For 59 minutes and 32 seconds, the Broncos and Bengals played the most boring game of Week 1. Then Cincinnati cornerback Leon Hall forgot that batting the ball straight up in the air is a horrible idea.
At first, I disagreed with the commentator who said that Hall could have intercepted Kyle Orton’s horrid pass. It looked like he jumped at his highest point and while falling backwards, he tried to knock the ball down and instead batted it straight up.
But upon further review, Hall could have picked off the pass had he positioned his body better when the ball was in the air. Or at the very least, he should have been able to knock the ball down instead of doing his best impression of a volleyball setter by batting the football up.
Either way, this was a heartbreaking loss for the Bengals. They didn’t play a clean game, but they should have had this win locked up after Cedric Benson scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds remaining. Plus, on the play before Stokley’s circus catch, Cincinnati had intercepted Orton but the defender couldn’t stay in bounds while he was coming down with the football. The Bengals had several opportunities to start the 2009 season 1-0 but they fell victim to a fluke play.
It was a cheap win, but Josh McDaniels will take it after all the crap he went through (some of it he created himself) this summer with Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall.
The Eagles thumped the Panthers 38-10 on Sunday in Charlotte, but their mood went from jubilation to concern after quarterback Donovan McNabb suffered a rib injury after rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter.
McNabb was able to walk off the field under his own power, but he was clearly in discomfort when he returned to the sidelines in the fourth quarter. The Eagles haven’t announced how long McNabb will be out for, or if he’ll be out at all.
What’s interesting about this injury is that Philadelphia’s backup quarterback is Michael Vick, who won’t be available until Week 4 until after he’s done serving a three-game suspension. Kevin Kolb will start next week if McNabb can’t play.
Even though Vick brings an added dimension to the field as a runner, him starting would be a worst-case scenario for the Eagles. Philadelphia is a serious Super Bowl contender and need McNabb (who is the far superior passer to Vick) under center. Outside of a couple of preseason games, Vick hasn’t played in two years and would need time to shake off the rust following his suspension.
But maybe this is all a moot point. McNabb might not miss any time and even if he does, Kolb is going to get the chance to start while Vick is out. If he plays well, it’s highly doubtful that Andy Reid would turn the keys of the offense over to Vick.
As for the Eagles’ opponents on Sunday, this was a worst-case scenario for a Panthers team that was hoping to put their disastrous performance against the Cardinals in last year’s divisional round of the playoffs behind them.
Quarterback Jake Delhomme had another awful performance while completing just 7 of 17 pass attempts for 73 yards and four interceptions. Why Carolina refuses to develop a young signal caller behind Delhomme is beyond me. If his performance on Sunday was any indication of how he’ll do the rest of the year, then the Panthers are in serious trouble.
Update:ESPN.com is reporting that McNabb fractured a rib, but Reid stated that the quarterback might still play next week.
When the Vikings signed Brett Favre this offseason, they only wanted him to do a handful of things: Instill life into the passing game, don’t make too many mistakes, and get the hell out of the way for Adrian Peterson.
In the Vikings’ 34-20 win over the Browns on Sunday, Favre accomplished two of those things, namely getting the hell out of Peterson’s way.
AP had a monster day on the ground, rushing for 180 yards and three touchdowns while Favre completed 14 of 21 passes for 110 yards and added a 6-yard touchdown pass to Percy Harvin in the third quarter. Perhaps most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over, although he looked like a player that missed all of training camp because he was awfully rusty in the first half.
The score doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the Browns, but there were actually several positives that Cleveland can take from this game. The run defense wasn’t as bad as the box score indicates, but Peterson broke off a 64-yard touchdown scamper with just under six minutes remaining in the game, which contributed to his total of 180 yards.
Linebacker Kameron Wimbley played well while running sideline-to-sideline, creating havoc in Minnesota’s backfield and sacking Favre once. But credit the Vikings’ coaching staff for making good halftime adjustments, because Wimbley wasn’t as effective in the second half as he was in the first. Still, for a team that wanted to get more defensive pressure under new head coach Eric Mangini, the Browns did that on Sunday. Mangini’s offseason additions of safety Abram Elam and linebacker Eric Barton played well, too.
Offensively for the Browns, Braylon Edwards made some tough catches, although quarterback Brady Quinn struggled in the second half. He didn’t make good decisions after Minnesota adjusted at halftime and he had a costly fumble. But one thing to keep in mind is that Quinn doesn’t have a ton of starting experience, so a game like this is a perfect learning experience.
The Browns are improved under Mangini, but it was clear on Sunday that the Vikings were the better team. The book is still out on whether or not Favre will breath some life into Minnesota’s passing game, but at least he showed today that he can successfully take a backseat to Peterson.
When the Jets hired former Ravens’ defensive coordinator Rex Ryan as their new head coach, they hoped that he would bring a swagger to the club similar to the one he had instilled in Baltimore throughout the years.
When Ryan arrived in New York, he took pot shots at other head coaches in the division (New England’s Bill Belichick) and tangled with linebackers that his team would have to face twice a year (Miami’s Channing Crowder). So when it came time for the Jets to play their season opener against the Texans in Houston, Ryan’s bunch need to back up his offseason talk.
