wonder that many people think they are. The season is not over for them by any stretch, but they have a long way to get back to where they were last year.

Seattle 28, St. Louis 0:
Nice way for the Seahawks to start the season, although against the lowly Rams. Some expect them to bounce back after a disappointing season last year and this game is a good sign of that possibility.

Green Bay 21, Chicago 15:
The worst thing about this game for the Bears was losing Brian Urlacher for the season. Jay Cutler's performance wasn't very encouraging either. Don't know that there is too much to read into on the Green Bay side. Many have picked them as a dark horse team to win the NFC North, although I am of the opinion that the Vikings are a little better.

New England 25, Buffalo 24:
The Patriots are probably just relieved that they came out on top in this one. To be down 11 at home to a team like Buffalo that few people have high expectations of is a bit of a disappointing performance. Sometimes the Patriots will do that though, and then come out with a big statement game so we'll have to wait and see what they do against the Jets.

San Diego 24, Oakland 20:
The Raiders showed me a lot more than I was expecting of them, but it still wasn't enough to get the job done. The biggest impression I had watching this game was that the Raiders passing game needs to improve significantly before they can expect to play with the top teams. For 3-1/2 quarters, San Diego's offense struggled to get going, but really came alive with 2 touchdowns in the last 5 minutes of the game. The Chargers have been a slow starting team the last few years, so for them to come out of this with a win is encouraging even if it was against an opponent most believe they should handle. Over the last 2 seasons, this is the type of game the Chargers would have lost early in the season.