At the conclusion of each week, we will be releasing a mini-review of each game from the weekend. These reviews will not be too long. They will be fairly short and hit on big points that I saw during the weekend.
Cowboys vs. Buccaneers: The Cowboys looked way better than I thought they would. Dak looked impressive considering he dropped back to pass 58 times and looked good on most of his throws. It did look like his shoulder bothered him a few times but it shouldn’t be a huge concern. The main concern is, can Dallas get the run game going? The Bucs turned the ball over four times but still managed to win. Great teams can win and still turn the ball over four times and that is what a Tom Brady led offense can do. The secondary moving forward does have some question marks.
Jaguars vs. Texans: This game was a shock for me. I thought the Texans were complete pushovers. However, I do think this is more of a story of the Jags being unprepared than it was Houston being good. Trevor Lawerence had some very good plays but had some very questionable decisions when he threw his interceptions. He is a rookie quarterback so I won’t get on him too much. I don’t think Urban Meyer is a good head coach for this team.
Chargers vs. Washington: Justin Herbert looked pretty solid against a really good Washington defense. He passed for 337 passing yards and 1 touchdown in a very good start to his sophomore campaign. Herbert and Brandon Staley are off to a good start in LA. Washington can not say the same. They lose Ryan Fitzpatrick for a while in the first game of the season. They had the worst quarterback play last year and they may have to rely on that defense to carry them one more time.
Seahawks vs. Colts: Russell Wilson in September is a monster. The Seahawks looked really good across the board, especially Chris Carson. As for the Colts, it was a rough game but I think it was a tough opponent to start out against. They get the Rams next week so that could get ugly too. Also, Darius Leonard can not cover. He needs to improve his coverage skills.
Jets vs. Panthers: This game was pretty forgettable. Zach Wilson didn’t look great but his offensive line was very bad. He had a very small pocket to throw. Now with Becton out for half the season, Wilson’s experience won’t get much better. The Panthers may have won, but didn’t look too great either. The Panthers had only 19 points and Sam Darnold missed many critical throws to give the Panthers more points. Darnold will need to improve if the Panthers want to win more games against better teams than the Jets.
Vikings vs. Bengals: Bengals surprised me here, I’m not going to lie. The Vikings looked very poor even though they had 5 sacks. Mixon was able to eclipse 100 rushing yards and Burrow had a solid game for someone playing their first game since tearing an ACL. The Vikings are the concern here. I was high on them going into this year and this offense looked pretty flat. They’ll need to figure it out before it’s too late.
Cardinals vs. Titans: Kyler Murray looked unreal against the Titans. Chandler Jones had 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Alongside JJ Watt, this team is going to be nasty if they keep this up. The Titans looked flat like I thought they would. Arthur Smith did wonders for that offense and it is clear they are missing him. Also, all the pieces they lost in the secondary are showing as well. Not a good start for the Titans.
Eagles vs. Falcons: Speaking of Arthur Smith, his Falcons looked just as bad as the Titans. This is a game I did not see coming. That offensive line for the Falcons was much worse than I thought. They will need to improve The Eagles played with passion and Jalen Hurts looked great. Devonta Smith caught a touchdown in his first NFL game and could become a big target for Hurts. The Eagles might be better than I thought.
49ers vs. Lions: Well at least the Lions made it interesting. The 49ers looked good but, they lost Jason Verrett for the year and had multiple other defensive players injured. This let the Lions back in the game but overall, the Lions looked bad. Jared Goff didn’t throw a ball over 30 yards and the receivers were terrible. Hockenson was the only bright spot on that offense. It is early in the Dan Campbell era but it’s good to see some fight.
Steelers vs. Bills: Steelers surprised me. The offense wasn’t spectacular but it was good enough to get the job done. The Steelers defense and special teams were the real heroes. The defense made Josh Allen look very human. Allen had some very bad throws and couldn’t get the offense going. I wouldn’t worry if I were the Bills but, eyebrows have certainly been raised. Steelers handled the Bills very well and a big chunk of credit should go to the defense. The Steelers are looking solid yet again.
Browns vs. Chiefs: Browns looked good out the gate but eventually Kansas City’s firepower took over. The Browns fell behind and couldn’t overcome the momentum shift. Can the Browns play from behind? Doesn’t look like it but thankfully for the Browns, they don’t have to play the Chiefs every game moving forward. Losing Jedrick Wills hurts that elite Browns offensive line. Should be interesting to see how the pass protection and the run game flows with Wills being out.
Packers vs. Saints: Aaron Rodgers looked like he didn’t practice at all. It was a rough game for the Packers. It was the definition of a clunker. They couldn’t get any aspect of the offense moving and Rodgers had a worse passer rating than a QB who would throw the ball into the ground every play. I’m serious, look it up on pro football focus. The Saints looked good with Winston leading the way. Can they keep it up the rest of the season?
Dolphins vs. Patriots: The Dolphins may have won but Tua did not impress me. He looked a little off and the arm strength wasn’t there. Thankfully for him, the Dolphin’s defense is legit. They bailed him out big time. Mac Jones looked okay but he has plenty of room to grow. More reps should result in better results for Jones. The Dolphins always seem to have the Pats number and this year is no different.
Broncos vs. Giants: My hot-take Broncos pick looks good right now. Teddy Bridgewater looked good, the offensive line held up and that defense is everything it was hyped up to be. This team is legit and they have a very easy schedule to go alongside it. The Giants looked flat. The offense had no creativity and the defense wasn’t as good as last year. It’s only been one game and that Giants defense is too talented to look that poor the whole year. They should look better against Washington.
Bears vs. Rams: Stafford has been unleashed. He and McVay look like a scary duo working together. Stafford hasn’t looked that comfortable in years. The Rams will be fun to watch this year. The Bears need to start Fields. Starting Dalton is a waste of time. Fields has the talent to start now and Dalton’s subpar play is stopping it from happening? Figure it out Chicago.
Ravens vs. Raiders: On the podcast, I said the Ravens would win. As the week went on, I started to doubt my pick. Multiple season-ending injuries hurt them more than I thought it would. The Ravens should be worried moving forward. The Raiders offense seemed flat as Derek Carr kept trying to force it to Waller. That defense though, my goodness. Gus Bradley is working wonders and Maxx Crosby looked unreal. Raiders ARE better than I thought they were.
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