The Jets did just that on Sunday, blasting the Texans 24-7 in an absolutely dominating performance. Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was excellent in his professional debut, finding a wide open Chansi Stucky for a 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter, which was Sanchez’s first career TD.
The Jets’ defense was also outstanding, limiting Houston to only 183 total yards of offense and suffocating second-year running back Steve Slaton (he had just 17 yards on nine carries). If one didn’t know better, they would have thought that the Ravens’ players dressed in green and white for Sunday’s game.
The Jets have a long way to go to become a serious contender, but this was an impressive debut for Sanchez and Ryan. Whether or not the Jets contend for the division or a playoff spot is irrelevant at this point, because they already backed up their head coach’s words.
As for Houston, this was a pitiful performance for a team that thinks it’s a playoff contender. Their offense was stagnant, their defense played slow and on a whole, they put together a pretty flat performance. The Texans allowed 190 rushing yards on Sunday, which is inexcusable facing a rookie quarterback in his pro debut. Sanchez needed the Jets to establish the run and once they did, he took full advantage of it with a confident performance.
There’s a long way to go, but this was about as bad of a start as Houston could have imagined. (And about the best the Jets could have hoped for.)
Here are quick-hit previews for all of today’s action in the NFL.
Dolphins at Falcons, 1:00PM
The Falcons have issues in their secondary that Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington can exploit. Atlanta had trouble getting off the field on third downs in preseason and the Dolphins excel at moving the ball methodically down the field. Conversely, Miami must keep up with Atlanta’s high-powered offense, which could be tough given how potent Matt Ryan and company looked in preseason.
Broncos at Bengals, 1:00PM
This game features the highly anticipated return of quarterback Carson Palmer, who will be without receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh this year. It’ll be interesting to see if Chad Ochocinco can rebound from a poor ’08 campaign and re-establish a rhythm with Palmer. For Denver, new head coach Josh McDaniels gets to unveil his offense, which should include receiver Brandon Marshall, although his playing status is still somewhat up in the air. The player I’m keeping an eye on today is rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, who could excel in McDainels’ pass-happy offense as a receiver out of the backfield.
Vikings at Browns, 1:00PM
Even though this will be Brett Favre’s Vikings debut, Adrian Peterson will remain the focal point for Minnesota’s offense. Rookie Percy Harvin is expected to see a ton of playing time and could be used as Brad Childress’s X-factor. The Browns will find it tough to move the ball on the ground today, as Minnesota will have their Williams Wall intact. Quarterback Brady Quinn will be counted on to make plays in the passing game and it’ll be interesting to see if Braylon Edwards can put his tumultuous offseason behind him. One player to watch for the Browns is Joshua Cribbs, who is coming off a great preseason and could be used in a variety of ways today.
Jaguars at Colts, 1:00PM
Jacksonville is looking to bounce back from a disastrous ’08 season, one in which they were supposed to contend for the Super Bowl and instead found themselves at the bottom of the AFC South. Jack Del Rio’s Jags have always played the Colts tough and they could take advantage of Indy not having safety Bob Sanders in their secondary. The most intriguing matchup today will be Colts receiver Reggie Wayne against Jaguars corner Rashean Mathis. If the now-healthy Jags can keep Peyton Manning and company contained, Jacksonville could sneak away with a win.
The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the case of Vikings’ defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will stay in Minnesota state court and thus, the two players will be allowed to play the entire season.
Judge Bobby Shepherd wrote the highly detailed 34-page decision for the panel that also included Judges Duane Benton and Diana Murphy. The decision essentially allows the Williams to play while keeping the remains of the case in Hennepin County District Court where Judge Gary Larson already has said he likely wouldn’t force the Vikings defensive tackles into a civil trial during the coming season. He stayed action in his courtroom until the federal court determined whether it has jurisdiction over some of the claims.
While the parties could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case, the court does not have to hear it. The Williamses were suspended for taking the banned substance bumetanide. They filed a lawsuit in state court contending that the NFL’s drug-testing procedures violate Minnesota workplace laws, and they asked that a judge void their suspensions. Then the NFL Players Association sued in U.S. District Court on their behalf.
This news is obviously huge for the Vikings, who are a completely different team when they don’t have their two run-stuffers in the middle of their defensive line. Minnesota can expect opponents trying to beat them through the air again this year.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that the initial diagnosis of safety Troy Polamalu is that he has a sprained MCL and will likely be out for the next three to six weeks.
From the Washington Post:
“It’s an MCL sprain,” Tomlin said during his postgame news conference. “They are reading the scans and so forth. Those things have a range of three to six [weeks]. It’s speculation at this point.”
Tomlin was asked if the injury possibly could be worse, and said: “I’m sure there is a possibility of it. But I don’t have any concrete evidence that there is anything more than that.”
Polamalu suffered the injury when the Titans’ Alge Crumpler landed on his knee after a blocked field goal attempt by Tennessee in the first half. Polamalu had an interception and was credited with six tackles before leaving the game.
It looks like the “Madden Curse” claimed another victim. Losing Polamalu for three to six weeks would be tough. Losing him for anything longer than that would be devastating for the defending champs.
The Steelers have a star-studded defense and everyone does their jobs to perfection. But they’re a different squad when they don’t have Polamalu freelancing and making big plays. He’s a missile in run support and blankets the entire field in coverage. They need him healthy and an injury lasting longer than six weeks would take its toll on Pittsburgh’s vaunted defense.
Don’t forget that the Steelers are already without linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who didn’t play last night because of an ankle injury. Depending on his status for next week, the Steelers could be down two key defensive starters and Week 1 still hasn’t wrapped up yet.
After adding quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and explosive running back Darren McFadden in the first round this past April, many pundits were high on the Raiders entering the season. It also helped that the team re-signed DL Tommy Kelly and added Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall and S Gibril Wilson.
Russell (17 of 26, 180 yards, 2 TDs) was under constant pressure and although his final numbers looked good, the Broncos never allowed him to get into a rhythm. McFadden chipped in with 46 yards on nine carries, but the Raiders fell behind so quickly that it was hard to stick with the run.
Perhaps the most staggering thing from the game was how bad Oakland’s defense looked. The front seven couldn’t generate any pass rush and Denver quarterback Jay Cutler completely picked apart the Raiders’ secondary, which was supposed to be a strength. Hall was absolutely abused by rookie receiver Eddie Royal, who amassed nine receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. At one point Mike Dikta (who was in the announcers’ booth) said, “Hall wants no part of Eddie Royal,” and Da Coach was right. The Raiders gave up multiple draft picks in the offseason to acquire Hall and pair him with Pro Bowler Nnamdi Asomugha, but all the team got from him Monday night was multiple personal foul penalties and crap coverage.
While the Raiders still look a ways awhile, Cutler and the Broncos were outstanding. The defense was relentless, Royal and Cutler were outstanding and the running game was once again effective. Denver will get a great test next weekend when they host division rival San Diego. (A pissed off San Diego, that is.)
• Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco was forced into the starting lineup due to injuries but rushed for the winning score and helped the Ravens outgain the Bengals 358-154 in total offense.
• Carson Palmer was held to 99 passing yards, only the third time in his career he has been held under 100 yards. He also didn’t have a TD pass for the 12th time in his career, three of those times coming at the hands of the Ravens.
• Baltimore improved to 12-4 at home against the AFC North since 2003.
Nice start for the 2008 rookie quarterback class as both Flacco and Matt Ryan earned victories in their debuts. Flacco was particularly impressive, even though the Ravens didn’t ask him to do too much. He was steady and didn’t make any mistakes, which is exactly what Baltimore needs from their rookie at the start of his career.
The Bengals only touchdown came from a 65-yard fumble recovery by Jonathan Joseph in the fourth quarter. Baltimore’s defense is still one of the best in the league, but it’s a little shocking that Cincy’s only touchdown came from its defense. Bengals’ running back Chris Perry rushed for only 37 yards on 18 carries, which is significant seeing as how longtime starter Rudi Johnson was recently cut to give Perry an opportunity to start.
Game Preview:
Dallas enters the season as the perennial favorite to represent the NFC in the 2009 Super Bowl. QB Tony Romo, RB Marion Barber III, WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten form one of the more explosive offenses in the league. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett proved last year that he’s an outstanding play caller and the Cowboys shouldn’t have issues putting points on the board on a weekly basis. The defense is also stacked and head coach Wade Phillips is one of the better 3-4 schemers in league.
Cleveland has high expectations after winning 10 games last season, but QB Derek Anderson has to prove that he wasn’t a one-year fluke and the offseason additions have to gel quickly on defense. Anderson certainly has enough playmakers around him to succeed, from TE Kellen Winslow Jr. to WR Braylon Edwards and RB Jamal Lewis. Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams were acquired in the offseason to help boost the defensive pass rush and hopefully take the pressure off a talented, but inexperienced secondary.
Outlook:
The Browns must get pressure on Romo like the Giants did in last year’s NFC Divisional Playoffs or else Garrett will keep Cleveland’s defense off balance all game. Stopping Barber and the Dallas’ run game will also be vital, but perhaps more important for the Browns is that they need to win the turnover and field position battles. They should be able to score points (even against a tough Dallas defense), but they don’t stand a chance if they can’t force a turnover or two without turning the ball over themselves. Lewis and returner Joshua Cribbs will be game-time decisions and if they can’t go, Cleveland’s defense will have to step up even more because the offense might struggle to stay balanced. Expect the Browns to double up Owens and take their chances with Patrick Crayton in one-on-one coverage. Keeping Witten from running down the seams will also be imperative, so safety Sean Jones might have a busy afternoon.
Prediction:Cowboys 30, Browns 21. The Cowboys have depth concerns, but they still have so many weapons that are healthy. Cleveland wasn’t particularly sharp in preseason either, although that rarely is a telltale sign on how a team will do in the regular season.
After adding quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and explosive running back Darren McFadden in the first round this past April, many pundits were high on the Raiders entering the season. It also helped that the team re-signed DL Tommy Kelly and added Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall and S Gibril Wilson.
